"Say Hell did manage to freeze over, and Tweedle-Dee and Dum (who are looking more and more homogeneous all the time) were miraculously upset. Would much change? I'd think not. But I'm tired of settling for the lesser evil, people I can't respect or believe in with my head or gut, even marginally. It's the increasing self-loathing and guilt that are unbearable - I've only been convictionless because those who share my convictions are so unpopular? Despicable." -- jennie
I thought it was "evil of two lessers" ;-)
I like the idea of libertarians a lot. I feel a bit nervous about some of the changes they advocate for, like switching away from income tax to excise taxes. I believe if they managed to accomplish this, it would have the potential for very severe economic ramifications, not only in the U.S. but likely felt through the entire world. It would probably have an affect on the internation trading practices of all nations on earth. I have always had an affinity for most of their other stands, particularily on the topic of personal liberty.
The other concern I have about libertarianism, is that the only recent experiment in libertarianism was Russia, post-communism. A few people divvied up the governments former oil fields, factories, and natural resources. Then those people were rich enough to hire their own "police" aka thugs and do pretty much whatever they wanted. Didn't work out so well for the rest of the population at least in the short run. Now they are back to a more authoritarian state, although their resource have been divvied up now.
On the other hand, if the federal government stayed out of crime (except those crimes truly affecting interstate commerce), stayed out of education, and stayed out of people's lives generally it would be great.
Mostly what I like about libertarianism is that at it's core it's nostalgic longing for an older, simpler (pre-civil war) era, when the United States was considered a plural, when there was no federal income tax, when we didn't get involved in all sorts of foreign wars and alliances, and when government was remote, distant, and of almost no consequence.
Speaking of libertarianism, I just finished up "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". I liked it. I did find the pigeon english used by some of the characters annoying at times. All in all, good sci-fi. I especially liked the professor's idea of a two house congress where one house can pass bills (by 2/3 majority) and the other house can only repeal bills (by 1/3 majority).
June 2008
Ephemera
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This page contains a single entry by tim published on February 6, 2004 10:44 AM.
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