From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Tue Sep 10 2002 - 13:31:51 MDT
>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.
Most of these things are group rather than individual rights, they
also oppose based on groups, they oppose "gunowners" they support
discrimination against "white heterosexual males" "singles"
"the wealthy" for example. Three groups I am a member of and one I
aspire too.
Reflected in the election numbers.
>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.
PC speech is a huge violation of individual rights.
Try holding a "right" opinion and you'll see the interference from
the "left".
>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.)
I favor small government and as to taxes, I think everyone should
pay, and pay an equal percentage.
Redistribute-the-wealth schemes are one of the biggest violations
of individual rights I can think of.
The Democrats support almost no position I do, or group of which I
am a member, and most certainly do not support individual rights.
>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.
I don't see the religious right as much of a threat, we disagree on
defense/warmongering, and I don't see the debt as primarily a
Republician problem. I've already stated that I see the current tax
structure as anti-individual rights.
The Republicans generally get the nod by default, at least until
some true individual rights supporters come along.
Thanks very much for the information.
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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