Saturday 4 December 2010

I guess I'm an extreme libertarian

According to the Independent, reporting 'fears' that the government won't micromanage our lives to quite the extent that the control-freak lobby groups demand:
"On the one hand, the Conservatives accused Labour of creating a top-heavy state that interfered too much in people's lives. They promised to govern with a lighter hand. On the other hand, only the extreme libertarians say that people should be free to wreck their lives if they choose. Most people think the government should encourage people to look after their own interests sensibly."
And notice the strange non sequitur. Whatever one's view of the role of the government, there is no contradiction between people being 'free to wreck their lives if they choose' and the government encouraging them not to do so, unless 'encouraging' is being employed as a euphemism for coercion, or perhaps the writer sees no distinction.

7 comments:

Dick Puddlecote said...

Has there been a round-up call to obscenely fuckheaded idiots in the comments there?

Never thought I'd see the day the Indy out-wailed the Mail.

So bloody funny.

Trooper Thompson said...

I didn't read the comments. I'll go take a look.

Trooper Thompson said...

Oh shit. I haven't got far in, and I'm already at:

"This is not 'nannying'; this is responsible government acting on behalf of a consenting public, who demonstrate their consent by complying, for the most part."

I love it; compliance equals consent. We're gonna have to get more aggro.

Anonymous said...

Dear Trooper

" ... only the extreme libertarians say that people should be free to wreck their lives if they choose."

Presumably the extreme socialists think it is government's job to do that. And no choice.

DP

Trooper Thompson said...

You're right there. Everything within the state, nothing outside the state.

Anonymous said...

I tried to post a rebuff to "Olympic" but the Indy wants ID - so fuck 'em.

Olympic is resilient and tiresome, how long before he wants me to pay a "wank tax" as I must be abusing my seed and putting it on the stoney ground?

He just wants a lot of un-thinking drones to keep him in the sterile lifestyle he is becoming accustomed to, it not happening Olympic, people have OPINIONS, well as yet we do, for now...

Trooper Thompson said...

Actually, Anon, you may have found his weak point, as I'm guessing he may be out of pocket himself with such a tax.