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- From: dlow@pollux.svale.hp.com (Danny Low)
- Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 23:20:47 GMT
- Subject: Re: Re: SF fans show libertarian inclination
- Message-ID: <19000002@pollux.svale.hp.com>
- Organization: HP LOVECRAFT DIVISION
- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpcss01!hpergfg2!pollux!dlow
- Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
- References: <1iaos1INNmf0@spim.mti.sgi.com>
- Lines: 31
-
- >(Jack Choquette)
- >|> But of course live and let live is not all there is to
- >|> libertarianism. If that's all it was, a lot more of us would
- >|> probably fall into the category. Too much of libertarianism
- >|> is also "if they can't work, let them starve, but don't make
- >|> me spend my tax money on them."
- >But that all there is to libertarianism: "Live and let live". Taken
- >to its extreme logical conclusion, it also means: "if they can't work
- >{**and no one is willing to support them**}, let them starve, but
- >don't make me {**i.e. force me**} support them.
- >
- >Notice that I slightly modified your quote, specifically note the text
- >added between the {** **}. It is the most often omitted when
- >explaining the libertarian mindset, but is the most crucial bit needed
- >to understand libertarianism.
-
- In either situation the Libertarian is providing no aid to the starving
- people. In the second quote the Libertarian is not stopping anyone
- else from helping the starving people but is still not helping them
- himself. A rather meaningless difference. All Libertarian responses
- I have ever seen to such a situation has always omitted any mention of
- what the Libertarian is doing about the situation. It's always
- don't make me do it. This implies the Libertarian is doing nothing
- and relying on others to feed the starving so they will not loot
- his house looking for food. This makes the Libertarian a parasite
- relying on the good work of others to keep the peace.
-
- Danny Low
- "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You"
- Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley
- HP CPCD dlow@pollux.svale.hp.com
-