Path: utzoo!hoptoad!uunet!husc6!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!mit-amt!joel
From: joel@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (joel s. kollin)
Newsgroups: alt.individualism
Subject: Read it and weep...
Message-ID: <2111@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Date: 8 Mar 88 05:44:24 GMT
References: <12468@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Reply-To: joel@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (joel s. kollin)
Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
Lines: 34

The Reagan administration has got to be the most broad-based attack on
the Jeffersonian ideal to date.

The size of the Federal government has increased from ~21-~23.5% of
GNP even while social spending has been cut and the economy is
booming.  The latter is not due to any "supply-side" increase of
savings or investment, but to a strictly Keynesian consumption
stimulus built on the deficit.  A major collapse of the system has
been skillfully avoided by Paul Volcker, who Reagan was stupid enough
not to reappoint.  Carter sacrificed his Presidency to let Volcker put
the brakes on the economy and bring back stable money.  Reagan has
taken 3 painful years of austerity and thrown it all away on a
spending spree for the rich.

Attacks on civil liberties continue, although with generally limited
"success".  Whenever possible, the administration has eroded freedom
of speech, the separation of church and state, the right to privacy
and any other guaranteed or implied rights it could get its hands on.
When Reagan said "Get government off of the backs of the people" he
meant only the rich and the monopolies.  If you don't doubt his
sincerity by now take a good look at his right hand man, Ed Meese.

The best "libertarian" presidents we've had since WWII are Eisenhower
and Carter.  And obviously that's not saying very much.

Individualists - I can see why most of you won't vote Democratic.
But please think twice before you vote Republican.  At least while
the candidates are arguing over who's closer to Reagan.

If ten million people vote third party we can put an end to this
tweedledee-tweedledum nonsense.  Vote for the third party of your
choice.

Joel S. Kollin