Libertarianism: A Primer
by David Boaz

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• ISBN13: 9780684847689
• Condition: New
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Book Reviews of Libertarianism: A Primer

Book Review: Reviewing the Amazon.com Review
Summary: 5 Stars

The Amazon.com review is a bit confused and somewhat arrogant. First off, the only "unanswered questions" the reviewer could come up with dealt with government roads (excepting the last two items in the last question, which I'll deal with below.) The simple response to these questions is: they are unanswered in the reviewer's mind because he is not able to conceive of private ownership of roads. With private roads, the rules would be enforced privately, as the owner of the road saw fit. Thus one couldn't drive on the left and break speed limits, unless he/she wanted to see his/her use of that road revoked.

Secondly, roads are among the last things most Libertarians would challenge. There are so many other abuses of power happening that arguing about the roads seems daft.

Regarding public libraries and public parks, there is a great deal of trend heading away from public libraries, it's called Amazon.com and the Internet. People are more and more beginning to buy books (used) that they want to read, and sell them when they're done. It would be cheaper for all of us to subsidize the underprivileged (if we felt it necessary) to ensure their access to books than to maintain a crusty pre-Internet institution like the public library.

Regarding parks, they are nice, when they are well-funded. When they are not, they are drug and crime havens, eyesores, and a maintenance challenge. Are we better off with them being public, or should they be privately run, maybe by neighborhood associations (at the local level) or the Sierra Club (at the National level?) I think I could make a case that either of those would do a better job...

Onward!

Summary of Libertarianism: A Primer

Libertarianism is hardly new, but its framework for liberty under law and economic progress makes it especially suited for the dynamic new era we are now entering. In the United States, the bureaucratic leviathan is newly threatened by a resurgence of the libertarian ideas upon which the country was founded. We are witnessing a breakdown of all the cherished beliefs of the welfare-warfare state. Americans have seen the failure of big government. Now, in the 1990s, we are ready to apply the lessons of this century to make the next one the century not of the state but of the free individual.

David Boaz presents the essential guidebook to the libertarian perspective, detailing its roots, central tenets, solutions to contemporary policy dilemmas, and future in American politics. He confronts head-on the tough questions frequently posed to libertarians: What about inequality? Who protects the environment? What ties people together if they are essentially self-interested? A concluding section, "Are You a Libertarian?" gives readers a chance to explore the substance of their own beliefs. Libertarianism is must reading for understanding one of the most exciting and hopeful movements of our time.

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