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From: gjk@talcott.UUCP (Greg J Kuperberg)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Re: Comments on Libertarianism
Message-ID: <110@talcott.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Nov-84 01:21:42 EST
Article-I.D.: talcott.110
Posted: Sat Nov 17 01:21:42 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Nov-84 20:45:04 EST
References: <47@cbsck.UUCP> <2773@ucbcad.UUCP> <2597@ihldt.UUCP> <272@pyuxd.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard
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> 
> Why does the libertarian standpoint sound like the rantings of a child who
> wants something but doesn't want to have to do what is required (e.g.,
> work, interact sociably with other people) to get it?
> -- 
> AT THE TONE PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND NET ADDRESS. THANK YOU.
> 						Rich Rosen    pyuxd!rlr

What is this crap that Rich Rosen is spewing forth about a concept he
doesn't understand?  :-)

Slightly more seriously, the answer to your question, Rich, is:  I don't know
why it sounds that way to you.  It sure doesn't to me! (Again :-))

Considerably more seriously, you're off the mark when you say that
libertarians claim no responsibility to society.  I'm a libertarian (I
think), and yet I simply don't take that stand.  I do maintain, however,
that a person should be allowed to decide for himself how much he interacts
with society.  If person X decides that he doesn't want anything from
society, then he should not be obliged to do anything for the society.

Clearly this is often not the case.  My parents care not at all for the
welfare of doctors who implant pacemakers.  Yet they are forced to pay
several hundred dollars per year for this cause, because we have the
Medicare program.  If they don't pay this money, the IRS can have them sent
to jail.