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1. F.A. Hayek in 1947, criticizing denazification. “It is scarcely easier to justify the prevention of a person from fiddling because he was a Nazi than the prevention because he is a Jew.” It's worth unpacking this a little.
2. “It is scarcely easier to justify the prevention of a person from fiddling because he was a Nazi than the prevention because he is a Jew.” In other words, the real Nazis are the ones pushing for denazification, the real racists are the anti-racist. Very familiar move on right
3. But the comment also illustrates the difficulty that Hayek's very influential brand of "classical liberalism" (or more properly libertarianism) has in coming to terms with the experience of minority groups in a mass society, particularly the experience of prejudice.
4. “It is scarcely easier to justify the prevention of a person from fiddling because he was a Nazi than the prevention because he is a Jew.” Hayek literally cannot see the difference between being in a minority group by birth & joining a genocidal political party.
5. So, what would be the argument for not allowing a Nazi to be a member of the philharmonic orchestra in 1947. Well, membership of the Nazi party wasn't just a matter of ideas but also actions & benefits: supporting genocide & benefitting from looting of Jewish property.
6. If you're a Nazi party member in 1947, then it's highly likely that in previous decade you received some perk for you party membership -- some extra rations, access to loot, a job promotion. Membership had its privileges. But for Hayek, it's all just a matter of ideas
7. Of course, Hayek's great ally in Austrian economics, Ludwig von Mises, was even more explicitly pro-fascist.
8. Anyways, thanks to the Cold War and the protests of people like Hayek, denazification was soon ended and some real monsters escaped justice.
9. “It is scarcely easier to justify the prevention of a person from fiddling because he was a Nazi than the prevention because he is a Jew.” When people talk about a libertarian to alt-right pipeline, they might want to ponder Hayek's role.
