tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post6591493550533486149..comments2024-03-28T09:59:13.754-07:00Comments on bionic mosquito: Libertarian Living in a Grayscale Worldbionic mosquitohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-60751276387041481102013-11-21T12:03:25.522-08:002013-11-21T12:03:25.522-08:00"Internal squabbles" is putting it light..."Internal squabbles" is putting it lightly. I've seen leading, high-profile libertarians of differing levels of rigidity ripping each other for no other reason but that "mine is more pure than yours".<br /><br />Maybe we can recognize that libertarianism is more a journey than a destination?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608338487986741434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-35546317186399921852013-11-20T21:36:13.209-08:002013-11-20T21:36:13.209-08:00From McElroy's comments: "I use roads and...From McElroy's comments: "I use roads and I lick postage stamps whenever no private alternative exists....There is not a difference of degree between those who use roads to pick up food at the grocery store and those who compete for state paid salaries; there is a difference of kind."<br /><br />These statements from McElroy well depict my struggle on this subject…not to say I am finally settled – but as an explanation of why I am not.<br /><br />“…whenever no private alternative exists…” Private alternatives ALWAYS exist – including the alternative to abstain. For postage stamps – I can choose to send every piece of mail by FedEx or UPS. It will be expensive but I could do it. As for using “roads to pick up food at the grocery store”: grow your own. <br /><br />If an action is morally wrong, it doesn’t become right only because the cost of abstaining is high – even tremendously high.<br /><br />“…there is a difference of kind.” I don’t know – it may be a difference of kind in McElroy’s mind, but on what morally applicable basis? She does not explain this “difference of kind” in the article – at least not that I can see.<br />bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-51906291292174167682013-11-20T21:21:49.905-08:002013-11-20T21:21:49.905-08:00To your point, it seems to me libertarians general...To your point, it seems to me libertarians generally at least struggle with issues of remaining consistent to an ethical philosophy far more than many non-libertarians do. <br /><br />Perhaps this explains the passion of some of our internal squabbles, which likely seem silly to those who do not have a worldview very heavily grounded in non-aggression.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-83253093734409552542013-11-20T21:18:19.948-08:002013-11-20T21:18:19.948-08:00There are some issues of disagreement within the l...There are some issues of disagreement within the libertarian community that seem black and white to me - abortion (initiation of aggression, violation of contract) and FRB as fraud (not) are two such issues that to me are not gray.<br /><br />This issue of where to draw the line in terms of supposedly benefiting from some or another government service is, for me, not black and white - at least not so far in my current level of libertarian-thought development.<br /><br />All I can say for now: it seems to be an area within which a libertarian might have an honest internal struggle while finding a way to carve out a life in this non-libertarian world.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-38694713867294001652013-11-20T19:31:04.622-08:002013-11-20T19:31:04.622-08:00Your right,I think that he was trying to show how ...Your right,I think that he was trying to show how benefit corrupted all of us are? Thats why the bible said that we would all belong to the great and abominable church of the devil?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-60353500283644806012013-11-20T18:48:56.097-08:002013-11-20T18:48:56.097-08:00The Third Rail of Libertarianism August 8th, 2012 ...The Third Rail of Libertarianism August 8th, 2012 Submitted by Wendy McElroy teases out many of these issues. If I remember it is significantly different to Walter Block's position. This would seem to be a good way to contrast the position of "is it proper to take a tax funded job?"<br /><br />http://dailyanarchist.com/2012/08/08/the-third-rail-of-libertarianism/<br /><br />I was posting on Mises and replying with a second reply to your point on <br />http://mises.org/preview/6588/90-Years-Ago-The-End-of-German-Hyperinflation and I clicked your avatar and came here and saw your latest post.<br /><br />AtlasAikidoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-63897676458793307062013-11-20T06:43:23.852-08:002013-11-20T06:43:23.852-08:00Nicely constructed BM. Working for the Census bure...Nicely constructed BM. Working for the Census bureau eventually led to libertarianism for me. I quit working there before they wanted me to, despite not having any other prospects, and despite the pay being far more than the difficulty of the job warranted. This one area where I am nothing like a purist. I do not get money directly from government but benefiting from it does not bother me. I have paid far more in taxes than I will ever receive in "benefits". I agree with The Daily Bell line of reasoning completely in this way; anything that brings down the system sooner, will lessen the severity of the consequent economic depression, and, perhaps, lead to relative freedom sooner. So, taking money from the government, could be thought of as good. Any one working for government who is trying to lessen its impact, by making it less coercive, is fine by me. taxesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-85726253900483537932013-11-20T05:47:09.770-08:002013-11-20T05:47:09.770-08:00Socialists seem to have no problem working in the ...Socialists seem to have no problem working in the private sector. If I recall correctly there was a WSJ reporter who spend a lifetime trying to undermine capitalism while working for the Journal. With that said, the libertarians I know seem to have a much higher sense of morality than socialists and would not engage in espionage. I have a brother that teaches quantum mechanics at the University level (public). He's a libertarian who I would put in your most lenient definition. I myself would tend toward this position. The larger and more intrusive the govt becomes the more difficult it is to work at all without some connection. I'm sure there are libertarians in Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, etc. What choice do they have? Very interesting to consider though and thanks for the great article. Oh, BTW, I'm involved in real estate which is one of the most distorted sectors in the country. Often wonder what a free market in real estate looks like!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com