Neolibertarianism

Via Michael Gene Hendrix, Dale Franks defines a revised libertarianism, adjusted to political realities. Here are its essential components:

When given a set of policy choices,

• The choice that maximizes personal liberty is the best choice.
• The policy choice that offers the least amount of necessary government intervention or regulation is the best choice.
• The policy choice that provides rational, market-based incentives is the best choice.

In foreign policy, neolibertartianism would be characterized by,

• A policy of diplomacy that promotes consensual government and human rights and opposes dictatorship.
• A policy of using US military force solely at the discretion of the US, but only in circumstances where American interests are directly affected.

This approach is essentially moderate, hawkish libertarianism. It's quite common, and Glenn Reynolds and Stephen Green can be numbered among its adherents. We 'neolibertarians' are hamstrung by a lack of electoral opportunities, as the Republican Party has completely bought into the idea of Big Government, and the Libertarian Party is increasingly dominated by its extreme, anarchist wing. Unlike the latter, neolibertarians do not diefy freedom a la Ayn Rand. We see freedom as better, but not perfect. A sensible libertarianism, in touch with reality, is not utopianist.