- Although this work was originally copyrighted, the owner (the Ludwig von Mises Institute) does not believe in intellectual property, and, as such, has released them into the public domain.
FOR·A·NEVV·LIBERTY
THE·LIBERTARIAN·MANIFESTO
edit
PART·I·THE·LIBERTARIAN·CREED
editCHAPTER·II·PROPERTY·AND·EXCHANGE
edit
THE·NONAGRESSION·AXIOM
editTHE·LIBERTARIAN·CREED·RESTS·VPON·ONE·CENTRAL·AXIOM
THAT·NO·MAN·OR·GROVP·OF·MEN·MAY·AGGRESS·AGAINST·THE·PERSON·OR·PROPERTY·OF·ANYONE·ELSE
THIS·MAY·BE·CALLED·THE·NONAGGRESSION·AXIOM
AGGRESSION·IS·DEFINED·AS·THE·INITIATION·OF·THE·VSE·OR·THREAT·OF·PHYSICAL·VIOLENCE·AGAINST·THE·PERSON·OR·PROPERTY·OF·ANYONE·ELSE
AGGRESSION·IS·THEREFORE·SYNONYMOVS·VVITH·INVASION
IF·NO·MAN·MAY·AGGRESS·AGAINST·ANOTHER
IF·IN·SHORT·EVERYONE·HAS·THE·ABSOLVTE·RIGHT·TO·BE·FREE·FROM·AGGREESSION
THEN·THIS·AT·ONCE·IMPLIES·THAT·THE·LIBERTARIAN·STANDS·FOVRSQVARE·FOR·VVHAT·ARE·GENERALLY·KNOVVN·AS·CIVIL·LIBERTIES
THE·FREEDOM·TO·SPEAK·PVBLISH·ASSEMBLE·AND·TO·ENGAGE·IN·SVCH·VICTIMLESS·CRIMES·AS·PORNOGRAPHY·SEXVAL·DEVIATION·AND·PROSTITUTION
VVHICH·THE·LIBERTARIAN·DOES·NOT·REGARD·AS·CRIMES·AT·ALL
SINCE·HE·DEFINES·A·CRIME·AS·A·VIOLENT·INVASION·OF·SOMEONE·ELSES·PERSON·OR·PROPERTY
FVRTHERMORE·HE·REGARDS·CONSCRIPTION·AS·SLAVERY·ON·A·MASSIVE·SCALE
AND·SINCE·VVAR·ESPECIALLY·MODERN·VVAR·ENTAILS·THE·MASS·SLAVGHTER·OF·INNOCENT·CIVILIANS
THE·LIBERTARIAN·REGARDS·SVCH·CONFLICTS·AS·MASS·MVRDER·AND·THEREFORE·TOTALLY·ILLEGITIMATE
ALL·OF·THESE·POSITIONS·ARE·NOVV·CONSIDERED·LEFTIST·ON·THE·CONTEMPORARY·IDEOLOGICAL·SCALE
ON·THE·OTHER·HAND·SINCE·THE·LIBERTARIAN·ALSO·OPPOSES·INVASION·OF·THE·RIGHTS·OF·PRIVATE·PROPERTY
THIS·ALSO·MEANS·THAT·HE·IVST·AS·EMPHATICALLY·OPPOSES·GOVERNMET·INTERFERENCE·VVITH·PROPERTY·RIGHTS
OR·VVITH·THE·FREE·MARKET·ŒCONOMY·THROVGH·CONTROLS·REGVLATIONS·SVBSIDIES·OR·PROHIBITIONS
FOR·IF·EVERY·INDIVIDVAL·HAS·THE·RIGHT·TO·HIS·OVVN·PROPERTY·VVVITHOVT·HAVING·TO·SVFFER·AGGRESSIVE·DEPREDATION
THEN·HE·ALSO·HAS·THE·RIGHT·TO·GIVE·AVVAY·HIS·PROPERTY
BEQVEST·AND·INHERITANCE
AND·TO·EXCHANGE·IT·FOR·THE·PROPERTY·OF·OTHERS
FREE·CONTRACT·AND·THE·FREE·MARKET·ŒCONOMY
VVITHOVT·INTERFERENCE
THE·LIBETARIAN·FAVORS·THE·RIGHT·TO·VNRESTRICTED·PRIVATE·PROPERTY·AND·FREE·EXCHANGE
HENCE·A·SYSTEM·OF·LAISSEZ·FAIRE·CAPITALISM
IN·CVRRENT·TERMINOLOGY·AGAIN
THE·LIBERTARIAN·POSITION·ON·PROPERTY·AND·ŒCONOMICS·VVOVLD·BE·CALLED·EXTREME·RIGHT·VVING
BVT·THE·LIBERTARIAN·SEES·NO·INCONSISTENCY·IN·BEING·LEFTIST·ON·SOME·ISSVES·AND·RIGHTIST·ON·OTHERS
ON·THE·CONTRARY·HE·SEES·HIS·OVVN·POSITION·AS·VIRTVALLY·THE·ONLY·CONSISTENT·ONE
CONSISTENT·ON·BEHALF·OF·THE·LIBERTY·OF·EVERY·INDIVIDVAL
FOR·HOVV·CAN·THE·LEFTIST·BE·OPPOSED·TO·THE·VIOLENCE·OF·VVAR·AND·CONSCRIPTION
VVHILE·AT·THE·SAME·TIME·SVPPORTING·THE·VIOLENCE·OF·TAXATION·AND·GOVERNMENT·CONTROL
AND·HOVV·CAN·THE·RIGHTIST·TRVMPET·HIS·DEVOTION·TO·PRIVATE·PROPERTY·AND·FREE·ENTERPRISE
VVHILE·AT·THE·SAME·TIME·FAVORING·VVAR
CONSCRIPTION
AND·THE·OVTLAVVING·OF·NONINVASIVE·ACTIVITIES·AND·PRACTICES·THAT·HE·DEEMS·IMMORAL
AND·HOVV·CAN·THE·RIGHTIST·FAVOR·A·FREE·MARKET
VVHILE·SEEING·NOTHING·AMISS·IN·THE·VAST·SVBSIDIES
DISTORTIONS
AND·VNPRODVCTIVE·INEFFICIENCIES·INVOLVED·IN·THE·MILITARY·INDVSTRIAL·COMPLEX
VVHILE·OPPOSING·ANY·AND·ALL·PRIVATE·OR·GROVP·AGGRESSION·AGAINST·THE·RIGHTS·OF·PERSON·AND·PROPERTY
THE·LIBERTARIAN·SEES·THAT·THROVGHOVT·HISTORY·AND·INTO·THE·PRESENT·DAY
THERE·HAS·BEEN·ONE·CENTRAL·DOMINANT·AND·OVERRIDING·AGGRESSOR·VPON·ALL·OF·THESE·RIGHTS
THE·STATE
IN·CONTRAST·TO·ALL·OTHER·THINKERS
LEFT·RIGHT·OR·IN·BETVVEEN
THE·LIBERTARIAN·REFVSES·TO·GIVE·THE·STATE
THE·MORAL·SANCTION·TO·COMMIT·ACTIONS·THAT·ALMOST·EVERYONE·AGREES·VVOVLD·BE
IMMORAL·ILLEGAL·AND·CRIMINAL
IF·COMMITTED·BY·ANY·PERSON·OR·GROVP·IN·SOCIETY
THE·LIBERTARIAN·IN·SHORT·INSISTS·ON·APPLYING·THE·GENERAL·MORAL·LAVV·TO·EVERYONE
AND·MAKES·NO·SPECIAL·EXEMPTIONS·FOR·ANY·PERSON·OR·GROVP
BVT·IF·VVE·LOOK·AT·THE·STATE·NAKED·AS·IT·VVERE
VVE·SEE·THAT·IT·IS·VNIVERSALLY·ALLOVVED
AND·EVEN·ENCOVRAGED
TO·COMMIT·ALL·THE·ACTS·VVHICH·EVEN·NON·LIBERTARIANS·CONCEDE·ARE·REPREHENSIBLE·CRIMES
THE·STATE·HABITVALLY·COMMITS·MASS·MVRDER
VVHICH·IT·CALLS·VVAR·OR·SOMETIMES·SVPPRESSION·OF·SVBVERSION
THE·STATE·ENGAGES·IN·ENSLAVEMENNT·INTO·ITS·MILITARY·FORCES
VVHICH·IT·CALLS·CONSCRIPTION
AND·IT·LIVES·AND·HAS·ITS·BEING·IN·THE·PRACTICE·OF·FORCIBLE·THEFT
VVHICH·IT·CALLS·TAXATION
THE·LIBERTARIAN·INSISTS·THAT·VVHETHER·OR·NOT·SVCH·PRACTICES·ARE
SVPPORTED·BY·THE·MAIORITY·OF·THE·POPVLATION
IS·NOT·GERMANE·TO·THEIR·NATVRE
THAT·REGARDLESS·OF·POPVLAR·SANCTION
VVAR·IS·MASS·MVRDER
CONSCRIPTION·IS·SLAVERY
AND·TAXATION·IS·ROBBERY
THE·LIBERTARIAN·IN·SHORT·IS·ALMOST·COMPLETELY·THE·CHILD·IN·THE·FABLE
POINTING·OVT·INSISTENTLY·THAT·THE·EMPEROR·HAS·NO·CLOTHES
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