Why Libertarianism will never work

There is an article out last week by John Stossel over at reason.com (that name cracks me up) titled "How libertarianism can fix what's wrong with America." In it, he writes on a new book out by Reason magazine Editor Matt Welch and Reason.tv Editor in Chief Nick Gillespie: The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade but this just isn't going to ever happen. Ever. The reason why Libertarianism can't "fix what's wrong with America" is because Libertarians can't decide and agree on--and never will--how small "small government" is supposed to be. Some will say no government at all. Others will say "only this much." Still others will say, "Well, we've got to add this." Get, say, a dozen Libertarians in a room and ask them how much government we should have. They'll never agree. Then, imagine thousands of them, collectively, at, say, a national convention. Fights would soon break out, I feel certain. They can never be a cohesive group because they'll never be able to decide the size of government and what its functions are to be. It'll never happen. Stossel writes "The big change they see stems from independents' refusal to be absorbed by any party." This "refusal to be absorbed" is more an indication of our own national fracturing and splintering, not evidence that we're coming together--or going to--to fix our problems. I say again, the way to "fix America" is to get the wealthy people's and corporation's money out of our government. We have to get them to stop legally buying our representatives and so, our legislation and government. If we can't or don't do that, nothing will change and we are doomed to failure, as a nation. And trust me, usually I'm an optimist. Links: http://reason.com/archives/2011/06/30/a-new-day-in-politics; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1586489380/reasonmagazineA/

Tea Party Leadership--is this really the way we ought to go?

Rand Paul, the ultra-conservative candidate in Kentucky who openly embraces and courts the "Tea Party" and gets their votes, came out, earlier this week against the Civil Right Act of 1964--though he says, of course, that he abhors discrimination--and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The boy's an idiot, folks, pure and simple.

And a demagogue, don't forget that. Mr. "I'll say anything to these Right Wing wackos, to get elected".

And there are tons of blogs out there ranting about this and it's certainly in the news so I'll make this brief.

We have to keep in mind that doing away with both or either of these things, the Civil Rights Act and/or the ADA, would be taking us backward, not forward, in any progress the country has made for the less-advantaged.

What really gets me is that the Right Wing nutcase reporter, John Stossel, agreed, on television that "Private businesses ought to get to discriminate..."

From The Osterley Times:

STOSSEL: Totally. I'm in total agreement with Rand Paul. You can call it public accommodation, and it is, but it's a private business. And if a private business wants to say, "We don't want any blond anchorwomen or mustached guys," it ought to be their right. Are we going to say to the black students' association they have to take white people, or the gay softball association they have to take straight people? We should have freedom of association in America.

STOSSEL: And I would go further than he was willing to go, as he just issued the statement, and say it's time now to repeal that part of the law.

KELLY: What?

STOSSEL: Because private businesses ought to get to discriminate. And I won't won't ever go to a place that's racist and I will tell everybody else not to and I'll speak against them. But it should be their right to be racist.

What's scary, shocking and disturbing here, about this, is that Stossel's report, when seen on television, gives more than a little bit of weight to it, when seen by other Right Wing conservatives and/or business owners or, actually, any other racist jerkwad out there watching the crap Fox puts on the screen.

Remember that old idea as a kid that "if it's in a book, it must be true"?

As we mature, we realize that's patently untrue.

BUT IF YOU SEE IT ON TV??

People really would feel justified and supported in believing this nonsense if some idiot reporter from New York City or Washington, DC says it's so, right on his own television set.

This starts to get scary.

Naturally, it was on Fox "News" but holy cow, how completely, totally and utterly irresponsible. They've outdone even themselves.

So to all Americans out there, even and including the Fox channel and the Tea Party leaders and followers, I ask you (beg?), please don't take us backwards. Let's continue to progress, as a country, and improve things for the people and not just the corporations and wealthy.

Here's hoping.


With that, let's try to have a great weekend, y'all.