Also: The world is of course bigger than the US; it is interesting to point out that in Europe, for ex., the term "libertarian" still connotes socialist anarchism. Not US-style, anti-union, pro-free market nuttery.
Obviously "libertarian" is an English word, but the French "libertaire" -- which in France connotes left socialist anarchism -- is usually translated as "libertarian".
Take for example France's red-anarchist Radio Libertaire, translated as "Libertarian Radio": http://flag.blackened.net/liberty/radiolib-article.html
They interviewed Pierre Bourdieu shortly before his death, which was printed in Anarcho-Syndicalist review, the mag formerly known as Libertarian Labor Review 'til the late 90s.
So while we in the US now take "libertarian" to mean "capitalist apologist," in Europe it still means "socialist anarchist," basically.
-B.
John Gulick wrote:
"Hey B., thanks for the prolix and interesting reply. In retrospect I dashed off my post too quickly... I mistakenly thought you were suggesting that the term still had a left anarchist tint to it as late as the 1990's"