Libertarian commentators and writers recently have been slammed for not supporting the groups protesting (and more) since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis more than seven weeks ago. Not only are we not showing up with our weapons in hand to defend them against the police, we are not supporting them in our words, either. I plead guilty. Indeed, I condemn them.

Are we are hypocritical if we do not support these protests? And the “justified” violence, looting, arson, and other actions? We are condemned for not parroting the claims of “systematic racism” and the collective “white supremacy” and “white guilt” which has supposedly infected and shaped and made “America” since 1619. (We are told that our values as libertarians are nothing but evidence of our “whiteness” and “adherence to white supremacy and superiority.” If we are NOT “white” we are told that we are tools of the establishment if we believe in individualism, personal responsibility, free enterprise, freedom from government, and such things.)

So let me briefly discuss some of the reasons I do not, cannot, support these regressive, woke, social-justice-warrior groups. Not just AntiFa and Black Lives Matter, but the so-called anarchists, the various support groups, and the media, academia, politicians, and bureaucrats who also support them. For convenience (and realizing I am generalizing), let me call them the “Street Mob” or SM. I know not every protester and not every apologist for these various “vanguard” groups is what I describe. However, those who control, incite, support, and often lead (if from the rear) the mobs share most of these characteristics.

I cannot support the SM’s stated goals. They do not intend to just overthrow the government – they want to destroy our society and our economy. Yes, they have clearly stated it is “the system” to be destroyed. Based on past statements, free enterprise, free markets, most religions, families, and more must be wiped out.

I cannot support what seems to be the SM’s unstated but ultimate goals. At best, they immediately seek a state of chaos, and I suspect that is but a means to an end: replacing our current society and all its aspects with a new and minutely-totalitarian system ruled by an elite with virtually all of the rest of humanity reduced not just to slavery but to the status of domestic animals. With, of course, the SM (or at least those organizing and supporting it) as the elite rulers.

I cannot support the SM’s social, economic, or political stance. They are surprisingly united in their beliefs. The SM orientation is not just Marxist, but an extreme version: as bad as Lenin in his heyday, Mao, or the Khymer Rouge. Their success will almost certainly lead to a repeat of what we saw in Red Russia, in China, in Albania, in Cuba, in North Korea, and seeing now in Venezuela. Of all forms of statism, they want one of the worst. Families are bad: perpetuating male dominance and other horrors. Common and essential institutions are equally evil, used as tools of oppression by a majority, and must be totally changed or just destroyed.

I cannot support the SM’s tactics. The SM initiates violence, not defending themselves or respond to violence with violence, they initiate it and incite others to be violent. An example can be seen in the recent Anti-Columbus riot in Grant Park, Chicago. AntiFa provided dozens – if not several hundred) full soda cans (and apparently a few smoke grenades) for the mob to throw at police guarding the statue against vandalism and destruction. This was in addition to using singlesticks and umbrellas to attack police and others, without any actual provocation.

The SM targets and seeks to injure, damage, and destroy not just government-owned and public property but private property (and not just that of big corporations). Their actions are those of terrorists, and they care not what the color, heritage, background, or condition of their victims are. Indeed, their actions in these acts of arson and vandalism seem to be color- and politically-blind.

I cannot fathom or support their behavior, beliefs, or bizarre reasoning. The followers of these groups seem incapable of rational thought, logic, or ability to understand the most essential facts. They react emotionally and have no self-control.

I will no doubt have readers point out that much of my objections can be applied to government – human mandated government – just as much to the SM. I do not argue that. But I do argue that what the SM wants to do (and is doing) is far worse than what we have in governments (federal, tribal, state, and local) in the 21st Century Fifty States.

Senseless violence is not a defining element of governments here in the Fifty States – even though we know it happens. With the SM, it is a key element of their push.

While government DOES constantly take aggressive action against private businesses and private persons, it is not so indiscriminate in its form. ANY aggressive action is wrong, but it is important to note that there are degrees of impact (and evil).

Government at least provides SOME services to society – even if they can be provided better, more efficiently, and more safely by private enterprise. National defense (NOT the occupation of two-thirds of the planet, mind you). Highways. Court services to resolve disputes. Often, emergency medical services and firefighting services. Property records. And so forth. The SM provides none of these. Do these things negate the evils of government? Of course not, but they do reduce the impacts: they are a mitigation. The SM not only does not provide these – or offer an alternative (after all, their hatred of private enterprise is clear). The SM actively acts to prevent the provision of these services to the people in the cities where they roam.

So I must reject any support for the SM. And deem them a worse evil than governments at this time. The enemy of my enemy is NOT automatically my ally.