[Update:
see:
- Yet another reply to Khawaja
- Correction re Khawaja
- Me and Khawaja
- Khawaja on Socialist Welfare Rights
Khwawaja now explicitly admits he’s not libertarian (or Objectivist). Something to do with “Palestine” or some other bullshit.
See e.g.
It’s easy to overlook the significance of one last part of the subtitle. Reason Papers is a journal of normative interdisciplinary studies. Both “journal” and “studies” connote objective academic scholarship, a connotation we wholeheartedly endorse without excluding journalists or independent scholars. It’s worth stressing, then, that while Reason Papers has often published work from an Objectivist or libertarian perspective, Reason Papers is not an Objectivist or libertarian journal, or for that matter, a journal edited for conformity with any particular philosophical or ideological perspective.3 We think of the journal as a forum for inquiry and debate across a wide spectrum of views rather than as the instrument of any one ideology, party, or camp.
3 We thus disagree with the characterization of the journal offered by Walter E. Block in his “Austro-Libertarian Publishing: A Survey and Critique,” Reason Papers 32 (Fall 2010), pp. 107-35. See, e.g., p. 130, where the journal is described as “dedicated to libertarianism,” and p. 133, where it is described as “mostly libertarian.”
I haven’t been associated with Kelley’s group or organized Objectivism since 1997. I did a seminar with them in 2013 which was a fiasco. I don’t regard myself as an Objectivist or libertarian, and was never really sold on libertarian politics even when I was an Objectivist. Much less so now. The cartoons can be seen on the link below. They’re an innovation of Jennifer Grossman, who took over after Kelley. I find them mortifying, but it’s been ages since I had a motivation to care. https://www.atlassociety.org
]
Followup/correction/clarification re post below: Khawaja has since clarified (somewhat): although he is not a libertarian (someone else said he is a classical liberal, and he has not denied it), he does not in fact endorse the entire Universal Declaration. He said “As re the “unqualified endorsement”, I just took over the Ex Directorship of ISIS a few weeks ago. I don’t agree with the part of the Mission Statement you’ve quoted and didn’t write it, but haven’t had the chance to do anything about it. It was written in 1998 by the previous director. It would be an understandable inference to draw about my views that I endorsed the UN Dec, but it doesn’t happen to be true.”
Setting the record straight!
My reply to him:
Khawaja:
“Where did I accuse Hoppe of not being a libertarian? I didn’t.”
… So, you will admit he IS a libertarian? You will gainsay Palmer? Great. Next issue–
“You fudge this issue on another website by saying that “Khawaja and his ilk” make this accusation. A brilliant claim, except that Khawaja and “his ilk” are not metaphysically identical entities, so that what Khawaja says and what “his ilk” say are two different things. Guess they never taught you the relevant logical law while you were getting any of your vaunted degrees. It’s called the law of identity.”
Let’s remain civil, and not get personal, Mr. Khawaja. It’s really okay that you aren’t an engineer or lawyer.
“Actually, I’ve never said that *I* was a libertarian. I’m not.”
Ahh.. thanks. This clears up a lot. Thanks for admitting it; I’d have had a hell of a time squaring the Universal Declration of Socialist Rights with libertarianism.
And please, everyone, forgive me for thinking Liberty and Power was an ostensible libertarian list; but I’m just a newbie, only a lowlife commentator. 🙂
” Indeed, where did I take issue with that term? In an essay in Reason Papers (vol. 25, year 2000)–the place where you claim first to have noticed my name. Good job.”
Khawaja, sorry I didn’t have time to re-read your essay in preparation for my post. Unfortunately, the half-assed Reason Papers is not online.
“But then, I never said that I was a Muslim and you claimed that I was. Alas, you imagined that, too.”
Sorry for assuming that you were a muslim, simply because you are Executive Directory of the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society and have that possibly-muslim-sounding exotic name. I realize that under the new PC rules, no inferences whatsoever are to be permitted.
Incidentally, though I was born a white Catholic Southerner, please tell me how to join the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society, or at least your white Catholic Southerner focus group.
“Imagination is something you seem to be really good at. Too bad we aren’t engaged in creative writing just now.”
Oh, some of us are. But I’ll mention no names.
“Even if I were a socialist, how would that be relevant to anything under discussion? It wouldn’t.”
Oh, it would mean you should be shot. Ha ha.
“The discussion isn’t about socialism, and I never judged Hoppe by libertarian standards. A real forensic tour de force, so far….”
I am glad to know that in your eyes, Hoppe fails to live up to non-libertarian standards. I can only hope to fail as successfully.
“As re the “unqualified endorsement”, I just took over the Ex Directorship of ISIS a few weeks ago. I don’t agree with the part of the Mission Statement you’ve quoted and didn’t write it, but haven’t had the chance to do anything about it.”
I can help if you like. But as you now admit you are not a libertarian, … I’m not sure why you disagree with it. Can you enlighten me?
“It was written in 1998 by the previous director.”
you forgot to add, “who was a goddamn socialist”. Just kidding. 🙂
“It would be an understandable inference to draw about my views that I endorsed the UN Dec, but it doesn’t happen to be true. Relevance to the topic at hand? Zero.”
Well, silly me, I like to konw if I’m debating about libertarian minutaie with a socialist or a fellow libertarian. Call me crazy.
“How many strikes are we up to at this point? How much more of an idiot and an asshole are you willing to make yourself in public? It comes at no cost to me; it’s at least mildly amusing to watch an unself-conscious buffoon unself-consciously make a fool of himself over and over and over with the persistence of the Energizer Bunny. I just wonder what’s in it for you. But then, what difference does it make?”
Now you’re getting it. It makes no difference. I am not an activist or strategerist libertarian. I’m a realist, and therefore a depressed one.
And a followup reply to another post of his… I crack myself up:
“Kinsella, do you specialize in non-sequiturs?”
Well, it is in my top 3. Others include the ability to flatten a beer can with my hands and that trick where you put quarters on your elbow and catch them with your hand.
“They begin with the first line of your post, and make it pointless to read on: From “I did not accuse Hoppe of not being a libertarian,” how *exactly* did you get to “So you will admit that he IS a libertarian”? Apparently, NOT making a claim has become the equivalent of making one in this demented universe.”
Khawaja, I confess you’ve confused me. You are not a libertarian, but you are not a socialist… and someone else assures me you are a classical liberal, which you have not confirmed.
You spank me for assuming you are Muslim because you are Exec Director of a group about Islamic Society… but you don’t deny it or confirm it. But you do make it clear your wife is Jewish.
You say you didn’t say Hoppe is not a libertarian and yet won’t say he is, either.
Man, you are almost as slippery as me! But whatever is a girl to think?
“Maybe we can go further with this line of “reasoning,” as in:
“I haven’t seen the weather report, so I don’t know if it’s raining.” Aha! So you ADMIT that it’s sunny!”
I’m sorry, but who is talking about the weather?
“An error, to put it mildly. We’re dealing here with stupidity than which nothing greater can be conceived,”
Well, come on, you have to admit, that’s a pretty significant achievement.
” and I think at this point I’d rather let Kinsella self-destruct than do any more to ease him along the path to that terminus.”
password to stop the self-destruct sequence, captain!
“Not only have you been refuted every time you’ve opened your mouth,”
Like someone said, every word he ever said was a lie, including “a” and “the”. Cute!
“you’ve managed to alienate your friends, defend bigotry, engage in bigotry, tell outright lies, and look like an idiot in the process. Fine work.”
Well, you have to admit it would be worse to be a *smart* bigot than a *stupid* one.
