Tuesday, January 08, 2008
MIXING RELIGION AND POLITICS - THE LIBERTARIAN IDEA
I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor!
Fr. Robert A. Sirico - President, The Acton Institute, an economic think tank with ties to other think tanks promoting Austrian economics, a laissez-faire anti-government school of economic thought.
Mrs. Betsy DeVoc - Director of The Acton Institute and wife of the founder of Amway.
Dr. Alejandro Chafuen - Director of The Acton Institute, Secretary and/or President of Atlas Economic Research Foundation
Dr. Leonard Liggio - on the Advisory Board of The Acton Institute, Vice President (USA) of Mont Pelerin Society, Executive V.P. Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Law Professor at George Mason University
Jeffrey Tucker - member of the Acton University faculty, Director of Research, Ludwig von Mises Institute and its Editorial Vice President
The Ludwig von Mises Institute was founded by Lewellen H. Rockwell, Jr. (yes that Lew Rockwell) who is President. It is located in Auburn, Alabama and began on the Auburn University campus before moving to its own facility.
Rockwell is a Libertarian who was Presidential candidate Ron Paul's congressional chief of staff.
The Libertarian Party is an interesting mixed bag that included Robert Anton Wilson before his recent death.
I've blogged about Wilson in the past. He and his co-author Robert Shea wrote the ILLUMINATUS! TRILOGY, a spoof on conspiracy theories which contains some truth and a lot of nonsense, while they were editors for "Playboy" magazine. Shea's widow, Patricia Monaghan, teaches at Catholic DePaul University, writes books about witchcraft, and has been on the program of the Pagan mega-event Starwood Festival.
Wilson was a speaker at Starwood several times, and was considered one of the Starwood "gods".
The Robert Anton Wilson Society of North America features the book SEX AND ROCKETS: THE OCCULT WORLD OF JACK PARSONS, which Wilson co-authored, on its website. The book is the story of John Whiteside Parsons, libertarian, philosopher, and rocket scientist who was a follower of Aleister Crowley.
For a list of Libertarian Celebrities & VIPS go here. The organizations in Fr. Robert Sirico's orbit which I have been writing about are listed here, including Heartland Institute, Atlas Institute, Cato Institute, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Acton Institute. Robert Anton Wilson makes the list in the category of Science Fiction Writers.
Given the Crowley connection, can we assume that libertarians who promote "self-government" are actually talking about "do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"?
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
