Geof Gibson wrote: > --- In [email protected], "Eric Dondero Rittberg" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > When Leonard Reed of FEE invented the New Political Spectrum with > > Four Quadrants back in 1959, he envisioned a day when "libertarian" > > would be as broadly defined as Liberal or Conservative. Dave Nolan, > > the Advocates for Self-Government and numerous others have carried > > on that tradition of libertarianism being as large a movement and as > > broadly defined as the other two, through the World's Smallest > > Political Quiz and the OPH.
I hadn't enountered the Leonard Reed connection to the 4-quadrant approach before. Can you tell me where I can find the original article/pamplet/whatever? I'd like to read it. > > If you wish to narrow the definition for libertarian beliefs, > > fine with me, just use a Modifier. Call your perspective > "Anarcho-libertarianism" or a "Hardcore libertarianism" or a "dogmatic > libertarianism" or an "extreme libertarianism" > > > > I think this gets to the meat of the topic. Is the LP a broad based > political party with a Libertarian philosophy, or is it only > appropriate for those who adhere scrupulously to the NAP? Who defines > when a position strays from the NAP? Well, maybe not the meat, but something. Arguing definitions is stupid. (I should know. I've done it, and it was always a waste of time.) Crux of the biscuit? > If the LP is only for the most hard core, where do all the Libertarian > leaning voters and candidates go who are not approved by the hard core > set? Does this mean we need another 3rd party? The United States definitely needs a political party for people who want to see government get smaller, whose candidates will get elected and do it, or whose candidates will draw an identifiable bloc of voters which the two dominant parties of the time will court by promising less government (and frequently producing it). The LP is not currently that party, and I predict it will not be, as long as the national LP retains the oath/pledge/credo/whatnot requirement for membership (and for leadership positions) and has a utopian platform and the current cultish Statement of Principles. Right now, the national LP is operating as an evangelical organization seeking converts, not a political party seeking votes so that it can reduce government. And it's not even succeeding as the former. -Eric -- Eric S. Harris If this address ever fails, try visiting http://www.returnpath.net 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/
