I think the answer to why so many libertarians have become Trumpists is a bit more straightforward than you're hypothesizing. Over the last decade or so, culture war differences have come to dominate American political thinking. The two "sides" define themselves more by those culture war differences than they do policy differences. For decades prior to that, American libertarianism went with the fusionist strategy of view itself as part of the conservative/right-wing coalition, which led to an American libertarian movement made up of far more people who came from the right, and have conservative cultural leanings, than people who came from the left or have left cultural leanings. Thus when American politics realigned along those culture war differences, and deemphasized policy differences, it was predictable that many (though certainly not all) libertarians would be drawn to the contemporary avatar of right-wing cultural preferences, even if he's not great on the whole liberty thing.
I think this is a particularly persuasive view of what I perceive is happening. People who I used to see on Libertarian comment sites now use words like 'commie' and other rightist terminology, and want to disaffiliate with perceived leftist causes such as BLM (even though BLM and police reform is certainly compatible with late twentieth century libertarianism)
Libertarianism is anti-crime. We talk about taxation being theft, but theft really is theft! You can't be free if crime is rampant.
Now if you believe that police misconduct, especially as relates to blacks, is a big problem and that BLM has the answers it would make sense to endorse BLM. But on the empirical merits I find such a conclusion absurd.
On MAGAification of libertarian institutions: How much of the MAGAification is genuine enthusiasm or support for Trump and his potential administration, and how much is a more pragmatic acceptance of the Republican party as preferable to Joe Biden's administration and the Democratic party at large. All of that assuming the Libertarian party as a waste of time.
"...the partisans of natural liberty have abandoned the ideal of Feigenbaum Freiheit. They don’t want to be left alone. They don’t want to live and let live. "
We've been saying leave us alone for almost 50 years now. But, some people didn't listen, or wouldn't agree to leave us alone. They intentionally made it into a second order disagreement.
Another possibility: the MAGAfication of the Libertarian Party (and the libertarian movement more generally) is the result of the resurgence of "hegemonic liberty"—freedom to dominate and denigrate, freedom to enjoy social and economic advantages denied to disfavored castes—which never actually went away in American politics but has been kept in check by political pieties in the two major parties. MAGA is in part a revolt against these pieties and it's had the effect of <ahem> liberating other movements to discard the same pieties and openly embrace hegemonic liberty.
"What has happened to the LP, the libertarian movement, and much of the Republican party is that the partisans of natural liberty have abandoned the ideal of Feigenbaum Freiheit. They don’t want to be left alone. They don’t want to live and let live. They aren’t happy with peace and prosperity. They want to fight against those who are not in their clan, however they may define it." Very interesting insight. Thank you for this historical analysis.
In which you wonder why some people don't want our neo-feudal elite and their clerisy class experts (like you) to force everybody to eat the bugs and why anybody might view the Bad Orange Man as a weapon to fight that Instinctive Authoritarianism.
I don't understand why these MAGA libertarians bother with libertarianism at all. Why associate with a small, powerless coalition on the fringe if you are naturally allied with the GOP?
You may be tired of it, but it's nonetheless accurate. Trump's instinct to dominate is one of his most prominent--and politically effective--characteristics. It shapes everything from his physical postures while debating and speaking to his knee-jerk desire to use force, call in troops, and impose death penalties. It's an instinctive part of his personality, not a policy agenda.
During Trump's presidency my liberty was never impinged in any serious way. The closest you could say is during 2020, but it was largely the left that was doing the imposing and the most you could ding Trump for is not standing up to them more.
Under Biden (and my Democratic governor) I experienced during COVID/Summer of Floyd a reduction in liberty that I never thought was even possible in America. Not only 2020, but through early 2022 this stuff was still going on. I think COVID restrictions would still be going on had democrats not done so poorly in Nov 2021 that they started looking for off-ramps.
It's very difficult for me to understand why people are afraid of theoretical Trump authoritarianism after experiencing ACTUAL authoritarianism during COVID.
I think the answer to why so many libertarians have become Trumpists is a bit more straightforward than you're hypothesizing. Over the last decade or so, culture war differences have come to dominate American political thinking. The two "sides" define themselves more by those culture war differences than they do policy differences. For decades prior to that, American libertarianism went with the fusionist strategy of view itself as part of the conservative/right-wing coalition, which led to an American libertarian movement made up of far more people who came from the right, and have conservative cultural leanings, than people who came from the left or have left cultural leanings. Thus when American politics realigned along those culture war differences, and deemphasized policy differences, it was predictable that many (though certainly not all) libertarians would be drawn to the contemporary avatar of right-wing cultural preferences, even if he's not great on the whole liberty thing.
I think this is a particularly persuasive view of what I perceive is happening. People who I used to see on Libertarian comment sites now use words like 'commie' and other rightist terminology, and want to disaffiliate with perceived leftist causes such as BLM (even though BLM and police reform is certainly compatible with late twentieth century libertarianism)
BLM is a total rejection of libertarianism.
Libertarianism is anti-crime. We talk about taxation being theft, but theft really is theft! You can't be free if crime is rampant.
Now if you believe that police misconduct, especially as relates to blacks, is a big problem and that BLM has the answers it would make sense to endorse BLM. But on the empirical merits I find such a conclusion absurd.
On MAGAification of libertarian institutions: How much of the MAGAification is genuine enthusiasm or support for Trump and his potential administration, and how much is a more pragmatic acceptance of the Republican party as preferable to Joe Biden's administration and the Democratic party at large. All of that assuming the Libertarian party as a waste of time.
"...the partisans of natural liberty have abandoned the ideal of Feigenbaum Freiheit. They don’t want to be left alone. They don’t want to live and let live. "
We've been saying leave us alone for almost 50 years now. But, some people didn't listen, or wouldn't agree to leave us alone. They intentionally made it into a second order disagreement.
What exactly did you expect?!
A certain faction is simply fed up with being told what to do.
“Stand in line. Fill out form. Take back and get stamp. Drop dead, but first get permit.“
Another possibility: the MAGAfication of the Libertarian Party (and the libertarian movement more generally) is the result of the resurgence of "hegemonic liberty"—freedom to dominate and denigrate, freedom to enjoy social and economic advantages denied to disfavored castes—which never actually went away in American politics but has been kept in check by political pieties in the two major parties. MAGA is in part a revolt against these pieties and it's had the effect of <ahem> liberating other movements to discard the same pieties and openly embrace hegemonic liberty.
"What has happened to the LP, the libertarian movement, and much of the Republican party is that the partisans of natural liberty have abandoned the ideal of Feigenbaum Freiheit. They don’t want to be left alone. They don’t want to live and let live. They aren’t happy with peace and prosperity. They want to fight against those who are not in their clan, however they may define it." Very interesting insight. Thank you for this historical analysis.
In which you wonder why some people don't want our neo-feudal elite and their clerisy class experts (like you) to force everybody to eat the bugs and why anybody might view the Bad Orange Man as a weapon to fight that Instinctive Authoritarianism.
I don't understand why these MAGA libertarians bother with libertarianism at all. Why associate with a small, powerless coalition on the fringe if you are naturally allied with the GOP?
“Instinctively authoritarian” is a really tiresome and unserious description at this point.
You may be tired of it, but it's nonetheless accurate. Trump's instinct to dominate is one of his most prominent--and politically effective--characteristics. It shapes everything from his physical postures while debating and speaking to his knee-jerk desire to use force, call in troops, and impose death penalties. It's an instinctive part of his personality, not a policy agenda.
During Trump's presidency my liberty was never impinged in any serious way. The closest you could say is during 2020, but it was largely the left that was doing the imposing and the most you could ding Trump for is not standing up to them more.
Under Biden (and my Democratic governor) I experienced during COVID/Summer of Floyd a reduction in liberty that I never thought was even possible in America. Not only 2020, but through early 2022 this stuff was still going on. I think COVID restrictions would still be going on had democrats not done so poorly in Nov 2021 that they started looking for off-ramps.
It's very difficult for me to understand why people are afraid of theoretical Trump authoritarianism after experiencing ACTUAL authoritarianism during COVID.