Trying to Separate Libertarian From Conservative

Conservatives and Libertarians on many, if not most, things are at the opposite ends of the debate. There is a 4 day debate now in the letters to the editor section (National Post) on the picture that was above my letter (it was of a Conservative politician who some call libertarian, he is nothing like us). I attempt to clarify things in my letter, but with the appalling change to my wording near the end, I am made to support his candidacy !?@?#$>$, I think we are still at the stage where he who owns the printing press controls free speech.

Here is the letter as published today, as I wrote it and as it was published.

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I was also a bit surprised to see a Conservative above my oped. I suspect the confusion comes from us not interpreting property rights in the narrow fashion many people do. To Libertarians property rights apply to anything you own and these include intellectual property, physical property and your own body as well. This is a huge change from common law, as say anyone who tried to exercise free speech against say the king under English common law would have found.

More specifically it is fair to say there is something in common with the Land Owners in that they reject land stewardship that is unfortunately the way government increasingly views private property. This does not imply they are libertarian though if an individual within those organizations are among the people who reject the property rights of others. Examples specific to the farm community would be support for restrictive tariffs, quota systems and a monopoly on supply as ways to increase the costs to consumers for their personal benefit. Traditionally Conservative politicians have been among the worst for supporting these attacks on property rights. Perhaps that will change to the libertarian’s wider view of property rights with Mr. MacLaren, but that change needs to be there first before the label libertarian goes on.