From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Tue Sep 10 2002 - 09:47:23 MDT
On Tuesday, September 10, 2002, at 10:23 am, Brian D Williams wrote:
>
>> From: Harvey Newstrom <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>
>
>> Except that I also see such a society as being worse than what we
>> have now, and having less freedoms. I am not comparing this
>> society to Bellamy's or libertarianism. I think it is too
>> simplistic and causes more problems than it solves. I also don't
>> see "rights" as things to be doled out be the government.
>> "Rights" to me are more involved with being left alone and free
>> from government interference rather than privileges granted by the
>> government.
>
> Out of genuine curiosity, how do you reconcile the above statement
> with your open and unvarnished support of the Democratic party?
>
> An organization that favors group, rather than individual rights,
> and favors government interference at every level of existence.
I am very much a libertarian. I believe in the little 2-D
diamond-shaped graph that show the left and right being equally for
and against individual rights in different areas. I really do not see
either party being more or less pro- or anti-freedom as the other.
From my background, I have been hindered more by the right than the
left. I support the left's support of gay rights, minority rights,
first amendment rights, protecting minorities, providing a social net
for the underclass, protecting the environment, right to use drugs,
right to commit suicide, right to freedom from religion, etc. I do
not interpret these as government interference as much as protecting
the minorities form being enslaved by the majorities.
This historical background of mine gives me some knee-jerk reactions
and a definite bias toward the left. While many here see the left as
suppressing free speech through political correctness, I have been
more affected by the right trying to suppress sexual information, drug
information, or pornography. While I have personally seen people
jailed by the government's right wing forces for unapproved drug use,
unapproved sex acts, unapproved pictures, unapproved information,
unapproved religious practices, etc., I have rarely personally
witnessed the government's left wing forces interfere. Many here see
environmentalists as interfering, but the cases around Florida that
affect me involve shutting down companies from actively dumping wastes
in my environment. So I see these protections as a good thing.
By some statistical quirk, and apparently contrary to many people's
experiences here, I have not been hindered by the Left's interference
or desire for big government. I have only been attacked on very many
fronts by right-wing government forces. I really do see the Democrats
as giving me more freedoms and the Republicans as giving me less
freedoms. I see the Democrats increasing government mostly in areas
that I think need to be centralized: Public health, public education,
public roads, and regulations. As for government spending, I see the
Democrats supporting things I want to improve: schools, libraries,
roads, regulation of big companies. I see the Republicans giving
money to big corporations that I think should either become profitable
or fail on their own merits. I also really want to pay down the debt,
because I think it will lower taxes by half. I really want to support
welfare, because I don't want a hungry desperate underclass robbing me
for food money. I really want healthcare for all, because widespread
disease threatens everybody. I really see these as necessary and
worthwhile programs. I gladly pay my taxes, and while conceding a lot
of waste, still think I get more benefit than if I had to privately
hire my own police, firefighters, roadbuilders, private tutors, etc.
(My property value always rises more than I pay in property taxes. I
am actually making money from local taxes.)
Right now, I see the religious right, the warmongers, the dismantling
of government, and the looming debt as the biggest threat from the
government. These threats are primarily right-wing and republican. I
personally don't care about gun rights, tax breaks, or smaller
government, so I don't see many benefits coming from them to counter
these huge threats. Until libertarian candidates become more popular
and realistic, I see the Democratic party as the lesser of two evils.
-- Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com> Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>
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