Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site unmvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!unmvax!cliff From: cliff@unmvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Libertarianism as ideology Message-ID: <693@unmvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 23-Feb-85 05:15:27 EST Article-I.D.: unmvax.693 Posted: Sat Feb 23 05:15:27 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 05:18:10 EST References: <342@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 43 > Tim Maroney writes: > >Is there anyone else out there who finds it more than a little suspicious > >that the main preoccupation of most Libertarians seems to be finding reasons > >they don't have to pay taxes? On this net, when a libertarian addresses an issue that is not about taxes, it gets swept under the rug (i.e. drug laws). When it is about taxes there is heavy debate--hence libertarians appear to be preoccupied with finding reasons we don't have to pay taxes. Personally I would not remove taxation until it was obvious to most people (including everyone on this net) that it was un- necessary. Eliminating the victimless crime laws would do much more to straighten out this country and prove the point that well intentioned gov't. meddling tends to increase the problem trying to be eased. > I would describe libertarians as well-intentioned but naive. I appreciate the "well-intentioned" comment and take the naive comment with the realization of the poster advocates a political system that emperically does less poorly than the alternatives. > One of > the appeals of libertarianism is that it is basically a simple > philosophy, hence ideal for simple minds. And of course simple theories are always wrong...take this "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" crap--I could explain the same effects with a morass of special cases and twisted observations. > Once libertarianism is > accepted, you do not have to think very hard about the tough > questions of society and politics. Yes, that is right--we're "well-intentioned", naive and unthinking. On with the persecution of the poor! Let's put more of them in jail! Why stop at the drug laws? Let's start enforcing some of the ancient laws against {pre,extra}-marital sex! That will really let us put some of those deviants away! --Cliff [Matthews] {purdue, cmcl2, ihnp4}!lanl!unmvax!cliff {csu-cs, pur-ee, convex, gatech, ucbvax}!unmvax!cliff 4744 Trumbull S.E. - Albuquerque NM 87108 - (505) 265-9143