Is Voting in U.S. Elections Incompatible With Libertarianism? No.

From: DJ
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 5:48 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: 
Subject: Libertarians for Trump

re: (https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/03/walter-e-block/libertarians-trump/)

Dear Walter,

Very disappointing to hear you argue so strongly for the continuing existence of the political government of the state by urging participation in the electoral process.  I don’t understand why you wouldn’t prefer to simply let it fall by withholding support rather than to perpetuate its health by giving the system legitimacy through participation.  I’ll have to say it was also just a bit disturbing to hear you repeating the thread-worn “don’t throw away your vote on someone unelectable.”  Back a statist “winner” rather than a principled libertarian “loser”?  What happened to principle as a guide to one’s actions?  Or was that only when Ron Paul was running?

I can understand (and excuse to a degree) “defensive voting” but can’t do so myself as I consider it immoral to seek to control the political shakedown racket–the machinery of violent domination by which those who disagree are robbed and coerced into compliance and submission–just as I would consider it to be immoral to attempt to control the Mafia as an insider in order to “reform” it.  I don’t consider the state as having any more legitimacy than the Mafia, differing significantly only in size and the illusion of legitimacy with the public.

I guess I’m wondering at what point in your ideal reduction of the political state you would consider it finally necessary to confront the choice of either declaring a state based on force altogether illegitimate and withdraw your support entirely or maintaining a minarchy through violent domination of your neighbors as is now the case via the electoral process of periodically choosing between criminal A and criminal B.  I’m not at all clear on that.

Regards, DJ

Dear DJ:

Do you give the state legitimacy by walking on its roads, using its currency, borrowing books from its library, mailing letters in the US post office? No, of course, not. The same applies to voting. Here is some literature on this issue, giving both sides of this internal libertarian debate:

Pro: Block, 2012; Block and Fryzek, 2015; Rothbard, 1972A, 1972B; con: McElroy, 2013; Watner, 2000

Block, Walter E. 2012. Yes to Ron Paul and Liberty. New York: Ishi Press; http://www.amazon.com/dp/4871873234;

http://libertycrier.com/education/walter-blocks-new-book-on-ron-paul/;

http://libertyunbound.com/node/862

Block, Walter and Nathan Fryzek. 2015. “Was It Immoral to Vote for Ron Paul? And other libertarian questions and answers.” November 26;  http://www.targetliberty.com/2015/11/was-it-immoral-to-vote-for-ron-paul.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TargetLiberty+%28Target+Liberty%29

Rothbard, Murray N. 1972A. “Should Libertarians Vote?”  Outlook, April, p. 6.

Rothbard, Murray N. 1972B. “Interview.” February 25;

https://mises.org/blog/voting-immoralhttps://mises.org/library/new-banner-interview-murray-n-rothbard-0

McElroy, Wendy. 2013. “The Faux Slavery Analogy to Voting.” July 31;

http://dailyanarchist.com/2013/07/31/the-faux-slavery-analogy-to-voting/

criticizes Walter E. Block

Watner, Carl. 2000. “Is Voting an Act of Violence?” April, The Voluntaryist. No. 103

http://voluntaryist.com/articles/103.html#.VzDxM0n2Y5s

Vegetarian, anti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63NNuG-6-hQ

Best regards,

Walter

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2:28 pm on January 22, 2019