This is an excerpt from my episode with Dr. Gerard Casey in which we discuss the application of Rothbard to immigration and borders. -P
Penjammin: [Rothbard] quotes William Lloyd Garrison, who was an abolitionist, as saying, “Gradualism in theory is perpetuity in practice.” Could you hash this out for us a little bit. What does that mean?
Gerard Casey: Yeah, I know where he's coming from on this. I mean, he says elsewhere in the chapter that a libertarian, you know, if presented with a button which would transform us from where we are now to a libertarian society, should be willing to push the button.
Penjammin: Yeah.
Gerard Casey: But then he goes on to say very quickly, of course, that that's not a real possibility. So it doesn't actually arise as an existential choice. So the thing about gradualism is- Rothbard elsewhere was very scathing about what he called beltway libertarians. And what he meant by this is (this is by way of answering that question, by the way) and what he meant by that was the following . . .
For more Gerard Casey, check out The Liberty Classroom. Also, hear the whole episode here:
Penjammin grew up in a labyrinthine cavern. Later he ran with the wolves, enjoying life in the sweet scent of his game, until pirates landed and… (see “About” above).
Get his eletters at penjams.com/subscribe.