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From: radford@calgary.UUCP (Radford Neal)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Strange Bedfellows: and a new topic
Message-ID: <579@calgary.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Nov-85 16:47:59 EST
Article-I.D.: calgary.579
Posted: Mon Nov 25 16:47:59 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 25-Nov-85 21:25:54 EST
References: <549@qantel.UUCP>
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Organization: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
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> Even the most obtuse reader of this newsgroup must be aware, by now, of 
> the many points of contention between libertarians and socialists: if you
> missed one of them you can always catch it on the next round. The points
> of similarity are less often talked about...
> 
> [ Detailed exposition of narrow-mined attitudes of both sides]
> 
> -----
> Gabor Fencsik               {ihnp4,dual,hplabs,intelca}!qantel!gabor   

On the whole, I quite agree. The discussions in this newsgroup become
a bit boring after the 27th rehash of whether private law-enforcement is
feasible or whether state ownership inevitably leads to tyranny.

I think the problem is that people are taking the net.politics.THEORY bit
too literally. Any real discussion of basic issues requires a deeper 
background in moral philosophy than is possible in this forum. But is it
really necessary to argue about whether the last vestiges of conventional
government can be eliminated, when the present government is at least an
order of magnitude larger than a "minimal state"?

So I propose an incremental approach. For starters, there has recently
been controversy, in Canada and, I think, the US, about the decision to
phase out import quotas on men's and women's shoes. A boring issue? Maybe,
but it's many decisions like this that could eventually bring about some
approximation of a "libertarian society". 

So do any "socialists" out there want to defend shoe quotas against the
libertarians (me included)? If not, perhaps you'd like to give a list of
what current state interventions you oppose also. Then we'd have something
to agree on...

     Radford Neal

PS: In Canada, the quota on men's shoes will be phased out faster than
    that on women's shoes. Seems to me like a clear violation of our
    shiny new Charter of Rights...