The McLaughlin Report: Libertarianism! Mirth! Correct! Next!

Brian Doherty | January 4, 2007

Presented without comment, this from John McLaughlin on this past Sunday's McLaughlin Group in his "predictions for the next year" wrapup:

Erosions of civil liberties, religious fundamentalism also, have created a backlash. Personal freedom will now be in demand. Our culture and our politics will be modified by an attitude of favor toward libertarian thinking. This translates into political support for moderates and liberals. Authoritarianism is on its way out. The shackles are off, Pat. The mirth revolution is underway, along with the libertarians....

When Pat Buchanan chimes in with "authoritarianism is not dead," McLaughlin snaps back: "Libertarianism is on its way!"

Comments

The Wine Commonsewer|1.4.07 @ 9:09PM|#

Like many Americans, McLaughlin doesn't understand what libertarianism is. Or personal freedom for that matter.

Somehow I don't think McL is worried about Islamic fundamentalism.

|1.4.07 @ 9:21PM|#

Pat Buchanan chimes in with "authoritarianism is not dead,"

Why would anyone have this clown on their show?

Paul|1.4.07 @ 9:26PM|#

Yeah, always the buzzkill, but it's the moderates that have given us big government, intrusions into our civil liberties, smoking bans, trans-fats bans, crushing taxes, eroding freedoms and well, almost everything else bad I can think of.

If I had a nickel for every time a moderate said "Who cares if they're tapping your phone, are you hiding something? I mean, be reasonable..."

Moderates can kiss my...

|1.4.07 @ 9:34PM|#

Brad,

I do not think Buchanan is endorsing authoritarianism. just stating his opinion that it is not dead. he was probably laughing as he said it.

MH|1.4.07 @ 9:51PM|#

Hell yes!

|1.4.07 @ 9:58PM|#

First we're wrathful and now we're mirthful? Is it any wonder so many of us are also stoned?

|1.4.07 @ 10:00PM|#

When McLaughlin says it's going to be a beautiful day, you know you should take an umbrella with you.

norbizness|1.4.07 @ 10:12PM|#

Well, to be fair, he is 184 years old and senile.

|1.4.07 @ 10:23PM|#

Your probably right bb, and I didn't see the show, but FWIW, I still think he's a clown even though I like him for being a non-interventionist.

Damn I'm complicated!

|1.4.07 @ 10:28PM|#

Mclaughlin does know what libertarianism is and Pat was laughing when he said that.

I saw it at the gym.

|1.4.07 @ 10:35PM|#

I can just imagine the exchange now, and I think it would be highly amusing.

I don't see McL being too right on this one, though...

Brad, me too re: Pat

But I hardly ever watch the show, although it is amusing.

|1.4.07 @ 11:05PM|#

Bye! Bye!

|1.4.07 @ 11:13PM|#

Pat probably laughs a lot at stuff we'd consider horrible. That man looks to me like he has a mustache and pair of fingers permanent twirling it. I suspect he eats his young.

dhex|1.4.07 @ 11:51PM|#

mclaughlin is one of the most entertaining television personalities ever. when i can catch them sunday mornings i usually do.

|1.4.07 @ 11:55PM|#

Sadly, Buchanan is right, authoritarianism is not dead. Human nature being what it is, it will never die.

|1.5.07 @ 12:13AM|#

Sadly, Buchanan is right, authoritarianism is not dead.

And considering what a nativist, christofascist pig he is, Buchanan will see that American-style authoritarianism continues to plague us.

|1.5.07 @ 12:44AM|#

"The era of big government is over."
William Jefferson Clinton - 1995 SotU Address

It's been twelve years and I'm still waiting.

|1.5.07 @ 2:22AM|#

This translates into political support for moderates and liberals.

Liberalism embraces many authoritarian positions.

I like him for being a non-interventionist.

Also, just Pat Buchanan's knowledge of history makes his volumes worth the price. And his periodical, "The American Conservative" seems to have some interesting stuff in every issue.

Personal freedom will now be in demand...The mirth revolution is underway...

I wanna help bring it to fruition. What a barbaric and tragic institution government is! It gnaws at the fabric of civility until even the most disgusting coerced collective actions are made to seem palatable.

|1.5.07 @ 3:15AM|#

And the answer is...Authoritarianism is Dead.

Bye, bye.

|1.5.07 @ 3:18AM|#

This translates into political support for moderates and liberals.

Funny it seems no what "it" is, it always translates into political support for moderates and liberals.

|1.5.07 @ 8:26AM|#

...but it's the moderates that have given us big government, intrusions into our civil liberties, smoking bans, trans-fats bans, crushing taxes, eroding freedoms and well, almost everything else bad I can think of.

You're funny. And deranged. And clueless.

STEPHEN THE GOLDBERGER|1.5.07 @ 9:19AM|#

I'll believe it when I see it.

|1.5.07 @ 9:51AM|#

Buchanan is very right. While I am glad to say that the past 6 years have probably given birth to more libertarians (including myself), I think an overwhelming majority in this country has a desire for authority, not liberty. They would rather a leader than a representitive.

Warren|1.5.07 @ 9:55AM|#

Hey, I remember The Group:) I used to watch it back when CNN was news all day and TMG was the only shouting heads show. I think this was the last episode I saw.

Viva la Mirth!

|1.5.07 @ 10:02AM|#

moderates that have given us big government, intrusions into our civil liberties, smoking bans, trans-fats bans, crushing taxes, eroding freedoms

Sounds about right to me. America has been run by a series of center-left coalitions since Roosevelt's day, with a few brief time outs for center-right coalitions.

So basically I think its pretty accurate to lay the erosion of our freedoms over the last 70 years at the feet of "moderates."

|1.5.07 @ 11:41AM|#

Moderates tend to go along with some bad Blue or Red ideas. They also tend to resist some bad Blue or Red ideas, enough that I'd much rather the electorate have that pool of moderates that have to be convinced than have them be committed to one party or the other.

|1.5.07 @ 11:49AM|#

John McL & Co. have become quite the political anachronism. But i can forgive those who inspired this almost anything.

Kevin

lunchstealer|1.5.07 @ 12:50PM|#

"Libertarianism is on its way!"

Umm, w00t?

|1.5.07 @ 12:55PM|#

How else can I put this...

WRONG!

|1.5.07 @ 1:24PM|#

John McL & Co. have become quite the political anachronism. But i can forgive those who inspired this almost anything.

Kevin

Nice.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gmKi0-Hr27I

Robert|1.5.07 @ 1:54PM|#

"I think an overwhelming majority in this country has a desire for authority, not liberty."

No. Practically nobody desires authority per se. Authority and lack of liberty can come about as a byproduct of desiderata, but are nobody's desiderata in themselves.

"They would rather a leader than a representitive."

You mean they'd rather have anybody else be a leader than someone of their own choosing? Makes no sense.

Eric Dondero|1.6.07 @ 8:19AM|#

McClaughling has been talking this "libertarians on the way" for many years. Back in 1994 with the Republican Revolution he did a whole show on the rise of the Republican Liberty Caucus. We had newly-elected Cong. John Shadegg represent RLC on his show. RLC kept growing, but the cut-government drive of the GOP waned in the late 1990s even despite Ron Paul winning election.

Maybe this is a sign that McClaughlin again senses a "1994 attitude" among House Republicans. That would be good.

Eric Dondero, RLC Founder
& CEO, www.mainstreamlibertarian.com

|1.6.07 @ 7:58PM|#

Oh, Jesus Christ, Dondero, if there were a significant number of Republicans who maintained a meaningful libertarian position do you think we would not support them?

The fact of the matter is that except for Ron Paul and Jeff Flake most of us are having a hard time distinguishing between Republicrat and Demopublican Statists.

When you point to Charlie Crist (super nice guy, but no libertarian) and Sarah Palin (even less of a lib than Charlie or maybe even JEB) you're just way off the mark.

|1.6.07 @ 8:02PM|#

I should have noted that I wish Sarah Palin the best as Governor of Alaska, except for her attempts to recriminalize pot and abortion.

Eric Dondero|1.7.07 @ 8:44AM|#

Oh, Jesus Christ Bartram, one could easily write off your comments and views as typical downer, everything sucks, the sky is falling, nobody is a libertarian, puritanical extremist libertarian type attitude.

Lighten up Dude. Exclusionism has proven to be a dissaster for the Libertarian movement.

People like Lew Rockwell, Ernie Hancock, L. Neil Smith, Carol Moore and other Kings and Queens who think they can "bestow" the term Libertarian on only those whom they deem worthy, have caused our movement to be obscure and ignored by the political mainstream.

Last time I checked ANYONE who scored above 66/66 on the WSPQ is BY DEFINITION a LIBERTARIAN.

That's "fiscally conservative/socially tolerant." One does not have to be pure as the snow, 110% Rockwellian Anarchist to be called a "libertarian."

And as Ron Paul's former staffer, I can tell you, in my eyes Cong. Dana Rohrabacher is even more libertarian than my old boss. Pretty damned pathetic that you would choose not to list Dana as a libertarian, when indeed HE IS THE VERY FOUNDER OF THE MODERN LIBERTARIAN MOVEMENT!!!

|1.7.07 @ 1:11PM|#

You're right, Eric, neglecting to mention Dana Rohrabacher was a serious error.

Robert|1.7.07 @ 5:27PM|#

"Individual Man" -- play it!