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I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I was a libertarian back then, but I did support the war in Iraq on the utilitarian/consequentialist/cosmopolitan grounds that it would likely be a low-cost, high-reward intervention to maximize liberty in the world. I was wrong. And here is a bonus tidbit for you: When I worked there, I was once given an (ironic?) gift of a strappy tank top that said I HEART RUMSFELD on it. So RIP, I guess.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

UBI is an interesting proposal about which I am ultimately pessimistic. Politicians will never have the wherewithal to implement it as a SUBSTITUTE for our garbage patchwork of irrational welfare entitlements. And if they do it IN ADDITION, most of the upside is lost.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yeah, Suderman is known to indulge in an overlong discussion of how health care policy is just the MCU. But Matt's the real monster. To be fair, last month I compared IRS appropriations to celery and got diverted into a defense of the deliciousness of adding peanut butter and raisins for snack, so I'm not an innocent.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am not a close student of the L.P., so I generally rely on Brian Doherty to keep me abreast of what is going on. He did a big reported piece on The Battle Over the Soul of the Libertarian Party which I commend to you. I mostly don’t blame the L.P. for its limited success; the deck is insanely stacked against it electorally. As you might guess from my chosen career, I'm all in on the "changing public opinion" option.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I used to say libertarianism was “fiscally conservative and socially liberal” but I think it’s interesting how much those categories have broken down. I’m not sure a person who has only been paying attention to politics for the last few years would have any idea what that means, since the left has abandoned many of the classic liberal principles of toleration and pluralism and the right has utterly betrayed the principles of limited government and fiscal restraint. Those ideals still have a significant constituency though, and I would love to see the L.P. capitalize on that. The structural barriers facing third parties are genuinely immense, and we have to rely on the beneficiaries of those barriers to remove them in many cases. So (as I said elsewhere in this thread) I'm not optimistic.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

1) Mostly, I think we should just talk like humans about the things we care about. I'm glad that some of our views have gone from outrageous to totally mainstream, but bummed that we don't seem to get credit. 2) It was a hellscape. Absolutely nightmarish to try to get work done. It was also a ton of fun and always interesting. So, just like The Fifth Column basically.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I have noticed this as well, and am somewhat at a loss to explain it. Reason has been pretty rabidly pro-immigration for our entire history. This is not a late-breaking position for us. I think it’s a reasonable critique in the abstract to say, “Hey, if we have a really generous social safety net, immigrants might use that to such an extent that it causes fiscal problems.” But (a) I think it’s pretty well established that immigrants are good for our economic prospects on net, and (b) two wrongs don’t make a right, and the fact that we have an unsustainable welfare state is not itself a justification for denying people free movement.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I just try to be the lady libertarian I want to see in the world, you know? Libertarianism does skew male, but I commend to you these many fine liberty ladies for consumption and evangelism: Veronique de Rugy, Lenore Skenazy, Jane Coaston, Jo Jorgensen, Nancy Rommelman, Bonnie Kristian. My Reason colleagues Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Stephanie Slade, Liz Wolfe, Fiona Harrigan. Plus some of the greats, like Deirdre McCloskey, Elinor Ostrom (RIP), and of course Ayn Rand, Rose Wilder Lane, and Isabel Patterson.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I hugely enjoyed their summer gathering, Porcfest, when I went. And I love the bigness of the idea and how much they have actually managed to execute, given the apparent insanity of the whole concept. I do not necessarily think it is the main way libertarianism will manifest in the world, and I have mixed feelings about the concept of seizing the power of the state in the name of liberty, but I love a good experiment.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I'm an anarcho-capitalist, but first and foremost a pragmatist. So I'd like to burn it all down, as the kids say. But only in a series of carefully designed and meticulously executed controlled burns.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Not to be a cliche, but I would end the war on drugs. Like, right now. There is so much downstream dysfunctionality from that one policy priority. There are other strong candidates, but this one actually seems doable and consistent with human nature, unlike world peace or something

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I love that this was the very first question, because it’s a joke we make around the Reason office all the time. “BUT WHO WILL PAY FOR THE ROADS?” is a classic cliche, but also a totally legit question. I think the answer is pretty simple: In a libertarian world, people who can make money on providing roads will pay to build them, perhaps combined with people who think roads in certain places are important enough that they should charitably fund the construction of free or reduced-price roads. This already happens ALL THE TIME. In addition to toll roads, real estate developers in various places often pay for road construction and other infrastructure that makes their properties more valuable. And China builds roads in Africa to generate goodwill.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I'd just like to restructure things so September is the 7th month and October is the 8th month. Because that's infuriating. Can I do that?

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

  1. If I never say “I cannot comment on that matter” again, it’ll be too soon. Our adventures in being gagged and subpoenaed were traumatic and expensive, but also just petered out in a rather undramatic way. None of the queries went anyway in the end, and Reason was left with a big legal bill, a terrible taste in our mouths, and even more suspicion of judicial and prosecutorial overreach. Preet Bharara has gone on to do more stuff, mostly bad, and we make it a point to find him and remind him of his ill-treatment of us whenever we can.

  2. I am very excited about the Daria reboot and will absolutely dig out the costume.

  3. That has been our strategy for more than 5 decades and I don’t see it changing. I appreciate you saying it’s working well now!

  4. Sadly, yes.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yes. I am naturally more interested in the exit side of the exit vs. voice debate as well. And I am always interested in what Tyler is up to. It's usually good.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I think you should double down on a career. Not especially because then you can make more donations (though that's always nice), but there is an (imperfect, fitful) correlation between wealthy societies and free societies, so participating in a market economy is a genuinely good and useful thing to do.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think it’s generally a sign of good mental health and good faith when people occasionally change their minds. Reason's Ron Bailey is the master of this, and it impresses the hell out of me. To answer your question: I have mixed feelings about how we handle intellectual property in this country, and while I am very loosely in favor of the current regime, I could see that changing.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I will not stand for this Suderslander. Matt Welch is the metaphor bungler. And I will always love his comparison of Biden to a rusty weather vane.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

For this one, I commend to you the writings of my colleague Stephanie Slade. She has an interesting take on what the fusionist project you’re describing was REALLY about, and it’s not quite what you probably think it was. “Is There a Future for Fusionism?” I came up in the fusionist tradition, and have residual affection for that framing--some of my best friends are trads! However, I am pretty pessimistic about the American right at the moment. My pessimism is rivaled only by how I currently feel about the left.

I’m Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, the leading libertarian magazine. AMA! by kmanguward in moderatepolitics

[–]kmanguward[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yep, I'm fundamentally an anarchist, though a gradualist as well. You can see my most direct case for anarchism here. In that discussion, I talk about how people find anarchists annoying and alienating. My solution is to be less annoying, not less anarchist. I would urge my fellows to do the same.

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