The Joyous Libertarian

• The Nature of the State and Why Libertarians Hate It

Rothbard described Mencken as “The Joyous Libertarian,” ¹ a label that could also be applied to Rothbard himself, called by Justin Raimondo “the happy scholar-warrior of liberty“– ² though he did famously quip that “hatred is my muse.” ³

1. Murray N. Rothbard, “H.L. Mencken: The Joyous Libertarian,” LewRockwell.com (Feb. 3, 2000), originally published in New Individualist Review, vol. 2, no. 2, Summer 1962, pp. 15–27, available in New Individualist Review, Omnibus volume (Liberty Fund, 1982). [↩]
2. Justin Raimondo, “Rothbard Against the Dismalists,” Chronicles (Nov. 1994). [↩]
3. Walter E. Block, “On Winning the Rothbard Medal of Freedom,” LewRockwell.com (March 7, 2005). [↩]