May 14, 2013 10:41AM 

# Is This the Libertarian Moment? 

By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) 

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In 2008 Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch hailed a “[libertarian moment](http://reason.com/archives/2008/11/25/the-libertarian-moment),” encompassing everything from the Internet to the collapse of “legacy” industries and legacy entitlement programs. I’ve used the same term here, when [NPR talked about Ron Paul](https://www.cato.org/blog/libertarian-moment) and when [polls showed](https://www.cato.org/blog/libertarian-trend) rising support for smaller government, gay marriage, and drug legalization.

But suddenly, today, everyone seems to see a libertarian moment. Driving in to work, I got so tired of the smug self-satisfaction on public radio’s pledge drive, I switched to the vigorously right-wing [Chris Plante Show](http://www.wmal.com/common/more.php?m=102&is_corp=0&r=31&title=chrisplante) just in time to hear Plante say, “This is a great day for libertarianism” in regard to the abuse-of-power stories dominating the mainstream media.

And then, mirabile dictu, I got to the office, opened the *Washington Post*, and found today’s column by Michael Gerson. Now, as he says in today’s column, Gerson is “conspicuously not a libertarian.” Indeed, he is the [most](https://www.cato.org/blog/michael-gerson-just-cant-get-enough-libertarianism) [vociferously](https://www.cato.org/blog/michael-gersons-pimply-adolescence) anti-libertarian columnist in contemporary punditry. And yet [his column today](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-political-corruption-at-the-irs/2013/05/13/9457820a-bbec-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html) is titled (in the print paper):

> *Making libertarians of us all*

Man, you’ve got to abuse power something awful to make Michael Gerson start thinking libertarian. So thanks, IRS and Justice Department!

And now that the Obama administration’s abuse of power has [got our attention](http://washingtonexaminer.com/gene-healy-nothing-to-joke-about-in-a-partisan-irs/article/2529554), can we broaden our focus to take in health care mandates, recess appointments, campus speech regulations, the [anti-constitutional](https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/independent-payment-advisory-board-ppacas-anticonstitutional-authoritarian-superlegislature) Independent Payment Advisory Board, similar [extra-legislative bodies](https://www.cato.org/multimedia/events/super-legislatures-evaluating-dodd-franks-cfpb-ola-provisions-obamacares-ipab) in Dodd-Frank, the expropriation of [Chrysler creditors](https://www.cato.org/blog/real-story-behind-chrysler-bankruptcy), and illegal wars?

##### Related Tags 

[Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) 

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