The Radical Right

Oscar B. Johannsen

[Reprinted from The Gargoyle, February 1971]

One of the more interesting social phenomena of the present is the rise of an anti-statist approach to the problems facing man. That this movement must be of considerable strength is evidenced by the fact that an article in considerable depth appeared in the Jan. 10, 1971 issue of The New York Times Magazine.

This group is attracting the interest of many of the young partly because of the obvious failure of the "liberal" doctrines of the past generation, and partly as a result of some of the successes of the "liberals".

The "liberals" have had as their central tenet the assumption that government, particularly centralised government, could solve man's problems especially such as poverty, urban blight, and the mal-distribution of wealth. This has been actually a reversion to the old Mercantilist Philosophy which had received a death blow at the hands of Adam Suith in his masterpiece, The Wealth of Nations. While the "liberals" were favoring this statist approach, at the same time they were in the forefront for individual rights, such as political rights for all regardless of race, creed or color, as well as for their opposition to conscription. Thus, on the one hand they were in the reactionary position of favoring the interference of the government in economic affairs while on the other hand they were in the liberal position of favoring non-interference of the government in political, civic and social affairs.

__ The present-day adherents of this philosophy are known as the New Left. This is a group, largely of the young, which has adopted the socialistic tenets of Marx, which require a powerful centralized State to implement the principles. But, on the other hand, this group attacks the State vigorously. It has fought conscription, has demonstrated for greater freedom in personal deportment, as evidenced by their favoring long hair, rock and roll, and has even fought the police. That they are adhering to principles which are contradictory does not appear to be recognized by them.

Opposed to the Hew Left has been another young group, the principal agency of which has been the Young Americans for Freedom. This group seems to have adopted also a contradictory position, but one diametrically opposed to the increasing interference of the Government in economic affairs, having taken a position similar to Herbert Spencer's, which was that the government should leave economic matters to the individual. But, possibly due to the Vietnam War and the fear of communism, this group seemed to take a neutral position on such an obvious violation of individual freedom as conscription. The New Left apparently favored economic subservience to the State but individual freedom in civic, and political matters, whereas the conservative group seemed to take the opposite position.

The result has been that a third group has arisen, known as the Radical Right. This group is a libertarian movement which places the individual squarely in the center. It is the individual who counts, not such institutions as the State, or Organised Religion. It has even attacked such sacred taboos as taxation by the Government, calling it robbery.

Its economics appears to be that of the Austrian School, which recognises that most of man's problems are due to the interference of government, particularly in the arena of economics.

The movement is really an anarchistic one, although its adherents may not recognise that such is the case, for it is doubtful if many have analysed the full implications of the philosophy underlying it. But if the movement continues to gain strength, sooner or latter this fact will be brought out, then the problem will be how will the land be allocated with justice to all if there is no collective entity to do it. When that tine comes, it may be that some of these young people will become acquainted with Henry George. If they display the same courage and vigor they are now showing in espousing their opposition to the State in every field, it may well be that finally the Georgist philosophy will capture the imagination of the people. Let us hope so!