# I need examples of persuasive libertarian writers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794 "2008-03-02T01:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/21 "2008-03-04T00:20:03Z")
I don’t think P.J. O’Rourke is a libertarian. He’s in favor of a strong military and supports American intervention abroad. And he’s strongly pro-life (although admittedly I’ve never heard him call for pro-life - or pro-choice - legislation). ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/22 "2008-03-04T00:25:52Z")
Check out the Cato institute for some good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/23 "2008-03-04T00:43:53Z")
Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/24 "2008-03-04T04:21:27Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] I don’t think P.J. O’Rourke is a libertarian. He’s in favor of a strong military and supports American intervention abroad. And he’s strongly pro-life (although admittedly I’ve never heard him call for pro-life - or pro-choice - legislation). [/QUOTE] I disagree politically with PJ, but consider him one of my favorite writers. But he fits my working definition of “Libertarian” which is: A Republican who likes recreational drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/25 "2008-03-04T04:33:34Z")
> [@](#): > > But he fits my working definition of “Libertarian” which is: A Republican who likes recreational drugs. A lot of people who call themselves “libertarians” use that kind of definition. They don’t want the government to tax them or pass any laws against the things they want to do - a government that doesn’t bother them personally. But a real libertarian is opposed to government action as a matter of principle - he might be adamantly pro-life but still oppose making abortions illegal. So a “libertarian” doesn’t want the government to impose other peoples’ values on himself and a libertarian doesn’t want the government to impose his values on other people. There’s a lot more of the former than the latter. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/26 "2008-03-04T04:36:24Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises. [/QUOTE] Those were the first three names i thought of, although i would hesitate to recommend Mises to someone who is new to the field. While his ideas are central to many aspects of libertarianism, his writing can be rather obtuse at times, and he has a tendency to blithely rest his libertarian theories upon broad, unquestioned assumptions. And _Human Action_ (the book i would suggest first) is BIG, and might put off someone new to libertarian ideas. > [@koeeoaddi](#): > > P.J. O’Rourke is libertarian(ish) and quite entertaining. Problem is, most of his best and funniest books are pretty dated now. Yeah, for the last 10 years or so, O’Rourke has seemed to become increasingly conservative and decreasingly funny. He still occasionally produces a great article, but i just don’t think he’s as funny or as libertarian as he was in the 1980s. _Parliament of Whores_ is still a classic, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/27 "2008-03-04T04:55:42Z")
Whatever you do, please don’t give Ayn Rand’s writings to anybody who owns a dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/28 "2008-03-04T05:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=JThunder] Whatever you do, please don’t give Ayn Rand’s writings to anybody who owns a dictionary. [/QUOTE] My favorite description of Rand’s writing style: “…characters hacked out of concrete with a blunt ice-pick” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/29 "2008-03-04T11:04:34Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] I found Harry Browne, the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, to be a rather persuasive writer. I was a liberal at the time and his writing helped to convert me. His campaign manifestos were _Why Government Doesn’t Work_ (1996) and _The Great Libertarian Offer_ (2000). Part of each book deals with specifics current to each campaign, so they’re a bit dated, but they include a fair amount of general philosophizing as well. [/QUOTE] Those are two I’d recommend for good casual reading. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/30 "2008-03-04T13:41:36Z")
His writings are more focused on personal & psychological aspects than political & economic, but I’ll also recommend the post-Rand writings of Dr. Nathaniel Branden. Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom, adapted by Henry Grady Weaver into The Mainspring of Human Progress. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/31 "2008-03-04T14:51:21Z")
Just for the record, Ayn Rand did not like libertarianism. She was an anarchocapitalist. ---
**Author:** ![Barry\_From\_Eastenders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Barry\_From\_Eastenders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barry_From_Eastenders)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/32 "2008-03-04T14:58:07Z")
_I am a libertarian with a small l and a Republican with a capital R. And I am a Republican with a capital R on grounds of expediency, not on principle._ - Milton Friedman Republican Liberty Caucus ([www.rlc.org](http://www.rlc.org)) - a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state. Check out their list of principles at [http://www.rlc.org/?p=FAQ#4252](http://www.rlc.org/?p=FAQ#4252) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/33 "2008-03-04T15:04:18Z")
In Thomas Sowell’s defense, the blanket-generalizations-without-citing-any-sources are an annoying feature of his Op-Ed columns. In his books, he does a better job of citing source materials. I would consider him more “conservative” than “libertarian”, though. Then again, I have only read a small portion of his works. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/34 "2008-03-04T16:06:55Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Those were the first three names i thought of, although i would hesitate to recommend Mises to someone who is new to the field. While his ideas are central to many aspects of libertarianism, his writing can be rather obtuse at times, and he has a tendency to blithely rest his libertarian theories upon broad, unquestioned assumptions. And _Human Action_ (the book i would suggest first) is BIG, and might put off someone new to libertarian ideas. [/quote] Agreed. _The Road to Serfdom_, Hayek’s most cited book, is much more accessible to the casual reader. Mises is not for the faint of heart. > [@](#): > > Yeah, for the last 10 years or so, O’Rourke has seemed to become increasingly conservative and decreasingly funny. He still occasionally produces a great article, but i just don’t think he’s as funny or as libertarian as he was in the 1980s. > > _Parliament of Whores_ is still a classic, IMO. That is the only one of his books that I read, and I remember being in stitches for a good part of it. It is kind of sad to see him on Bill Maher-- he is a shadow of his former self, relying on the most cliched of jokes and worn out stories. He definitely needs some new material. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/35 "2008-03-04T16:20:31Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom, adapted by Henry Grady Weaver into The Mainspring of Human Progress. [/QUOTE] This was my suggestion, as well. RW Lane is an unfortunately under-appreciated writer and champion of libertarian philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/36 "2008-03-04T17:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] That is the only one of his books that I read, and I remember being in stitches for a good part of it. It is kind of sad to see him on Bill Maher-- he is a shadow of his former self, relying on the most cliched of jokes and worn out stories. He definitely needs some new material. [/QUOTE] “Republican Party Reptile” is a collection of shorter pieces written for different magazines, and has some of his best work. His articles on Ferdinand Marcos are deeply felt and resulted in a medal from the Aquino government. And “Ferrari Refutes the Decline of the West” for Car and Driver is a howl. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/37 "2008-03-04T17:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] I’m surprised you consider Sowell hard to disagree with.Were I aligned with his views the disdain he holds for those not so would hardly persuade. [/QUOTE] Personally, I didn’t find much of what he says in the columns linked to objectionable at all - and I’m very much a leftist. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem to have a great deal (if anything) to do with libertarianism either; more like “common sense” conservatism with a generous dollop of anti-affirmative action screed thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/38 "2008-03-04T20:00:52Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Agreed. _The Road to Serfdom_, Hayek’s most cited book, is much more accessible to the casual reader. Mises is not for the faint of heart. [/QUOTE] That’s true. But the first chapter summarizes the entire chain of deduction. The rest is just supporting material. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794/39 "2008-03-05T05:35:36Z")
Not a book, but check out the episode “the Underpants Gnomes” from _South Park_. Very funny attack on mindless anti-corporation rhetoric. Matt Stone is a member of the Libertarian party. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-examples-of-persuasive-libertarian-writers/439794.md?page=1)