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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Whither Are We Drifting?
Message-ID: <2710@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 21:52:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.2710
Posted: Mon Jun 11 21:52:38 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jun-84 23:47:41 EDT
References: denelcor.471
Lines: 46


>From: neal@denelcor.UUCP Sat Jun  9 15:49:17 1984
...
>there are two (very closely connected) reasons that I'm a libertarian.
>
>	1.  I think I can do a better job of running my life than some
>Washington bureaucrat.
>
>	2.  As a productive member of society, I very much resent the
>government(s) punishing productivity and rewarding non-productivity (or
>even bad luck).

I'd call myself a 'Libertarian' except that Libertarians focus on
the evils of government the way some religious conservatives latch onto
sex.  It is certainly true that the government can inhibit my liberty,
but it is also true that my freedom is endangered by labor unions,
businesses, and even public attitudes.  I don't restrict myself
to matters of physical force (almost all Libertarians contend the
government at least should prevent criminal use of force).

The 64 Civil Rights Act, for example, was a case of government
intervention that increased my liberty.  So is this state's Right to
Work Law that prohibits 'union shops'.  You can probably think of
other examples.

Something that can inhibit my liberty is 'bad luck' and it seems
rather cold to me to suggest that people suffering through no
fault of their own should be allowed to starve.  My grandmother
may have been 'unproductive' in her declining years, but she needed
the government assistance she received.  The rest of the family
was 'productive' but could not spare enough extra to help her out.
If your family or friends have never had a similar experience, you
have been fortunate, indeed.

In connection with another posting on the same subject:
I'm surprised that people take seriously the 'philosophy' of Any Rand.
It seems to me any serious adherent of libertarian thought would
strive to vigorously disassociate him/herself from Rand's writing.
But, then again, there are people who take Scientology very
seriously, too...  (Any Velikovskians out there??)

:-)  :-)  :-)  :-)
D Gary Grady
Duke University Computation Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-4146
USENET:  {decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary