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From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Regarding libertarians and arguments thereof
Message-ID: <2436@randvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Apr-85 14:29:08 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.2436
Posted: Sun Apr 21 14:29:08 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Apr-85 07:07:36 EST
References: <3594@alice.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 42

> ....
> Dan McK, I feel, does not realize the one fear that many people have
> of libertarianism<If he does indeed realize it, he is far too
> politic to explain it>, namely that under a libertarian philosophy,
> individuals will be responsible for their own actions, triumphs,
> and errors(, as well as much more, but let's not cloud the
> issue.)  Many individuals fear that they cannot survive under such
> circumstances, and are thus driven to use any tactic that they
> can conceive of or uncover to discredit or slow the spread of a system
> that they regard as threatening to their way of life.  In fact,
> it is terrifying to many people to think that they must, in the
> end, rely on only themselves. (Children often appear to learn
> about "growing up" when they begin to understand the concept and
> feel the terror.)  It is indeed unfortunate that many people who
> have either been mislead or who, in fact, feel this terror would
> fare much better under a less restrictive and more individually responsible
> system.  
> ....
> (ihnp4/allegra)!alice!jj

If I may paraphrase for JJ, what I think he's trying to say is that a
lot of people--probably *most* people--DON'T WANT to be responsible for
their entire lives.

Once again, libertarianism washes up on the beach of human nature.

Don't get me wrong--I actually *like* libertarian theory, *in the abstract*.
But there is one overpowering question that nags me: is this what most
people really want?  And, given that most people probably DON'T want it,
how do we either (1) help them ``realize what's good for them'', or (2)
create a society that only a minority of its members want, or will enjoy
the advantages of?

Given that I don't see any answers to these questions, I prefer to
pursue theories of social organization that have more of a chance of
existing in the real world.

For someone to convince me that libertarianism will work, they will
have to convince me that there is a way to make most people rational.

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall