Re: FAQ: (was guns and guns and guns and guns)

mark@unicorn.com
Fri, 4 Jun 1999 05:45:39 -0700 (PDT)

QueeneMUSE@aol.com wrote:
>So you say that your with Libertarians or you're socialist.. no in betweens,
>no grey areas.. thats the main problem I have with both Objectivists and
>Libertarians.

No. One would think that when I explicitly referred to libertarian socialists in my message someone with a reasonable level of reading comprehension might not jump to such a knee-jerk reaction.

>They see no value in any thing that isn't 100 percent black and
>white.

Well, you're either a libertarian or an authoritarian, there is no in between... unless you're schizophrenic. Either you believe in letting other people do what they want to do as long as they don't interfere with your life, or you don't. Devotion to 'reasonable, rational compromise' is one of the 20th Century's biggest problems.

I agree with Hal; you can be a free-market libertarian, a socialist libertarian, or a communist libertarian, a christian libertarian, a pagan libertarian, or a satanist libertarian; the only requirement is that your choice must be voluntary, you can't force anyone else to join you. Even (big-L) Libertarians are normally socialists with their families and friends, because most of us recognize that free markets simply aren't useful when you get down to that small a scale.

>No one fears the Borg more than I - and it is extremely insulting to assume
>that because I find Libertarians old fashioned and rigid, that i support the
>Borg.

Where did I say you did? I was referring to the numerous Borganists who've joined the list and explicitly posted their Borgtopian fantasies.

>Or that anyone else who disagrees with YOU, automatically agrees with
>Stalin.

Cool. Where did I say that? Oh, I didn't, did I, you made it up. That said, all authoritarians do agree with Stalin that they know better than the rest of us and have a right to impose their views by force.

>Just like when people assume you agree with Hitler, or calls you fascist.
>You
>know how irritating that argument is.

Indeed; like being called a 'dangerous nut' for thinking that people should be able to buy and carry guns without having to beg some obnoxious bureaucrat's permission. But what relevance does this have to anything I said?

Mark