Libertarianism 3.0: The Koch Brothers, the GOP, and What Comes Next

I’ve got
a new piece up at The Daily Beast that talks about
Daniel Schulman’s brilliant new biography of Charles and David
Koch,
Sons of Wichita, the brothers’ major role in fomenting the
contemporary libertarian moment, and how those of us who believe in
shrinking the size, scope, and spending of the government might
shift the course of politics in 2014, 2016, and beyond.
Snippets:

What’s far more interesting—and important to contemporary
America—is the way in which Schulman documents the absolute
seriousness with which Charles and David have always taken
specifically libertarian ideas and their signal role in helping to
create a “freedom movement” to counter what they have long seen as
a more effective mix of educational, activist, and intellectual
groups on the broadly defined left. By treating the Koch brothers’
activities in critical but fair terms,Sons of
Wichita points to what I like to think of as
Libertarianism 3.0, a political and cultural development that, if
successful, will not only frustrate the left but fundamentally
alter the right by creating fusion between forces of social
tolerance and fiscal responsibility….

The standard GOP response to unapologetic libertarianism is fear
and dismissal: It’s too whacked out, too radical, too scary. Yet
the only branch of the Republican Party that isn’t dead and
withered is precisely the libertarian one. Retired Rep. Ron Paul
(who ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988)
packed college campuses with young kids and retirees with a vision
of limited government, fed audits, and restrained foreign policy.
If he fired up an enthusiasm that was never fully reflected in his
vote totals, he also inspired a new generation of candidates and
activists who want to be part of a major party. Whose heart
flutters at the sight of John Boehner or Eric Cantor? While not
necessarily doctrinaire libertarians, characters such
as Sen.
Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Justin
Amash (R-Mich.), and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are not only
pushing for defense spending and the NSA to be put on the chopping
block, they are increasingly pushing for marriage and drug issues
to be settled at the state level. Paul is consistently at the top
of polls for 2016 presidential contenders.

Read the whole piece.

Disclosure:

David Koch is a trustee of Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that
publishes Reason.com and Reason.tv, of which I’m
editor in chief. Back in 1993, I received a fellowship for around
$3,500 from the Institute for Humane Studies, of which Charles Koch
is a major benefactor; the grant helped me complete my Ph.D. in
American literature at the State University of New York at
Buffalo.