The difference between a Libertarian and an Anarchist usually seems to be a bachelor's degree.
-- Badtux the Snark-appreciatin' Penguin
And now you have cholera!
1 day ago
Thursday, December 03, 2009
16 comments:
Ground rules: Comments that consist solely of insults, fact-free talking points, are off-topic, or simply spam the same argument over and over will be deleted. The penguin is the only one allowed to be an ass here. All viewpoints, however, are welcomed, even if I disagree vehemently with you.
WARNING: You are entitled to create your own arguments, but you are NOT entitled to create your own facts. If you spew scientific denialism, or insist that the sky is purple, or otherwise insist that your made-up universe of pink unicorns and cotton candy trees is "real", well -- expect the banhammer.
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Now that is some high quality snark!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
JzB
WV: squirds . . . squid turds?
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBut the way things are going, we'll all be there soon.
S
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ReplyDeleteGovernment is how we as a society provide services that benefit society as a whole as vs. one specific person. Law enforcement is just one of those services. Murderers, thieves, and thugs being in jail instead of on the streets benefits *all* of us, not just the person whose shit was stolen or the person whose family was murdered, and thus all of us should pay for it, not just those who *feel* like paying for it.
ReplyDeleteThere are other services that government needs to supply for the same reason. For example, sewers. You can dump raw waste into a nearby creek. But then you're harming *all* people downstream from you, not just the one or two who might notice your dumping. Plus spreading cholera. By creating sewer regulations and enforcing them, *all* people who use that water benefit, and thus all should pay.
That's just two examples. The Libertarian notion that "government is the problem, not the solution" is just plain stupidity. If I can come up with two examples where government (the provision of services by a common entity with the ability to tax everybody to pay for those services) is both necessary and good just off the top of my head, clearly the Libertarians are full of shit.
- Badtux the Sensible Penguin
Purple P -
ReplyDeleteStop being a dick, drop the straw arguments, and make some sense, please.
This is why it is hopeless to talk to anybody on the right. They have no concept of rational discourse.
Cheers!
JzB the disgusted trombonist
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ReplyDeleteSaying "Libertarians believe [...]" is like saying "cats believe [...]". I can assure you I can find you Libertarians who believe that government is not needed at all -- indeed, if you double-click on the above YouTube vid, you can follow the links to Mises.org where you can see a whole *slew* of such Libertarians.
ReplyDeleteOnce you've opened the door to the possibility of one service (law enforcement) being necessarily provided by government because of the deadbeat problem (i.e., the fact that the service benefits *everybody*, not just a few people, and thus if you *don't* pay then you're a deadbeat), your only question thereafter is what other services should be provided by government. At which point we have a Clue(tm), i.e., services where, if not provided via government taxes, we'd have a bunch of deadbeats who wouldn't pay for the benefit they're receiving.
Note that there's a big difference between this and the straw army you trotted out, which was intellectually bankrupt and completely off-topic. The notion that government is necessary in order to handle the "deadbeat problem" has nothing to do with your strawman that "government regulation solves all problems." Nobody has ever in the history of this blog ever proposed such a stupid and ludicrous notion.
- Badtux the Practical Penguin
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ReplyDeleteDude. Did you even read the fucking link I gave you? You *seriously* believe that the Libertarian Party platform represents the beliefs of all Libertarians? You want to buy this bridge I got for sale?
ReplyDeleteLook, I don't mind folks with different views. I do mind when folks come here and just spew talking points and bullshit. That's just plain stupidity, and I tolerate it for only a certain amount of time before I start using the ban-hammer.
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ReplyDeleteIs there really a Cat Party; complete with their own platform written up that explains their core beleifs? 'cause that is the only way that comparison can make any sense.
ReplyDelete. . .
I *seriously* beleive that if you're gonna make general & broad claims about Libertarians and their political beleifs . . .
Purple -
Do you deliberately miss the point, or is this an innate skill? In words of not too many syllables: not all cats are created equal; not all libertarians are created equal. THIS was one of B.T.'s points! Got it?
And the reason you're a bad bird is that the video was clever, original, and reflected the reality of a particular lack-of-government situation, while you merely regurgitate right wing talking points, go off topic, fail to understand what the argument is about, and don't make much sense.
So -- High marks for snark. Low marks for critical thinking.
Cheers!
JzB the selective snark appreciating trombonist
P.S. It's I before E, except after C.
I also *seriously* beleive there is a world o' difference between "little gov't" and "no gov't". Why are so many on the left so eager & quick to claim otherwise?
ReplyDeleteHow about 11 or 12 examples to back up your "so many" claim.
Cheers!
JzB the straw burning trombonist
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ReplyDeleteI beleive it's nothing more than political trickery to take a couple sound bites from some of the fringe elements and claim that it speaks for the movement as a whole.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. When did that happen?
Libertarians might not be against all government, but they are certainly against regulation, and the EPA.
There's a cholera connection in there somewhere.
Cheers!
JzB
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ReplyDeleteso perhaps you should tell me what you beleive the video was trying to say.
ReplyDeleteNope. Not until I get my ten or twelve examples.
Anyway, I meant you missed BT's points, irrespective of the video. And, relative to the point of missing the point, I thought that I was crystal clear in context, since I quoted you in my reply (5/12/09 7:46 AM.)
But now we can at least see that unfettered free market capitalism and anarchy are, at the very least, compatible.
Cheers!
Jzb the compatible trombonist