Source: The Dispatch
by Ilya Somin
“In a recent essay, Georgetown Law professor and libertarian legal scholar Randy Barnett offered a provocative indictment of American libertarianism. The movement needs several updates, he argued, most notably regarding what he considers to be abuses of private power. Instead of evolving, libertarianism according to Barnett has been ‘frozen in amber since the 1970s.’ … Though I don’t agree with most of Barnett’s assessment, I do think he’s right that libertarianism still needs some updates — just not the ones he proposes. Its traditional core remains valid, even more so than ever in some ways. Nevertheless, libertarianism needs a better theory of the tradeoffs between natural rights and utility; it needs better strategies to address large-scale public goods problems; and it needs to recognize that nationalism is the greatest threat to liberty in most parts of the world today.” (09/23/24)
https://thedispatch.com/article/libertarianism-needs-careful-tweaks-not-wholesale-updates/