Kudos
The Corkboard. Whatever. Feel free to add your own man-love, kudos or hate mail in the comments field. Selected ones will be added below.
“characteristically clear and pugnacious…” –Gary Chartier
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“Kensella [sic] is an unhinged and dishonest bit of nastiness, and he deserves to be shunned by all reasonable people — not treated as a civilized interlocutor.” –An Objectivist
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Stephan, let me just take a second to say you are quite a Man, in the truest sense of the term. Your contributions to the body of ideas that inspire me is one thing, and your personal charm is second-to-none, but what triggered this email is my admiration of your website. Sheesh, what a wonderful resource. It provides almost as much trawling pleasure as the LvMI website, so rich in hidden treasures to be discovered, downloaded and enjoyed.
Best wishes,
–X
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“my favorite libertarian writer”
–Jayel Aheram
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“As always with Stephan Kinsella he makes some very interesting sharp points and again appears to be at the cutting edge of libertarian thought. This is the reason I respect him a lot. He has applied some simple common truths in a fresh way.”
–Scott F.
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“one of the best writers anywhere”
–Michael Boldin***
“Kinsella, I love your pugnacious and lucid writing style, but I cringe when I hear you speak–just not used to that Louisiana backwoods accent!“–Daniel Roncari
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Fascinating point Stephan, as always. I find your illuminating and often surprising blog entries refreshing and evidence against the accusation that libertarianism is becoming dogmatic and cult-like.
–LightBringer
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Just finished reading [What Libertarianism Is]. I think its the single greatest libertarian essay I’ve read all year.
–John David
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[Re: What Libertarianism Is:] You are becoming our cutting edge thinker. So many thought provoking analyses. A few years ago I disliked your [Kelo piece] but I may have missed your nuances there. However I’m impressed with your intellectual energy and published output.Best, M–
I stumbled across your website and enjoyed reading. Keep up the good writing. I will surely read more. Thanks.
–Russ
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Recently, I have been doing some research into argumentation ethics. … Your estoppel approach stuck me as brilliant. When I read your review of Hoppe’s masterpiece I found that you had the same lament I did: no one had seemed to fill in the argumentation lines for issues like babies, children, the definition of rights, the existence of free will and a million other things related to libertarianism in some fashion or another. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who has filled in the blanks over the past 15 years?–T.H.
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I really enjoyed your Mises article on IP. I find you to be a clear and entertaining author. And any Austro-Anarchist Libertarianwith a sense of humor (Simplify…) is a friend of mine…–Prahas
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I recently discovered you through your “IP and Libertarianism” article …. I’m relatively new to libertarianism and Austrian economics in that I’ve actively studied them (as a hungry freethinker, not as an academic) only in the last few years. I started with Charles Murray and David Boaz, then started following Cato and the Reason Foundation, and have recently studied Hayek with great satisfaction. In my long and tedious detox from progressivism, I’ve been eager to discover new voices — voices of intellectual vigor, voices not beholden to hysteria — and am glad that you are now one of them.
Because of you (I’m particularly fascinated by your Constitutional points of view), I don’t have to roll my eyes and beg off when progressive acquaintances accuse me of being one of those wacky anarchists. I love learning things I don’t know, from people who can frame a position with such precision that I can’t help but want to know more.
It’s a strange and lonely way of life, being always and categorically beyond the edge of the mainstream, but if it means that one is closer to some sort of truth, I’ll homestead on the edge any day.
Thanks for your inspiration.
–Andrew
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“When at the ASC some years back …, I asked Tom DiLorenzo what he thought the most thought-provoking and mind-changing article was in recent memory within the libertarian academic community. He thought it was Stephan’s anti-IP article in the JLS.” –Gil Guillory
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“I [wanted] to tell you how much I liked your IP talk. You are a careful and articulate system builder, and thus a worthy student of Hoppe.”
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“Your talk tonight was brilliant. I am just sorry I missed the actual presentation, but when I got to the room, … all seats were taken. … You are an important and creative libertarian intellectual ….“
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
When I get older I want to be as pudgy and bald as you.
You’re a legend Stephan! If I would have the chance to make 5 libertarians immortal, you would be one of them.
Land mines on your property, libertarian… yes or no?
Stephan is my hero. I want to be just like him when I grow up. (NOK)
Mr. Kinsella, you have many well-wishers here and they are all more erudite than I am. They certainly know what they’re talking about when they give you well deserved kudos for your work in Libertarian studies as well as intellectual grasp.
I would like to say from my own simple vantage point that I appreciate you and that your podcast at the von Mises website was very thought provoking. I appreciate you.
Mr. Kinsella, your little book Against Intellectual Property is the reason I ended up rejecting the moral legitimacy of IP law. Well-reasoned and, as far as I can tell, irrefutable evidence. Good work.