[extropy-chat] No Joy in Mudville

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Kevin Freels <cmcmortgage at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> I am not saying that Repubs are great or anything. But to claim that
> repubs want control more than dems is nuts.

Getting back to our fav topic of stem cells, read on...

 [badnarik2004] YOU Libertarians are stupid!, by Ron Alridge

All, I find this apalling. Up for a challenge?

This was just posted by a Yale edumacated tv critic - it was just
included in John Stossels weekly newsletter - Stossel is asking for
responses Please e-mail him at johnstossel at abcnews.com :

---

"Dear John: I am a former TV critic ("Chicago Tribune", "Charlotte
Observer") and former publisher/editorial director of a leading TV
industry trade ("Electronic Media") and I therefore consider myself to
be a somewhat astute observer of television journalism. With that said,
your recent rant against state funding for stem cell research in
California was pandering, ideologically driven journalism at its
worst...you just kept whining (you DO whine, you know) about the horror
of using "taxpayer" money to fund stem cell research ... It was an
embarrassing display of shallowness and stupidity at a high level of
American journalism. John, let's give you a little Civics 101 lesson.
See, government, by necessity, often takes on projects that are costly
and that serve the greater public interest. That's more or less why we
have government, in fact. Just because a whiny, middle-aged network
journalist would rather buy another pair of Gucci loafers with "his"
tax money doesn't give him the right to opt out of projects that he
personally doesn't like...I don't like war, but I don't advocate
allowing us antiwar types to prevent the government from spending tax
dollars to maintain an army ... Such thinking represents a myopic,
woefully ignorant view of the workings of a democracy. Much as it makes
you so mad that you could spit and stomp, you can't always have your
way in a democracy, John. It's not all about you or your Yuppie
neighbor or the Bush Davidians with the Republican sign in their yard
down the street. Your view or my view doesn't always prevail. The
overarching point is that all of us must abide, more often than not, by
the will of the majority. For you to suggest that any such example of
majority rule can become "tyranny of the majority" is absurd ... John,
allow me to let you in on a little secret about "your" tax dollars.
Pssst, they aren't YOUR tax dollars. They never were. From the minute
you punched in on the job, those dollars were the property of whatever
governing body was entitled to them by law. You never EARNED that
money. It was the price you paid for the privilege of working. It's
just that the government gave you a break by not collecting in
advance...You made yourself and your network look bad with your Friday
night rant. It was childish, shallow and ignorant...
Didn't they teach you anything at Princeton? I'm beginning to suspect
that my late, Yale-educated friend and colleague, Gene Siskel, wasn't
joking when he called Princeton a college "for kids with money and no
brains." OK, that was ugly. But I enjoyed writing it. The truth is that
the private sector is often a woefully inferior alternative to
government, your libertarian ideology notwithstanding." -- Ron Alridge

JOHN STOSSELS RESPONSE:

Ron Alridge is actually one of the BETTER TV writers. His sneering
hostility gives you a sense of what I'm up against in my biz.
Regarding his argument about tyranny of the majority: Yes, in a
democracy the minority must pay for wars they may not like, but war
(like enforcing contracts and setting environment rules) is something
that only government can do.
I invite you to e-mail responses to his claim that we never "earned"
our income, that it's government's property and "government gave you a
break by not collecting in advance"!

----

Please send your comments and "Give Me a Break" suggestions to
JohnStossel at abcnews.com. If you don't want your e-mail quoted, say you
wish to remain anonymous. 

=====
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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