Karl Hess

Karl Hess
Personal Details
Birth:	May 25, 1923
Death:	April 22, 1994(1994-04-22) (aged 70)
Occupation:	Speechwriter, author, political philosopher, editor, welder, tax resister, libertarian activist
Party:	Libertarian Party
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Karl Hess (born Carl Hess III; May 25, 1923 – April 22, 1994) was an American speechwriter, author, and libertarian activist known for his dramatic political evolution from conservative Republicanism to New Left radicalism and ultimately to left-libertarian anarchism. His career encompassed roles as a journalist, welder, tax resister, and advocate for decentralized technology and community self-reliance. Hess is remembered for coining terms like "laissez-faire anarcho-capitalism" and influencing modern libertarian thought through his writings and experiments in appropriate technology.

Early Life

Born in Washington, DC, Hess spent part of his childhood in the Philippines. Raised by a single mother after his parents' divorce, he grew up in modest circumstances, with his mother working as a telephone operator and refusing financial support from his father. Encouraged to pursue self-education, Hess developed a disdain for formal schooling, frequently skipping classes and viewing public education as inefficient. He honed skills in libraries, marksmanship, fencing, and later gunsmithing.

At age 15, Hess dropped out of school to begin a journalism career, starting as a newswriter for the Mutual Broadcasting System. By 18, he was assistant city editor at The Washington Daily News. He served briefly in the US Army during World War II but was discharged after contracting malaria. Post-war, he edited publications like Newsweek and The Fisherman, and worked in anti-Communist journalism before entering corporate employment at Champion Papers and Fibre Company in the 1950s.

Hess became an atheist at 15, influenced by his experiences as a coroner's assistant, abandoning his Roman Catholic upbringing.

Political Evolution

Hess entered politics through conservative channels, authoring the Republican Party platforms in 1960 and 1964. He played a key role in Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign, drafting speeches including the famous line on extremism in defense of liberty (though attributed to others). After Goldwater's defeat, Hess felt marginalized by the GOP establishment.

Disillusioned with conservatism, he shifted leftward in the late 1960s, joining Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), collaborating with the Black Panther Party, and protesting the Vietnam War. Facing IRS audits — perceived as retaliation for his Goldwater ties — he became a tax resister, vowing never to pay federal taxes again and relying on barter and welding for income.

Introduced to anarchism by Murray Rothbard, Hess co-edited The Libertarian Forum (1969–1971) and praised figures like Emma Goldman. He participated in "left-right" libertarian conferences, blending Old Right and New Left elements.

Libertarian Party Involvement

In the early 1980s, Hess joined the Libertarian Party (LP), founded in 1971, aligning his voluntaryist and anarchist views with its platform. He served as editor of the party's official newspaper, LP News (later known as Libertarian Party News), from 1986 to 1990. During his tenure, Hess worked to bridge ideological gaps within the party, fostering dialogue between its left- and right-leaning factions and emphasizing community-based libertarianism. His editorials often drew from his experiences in community technology and tax resistance, promoting decentralized solutions and anti-statist activism.

Hess also engaged in electoral politics symbolically, running as the LP candidate for governor of West Virginia in 1992. Though not expecting victory, the campaign highlighted his critiques of government overreach and advocated for local self-reliance. He spoke at LP events, such as a 1984 Libertarian Party of Maryland meeting on the role of community in liberty, influencing party members toward practical, grassroots applications of libertarian principles.

Hess critiqued both major parties, viewing Democrats as paternalistic and Republicans as exploitative, and emphasized opposition to centralized power.

Activism and Community Technology

As a tax resister and back-to-the-lander, Hess advocated for decentralization and appropriate technology. In the early 1970s, he led experiments in Washington, D.C.'s Adams-Morgan neighborhood, implementing community-based solutions like basement aquaculture and rooftop gardens to foster self-sufficiency. Detailed in his book Community Technology, these efforts aimed at participatory democracy but faced challenges from social issues and gentrification.

In 1975, Hess and his wife Therese relocated to rural West Virginia, building a passive-solar, earth-sheltered home using vernacular materials for under $10,000. He contributed to survivalist literature and served on advisory committees for appropriate technology. His work influenced libertarian discussions on localism and resilience.

Bibliography

Hess's writings span political memoirs, libertarian manifestos, and practical guides. Key works include:

• Nature and Science (1958)
• In a Cause That Will Triumph: The Goldwater Campaign and the Future of Conservatism (1967)
• The End of the Draft: The Feasibility of Freedom (with Thomas Reeves) (1970) ISBN 0-394-70870-9
• Dear America (1975) (autobiography and anarchist manifesto critiquing power structures)
• Neighborhood Power: The New Localism (with David Morris) (1975)
• Community Technology (with an introduction by Carol Moore) (1979) (details urban self-reliance experiments)
• A Common Sense Strategy for Survivalists (1981)
• Three Interviews (1981)
• Capitalism for Kids (1986) (introduces free-market principles to young readers)
• Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography (edited by Karl Hess, Jr.) (1999) ISBN 1-57392-687-6 (posthumous, expanded life story)

Additional essays include "The Death of Politics" (1969, Playboy), introducing "laissez-faire anarcho-capitalism," and "The Lawless State" (1969).

Film Appearances

Hess featured prominently in documentaries exploring his life and libertarian ideas. Karl Hess: Toward Liberty (1980), directed by Roland Hallé and Peter Ladue, is a short film chronicling his transition from Republican speechwriter to libertarian activist and welder. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 1981 and a Student Academy Award prior.

He also appeared in Anarchism in America (1983), a feature-length documentary examining anarchist movements in the U.S., where Hess discussed his anarchist views and community experiments.

Legacy

Hess is seen as a bridge between conservative, New Left, and libertarian traditions, influencing movements like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street. His critique of elite power in Dear America prefigured anti-1% rhetoric. Posthumously, his autobiography and films preserve his advocacy for individual liberty, decentralization, and voluntary societies.

External Links

• The Karl Hess Club
• LP News Jun94 - Karl Hess 1923-1994
• THE PLOWBOY INTERVIEW KARL HESS
• The Death of Politics: 1969 Playboy article by Hess
• From Far Right to Far Left — and Farther — With Karl Hess by James Boyd: 1970 New York Times article about Hess
• "Karl Hess: Toward Liberty"
• Wikipedia entry on Karl Hess
• Amazon listings for Karl Hess books
• IMDb page for Karl Hess: Toward Liberty

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