The fundamental flaw with libertarian thought, which this Salon Article fails to adress, is not that they fail to study history, that is a common flaw of most ideologies. No, the fundamental flaw with libertarian thought is the belief that libertarians themselves are somehow elite, superior, or in any way more deserving of the privileges of liberty based upon some inherent merit.
They fail to recognize that liberty must be earned by participation and investment through duty and cooperation within society. The only independent objective gage of one's 'merit' is one's value to others. Until the 'libertarian' extremists realize that any wealth they amass is largely a result of the work of others, the justice system, and random chance, that ownership of capital resources is not the equivalent of ability, intelligence, or merit, and thus ownership of capital is no indication of superiority, but more a factor of unearned characteristics such as place and time of birth, inheritance, or luck, they will never begin to understand the necessity of social cooperation under law (a.k.a. 'statism') they consider so unpalatable.
It has less to do with compassion than with survival. Put in a fair competition, people who cooperate always out compete those who prefer individual conflict. Families, Teams, and Tribes, Communities, States, and Nations, are all a result of the fundamental undeniable MERIT of cooperative strategy. Social cooperation is the strength libertarians lack. Politically, locked into the ideal of individual liberty, they fail to see their own lack of merit.
The egalitarian ethic upon which our Constitution is founded, is not the presumption that all will become equal, only that all SHOULD be treated equally, given equal opportunity, and not limited by circumstances of birth, from reaching their potential. In providing just social structures, we not only increase our collective liberty, we maximize individual potential. That is the secret to success that elitists of all stripes fail to understand.
The way out is easy, however, all it really requires is maturity. Once one accepts one's own inevitable dimise, and finds a way to redefine their SELF as something greater than their individual body or life, then enlightenment can be obtained. The fundamental problem with that process is that most people become afraid when contemplating their death, and succumb to irrational thinking. Only rational enlightened self-interest, where SELF is defined in the broadest and most global scope, can create the opportunity for long-term survival. All else is folly.
