Noah Smith: I Owe Libertarians an Apology
The econ blogger explains why libertarians might have been (kind of) right all along—and why our ideas are more necessary than he thought in the age of Trump.
Noah Smith, an economic commentator and Substack writer, once dismissed libertarianism as a relic of the past. But in a political climate increasingly defined by populist protectionism and authoritarian rhetoric, he's reconsidering. "There are worse monsters than the market," Smith recently wrote.
With Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe, Smith explores the evolution of his thinking—from criticizing "thin libertarianism" focused solely on state coercion, to advocating for a more expansive, "thick" conception of liberty that accounts for institutional and corporate constraints as well. He also discusses how libertarians might shape political discourse despite being exiled from both major parties.
Sources Referenced
- "I owe the libertarians an apology," by Noah Smith
- Just Asking Questions with Derek Thompson: Democrats Must Change
- Just Asking Questions with Michael Beckley: China is Dangerously Weak
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on tariffs
Chapters
- 00:00 Reflecting on libertarianism and Donald Trump's rise
- 06:00 Revisiting financial regulation and the housing crisis
- 11:00 Thin vs. thick libertarianism
- 17:00 Censorship, coercion, and the role of private platforms
- 29:00 Tariffs, trade, and the antineoliberal left
- 37:00 The shifting power dynamics in the Democratic and Republican parties
- 45:00 Political homelessness and the libertarian intellectual wilderness
- 54:00 Industrial policy, mRNA vaccines, and the role of government
- 1:01:00 China, manufacturing, and national security
- 1:10:00 Argentina, Javier Milei, and libertarian governance in practice
- Producer: John Osterhoudt
