The problem with taking Ludwig von Mises as a guru is not that he’s wrong, but that Misesian classical liberalism is like Newtonian physics:
It is basically correct within its operating envelope. Under unusual conditions it breaks down, and a more general model is needed. [...] Just as Newtonian rules only make sense at low speeds, Misesian rules only make sense in a secure order.
Tyranny is one form of chaos, and freedom is one form of order. To a Carlylean, like Mencius Moldbug, the fatal error of libertarianism is confusing anarchy and freedom:
Not only are they not the same thing; they are opposite poles of the political spectrum. Freedom — spontaneous order — is the ultimate form of order. Anarchy is the ultimate form of disorder.To a Carlylean, anarchy and tyranny are fundamentally and essentially allied and indivisible. And again: the apparent affinity between anarchy and freedom is wholly illusory. In fact: to maximize freedom, eradicate anarchy. To achieve spontaneous order: first, achieve ordinary, down-to-earth, nonspontaneous order. Then, wait a while. Then, start to relax.
Here is the Carlylean roadmap for the Misesian goal. Spontaneous order, also known as freedom, is the highest level of a political pyramid of needs. These needs are: peace, security, law, and freedom. To advance order, always work for the next step — without skipping steps. In a state of war, advance toward peace; in a state of insecurity, advance toward security; in a state of security, advance toward law; in a state of law, advance toward freedom.
The Newtonian envelope of libertarianism is the last of these stages. Once the state of lawful government is reached, that state can generally improve itself by minimizing its interventions and applying a policy of laissez-faire — advancing from enforced to spontaneous order. With the caveat, of course, that this policy not jeopardize the more important achievements of peace, security, and law.
When a state finds itself outside this Newtonian window, however, Mises and Rothbard are of no assistance whatsoever in helping it get back in. Worse: Rothbardian libertarianism can be a positive hindrance to the Carlylean roadmap.