The incredible frenzy generated by UNLV’s failure to defend Hans-Hermann Hoppe’s academic freedom continues to produce fallout for both Hoppe and libertarian theory.
On the one hand, there is the inspiring list of names at the Hoppe Victory Blog (sign here). On the other hand, there are those bloggers and letter writers who know nothing of Hoppe, his contribution, or his writings, such as the man who wrote this letter to the editor.
This gentlemen is somehow under the impression that Hoppe is in favor of violence against homosexuals and nature worshippers. And yet, Hoppe explains what he was talking about the passage in question from Democracy: The God that Failed, and what he says is no more controversial than the claim that a nudist colony can throw out those who wear bathing suits.
Hoppe begins the passage about removing people from communities with the following words: “In a covenant concluded among proprietor and community tenants for the purpose of protecting property rights...” (p. 218) This is a major qualification that is consistent with the radical anarcho-libertarianism of the whole book. He even underscores the point in footnote 25: “To avoid any misunderstanding, it might be useful to point out that the predicted rise in discrimination in a purely libertarian world does NOT imply that the form and extent of discrimination will be the same or similar everywhere. To the contrary, a libertarian world could and likely would be one with a great variety of locally separated communities engaging distinctly different and far-reach discrimination....”—e.g. nudists discriminating against bathing suits. This whole section of the chapter in question is devoted to showing how, in a libertarian world, even the most conservative cultural preferences can be revealed in market action—an argument structured to refute the idea that the market is always at war with traditional moral concerns.
It’s pathetic that anyone should have to bother pointing out what is perfectly obvious in a book, but such is the result of the University failing to upload their contract with Hoppe and instead letting the rabids dogs of intolerance loose on him.
