I debated with myself about posting this article -- "The Transformation of a Libertarian Website" -- but I decided to do so as an illustration of how the introduction and legitimization of racism as a prominent theme in the movement is confusing the meaning of 'libertarianism'. Note that Murray Rothbard is approvingly identified as a 'racist' who advocated segregation, albeit voluntary. (This is not the Murray I knew well for years.) As the reader who forwarded the material to me commented, There are some interesting things further down in this piece. While the author is critical of Rockwell (on some issues where Rockwell is right) he also notes that he was a fan because of the Rockwell take on racial issues. He loved the racism not the other issues.

I have given up on the hope that the true authors of the Ron Paul Newsletter, which prompted so much discussion of racism within the movement, will come forward even to exonerate Paul. I now hope that, in light of backlash from the wider movement, those racist views are no longer presented as "libertarian." They are simply personal views (and ones I find abhorrent) that some libertarians happen to hold along with their belief in individual rights. How such people reconcile their methodological individualism with 'group think' is beyond me. Happily, it is their problem and not mine.