The train called the City of New Orleans will take you 500 miles
before the day is done. The John Galt line might get you further
however. What about a subway analogy?
Btw, have you seen the movie V for Vendetta?
$
--- In [email protected], "Paul" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> The liberty train analogy is flawed. While it's true that the
Liberty
> train is a non-stop trip to the end of the line (and that end is
not
> anarchyville), there are other trains one can take if they only
want
> to get closer to liberty without having it. The Republican train
will
> actually take you further from liberty and so will the Democratic
train.
>
> The truth is gradualism never works. Harry Browne illustrated this
> perfectly.
>
> =============================================
>
> Gradualism won't work; do it all swiftly
> Some people believe progress must come slowly, a little each year
in a
> gradual restoration of constitutional government. But I don't
believe
> we can succeed by trying to phase out government programs a little
at
> a time.
>
> 1. There are many reasons gradualism won't work. Here are some
of
> them: There will be interminable argument over which programs will
be
> eliminated first.
> 2. Politicians won't stick very long to any plan that leads to
> smaller government.
> 3. A program that is immediate and complete is the only way we
can
> assure Americans that we aren't just looking for government jobs
like
> other politicians-that we intend to minimize government and
maximize
> liberty.
> 4. Only a big reward will motivate people to actively support
our
> plan. The Great Libertarian Offer, with its complete elimination of
> the income tax, is such a reward.
>
> Politicians will never willingly give up what they've taken from
us.
> We must recover it swiftly, decisively, and completely.
> Source: The Great Libertarian Offer, p.225-226 Sep 9, 2000
>
> If you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.
>
>
>
>
> --- In [email protected], Jim Syler <Calion@> wrote:
> >
> > Alright, you've missed the entire point of the train metaphor,
and
> > proved my point in the process.
> >
> > First, let's discard this talk about personality. I don't know
where
> > you got it, but it forms no part of my argument.
> >
> > The point of the train metaphor is that you have
this "libertarian
> > train" that is leading toward liberty. It starts here, at the
horrible
> > situation we are in now, and has several stops on the way, that
might
> > be called "lower taxes," "fewer business regulations," "greater
> > personal freedoms," "abolishment of the income tax," "re-
establishment
> > of Constitutional government," and finally "anarcho-capitalism."
The
> > idea is that everybody can get on the LP train, then get off
when they
> > have reached their desired level of freedom.
> >
> > The problem is that when you walk up to the LP conductor, he
says,
> > "Welcome aboard! Here's your ticket to anarcho-capitalism." (The
> > ticket, for the metaphorically impaired, being the Oath.) The
boarder
> > says "no, there must be some mistake, I only wanted to go to
> > Constitutional government." The conductor says, "That's fine,
sir,
> > we'll be going right past there on our way to anarcho-
capitalism."
> > "So," the potential passenger says, "I'll be able to get off
there
> > then?" "Well, no, sir, we won't making any stops until we get to
> > anarcho-capitalism. If you get on here, you're on for the long
haul."
> > "Thanks anyway," says the potential passenger, and looks around
for
> > another train. The problem is, there aren't any other trains
heading
> > for liberty.
> >
> > j
> >
> > On Mar 28, 2006, at 2:27 PM, steven linnabary wrote:
> >
> > > From: "Jim Syler" <Calion@>
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Which is the point, and the problem. If we could all work
together
> > >> toward liberty, using the "libertarian train" metaphor, that
would be
> > >> great. But that's not how it works. The purists (admittedly,
not all
> > >> of
> > >> them, but I don't hear the ones that don't chastising the ones
> who do)
> > >> do everything within their power to move all others out of
the Party,
> > >> by ridicule, by condemnation, by calling them "not
libertarians," by
> > >> loudly trying to exclude them from leadership positions, from
trying
> > >> to
> > >> stymie every move in any direction if they are in leadership
> > >> positions,
> > >> ad nauseam.
> > >>
> > >
> > > To expand on your train metaphor, the engine, or locomotive,
that
> > > powers the
> > > LP is its ideology. And that ideology is best explained (in
its
> > > consolidated form) with the pledge. The pledge is expanded
with the
> > > "Statement of Principles" and that is expanded with the LP
Platform.
> > > Now, while anyone is welcome to ride aboard this freedom
train, it
> > > wouldn't
> > > be prudent to allow just anyone to be the engineer. In fact,
it
> would
> > > be
> > > counterproductive.
> > > You see, there have been several "trains" since the birth of
the
> LP in
> > > '71.
> > > There was the "Wallace" train in '68 & '72, the "Anderson"
train in
> > > '80, and
> > > the "Perot" train in '92 & '96. Each of these trains could
(with some
> > > pretzel logic) be considered "libertarian" by one stretch or
> another.
> > > But
> > > in each case, the train locomotive was not principle but
> personality.
> > > And
> > > each of these trains is now dead, while the LP train driven by
> > > ideology is
> > > still chugging along.
> > > So it seems pretty clear to me that any attempt to sell out
our
> > > principles
> > > for a personality driven cult would be idiotic. In fact,
while the
> > > republican party took up some of Perots' ideas in '94, all
those cars
> > > were
> > > abandoned at the siding many years ago.
> > > At the same time, not one single train car or plank of the LP
> > > Platform has
> > > been abolished or repudiated, except when it has become
necessary by
> > > beaureaucratic shuffling (the LP no longer calls for the
abolition or
> > > Dept
> > > Health, Education and Welfare or of Immigration and
Naturalization
> > > Service).
> > > The LP is several time bigger than when I got on board in the
early
> > > 80's and
> > > is still chugging along just fine (in spite of the uphill
grade since
> > > 9/11).
> > > It is pretty clear to me that the LP would have run out of
steam long
> > > ago
> > > had we put an engineer of personality (as opposed to
principle) in the
> > > locomotive.
> > > And when this train gets to the crest of the hill, I want an
engineer
> > > in
> > > charge that knows what he is talking about when we speed up on
the
> > > other
> > > side!
> > >
> > > PEACE
> > > Steven R. Linnabary, Treasurer
> > > Franklin County Libertarian Party
> > > (614) 891-8841
> > > P.O.Box#115; Blacklick, OH 43004-0115
> > >
> > > "When you make peaceful revolution impossible, you make
violent
> > > revolution
> > > inevitable" John F. Kennedy
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > --
> > "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot
easier...just as
> > long as I'm the dictator..."
> > --George W. Bush, Dec 18, 2000, during his first trip to
Washington as
> > President-Elect
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
