Ronald Reagan On Libertarianism Being the Heart Of His Philosophy

“I think that the heart of my philosophy is much more libertarianism,” Reagan states in the 60 Minutes Overtime interview. “Always has been.” Source: The Classic Liberal YouTube channel.

Transcript:

Ronald Reagan:

I think that the heart of my philosophy is much more libertarianism than the …

Interviewer:

Well, that's the fashionable word these days, I guess. A conservative is no longer just that, he is a libertarian.

Ronald Reagan:

Always has been. Because, how do we call a liberal? Someone very profoundly once said, many years ago, that if fascism ever comes to America it will come in the name of liberalism. What is fascism? Fascism is private ownership, private enterprise but total government control and regulation. Well isn’t this the liberal philosophy? The conservative so-called is the one that says less government, get off my back, get out of my pocket and let me have more control of my destiny.