On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Glenn Beck plans to relaunch The Blaze as a global libertarian news network because he now identifies himself as a libertarian like Penn Jillette and wants to appeal to liberty-lovers who are disenchanted with the GOP and particularly partisan news outlets. <\/p>\n
In keeping with the last time I addressed Becks so-called libertarianism, below is yet another open letter to the conservative commentator. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Dear Mr. Beck: <\/p>\n
Congratulations on your slow move towards libertarianism. We are glad for your newfound support for legal marijuana, gay marriage, and your backing down from Bush-era hawkishness. <\/p>\n
But many of us libertarians prefer to say thanks but no thanks to your attempt to become the libertarian leader of a so-called global news network. <\/p>\n
As Ive written before, you make it really hard for people who believe in limited government to be taken seriously. In the past, youve only given the media more reason to dismiss a largely intellectual movement as being just a bunch of tinfoil hat-wearing, overly aggressive crazy people. <\/p>\n
Youre free to call yourself whatever you want. But that doesnt mean we should accept you. While we agree with you on some of the big picture government spends way too much money it doesnt have, and is far too intrusive into our daily lives many of us dislike your rhetoric and your chalkboard-and-puppets conspiracy version of history. <\/p>\n
Look, we libertarians try to operate as a big tent. And Im happy when non-libertarians like yourself aspire and draw towards it. The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg recently pondered whether he is a libertarian, and thats a welcome step forward for the movement. But when you or (the far, far worse) Alex Jones label yourselves libertarian, it is most certainly not a progression for us who already feel marginalized by the political process and much of the media. <\/p>\n
Heres just one example of how you take any semblance of a potentially rational discussion and elevate it to cuckoo land: <\/p>\n
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Continue reading here: <\/p>\n
Dear Glenn Beck, Please Don\u2019t Call Yourself A \u2018Libertarian\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Glenn Beck plans to relaunch The Blaze as a global libertarian news network because he now identifies himself as a libertarian like Penn Jillette and wants to appeal to liberty-lovers who are disenchanted with the GOP and particularly partisan news outlets. Continue reading