Are you ready to go down the rabbit hole?

Adam K. Johnston

Jul 25, 2023

I once considered myself a libertarian.

However, after reflecting on the political and economic realities facing our country and taking the time to read a lot more, I came to the realization that liberalism, and by extension, conservatism’s embrace of libertarianism, was in many ways to blame for the chaos all around us.

As I mentioned in my article “Against Ron Swanson-ism”

Libertarianism has left us isolated, tired, and increasingly resentful. No amount of cheap material goods will change that. It is time we focus on what truly matters: faith, nation, family, morality, and tradition.”

So with that, I present to you three books that completely changed my political perspective and sent me further down the “new right/postliberal” rabbit hole.

Why Liberalism Failed

“Why Liberalism Failed” by Patrick Deneen played a huge role in my decision to abandon libertarianism and opened my eyes to the destructive forces of the Enlightenment and “classical liberalism.”

Published in 2018, Deneen argues that liberalism’s focus on individual freedom, unregulated capitalism, and constant expansion has led to a breakdown of social connections and a lack of community. He examines how liberalism’s disregard for tradition and culture has weakened society’s ethical and social framework. Overall, the book provides a critical analysis of liberalism’s pitfalls and advocates for reevaluating our societal foundations to address the challenges posed by its failures.

“These three cornerstones of human experience – nature, time and place – form the basis of culture, and liberalism’s success is premised upon their uprooting and replacement with facsimiles that bear the same names.”

This is the place to start if you want to make sense of today’s cultural insanity.

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