the other other L-word

If the L-word is liberal, and the other L-word is libertarian, then the other other L-word is label, examples of which include the L-word and the other L-word.

This blog often deals with all three.

I address labels here, and here, and more generally here.

(And here and here less centrally.)

James Leroy Wilson has an excellent LRC article this week called "The Futility of Labels" from which I quote:

So, call me Federalist, or Anti-federalist. Patriot or Rebel. Progressive or Populist. Liberal or Conservative. Libertarian. Call me American for supporting Jeffersonian principles. Or call me Anti-American when Jeffersonian principles conflict with the policies of our Glorious Leader, President Bush. Call me Right-wing because I want taxes cut. Call me Left-wing because I think everyone deserves a fair shake.

Call me whatever you like. I don't know if it matters anymore. All I want is what the Revolutionary leaders wanted, to get our freedoms back.

What Wilson himself considers ironic is that he also has a recent article at The Partial Observer in which he "pigeonholed a lot of libertarian and pseudo-libertarian movements."

He adds, "But maybe the longer we insist of defining "libertarian" precisely, the less likely the word will be corrupted."

Libertarian Critter had more to say on Wilson's LRC article. So did my anarchist comrade Wally Conger.

(And so too do 9 links from 7 sources. I guess this post will be the 10th link and the 8th source.)