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To: steve-b; Tomalak
One mistake far too many libertarians make is to associate traditional morality with big government, and hostility to freedom.

This is not a mistake made by libertarians, but rather a fraud perpetrated by authoritarians who wish to elevate their personal preferences to the stature of moral law.

Absurd. Read through any number of FR threads and you find libertarians condemning virtually any sort of morality as equivalent to government mandates and a police state. In fact, almost every time a moral issue is brought up on a thread, some libertarians leap to the presumption that traditional morality implies the laws to enforce it. This is almost as common as the use of the word "statist" (or "authoritarian" I suppose) toward someone disagreeing with a libertarian's position.

Not to disparage every libertarian, I have certainly conversed with those whose concern was with government enacted moral law, but who recognized the necessity of a non-governmental common morality. But Tomalak's point is valid: Far too many (though not all) libertarians abandon traditional morality due to a fear that it is the enemy of freedom.

64 posted on 08/01/2002 8:27:01 PM PDT by Snuffington
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To: All; Snuffington; yall
One mistake far too many libertarians make is to associate traditional morality with big government, and hostility to freedom. - tomalak

This is not a mistake made by libertarians, but rather a fraud perpetrated by authoritarians who wish to elevate their personal preferences to the stature of moral law. - steve_b

Absurd. Read through any number of FR threads and you find libertarians condemning virtually any sort of morality as equivalent to government mandates and a police state.

And read, -- anti-libertarian 'moral majority' advocates urging governmental solutions to moral problems.

In fact, almost every time a moral issue is brought up on a thread, some libertarians leap to the presumption that traditional morality implies the laws to enforce it.

Rightly so. This is indeed how it is proposed that the WOD's, abortion, etc, be fought. With more government control.

This is almost as common as the use of the word "statist" (or "authoritarian" I suppose) toward someone disagreeing with a libertarian's position.

Again, rightly so. -- These words are being used in their correct meaning. Such governnmental control of life, liberty & property is unconstitutional, thus its advocacy IS authoritarian statism.

70 posted on 08/02/2002 8:06:23 AM PDT by tpaine
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