All advocates of libertarianism accept the non-aggression principle as the defining characteristic that determines whether or not a perspective is libertarian. This is what the LP pledge means. Those that don't, aren't being consistent with libertarianism.
I happen to agree with Harry Browne's words that tariffs are not perfect, but they are better than everything else, but I disagree that tariffs are even the slightest bit coercive or anything even remotely connected to an initiation of force. Anything that can be voluntarily avoided is not an initiation of force. For instance if someone sees a short toll road owned by a private corporation or a longer path that is free, and they choose to take the toll road, they have no valid complaints when it comes to paying it. They weren't forced to choose that road. They could have avoided it by taking the other road, but they CHOSE the short path. --- In [email protected], "Thomas L. Knapp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Quoth Paul Ireland: > > > Libertarians (like Harry Browne) support a non-protectionist flat 3% > > tariff on all imported goods which would not hamper anyone's ability > > to compete in the market and would be fair. > > Some Libertarians (including the late Harry Browne) support(ed) a > tariff. Some don't. > > Either way, saying that Libertarians support a tariff is very > different from saying taht Libertarians regard a tariff as being > consistent with the non-aggression principle. Not all Libertarians > accept the non-aggression principle as a criterion of what constitutes > libertarianism. Some who do accept it posit a necessary transitional > period from here to "libertopia." So far as I know, you're the only > person who tries to put over the absurd proposition that tariffs are > "non-coercive." > > Browne certainly didn't regard tariffs as non-coercive -- as a matter > of fact, he made it clear that he regarded them as just a "lesser > evil" to be accepted during a transition: > > "Tariffs (or 'duties') are taxes on imports. A tariff isn't a 'good' > tax; it's just a tax. But the government can collect it without > sending IRS agents to snoop through your records. Until we find a way > to finance government without taxes or a way to assure our safety > without any government, some form of taxation will be necessary. And > my choice is to use tariffs and excise taxes -- as the Founding > Fathers did." > > -- "Freedom to work, to earn and to buy," from _The Great Libertarian > Offer_, by Harry Browne, http://www.harrybrowne.org/GLO/FreeTrade.htm > > Tom Knapp > 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/
