Subject:
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Re: Preaching to the Choir
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:19:00 GMT
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Viewed:
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1829 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
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If you were forced to identify the distinctions between the Democratic or
Republican candidate, under threat of (insert hideous punishment here) if you
refused, what would you do?
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Escape the situation if possible, or enumerate the differences if escape wasn’t
possible, with the proviso that I was being coerced into doing so, and you
didn’t have the sanction of the victim to do that to me...
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Would you really claim that no distinction
exists?
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No.
I think the claim I’ve been making all along about the GOP and Dems, and about
these candidates is that there is little or no *meaningful* distinction. I can
name lots of distinctions between Bush and Kerry. But they’re nevertheless close
in many ways. I indeed have a slight preference for Kerry. But I think I do
(myself and) the world more good by voting Libertarian,
My wife ran the same calculation using her preferences and beliefs and she came
out that she had better vote Kerry this time.
As for a definition of Libertarianism (which you asked me for upthread), I could
say “plowed ground”, I could claim I don’t have much time (which I don’t, why
I’m in here 3 days before I leave for BrickFest is beyond me!), I could point
you at the site (lp.org) or I could go with a fairly pat answer...
I think I’ll go pat and say... Libertarianism is that political stance that
derives from the first principle of “everyone is able to do as they wish insofar
as it doesn’t interfere with others”, or (and I’ve asserted it’s transformable
to/from) of “repudiate the initiaion of force” or even “free minds free markets”
which I like because it’s catchy.
I’ve tried to show in the past that while it’s not always a perfect derivation,
at least the party (and the philosophy) tries to have a position that actually
derives from a principle.
Can the modern GOP or the modern Dems make that statement? What principles do
they hold fast to? I have no idea. I certainly couldn’t state them succinctly.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Preaching to the Choir
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| (...) Iraq, Saudi Arabia and possibly Israel may well be major foreign policy challenges over the next 4-8 years. Who do you trust most to deal with them without involving corporate handouts and religious ideology? Scott A (20 years ago, 10-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Preaching to the Choir
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| (...) Well, nobody's perfect. Me, I'd vote for the candidate who'll deliver a half gallon of premium ice cream to my door each morning. Lacking that candidate I can either vote for her as a write-in, or I can vote for the candidate who gets closest (...) (20 years ago, 9-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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