The cult of the libertarian-minded ultra-weatlhy would make an intriguing anthropological case study. But it would be a case study with a twist: its research subjects increasingly control our economy, our politics, and even our personal lives.

Were dealing with a cohort of highly fortunate, highly privileged and highly unaware individuals who have been inappropriately lionized by society. That lionization has led them to believe that their wealth and accomplishments are their own doing, rather than the fruits of collaborative effort effort which in many cases was only made possible through government support.

But instead of thanking the government and the taxpayers for their good fortune, theyve allowed their own good press to go to their heads. And theyre biting the hand that feeds them, attempting to shut down the system of taxpayer support and government action which created their world.

Our money-obsessed society gives them far more praise and then they deserve. Our corrupted political system gives them far more influence than we deserve. And, slowly but surely, they are now turning their considerable resources to dismantling governments role in society.

Call them the cool tycoons of libertarianism. They have neat ideas (when theyre not talking about government or the economy, that is). They have neat toys and neat houses. But what they would do to our society isnt neat at all.

Here are five of them.

1. Tom Perkins

Perkins has already received well more than his deserved 15 minutes of fame. But, while hes been appropriately reviled for his infamous Kristallnacht comment, comparing the treatment of Americas 1% to that of Jews in Nazi Germany, too few people have taken to task for the depth of his ignorance on economic issues.

That ignorance was in full display when he went on Bloomberg television to apologize for his Nazi reference an occasion in which he spent far more time defending his ugly worldview than he did apologizing.

In his original comments, Perkins compared the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the rich with Nazi persecution of Jews. But as we firstreported, much of the persecution which triggered Perkins outrage involved his ex-wifes hedges; it was a one-paragraph item in the San Francisco Chronicle criticizing author Danielle Steeles landscaping. It wasnt a progressive critique; it was an aesthetic one.

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5 libertarian oligarchs who made fortunes off the government they want to destroy