Yeah man I mean...bet.
I think a libertarian world would be enormously comfortable with parents pimping out their children insofar as they can find a way to stay within the letter of the law.
Which, as we’ve seen, Cuties does.
The reason we’ve gotten to a Republican Party so neutered of moral courage that ‘Cuties’ can exist is because of the influence of libertarians and their compunction that government can be amoral. Full stop.
Think lots of people - largely in bad faith - didn’t understand what I was saying so let me try again.
I don’t think the libertarians would ignore the laws on the books. My point is that both current law & the predisposition of many to interpret the law in an amoral way are bad.
My problem with libertarianism is - has been, will continue to be - that assuming the state has no power to affirm morality is intellectually lazy and morally suspect.
The grey area between law and morality is where Cuties comes in.
Perhaps it proves to be wrong but, from all indications, Netflix was within bounds to air Cuties. That may be legally true. But it’s morally reprehensible.
Libertarianism, as a theory, cannot address things within that category. The framework doesn’t fit.
Law and policy are complicated and provide lots and lots of this type of gray area. From my humble perspective, that’s a deliberate feature of a liberal democracy.
But it means that, all other things being equal, the system favors immorality and those who would defend it.
That’s why having a moral framework beyond the permissive structure of case law is important and worth fighting for.
Adopting a worldview that, instead, amplifies that permissive structure is precisely the sort of thing that will allow something like Cuties.
And, yes, it isn’t lost on me that cultural liberals are at the forefront of Cuties and it’s defense. Sure. Of course they are. But I’m taking that as a given.
I’m not waiting on the party that embraced Harvey Weinstein and Bill Clinton to find its moral footing any time soon.
What I’m concerned about are the elements of the party that is meant to hold the line that are hamstringing our ability to do so.
That element is the libertarians.
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