On Sat, 21 Apr 2001, Travis Bemann wrote:
> > The Libertarians would abolish the income tax and the war on drugs. The
> > government would be substantially weaker under Libertarian control.
>
> Under Libertarian control the government's sole purpose would be the
> protection of the capitalists and their property and fighting those
> people who wish to expropriate the bourgeoisie and breaking strikes
> and other stuff of that sort. A Libertarian world would be quite
> nightmarish. A world of corporate enforcers, right-wing vigilantes,
> lethal pollution, extreme poverty, corporate-run towns and cities, and
> just total unrestricted corporate power. You get the picture. It
> would be similar to fascism, in many respects.
I was assuming that criminal things like strike breaking, corporate
enforcers, right-wing vigilantes, and polluting others' property would not
be permitted. The Libertarian platform does not include the legalization
of those crimes.
[snip description of capitalist evils]
In short, capitalists will:
* Pollute my property severely.
* Kill me if I strike or dissent.
* Create dangerous working conditions for me.
The first two are not possible without the corruption of the government.
Why is government corruption more likely under a Libertarian regime, as
opposed to a Democratic or Republican regime?
I would propose simple, easy, legal ways to fix some of those problems,
but they assume that the government is not corrupt. For example, dangerous
working conditions can be fixed by striking. Extreme poverty can be fixed
by starting new corporations and/or asking for charity. Corporate-run
cities can be fixed by organizing new cities that are not corporate-run.
But without a free market (freedom to strike, to choose a competitor's
product, etc.) and sane laws (murder and destruction of others' property
are illegal, etc.), there is no hope.
I would like to live in a world where I can freely buy and sell things.
Maybe it's just a stupid fantasy.
--
"...you have mistaken your cowardice for common sense
and have found comfort in that, deceiving yourselves."
Mark Roberts | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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