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From: egs@epsilon.UUCP (Ed Sheppard)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Socialism as ideology
Message-ID: <35@epsilon.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 20:10:50 EST
Article-I.D.: epsilon.35
Posted: Wed Feb 20 20:10:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Feb-85 20:44:27 EST
References: <342@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: BELLCORE, Livingston, NJ
Lines: 37

[tounge in cheek begins]

As a confessed libertarian, I don't believe that most socialists are
motivated primarily by a desire to increase their personal political power,
although this might be the practical effect of socialist policies.
Rather, the motivation is to justify the existing order of society,
characterized by the relative absense of individual liberties.
Removing the power of government to tax is
a threat to this social order, since it threatens its basis, the
"rights" (really privileges) of society. Hence socialists attempt
to establish societal rights as sacred and absolute, and from this it
follows that taxation is not a violation of property rights, or
"theft."  

[some lib<=>soc left out]

I would describe socialists as well-intentioned but naive.  One of
the appeals of socialism is that it is basically a simple
philosophy, hence ideal for simple minds.  Once socialism is
accepted, you do not have to think very hard about the tough
questions of society and politics.  Look at the Socialists Party
platform.  Whatever the social problem, the solution is the same:
the government should start trying to solve it, and everything will be
fine.  

[not tongue in cheek follows]

Actually, I'm not a libertarian, but I hate to see pot shots like Richard's.
Especially the part about "simple minds". That's going a tad too far, don't
you think.

BTW, I've heard quite a few libertarians argue that national defense
should *not* be one of the functions of government. They seem to quite
a diverse group and, by and large, well-informed.

						Ed Sheppard
						Bellcore