Liberty Report Classic: Against The Left Authoritarians -- With Lew Rockwell
Summary
TLDRIn the Liberty Report, Lou Rockwell discusses his new book 'Against the Left,' which critiques leftist ideologies and their historical violence, contrasting them with the non-violent principles of liberty. Rockwell emphasizes the importance of traditional families, individualism, and the dangers of egalitarianism. He also touches on the influence of the left in education and politics, including figures like Bernie Sanders, and the potential for increased violence from leftist groups like Antifa. The conversation highlights the role of the Mises Institute in spreading libertarian ideas and the significance of voluntary cooperation in society.
Takeaways
- 📚 Lou Rockwell's new book, 'Against the Left', is available on L rockwell.com and discusses the cultural ideas of Mises and Rothbard, emphasizing the importance of traditional families and opposition to egalitarianism.
- 🏛️ Both Mises and Rothbard were proponents of traditional families, contrasting with the left's historical animosity towards them, as exemplified by Marx's desire to abolish the family unit.
- 🌎 The left's pursuit of egalitarianism is critiqued as not only impossible but also as a pretext for justifying their actions, which have historically been more violent and oppressive than those of the right.
- 🔥 The conversation highlights the left's role in promoting violence, referencing the 20th-century atrocities committed by communist and national socialist regimes, which were far more deadly than those of Genghis Khan.
- 🇫🇷 The French Revolution is pointed out as a significant event in spreading leftist ideas and is characterized as extremely violent, setting a precedent for the left's propensity for bloodshed.
- 🤝 The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the left as an enemy of liberty and the need to counter their promotion of the state, which is seen as the ultimate enemy.
- 🎓 The role of the Mises Institute in educating people on liberty and free-market principles is acknowledged, with a recognition of its global reach and influence in shaping minds against state control.
- 🏫 The presence of libertarians in state universities is seen as a positive development, as it allows them to influence others and counter the dominance of leftist ideologies in academic institutions.
- 🔍 The conversation touches on the potential for violence in the current political climate, with a concern that the left's endorsement of authoritarian principles could lead to civil unrest or even a coup.
- 🔒 The discussion concludes with a call for individuals to take responsibility for their own defense and well-being, emphasizing the importance of property rights and the potential of voluntary cooperation in fostering peace and prosperity.
Q & A
What is the title of Lou Rockwell's latest book mentioned in the transcript?
-The title of Lou Rockwell's latest book is 'Against the Left'.
Who wrote the introduction for Lou Rockwell's book 'Against the Left'?
-Hans Hermann Hoppe wrote the introduction for 'Against the Left'.
What cultural ideas of Mises and Rothbard does Lou Rockwell discuss in his book?
-Lou Rockwell discusses the ideas of traditional families, egalitarianism, and the left's historical violence in his book.
How does Lou Rockwell view the left's approach to equality?
-Lou Rockwell views the left's approach to equality as impossible to achieve, which gives them a blank check to do whatever they want.
What historical events does Lou Rockwell mention as examples of the left's violence?
-Lou Rockwell mentions the French Revolution, communism, and national socialism as examples of the left's violence.
What is the name of Lou Rockwell's previous book discussed in the transcript?
-Lou Rockwell's previous book is called 'Against the State'.
How does Lou Rockwell perceive the role of the Mises Institute in spreading libertarian ideas?
-Lou Rockwell believes the Mises Institute plays a significant role in educating people about liberty and free market ideas.
What is the significance of the 20th anniversary of Rockwell.com mentioned in the transcript?
-The 20th anniversary of Rockwell.com signifies the longevity and impact of the platform in directing political discussions and current events.
What does Lou Rockwell think about the potential for violence from the left in the current political climate?
-Lou Rockwell expresses concern that the left is capable of committing more violence and that conditions could lead to a civil war.
How does Lou Rockwell view the role of government agencies in terms of armament?
-Lou Rockwell questions the need for government agencies like the Social Security Administration to be heavily armed, suggesting it could be used against the people.
What is Lou Rockwell's stance on the importance of property rights in defending liberties?
-Lou Rockwell emphasizes the importance of property rights as a fundamental aspect of liberty and a means to defend against authoritarianism.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to 'Against the Left'
The conversation begins with a warm welcome to Lou Rockwell, a guest on the Liberty Report, who has recently published a book titled 'Against the Left'. The book, introduced by Hans Hermann Hoppe, delves into the cultural ideas of Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard, emphasizing the importance of traditional families, which are opposed by the left. The discussion touches on the left's pursuit of egalitarianism, which is deemed impossible and thus provides a pretext for the left to exercise power. The historical violence associated with leftist movements, such as communism and national socialism, is highlighted, with a comparison to the relative peacefulness of right-wing ideologies. The conversation also addresses the current political climate, with specific mention of antifa and Democratic political candidates, including Bernie Sanders, who are criticized for their perceived violence and support for state power. The importance of educating people about liberty and free-market principles is underscored as a means to counteract the influence of the state and the left.
🏛️ The Role of Libertarians in State Universities
The discussion shifts to the role of libertarians within state universities, which are often seen as bastions of left-wing ideology. Despite the challenges, the participants agree that libertarians should be involved in these institutions to influence and educate others. The conversation also touches on the potential for violence in the current political climate, particularly if there is a perceived coup or impeachment against a sitting president. The historical context of the Great Depression and the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt is used to illustrate how policy can be influenced by silent ideological battles within universities. The嘉宾 emphasizes the importance of the internet as a tool for reaching people who might not otherwise be exposed to libertarian ideas. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the potential for civil unrest and the need for individuals to be prepared to defend their liberties.
💼 Economic Survival and the Importance of Property Rights
The conversation explores the concept of economic survival in the face of potential societal collapse. The嘉宾 discusses the importance of gold as a haven asset and the potential of cryptocurrency to help people preserve their wealth. The discussion also touches on the idea of leaving the country as a survival strategy, but the嘉宾 emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility and the defense of property rights. The conversation highlights the challenges faced by those who advocate for liberty, including the need to educate the public about the importance of voluntary cooperation and the dangers of demagoguery and the Deep State. The嘉宾 also discusses the role of the military and police in potential conflicts, and the potential for a civil war, emphasizing the need for non-violent, idea-based resistance.
🌐 The Power of Ideas and the Future of Liberty
The final paragraph summarizes the key points of the discussion, emphasizing the power of ideas in shaping the future of liberty. The嘉宾 reiterates the importance of education, particularly in Austrian economics and the principles of the Mises Institute, in fostering social cooperation and voluntary exchange. The conversation concludes with a call for a peaceful world based on voluntarism and the rejection of entitlement and force. The嘉宾 encourages the audience to purchase his new book, 'Against the Left', available on his website, and expresses his hope for a future where liberty and peace prevail.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Liberty
💡Left
💡Egalitarianism
💡Violence
💡Antifa
💡Mises Institute
💡Austrian Economics
💡Authoritarianism
💡Property Rights
💡Volunteerism
Highlights
Lou Rockwell discusses his new book 'Against the Left' which critiques leftist ideologies and their impact on society.
The book emphasizes the importance of traditional families, contrasting with leftist views that aim to abolish them.
Egalitarianism is critiqued as an impossible goal that justifies leftist actions.
The historical violence of the left is highlighted, with references to communism and national socialism.
The French Revolution is cited as a violent event that spread leftist ideas.
Lou Rockwell argues that the left is the most violent and destructive force in human society.
The discussion touches on the current political climate, with mentions of antifa and Democratic candidates.
Bernie Sanders is compared to Ron Paul, with the former being criticized for not being peaceful.
The importance of understanding the left as an enemy to liberty is emphasized.
The Mises Institute's role in educating people on liberty and free market principles is discussed.
The potential for a rebuilding of society with more people understanding liberty is mentioned.
The historical context of the Great Depression and its impact on understanding economic crises is explored.
The role of the internet in spreading libertarian ideas and countering leftist narratives is highlighted.
Lou Rockwell discusses the presence of libertarians in government schools and their potential influence.
The potential for violence from the left is discussed, with comparisons to historical figures and events.
The conversation turns to the possibility of a civil war and the importance of being prepared for such scenarios.
The importance of property rights and personal responsibility in maintaining liberty is emphasized.
The show concludes with a call to action for people to educate themselves and others on the principles of liberty.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello everybody and thank you for tuning
in to the Liberty report we have a
special guest today in Studio A good
friend of ours and a good friend of
Liberty visiting here in Lake Jackson
Lou Rockwell Lou good to have you with
great to be with you sir it's an honor
very good uh you know I I hear that you
have another book out and it'll just
short time ago right and it's uh you
know it's available on L rockwell.com
tell us about that book it's called
against the left and it's got an
introduction by Hans Herman HOA and uh
in there I talk about the ideas of misus
and rothbard uh their cultural ideas I
mean for example both of them were very
much in favor of traditional families
whereas the left of course hates the
traditional family markx wanted to
abolish it and um he's certainly not the
only one I talk about
egalitarianism the left of course wants
everybody made forcibly made equal
that's actually impossible but because
it is impossible it gives them sort of a
card blanch for to do whatever they want
to do and uh uh you know I talk about
the fact that in human history the left
has been the most violent the most evil
far more so than the right uh just take
the 20th century communism national
socialism uh these these these
organizations and these ideas were
responsible for uh the most deaths ever
like maybe you know genas Khan or
whatever I guess was pretty bad too but
he wasn't either a rtist or a leftist in
our terms but the left beginning to say
in the French Revolution uh which was
extremely violent very bloodthirsty and
uh had a lot to do with spreading
leftist ideas and I think it's important
to realize they are our enemy they're
the most violent uh the most nasty uh
Bunch that we have to face and we see it
right now with antifa and uh I think
these a lot of these Democratic
political candidates are very
pro-violence uh they would of course
claim they're not but as you pointed out
a guy like Bernie Sanders is a very
violent guy I mean he's not he's not a
peaceful guy he's no Ron Paul or
something people try to compare the two
of you but he's uh he's no Ron Paul so I
think it's important to uh understand
why the left is our enemy my last book
was called against the state and of
course the state is the Ultimate Enemy
but the left are the people who promote
the state the most and it's it's it's
the most destructive uh force in in
human society now I understand the uh
rockwell.com has been around a while 20
years now anniversary and that's when I
see is being more directed to political
things and current events where the mes
Institute which is 37 years old in the
early 80s you started that you have with
your help well a little bit but but it
it was something I believed in and still
do because I believe that changing
people's minds are important as you
agree and you have done it you've
reached a lot of people but uh you know
if I ask you how many people you have
reached and talked to I know you can't
give the answer because you know have no
idea you could pick and choose and well
this many people went through but we
don't really know how many people get
influenc so I think that the misus
Institute has played a significant role
and will continue because uh although we
know the country's in dire trouble uh
and could get much worse there's going
to be a rebuilding and that's why people
the more people we can find that has has
an understanding an agreement with some
of these ideas of Liberty the better
chance we and our families will have in
in surviving it in a meaningful way now
you pointed out in in when the Great
Depression happened there were
relatively few people who understood
what the heck was going on relatively
few people who knew what to oppose uh
the evil of Roosevelt and so forth uh
but today they're you know thanks to you
thanks to the misus Institute um there
are many many more people I I think that
if we if we count everybody on our uh
web page we've reached millions millions
of people not only in this country but
all around the world Latin America
Europe Eastern Europe um Asia so I think
we'll have we have a much better chance
many more people understand the free
market they understand that the uh evil
of the government so uh when this crash
happens and I'm
afraid think as you do that it's going
to happen we have a better chance and it
it was said back during the Depression
and as the stock market crashed and all
um Roosevelt ran on a very conservative
platform balance the budget the gold
standard and and uh all these things
yeah to cut the number of bureaucrats
and he knew what he was doing because
the people superficially still
identified with that and had to do it
but others and I think you have pointed
out the universities were full of
lefties already so the ideological fight
was being fought in a silent way and
revelt was influenced and others uh were
and and actually that's where policy
came from but uh hopefully uh we're
seeing the reverse of that but it has to
be modified a little bit because we
can't sit back and say oh yes the
universities are producing sound
economic thinkers but fortunately we
have access to people through the
internet right and uh so therefore a lot
of people can be exposed and they're
sort of anonymous you know we don't know
where they are but one question I want
to ask you about this you might have a
feel for it is uh you you know basically
Libertarians don't like the state and
the state universities and they have all
these problems and going on but we have
some who are good Libertarians that have
actually you know gotten involved in a
government school is that just a couple
people or are there more people uh
involved there than we we realize and uh
would that necessarily be anything bad
it seems to me like uh if they're able
to survive it maybe they can influence
somebody even in a government school I
think that's right and I think there are
many of them in uh public schools and uh
in in junior colleges and fouryear
colleges universities uh there are a lot
so that's you know that's that's a good
thing and why leave that to just to the
Communists why why shouldn't our people
be involved yeah so that they there but
you know on the other hand there are a
lot of colleges and universities that
are just entirely leftwing and they will
punish anybody with our ideas they don't
they're not just satisfied to to shut
you up and give you a bad grade but they
would do uh do other things to to
students you you already mentioned the
subject of how antifa and the left are
very violent and uh right now there's a
big contest uh some people are still
trying to decide who won the last
election you know did did Trump really
win well for some people like Hillary no
he didn't win and we have to you know
put the rightful you know president in
place again but uh if uh if if
conditions get worse and they say things
really go bad for for Trump and it's
equivalent to an impeachment or a coup
and this type of thing which nobody
knows exactly what would happen but it
that is a little bit frightening because
I think the left are capable of uh
committing a lot more violence and most
people say well it's always those right
Wingers that cause the vi but
statistically it's not there you know
the left is quite capable because they
endorse the principle of
authoritarianism you know in all
functions that they do whether it's
redistribution of wealth everything they
do is with guns see those take our guns
too of course that's those are the guns
we need to regulate the bureaucrat
shouldn't exist and they shouldn't exist
with the guns but we have we have
hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats and
of course uh if if you add up of the
guns in the military and uh some of the
uh police departments that get a little
bit more violent than they should be
you're talking about a lot of gunpow
against them and and uh and that the
left sees th those as individuals I mean
allies and uh and and they use them of
course you know here let's take Hillary
for example I mean uh think of what she
did in Libya and Syria and and the
consequence still going on and it uh
it's it's she was laughing about it too
that was that's criminal she's like a
you know a witch or a devil or something
yeah but
um do you think there's much chance this
is what I worry about and I want you to
say not possible of the whole thing
really get getting violent on the
streets because I think I think if it
looks like they really really uh did
something equivalent to a coup uh
Trump's supporters aren't going to go
away softly well you know you you
pointed out when you were still in
Congress that a lot of government
agencies that might surprise people were
being armed to the teeth with weapons
the Social Security Administration for
example and millions of bullets and tens
of thousands of of rifles so why why is
that I mean that there nobody's going to
attack the Social Security
Administration but of course they could
very well attack us so I think um this
is you know it's something to be very
concerned about there could actually be
a civil war we we hope not but um you
know I still go to conferences and talk
about gold as uh as a Haven when things
come apart I I look carefully at uh the
whole concept of uh of uh currencies the
crypto technology as a possibility of
helping people survive and I A lot of
people are in the survival mode a lot of
people leave the country I was never
tempted to do that but uh they um uh
there are attempts to provide but when I
talk to them I usually conclude by
saying you know I think you should do it
and think about it what's best for you
and some people leave the country
whatever whatever you think is is best
for you but the the the big question is
uh why um why would
you or how are you going to be able to
defend oneself if if that happens
because uh I you get down the bottom
line for me gets back to what we do what
you do and more and more people are
doing that ultimately you know you can
have a gun you can have your gold you
can have a piece of land you can have a
thing but what did that mean to the
thugs that take over I mean what if
Warren takes over I mean property uh the
only property is be important for some
of those people the property they have
and and how how they're going to control
but it seems to me
like I believe in human nature well
enough that if they have the have
Liberty and they put responsibility on
themselves that we'll do quite well
that's right you know but without it
it's just going to get worse and the
antagonisms will will get worse but uh I
think that uh there's been so many
examples and you know in our early
history was basic like this it was
opportunity and a work ethic and and a
lot of other things but unfortunately
that's where the real challenge is and
that's where you have spent a lot of
time trying to educate people to
understanding you know and I think
Murray was good at it narrowing things
down to property you know even whether
it's the first amendment or not you can
defend the First Amendment with property
you know because uh people get very
confused about that so I think that type
of education is important because the
demagogues are out there 99% of the
ordinary media support all that mess and
they're part of it and the Deep state is
although they say the Deep state is is
is uh becoming more apparent and we're
understanding it no they just deep they
just have a deeper State the buried
state but there's always there people
they at least trying to pull strings but
I believe ideas are very very powerful
and they can be counteracted and if
they're based in
challenges uh in a non-violent manner uh
I think it's a powerful weapon and I
still am convinced that most people
don't like War H you know and I think
peace candidates generally do pretty
well and uh that uh my analogy is is how
how many times did it happen where the
young people of the United States the 18
to 24 year olds got together and they
have their organization they say you
know things have been pretty quiet here
for a couple decades we've never had a
chance to go to war and they call up
some people in Iran they say how often
you guys had a fight oh well we have an
we have a club here they're 18 to 24 and
they'd like to have a war too so so the
young people communicate and they say
well let's fight over religion or
something we we'll fight over something
never obviously it's a ridiculous thing
to say it always comes from top down and
the victims and the ones who now the one
of the worst group of people are the
chickenhawks and I ran into a lot of
those in Washington you know who got
five deferments and did they become
peaceloving people which we would be
very happy to join us no what they do is
uh is they um they send somebody else's
kids off to war that's that's the kind
of thing that people should respond to
the immorality of a system like that
well it's true and it's um uh it's why
of course youve spent so much time
teaching Austrian economics M The mises
Institute has two and it's that's one of
the aspects of Austrian economics uh
teaches you that social cooperation is
the greatest thing that comes out of the
free market that people Coop or able to
help each other to profit by helping
each other and it's a it's a tremendous
it's tremendous thing whereas you know
Franklin Roosevelt we were talking about
a little bit before brought a horrible
socialist fascist system in and I think
it was no coincidence that when uh uh
canes published his general theory in
German uh that he praised Hitler uh for
putting his own theor for putting
keynes's theories into practice so that
uh those are the kinds of people that we
Face they're the enemies that we face
but we've got the truth on our side so
that's uh in in the in the end the far
more valuable thing I think your point
of cooperation that's what solves so
many problems and and and to me uh the
problems aren't that difficult if you're
uh responsible for figuring out an
answer rather than saying I'm entitled
to somebody taking care of me but that
also brings up the term that a lot of
people use and I like and that's
volunteerism everything should be
voluntary I mean what a peaceful world
it would be if if nobody can do anything
to anybody else they can't take their
property hang it has to be uh voluntary
and uh a lot of problems would be solved
we will need to close now L but just
while tell tell the audience one more
time about your book and where to go to
buy your new book it's called against
the left and you can go to I hope not
before too much longer it'll be on
Amazon but right now you can go to L
rockwell.com and look at the store and
uh it's available right there very good
Lou it's been great having you on this
program it's great having our audience
with us and please come back to the
Liberty report soon
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