"I'm not an anarchist any longer, because I've concluded that anarchism is an impractical ideal. Nowadays, I regard myself as a libertarian. I suppose an anarchist would say, paraphrasing what Marx said about agnostics being "frightened atheists," that libertarians are simply frightened anarchists. Having just stated the case for the opposition, I will go along and agree with them: yes, I am frightened. I'm a libertarian because I don't trust the people as much as anarchists do. I want to see government limited as much as possible; I would like to see it reduced back to where it was in Jefferson's time, or even smaller. But I would not like to see it abolished. I think the average American, if left totally free, would act exactly like Idi Amin. I don't trust the people any more than I trust the government."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Robert Anton Wilson, in "Robert Anton Wilson: Searching For Cosmic Intelligence" - interview with Jeffrey Elliot (1980)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Libertarianism
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Libertarianism
72 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Libertarianism →
Related Quotes
"Libertarians … advocate a high degree of both economic and personal liberty. Libertarians believe that people have th…"
"In markets where freedom of choice is hampered by inadequate information, or where rational choice requires extraordi…"
"Libertarians are self-governors in both personal and economic matters. They believe government's only purpose is to p…"
"He always pictured himself a libertarian, which to my way of thinking means "I want the liberty to grow rich and you …"
"In the libertarian view, all human relationships should be voluntary; the only actions that should be forbidden by la…"
"Because libertarians do have a basic set of principles, you know that a libertarian will always come out on the side …"
"I am hard put to find something to say to people who still think libertarianism has something to do with liberty. A l…"
"There are libertarians who try to retrieve libertarianism from the Libertarian Party just as there are Christians who…"
"You might object that what I’ve said may apply to the minarchist majority of libertarians, but not to the self-styled…"
"Libertarianism. A simple-minded right-wing ideology ideally suited to those unable or unwilling to see past their own…"