How Rational is Reason?

If there is an "Libertarian" publication I suppose it might be Reason magazine. Ironically, it shows the follies of Libertarian thinking. The recent article "Libertarianism Is More Than Just Rejecting Force" by Sheldon Richman which supposedly deals with the issue " Are there distinctly libertarian grounds for disapproving of racist conduct that does not involve the use of force?" Libertarians supposedly oppose the use of force against anyone anywhere. Who could argue with that? The problem always comes when applying abstract principles to the complicated realities of the actual world. Richman concludes that:

" Libertarians should have no trouble condemning racism in terms of their political philosophy while emphasizing that nonviolent racism can and, under appropriate circumstances, should be met only by nonviolent — and specifically, nonstate — countermeasures."

Let's remember how many people were beaten, tortured and killed trying to engage in non-violent resistance against racism.

The deeper problem is that Richman doesn't mention the reality of racism; how it wasn't simply a matter of "liking" or "disliking" certain groups of people, but rather of maintaining people in a subordinate position; whether as slaves, as "second class" citizens, or simply as scapegoats for the established regime. Richman's article is another example of the Libertarian tendency to ignore concrete reality and wander into an abstract fantasy land.