In a recent article in Commentary entitled “Freedom Fetishists,” writer Kay Hymowitz sought to discredit the libertarian philosophy. It wasn’t well reasoned, largely beating up on a strawman. In his column today, Sheldon Richman strongly refutes Hymowitz. (Link to her original article included.)
So Hymowitz has a problem with people who desire more freedom than she does. King George III might also have called the patriots “freedom fetishists” for desiring more freedom than he thought they should have. And of course it’s true that there are people — radical Islamics, e.g. –who might call Hymowitz herself a “freedom fetishist” for wanting the freedoms she does.
I’ll paraphrase Jefferson. One of his great observations goes like this: It’s better to put up with the problems of too much freedom than the problems of too little.