Anthony Gregory writes:

Dear Mr. Starr,

As a member of the Libertarian Party of California, I was distraught to read such praises, given in my name, of one of the least libertarian presidents in recent memory.

It is fine to mourn the passing of a man. But why do we need to distort his record so terribly? He expanded government power and size faster than either Clinton or Carter. His “tax cut” was really a tax increase, offsetting reductions in tax revenue through bracket creep, “closing loopholes,” and Social Security tax hikes. He gave the country enormous budget deficits with his runaway welfare and military spending, which will inevitably be paid through inflation and tax increases. He increased government involvement in agriculture and trucking, and implemented protectionist trade policies.

Reagan bombed Libya, attacked Lebanon, invaded Grenada, and imposed trade sanctions on Nicaragua. He assisted Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

He began the modern War on Drugs.As governor of our state, Reagan imposed higher taxes and gave us tax withholding. He spied on peaceful war protestors. He was a New Dealer his whole life, and we’re still suffering from his legacy.

Reagan’s libertarian-lite rhetoric no more vindicates his miserable record than the words of Communists, who kill “out of love,” vindicate their horrid actions.

Did Reagan defeat Communism? No. Communism fell because it is a completely ludicrous economic system. And yet Reagan brought us closer to a Communist economy even as he gave lip service to the free market.

Ronald Reagan may have been a good person deep down, but this can be even more easily said of Jimmy Carter, who was much less tyrannical that Reagan. Some of Reagan’s best policies, such as deregulation, were started by Carter. I wonder if when the Georgian peanut farmer passes away the Libertarian Party of California will be nearly as complimentary in its obituary to him.

What is the point of the Libertarian Party? Is it to move our country toward liberty? How can this be done by whitewashing the record of a statist, excusing his Big Government policies on the basis of his meaningless rhetoric?

It is not in the party’s interest to bash a man upon his death. But mischaracterizing our message and ideology — identifying with a socialist president who undermined the cause of liberty — won’t win anyone
over who will be willing to work with us. It will only alienate potential libertarian activists, who already have enough trouble distinguishing us from today’s
conservatives, with whom we share virtually no philosophical common ground.

Sincerely, Anthony Gregory

The Best of Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.