How is the Libertarian Left different?

In my post on the Libertarian Left, I noted four principles I felt put me on the Left:

1. Anti-war/anti-interventionism;
2. Radically decentralized to non-existent political institutions;
3. Anti-monopoly;
4. Individual autonomy.

To which Father Jim Tucker wrote, "Hmm, but wouldn't most centrist and rightist libertarians accept those four points, too? Just wondering."

Excellent question, and in my reply I'm only speaking for myself, not necessarily for others so self-described.

The Libertarian Left is one way to be, instead of "guilty by association," with the neoconservatives in Washington, rather "innocent by dis-association." Consider that there are many self-described libertarians who believe in:

1. Wars to advance liberty abroad, thereby permanently establishing a military-industrial complex;
2. Reliance on central institutions like the Supreme Court to protect individual rights from the tyranny of local majorities, thereby empowering and strengthening central government overall and placing our liberty at the mercy of government;
3. a)A utilitarian capitalist ethic which "encourages" arts and inventions through federally-protected patents and copywrights and the government protection of "limited liabiity" in which stockholders are not personally responsible, and therefore indifferent, to the actions of their companies so long as they are profitable;
b) An absolutism in the inviolability of private land ownership, no matter when or how the land was acquired or how large the estate. Even though land is of limited supply and is required by all to live. Hence we have libertarians who advocate "flat taxes" or sales taxes both of which punish human activity, but are offended by the possibility that they pay rent to the community for the privilege of excluding people from their land. Exclusive control of land is a form of monopoly that is endorsed by many libertarians.
4. "Drawing the line" at cocaine, or the automatic weapon, or polygamy, or the licensing of doctors, or...

And then there are "libertarians" who hate liberals more than they love liberty, which is why they support President Bush. Other libertarians who percieve tax cuts to always be the chief and overriding issue.

By being both anti-authoritarian and anti-corporate monopoly, Left Libertarians present a clean break from right-wing coalition of neo-cons, the Religious Right, and Big Business. In opposing the war, in promoting local control (which many Greens do), in fighting state-sanctioned corporate privilege, and in fighting to protect our civil liberties, the Libertarian Left has far more in common with the Left than with the Right as it is presently identified.

What this does not mean is that I prefer Hillary to Congressman Ron Paul. It does not mean outright partisanship in which liberals are my friends and conservatives my enemies. I still feel a sense of common cause with many on the Right, especially strict Constitutionalists. But historically the Right has been the party of the Establishment, of landed privilege. The Left has been opposed. Libertarianism ultimately belongs on the Left.

I encourage those who don't already, to read Wally Conger's Out of Step blog, which often expounds on the Libertarian Left and has resources on it in his sidebar.