Safely Out of the Way, John Tamny Decides to Attack Rick Santorum

In the special pleading voice of one for whom conservatism is only conservatism when it is libertarianism:

"Santorum’s candidacy should have horrified conservatives."

Here, in Forbes.

The problem with libertarianism as argued by Tamny ("as human beings our natural rights are infinite and extend right up to when our freedom of action hurts others") is that both reason and nature tell us that it is not true.

Reason tells us that rights which extend only up to a certain point cannot be infinite.

And Nature teaches us that rights are not infinite. Otherwise the right to life would not end with the grave.

Thus the basic insight of conservatism is metaphysical: life has its limits, a man's got to know his limitations, government which governs least governs best, life is a mixture, into every life a little rain must fall, if it's got tits or testicles it's going to cause you trouble, simul justus et peccator.