From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Tue Oct 08 2002 - 19:54:14 MDT
From: "Brian Phillips" <deepbluehalo@earthlink.net>
> From: "Olga Bourlin" <fauxever@sprynet.com>
> Olga,
> Nobody, But Nobody, ever mistakes you for a libertarian of any stripe.
Generally speaking when freedom attempts to mask its own attributes to cater
to the preferences of socialists (like yourself) it can only lose. It is
among the foremost tools of statists to attempt to subtly (and not so
subtly) influence and control any political discourse according to their own
framing of the issues, often appealing to mob psychology and "don't be a
crazy" tactics.
I was expressing my curiosity about why libertarian candidates seem to get
such bad publicity. Is it because the strange ones tend to get the bylines?
Oh, I know I'd never get mistaken for a libertarian. For the record,
however, I've never voted for a bona-fide "socialist" candidate and am not a
card-carrying socialist (but have identified myself as such, because I favor
some socialist ideas). My hot-button issues (short-list version) are: YES
to socialized medicine, affirmative action, stipends for one parent to rear
a child or children (either that or government-sponsored daycare), taxing
churches like other entertainment businesses; and NO to corporate welfare,
capital punishment, and school vouchers.
> I suspect the libertarians on the list might take you as being less of a
statist-socialist sort not truly interested in meaningful debate if you
didn't constantly chime in with comments whose primary commonality is envy
disguised as principle.
Statist-socialist sort? Is that something evil? (and you lost me
completely on the "envy disguised as principle" remark ... pardon?) [I]
constantly chime in with comments? Now, Brian, you're being a meanie.
> This may be unfair but that is the perception.
Okay, so let me ask you for your perception on a "big tent" approach to
transhumanism (for I suppose it would be too much to expect "extropianism"
to entertain a "come one, come all" invitation to, say, a "Cryonics Bash").
I've been on this list for a couple of years, and I still don't understand
why nanotechnology, longevity, cryonic preservation, singularity, and all
the other issues typically discussed on this list wouldn't (or couldn't)
appeal to all sorts of people besides libertarians. All those subjects
interest me, and ... well, you know ...
Olga
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:17:28 MST