I don't have any muffins, but I can toss some kudos Howard's way.
Howard,
I haven't taken the test you guys mentioned, but I have no doubt that I
would fall in the liberal square on any test without a Libertarian bias
to it (although my first exposure to the Libertarian platform was in
2000, and it seemed very appealing, at first blush). And yet, I find
that your thoughts on taxation, obligations, and moral responsibilities,
etc. mirror my own. If I recall correctly that you characterized
yourself as conservative, I find the similarity of our views more
encouraging than surprising.
--John
Angel Stewart wrote:
>
> *clap clap clap*
>
> MUFFINS! FREE MUFFINS FOR THE Month for Howard!
> :)
>
> hee hee hee
>
> I too normally fall into the Libertarian squares, but if you do some background
>checking, at least the political test I took,
> was sponsored by a Libertarian organisation. This one was with squares and all
>that..I forgot the URL, i think it was
> www.politicalcompass.org or something. Its interesting to note too that most of the
>sites that share this URL, are also
> Libertarian. Not surprisingly..the test is flawed. And then of course we have the
>more serious issue, that if the test is NOT
> flawed, then the Libertarian Party is woefully failing to meet the needs of the
>American Public.
> ;-)
>
> A whole lot of people end up reading as Libertarians on that political test for some
>strange reason!
> =)
>
> -Gel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>
> In most political "tests," I generally fall in the libertarian squares. But
> there are a couple of very good reasons I have never joined the Libertarian
> part.
>
> 1) I believe that he who benefits the most from society owes the greatest
> obligation to society. This was the original premise behind the federal
> income tax, which originally only taxed the 6 percent richest people in the
> U.S.
>
> 2) I fully support all efforts by charitable organizations to provide
> assistance to those who need it, but I do not believe charitable
> organizations are a suitable substitute for government programs. The
> government, in its ideal form, is an extension of society, of the people. As
> a civilized society, we all share an obligation to each other's well being.
> The government, as an expression of our societal bonds, has an obligation to
> provide assistance to those who are unable to assistant themselves (I'm not
> addressing, for the moment, abuses of any such system).
>
> 3) Given the above, some sort of taxation is necessary. And it is my moral
> responsibility to pay my taxes.
>
> 4) Given my religious belief and my conservative notion that all people are
> basically selfish, self-centered and flawed from the time of birth, then I
> do not trust corporations (which are run by PEOPLE) or other individuals to
> do the right thing all of the time. This is why we have laws, including laws
> that regulate businesses and keep them, ideally, from polluting the
> environment, exploiting workers and generally doing bad things to society as
> a whole.
>
> While I agree with many libertarian principles, especially as pertains to
> individual rights, I cannot agree with many positions taken by the
> Libertarian Party, especially as pertains to the points above.
>
> And also, all but one of the Libertarians I have ever personally met (I used
> to be very involved in politics as a profession), is a certified kook. That
> tends to sour my view of the Libertarian Party as well.
>
> H.
>
>
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