Any former Anarcho-Capitalists here?

[Pentrazemine]

And if so, care to explain why you decided to switch over to the other side of the political field?

I used to be an Anarcho-Capitalist from 5-6 years ago, I even had a large poster of Rothbard on my college dorm wall. I later became disillusioned with the philosophy after I read alot of Mikhail Bakunin's works and Adam's Smith's Wealth of Nations.

Now I consider myself a far-left Libertarian Socialist/Anarchist that despises capitalism on both moral and practical grounds. Most of my inner-circles who were also Ancaps shunned me from their group so it took a while before I found a new click of intellectuals to converse with on the topics of politics.

So I reiterate, if you were once an Anarcho-Capitalist or someone to the right why did you decide to switch over to the left and what made you to?

[Kill all the fetuses!]

There recently was a thread on exactly same topic, so you might be interested in checking it out.

Here's the link - http://www.revleft.com/vb/ex-libertarians-t189267/index.html?t=189267

[Dagoth Ur]

So-called "anarcho-capitalists" are just really confused anti-capitalists. Everything they cry about is actual capitalism while longing for a "free market" that never existed as they speak of it. It's only natural that most people move on from this blatantly idealistic and ahistorical movement.

Lots of scare quotes there but these bastards make it necessary with their newspeak.

Oh and having a Murray Rothbard poster sounds scary as hell. Waking up in the middle of night to that ugly bastard? 0 _ 0

[Pentrazemine]

So-called "anarcho-capitalists" are just really confused anti-capitalists. Everything they cry about is actual capitalism while longing for a "free market" that never existed as they speak of it. It's only natural that most people move on from this blatantly idealistic and ahistorical movement.

Lots of scare quotes there but these bastards make it necessary with their newspeak.

Oh and having a Murray Rothbard poster sounds scary as hell. Waking up in the middle of night to that ugly bastard? 0 _ 0


Don't worry, I burned it after I finished reading God and the State.

Then again, I was just another idealistic, naive college kid swayed by the lavish arguments of Stefan Molyneux and the cranks at LearnLiberty.

[Orange Juche]

I was just another idealistic, naive college kid swayed by the lavish arguments of Stefan Molyneux

Isn't he essentially - and I'm not being facetious - a cult leader?

[Tim Cornelis]

Isn't he essentially - and I'm not being facetious - a cult leader?

Yes and no. He is really manipulative, but since he exercises no (charismatic and tight) control over a closed off group, he is not a cult leader. He looks always gleeful, and this is a political tactic. At one point in time he explicitly says how you need to look happy, because you have unlocked 'the secret', and people always want to be happy, so people become interested in what this gleeful person has -- which is 'anarcho-capitalism'. So he evangelizes politics by feigning a permanent happy glow, which is a cult tactic.

An interesting website, and specifically, a series of articles on the FDR pseudo-cult here:
http://www.fdrliberated.com/freedomain-radio-destructive-cult/
http://www.fdrliberated.com/freedomain-radio-destructive-cult-part-2/
http://www.fdrliberated.com/freedomain-radio-destructive-cult-part-3/
http://www.fdrliberated.com/freedomain-radio-destructive-cult-part-4/


Molyneux knows that all of his podcasts—particularly the videos—must show him not only authoritative and in command, but above all happy. Happy, as if the secret to true happiness has filled him up inside—the very same image any tent-revival evangelist wants to portray. And although he claims the happiness is genuine, it is disingenuous for him to claim that a little showmanship isn’t also going on.

Funny. In the end—for all the talk of first principles and logic—the very first and deepest attachment Molyneux wants you to make with FreeDomain Radio is an emotional one. And the YouTube character he has created is the “happy ambassador” there to lead you in.

Lengthy, but quite interesting. Other articles (like on the ethics of Molyneux, UPB) are also interesting. They delve into the warped psyche of Molyneux. They're also quite lengthy though (how much time you want to waste on this bloke).