What makes one a libertarian?/was Re: [extropy-chat] Rand

Mike Lorrey mlorrey at yahoo.com
Thu Nov 18 12:31:11 UTC 2004


--- Hara Ra <harara at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Well, I am registered as one. How - ever, I can't say I fully agree
> with them. Some issues are:
> 
> 1) Very strange folk who become Lib candidates. Not very palatable,
> just other parties are at least as bad.

Some, yes, quite so. Libertarians generally being private people, it
takes more than the usual to tick them off enough to want to run for
office and expose themselves. Cussedness is not generally attractive.

However, I know plenty of local office holders and candidates who are
just fine, some who are libertarians who ran as republicans to get
elected. People know where they stand and can count on them not to
change their positions.

> 2) No real way to deal with people who are hurt enough to need some 
> assistance, during some parts of my life, welfare and soc security
> were a godsend, albeit inadequate.

Without crushing tax regiemes, everyone has plenty of income to be as
generous as they wish. It is well established that Americans are more
generous than europeans because Americans are taxed less and europeans
think that 'it's the government's job' and thus resent any request for
help.
I've, at a time when I was homeless, asked for and received private
assistance when the state decided that being an able bodied single
straight white male with no dependents made me a member of the
oppressor class (ergo not capable of victimhood) and therefore
ineligible.

> 3) Lib and Anarchy both presume rational people and decision making.
> Nice ideal, but unreal.

Not required, but they work better with such. Lib and ancap society
people would be well armed enough that the irrational people would
learn to fake it, or at least be polite enough and understand they can
no longer force irrationality on others with government.



=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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