WE'RE GONNA NEED A LOT MORE TIN FOIL:

MORE:
American libertarianism is dancing to the shock-jocks (Jurek Martin, September 25 2009, Financial Times)

[I]t is becoming increasingly evident that libertarianism is a common thread in the patchwork quilt of vocal opposition to Barack Obama’s attempts to change the way America is run. Not only does it pull many of the organisational strings behind the often raucous public protests of the last few months, but its essential philosophy, that the less government the better, is espoused by some of the titular leaders of the mob.

Chief among these is Glenn Beck, the radio and television demagogue who emotionally peddles socialist-and-worse conspiracy theories to an unquestioning audience four hours a day, five days a week.

[I]f you listen to his rambling rants, as I force myself to from time to time, the libertarian strain in his thinking becomes quite clear; far more so than Mr Limbaugh’s, whose shtick is much more of the authoritarian but orthodox anti-liberal variety. And where El Rushbo deploys bombast and heavy-handed sarcasm, Mr Beck, often near real or fake tears, comes over as much closer to Howard Beale in the film Network – “I’m as mad as hell and can’t take it any more.”

Garden variety libertarians devoted to notions of economic and personal liberty might be uncomfortable with this combustible approach, but they are not above going along for the ride. That certainly seems to be the case with former Congressman Dick Armey and his pressure group Freedom Works, as well as more established outfits such as the Ayn Rand Institute, named after the author. Both have been active in organising the tea party, town hall and Washington protest events that marked this summer.

Mr Armey, once number two Republican in the House of Representatives in spite of a sometimes very impolitic temper, has never hidden his libertarianism. Nor, for that matter, did Alan Greenspan, ruler of the Federal Reserve for so long. The fact that the role of government expanded so much in the presidency of George W. Bush induced Mr Armey to resign from Congress.

And don't the Libertarians and the Larouchies deserve each other?

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 25, 2009 8:39 AM