What's your opinion of anarcho-capitalism?
In theory its great, provided of course that the movers and shakers are principled people with the wisdom to avoid "sh*tting in their own nest." Murray Rothbard is was a great mind, but I don't think we have the quality of human to pull it off without f*cking everything up. Then again, every other material distribution scheme has been a dismal failure as well. EDIT: Hey, I'm 100% on board with the opposition to the monopoly on force. I might add being in the "force" business myself that this monopoly is wearing thin. Just look what is happening all over the world. Those with means will challenge that monopoly more and more and simply go their own way without asking permission or begging forgiveness. That is the future of my industry. The return of firms like "Executive Outcomes" is a certainty.
What do you think of anarcho-capitalism and its theories?
I’d first like to say that I am a former “anarcho-capitalist.” I see the ideology as a a sort of gateway to various other ideologies, rather than something people ever stick with. In my case, I chose actual anarchism, in other people’s cases they choose various other ideologies on the far-right or far-left (I can’t see an anarcho-capitalist becoming a centrist.)I’ve written other answers about why I am no longer an anarcho-capitalist.Stefan Cuevas's answer to What keeps libertarians from going full-blown anarcho-capitalist?Stefan Cuevas's answer to As a libertarian, why are you not an anarchist-capitalist?My views have been refined a little bit in the months since I wrote these answers, but they are definitely a good start.I explained why anarcho-capitalism wouldn’t even work.Stefan Cuevas's answer to Would anarcho-capitalism work?Stefan Cuevas's answer to How is "anarcho-capitalism" anarchism if it advocates for the naked subjecation of people to the destructive features of "markets"?I talk about the different types of people who call themselves “anarcho-capitalists” here.Stefan Cuevas's answer to Why do so many anarcho-capitalists seem to flock towards the alt-right movement?While I no longer consider myself an anarcho-capitalist, I do find the works of Murray Rothbard and David Friedman to be helpful, and I do agree with them on many things. I just am no longer (if I ever truly was) an advocate of capitalism, and shouldn’t call myself such. Nor do I want to be associated with many of the quacks and authoritarians who currently call themselves “anarcho-capitalist.”
How do moderate US liberals feel about the libertarian party?
I'll probably vote for the Johnson / Weld ticket because I like those guys and I think they are the lesser of three evils.I consider myself to be a moderate pragmatic classical liberal or libertarian, but I'm not anti-government. I'm more of a center-left libertarian.I think where the Libertarian party has gone off the rails is with just taking things too far to their extreme logical conclusion and being anti government rather than simply for limited government.I agree with the non aggression / non violence principle and with siding with choice, but I also think there is a role for government to play in terms of a social safety net, and maintaining a fair level playing field for business.I don't agree that all taxes are theft. That's not a principle. That's just a bunch of over heated angry rhetoric.I'm against both big government and big business. But too often I think the Libertarian party gives big business a pass that results in Liberty being infringed for smaller businesses and for people and communities, and right wing libertarians just ignore it or don't have viable solutions for some issues.The libertarian philosophy and principles are good, but they start to fall apart when these principles get confused or conflated with pure anti-governmentism just for its own sake.I think it's possible to be libertarian without being an anti government zealot, but it seems that most or a lot of libertarians, especially right wing libertarians, would disagree.It's too bad because I think if the Libertarian Party could tone down most of their strident anti-government policies and rhetoric, and become a more serious political party or big tent coalition, they could actually win a lot more elections and really challenge the Democrats and Republicans.