this is absolutely brillant. Jim, never heard of you before, never seen your posts on any Yahoo Libertarian Groups, but I'm impressed. You've summed up the problem with our movement splendidly.
You really ought to post this to other forums, maybe even print it. Did you come up with it, or did you get if from someone else. Mann that was good!!! A hearty Congratulations Sir. BTW, what part of the country are you from? Active LPer, RLCer perhaps? Tell us more about yourself. --- In [email protected], Jim Syler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > >> > >> 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/
