Here is a correspondence I had with a leading libertarian. The subject was foreign policy. Mark Skousen is indeed a staunch libertarian, who has contributed greatly to our philosophy, and I thus have great respect for him. But I think on this point he is in error. Ordinarily, I keep my correspondents anonymous, but, in this case, this correspondence has already been shared by almost a dozen people. To sum up Mark’s error: he deduces from the fact that because Lew Rockwell, and others associated with the Mises Institute, oppose U.S. interventionism in Venezuela, that they somehow support Maduro. Nothing could be further from the truth. This to my mind is akin to saying that since libertarians oppose public education, that we are also against all education; that since we oppose government roads, we are against private highways too.
Letter 1:
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 3:09 PM
Subject: Fwd: Lew Rockwell Libertarians favor Maduro’s Venezuela
Dear Walter,
Talk about defending the undefendable. I’m amazed that your friends fall for this kind of Communist propaganda. “Democratically elected Madura”? LOL. “Popular support for Maduro” while the people starve without electricity. LOL.
Best, AEIOU,
Mark
Mark Skousen
Presidential Fellow, Chapman University
Producer, FreedomFest
“The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds”
July 17-20, 2019, Paris Resort, Las Vegas
www.freedomfest.com
—–Original Message—–
From: Walter Block <[email protected]>
To: mskousen <[email protected]
Subject: RE: Lew Rockwell Libertarians favor Maduro’s Venezuela
But is this any proper interest of the US government? Its proper role, if it has any, is to protect to residents and citizens of the US, not make the world safe for democracy, or, for electricity, no?
Letter 3:
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 4:02 PM
To: [email protected];
Subject: Re: Lew Rockwell Libertarians favor Maduro’s Venezuela
You completely missed the point. The author of this drivel says that Maduro was “democratically elected” and we all know that is nonsense. Communists don’t respect democracy, they just abuse it. The election of Maduro was a farce and a fraud. And to say that Maduro is still popular while the Venezuelan people are starving and without electricity and are being murdered….what a joke.
What’s happening in Venezuela is the greatest human tragedy of the 21st century. For anyone to write anything defending the Communist takeover of Venezuela is shameful, and clearly Communist propaganda.
Mark
Mark Skousen
Presidential Fellow, Chapman University
Producer, FreedomFest
“The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds”
July 17-20, 2019, Paris Resort, Las Vegas
www.freedomfest.com
Letter 4:
From: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 5:16 PM
To: [email protected];
Subject: RE: Lew Rockwell Libertarians favor Maduro’s Venezuela
Dear Mark:
Thanks for your correction. I always enjoy being educated by you. I fully agree with you about Maduro. He’s no Ron Paul. He’s evil. I’m not a big fan of democracy either (see below). I also agree with you that Maduro is not a product of a fair democratic vote.
But what about my point: that it is no business of the US government what goes on there? Venezuela is not likely to attack the US. Do you agree with me on that?
On democracy:
Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 2001A. Democracy – The God That Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order, Rutgers University, N.J.: Transaction Publishers
Best regards,
Walter
7:39 am on July 23, 2019
