I'd like to think that my own political stance cleaves closely to certain libertarian ideals—things like the NAP (non-aggression principle), which overlaps with the right to live your life the way you want as long as you're not (actively) harming others, etc.; or minimal government, which is a corollary of being able to live your life the way you want. I also sort of agree with libertarians that taxation is theft. The government extorts money from the citizens and does little to nothing with it. If anything, the government has a tendency to fuck things up (I've discussed this issue in relation to food regulation, which the government is supposed to be good at). Where I disagree with libertarianism is its stress on open borders (the right to go where you want, when you want), which is why I appreciate Styx as a "closed-borders libertarian." As far as I'm concerned, libertarianism as an -ism is fine overall, and I'm in agreement with much of it. But libertarianism as a party is another matter.
The libertarian party is, as one commenter on Instapundit describes it, "a stalking horse for the left." (I might unpack this in another blog post.) This may explain why a former coworker of mine, who claimed to be libertarian, so often sounded like a leftist, often espousing heavy-handed government solutions to American problems. I found this frankly shocking, and I politely confronted him on several occasions about what I saw as inconsistencies.
If the libertarian party were as aligned with conservatives as many on the wild-eyed AOC left feel (the left, which doesn't read as widely as the right, is prone to cartoonishly distorted perceptions of the right while the right's perception of the left is more grounded in reality—there have been studies!), then why did Donald Trump get booed when he spoke at the Libertarian Party's national convention?
Trump Was Booed Relentlessly at the LNC[;] Here's Why That's a Good Thing for Him
Donald Trump had a "We're no longer in Kansas" moment on Saturday night. The former president attended the Libertarian National Convention in a bid to convince that small segment of American voters that he was their best bet in November, and let's just say the crowd wasn't exactly friendly.
From beginning to end, Trump was booed relentlessly during his speech, though he had a few applause lines, specifically surrounding a prospective pardon of Ross Ulbricht. Overall, though, the scene was chaotic despite the best efforts of Trump supporters like Mike Lee to calm things down.
Here's a bit of what it sounded like, and in a twist that may surprise some people, I'm going to explain why this was a good thing for Trump.
[ ... ]
Yes, Trump was booed over and over, but so what? I would posit most people prefer a candidate who is willing to go into a hostile environment, speak to those who disagree with him, and keep his composure in the process. During the first clip above, as the crowd showed its disapproval, Trump cracked a smile and kept hitting his points. That's the best way to handle a situation like that.
Compare that to Joe Biden, who often gets flustered and lashes out in the face of hecklers, telling them "not to jump" or challenging audience members to push-up contests. It's weird and unappealing, and it's a product of the president having skin so thin that it's translucent.
I think it's a positive for Trump to be in front of a booing crowd every once in a while. It's a good reminder that the MAGA rally environment he's used to isn't real life, and that the fight in November is going to be a brawl. Every vote counts. Even if he didn't win over the Libertarian Party delegates during his speech, if he walked away with just one more vote in his pocket, he's in a better position than when he started. There was nothing to lose by making his case.
Besides, he dunked on Libertarians to their faces, and that alone made the entire speech worth it.
Trump dunking on LOLbertarians at their own convention. Hahahahahaha pic.twitter.com/ZoZnBoTfDS
— Magills (@magills_) May 26, 2024
I agree: Trump at least had the balls to go into the lion's den. Biden will once again cower in his basement and rely on the leftie apparatus to cheat for him. Evidence of the cheat will air; people will once again ignore and dismiss it: scotosis. I hope Trump can indeed overcome the so-called "margin of fraud," but I'm rather black-pilled on the idea of Trump's securing a second term. I think the cheat is too strong.
But I'll give Trump points for going into the deep-blue Bronx to stage a rally that brought out thousands, and his presence at the Libertarian National Convention shows he's not afraid to go where he's not wanted. The mainstream media will, of course, only report that Trump got booed, that he lost it (actual reports say he was all smiles), and if you're open-minded, you'll have watched the video above to catch Trump's little trolling moment.
Another Instapundit commenter wrote that s/he had watched the video of the booing, and it didn't seem as "relentless" as all that. Watch for distortions everywhere.
The man is toast.
ADDENDUM 2: then there's this—"From boos to roars for Trump", i.e., not only boos!
ADDENDUM 3: Styx comments:
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