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From: berman@psuvax1.UUCP (Piotr Berman)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Listen here, Paul V. Torek!!!
Message-ID: <1725@psuvax1.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Aug-85 03:16:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1725
Posted: Wed Aug 28 03:16:25 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Aug-85 00:46:23 EDT
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Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 79

> (Insert (:-) wherever necessary)
> 
> Okay, Mr. Torek: enough's enough.  I've been watching you post your
> centrist drivel for the past few months, and I've had it.  As a
> self-proclaimed iconoclast, you have taken pleasure in punching
> holes in libertarian arguments wherever you can find them (although
> to your credit you admit it when you cannot).  Well I've
> got news for you: there is *no* philosophical doctrine that is
> without flaw.  If there were, life wouldn't be interesting and
> philosophical inquiry would be pointless.  Believe it or not,
> even a committed libertarian like myself can have reservations about
> the philosophy.  However, I choose to live in the real world with
> all its flaws, and I recognize the terms "better" and "worse".
> Libertarianism seems to me infinitely better than any of the
> alternatives, so I support it.
> 
> However, as a committed wimp, (excuse me, centrist), you get to 
> survey the intellectual frontier, picking and choosing the ideas you
> like.  So let me put this to you: which of the following doctrines,
> in your opinion, should we draw the most of our ideas from if we're
> going to solve as many problems of the world as possible?
> 
> 	1) conservativism 
> 	2) liberalism
> 	3) libertarianism
> 	4) populism
> 	5) other (*NOT* centrism, please.  Centrism has no ideas of
> 		 its own)
> 
> 	I'm looking for a real opinion here: no wimping out by saying
> that they all contribute equally.
> 
> If you straddle the fence all your life, certain parts of your anatomy
> may cease to function.
> -- 
> Barry Fagin @ University of California, Berkeley

I do not venture to predict who may solve what problems.  In general,
we do not solve problems, we cope with them.  
I propose better way of comparing the ideologies.  Let us see how they
solve a well known and relatively widespread problem.
1) How a conservative would skrew in a light bulb?
   First he reminds us, that if the bulb would pray in school like
   our fathers, it would be in its place, shining when needed.
   Then he inform us that we do need a light bulb.
   Instead of reading, we can listen to Bible on tapes.
   If you want to have intimate moment with your wife, you should
   turn the light off anyway.
   And if you are afraid in the dark, you should remember that the only 
   solution to this problem is to lock all the felons where they belong.

2) How a liberal would skrew in a light bulb?
   First he creates a committee of experts to study a problem.
   Once the scope of the problem is clear, he appropriates grants for 
   the bulb research.
   Simultaneously, he annouces the problem a national disgrace
   and declares a war with the problem.
   Other liberals file a suit, since the civil rights of the bulb were
   violeted.

3) How a libertarian would skrew in a light bulb?
   First, he sets the rate of money supply properly.  Market forces
   will do the rest.

4) How a populist would skrew in a light bulb?
   He soaks the rich by introducing a sales tax paid by the poor.
   Pays $10000 to a contractor, who gives $1000 kicback.
   Contractor employes 50 union employees.  They threaten to strike,
   but they do not.  Union receives $1000 in wage increases instead
   of demanded $3000.  Union boss receives $500 kickback.
   Skrewing the light bulb is delayed, since everybody is subpoened
   (becauce of a different, unrelated case).

5) How a centrist would skrew in a light bulb?
   He would find 300 co-sponsors for his bulb-skrewing legislation.

As I said, everybody is not solving a problem, but coping with the problem.

Piotr Berman