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Celebrity LibertariansEntertainersCelebrities from across the entertainment media believe strongly in the cause of liberty.Many of the biggest names in cinema are dedicated libertarians. The biggest showbiz couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, are both Objectivists, and are cast to appear together in the film version of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Meanwhile, two of the most famous 'tough guys' in movie history, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis are Republican-voting libertarians. As in film, there are countless big names in television involved in libertarianism. Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, is a self-declared libertarian, whilst South Park oozes libertarian politics, thanks to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's personal affinity to the philosophy. From this side of the pond, Anne Robinson is an outspoken libertarian. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is a US Libertarian Party supporter, as reflected in the band's stridently anti-authoritarian lyrics. Similarly, the members of Canadian progressive rock band Rush are all libertarians (their album 2112 is essentially a retelling of Ayn Rand's Anthem). From the world of rap, Snoop Dogg is a notable supporter. NovelistsThe struggle for freedom is the most powerful motif in literature, and the pantheon of fiction authors is filled with libertarians.It is no exaggeration to say that libertarian writers dominate the field of science fiction. Many of the best-known writers are libertarians: Terry Pratchett (Discworld), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), and Robert Heinlein (Starship Troopers, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress) all fall in the greatest tranche of authors in history. In addition, an entire subgenre of sci-fi is dedicated to libertarian ideas. In other areas of fiction, libertarians are just as well represented. Horror writer Dean Koontz has written 23 #1 New York Times bestsellers, most of them oozing with his advocacy of freedom. Libertarian Stuart M. Kaminsky was granted the highest honour in mystery writing as Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America for 2006. Despite her opposition to the label herself, Ayn Rand's contribution to libertarian thought is undeniable: both as the author of several libertarian fiction works and as founder of Objectivism. BusinesspeopleThe most successful entrepreneurs know the importance of small government to productive industry, so it can come as no surprise that many of the world's most prominent businessmen are libertarians.Media mogul Rupert Murdoch holds firmly libertarian views, despite his media outlets' disparate stances. Other libertarians include Charles Koch, the owner of Koch Industries, the world's largest private company. In the United Kingdom, libertarian businessmen include Richard Branson. Oh, and I bet you wouldn't be surprised to hear Hugh Hefner and Peter Stringfellow are libertarians, would you? |
