Four Ways a Libertarian-Socialist Differs From a Democratic-Socialist
I am often questioned about whether Libertarian-Socialism is a thing. Of course it is a thing. Simply put, any thing is a thing if we say it is a thing, ESPECIALLY in politics. I tossed American Style onto the title of my book so this can be “our” thing. Years ago, Noam Chomsky warned me about the Frenchie anarchist muddying the water, so thank Noam for the American qualification on the title.
This “ism” asks its adherents to always imagine a conversation between a patriotic American libertarian and a patriotic American socialist. When faced with hard questions, they play out this hypothetical conversation. Sometimes I think about a conversation between Ben Franklin and Dwight Eisenhower. If I really want a humdinger, I imagine Thomas Jefferson and Shirley Chisholm. However, most times I think about the Roosevelt relatives, Teddy and Franklin. The Roosevelt analogy seems to work best. Since one is a 20th-century Republican and the other a 20th-century Democrat.
It is the 21st century now and we are in flux. The Republican party does not exist any longer. Trumpism cannot sustain a political party as it is a personality cult, but the GOP has thrown all in. He is too old though unless Ivanka or Don Jr. can be groomed and properly positioned. On the other side, the Democrats have been falling apart for…
