I want my country back(HARRY BROWNE BARF ALERT)

World Net Daily ^ | December 5, 2002 | Harry Browne

[Sparta]

Why do you prefer a monarchy to democracy if I may ask?

[HELLRAISER II]

While I do not agree with this guy on 90% of what he said, one has to admit that we do have our fingers in to many pies and I don't just mean militarily but monetarily as well. We do need to get out of some these places, especially if they don't want us there. Think about how much of our Tax money is given as bribes to government officials to station our military in some of these places. Again I am not against the War against Terrorism, in fact i'm all for it but we do need to start worrying about America's defense & economy & the hell with the rest of the world. Besides the recent poll showed that they all hate us, why help the B@stards.

[weikel]

If the objectivist would tone down the anti religious rhetoric and say that voluntarily altruism is not evil in all cases and focused on taking over the Republican party then I'd finally have a party I could wholeheartedly support.

[cardinal4]

Okay try this one on for size; we dont want to pay 1.30 anymore for gas.

[angkor]

I dropped out of the LP 20 years ago, because their approach to the world is completely impractical, and substitutes panaceas for truth.

For example, Browne calls Grenada an American "attack" while conveniently forgetting that a couple hundred American medical students were trapped in the middle of a socialist coup d'etat incited by Cuba. Their lives were in danger.

And though Vietnam turned out badly, the original impetus for our involvement there - protection of the RSVN from the murderer Ho Chi Minh - was correct and proper. Browne (and most of the world) has again forgotten that post-1975, millions of South Vietnamese were killed and/or imprisoned by the communists, and the "domino theory" did indeed come into play in both Laos and Cambodia (where another several million were murdered by the Maoist lunatic Pol Pot).

People like Browne are despicable in their phoney idealism and refusal to admit that evil does often clash with the desire for liberty. They make everything too conveniently neat and tidy, which is not the way life works.

[weikel]

Better track record Europe came to dominate the world in the age of absolutism beginning roughly with the rise of the Tudor dynasty. After they became mob rule Democratic after WWI they declined pretty quick.

[Sparta]

Who would you like to make king? You?

[wideawake]

Yes, people in foreign countries want American troops there – just about as much as the Poles enjoyed having Soviet troops in Poland.

Harry has been smoking way too much of the Libertarian Party's official flower.

[weikel]

Well taxes would go down immediately I assure you. The thing is its only a monarchy if its been there for a while a hereditary ruler is not likely to be by nature a politician which is a good thing but a dynastic founder almost certainly is.

[weikel]

Every society and civilization collapses for the same reason: the people in that society start to place self-interest and partisan interest over the good of the society as a whole.

Since when do libertarians exalt collectivism.

[Sparta]

Hmmm? Very interesting. Hail King Sparta the First. :-)

[wideawake]

Every society and civilization collapses for the same reason: the people in that society start to place self-interest and partisan interest over the good of the society as a whole.

Your post couldn't be more self-contradictory.

The entire point of libertarianism is to reject the notion of collective responsibility.

According to libertarian philosophy the concept of "society" is an artificial construct invented by collectivists - libertarianism postulates that there is no such thing as society. There are only individuals pursuing their own individual interests in a rational manner.

While smoking as much pot as possible, of course.

[weikel]

If Pinochet weren't so old and I had for instance the option to choose the king with the only provision that it couldn't be me I'd invite him to be 1st Emperor of America.

[u-89]

Truman and Eisenhower ceded to the Arabs the West's property rights in oil-although that oil properly belonged to those in the West whose science and technology made its discovery and use possible.

Could you please elaborate more on how technology trumps property rights. I'm not as sufficently enlightened with Randian libertarian views as you seem to be. Thank you.

[weikel]

Simple we came in we bought the land and drilled it. The idea that Beduin desert nomads( which is what they were before we got there and btw the Arabs actually liked us when they were Beduin nomads who we weren't giving handouts too the Beduins in Israel support Israel) actually owned the land is dubious anyway.

[FreeTally]

Of course, you are correct about the reactions to this column. The people who attack this are not conservatives at all.

However, I think I would like some clarification on this:

Every society and civilization collapses for the same reason: the people in that society start to place self-interest and partisan interest over the good of the society as a whole.

At first, this sounds like collectivism, but I am not sure after I read the rest:

Political contests become angrier and more contested, and when one group wins, it fells justified in using its new-found power to take revenge on the other.

I'm not so sure that's what we have now. If the Republicans wanted to "take revenge" on the Democrats, then we would not have seen the things passed that have been. Instead, we would have seen investigations into illegal pardons, stolen technology, etc.

I wonder, do you mean "for the good of society" in that we pull our troops out from around the world, forget about those countries, and restore freedom in our country?

[thepitts]

Over the past two years I have watched as the Bush administration has implemented every statist assault on freedom that Clinton could not have passed in his wildest dreams. I thought the reaction here would be horror at this betrayal. Instead, I am horrified to see the mindless sheep here cheering Mr. Bush on with every assault he makes on limited government, the Bill of Rights, and our country.

How can any of you defend the "campaign finance reform law" that makes it illegal for the NRA to advertise before an election? Now Bush is pushing for one of the greatest gun bans in history ("Our Lady of Peace Act"). And all of you remain silent.

I guess people get the government they deserve.

Well said, I don't know what it's going to take to force these people to wake up but, I'm still waiting and hoping.

[weikel]

Plz the charge that all libertarians are potheads is lame. Prohibitions are stupid, ineffective, contradict the entire idea of self ownership etc. Acknowledging this reality doesn't make you a druggie yourself. Now as for his point contradicting libertarian philosphy I already pointed that out.