I agree with all that except possibly the description of Sam. Don't have enough time to diagnose people today. I also prefer a minimalist government, but since I am above all else a pragmatist I question whether this is totally workable in the real world. I am not willing to see lillte old ladies starve, so then you get into social programs, ayup, or at least organized charity. I'd rather see government there than churches, though I'd love to see an alternative that is better than either.
Dana On 11/22/05, Gruss Gott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dana wrote: > > ummm neither Gruss nor I is left wing exactly. Pretty libertarian in > > some ways, both of us. We seem to disagree on civil liberties and > > macroeconomics, but nobody is perfect. > > > > Well ... I dunno if I'd say we disagree on Macroeconomics > specifically. I'd say we more disagree on the usefulness of the > federal government in the market. Maybe we could both agree that, for > a society as a whole, capitalism is the most benevolent system. That > is, even the poorest person in America is better off than the poorest > in, say, North Korea. > > Where we seem to disagree is how you deal with "the leftovers" from > capitalism: those that aren't able or willing to help themselves. I > would say we again look to the market for those unwilling, and > government for those unable. > > As to civil liberties ... do we disagree there? I mean, I'm for them. > As with capitalism, I want as little of government intrusion as > possible in private lives. I don't want the gov't deciding about > prostitution or gay marriage, for example. I see no need for that as > those are private matters. > > On both issues I fall back to personal responsibility as the key principle. > > The real opposite of me there would be Sam, for example. He'd like > the government to enforce an arbitrary morality on private citizens > via a state police force. Sam's an example of someone who opposes > civil liberties; he'd like the government to make people's personal > choices for them. He feels government oversight of your private life > is perfectly acceptable. I see little difference between that and a > dictatorship. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:183689 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
