Frank Reichert wrote to Robert Goodman:
I suspect that I am used to 'lying' coming from both the GOP and Democratic
Party candidates. I've virtually, *I THINK*, seen it all, or I suspect
I've seen the most of it anyway. The thing that I have long admired by
real Libertarian Party candidates, is that they usually tell it like it is,
and in large measure, really mean what they say. Although sometimes I
might disagree with some of them, particularly on right to life issues, and
probably security on our borders. I've been pretty outspoken on both
issues on this forum for a long time, so no one should be surprised.
However, overall, LP candidates seem to have a rather clear message, and
might tend to go in such a direction of elected.
Well, the Red Sox and White Sox have both won World Series, and once again
in consecutive years, so maybe in another 85 years, the LP candidates will
win and we can test this hypothesis.
I have no problem working in the Conservative Party, and have gotten into
poisitions of considerable responsibility thereby, although everyone
recognizes philosophic differences I have with others therein. You can
always find points of common interest with practically any political
party,
sufficient to make yourself welcome there.
Well. Good luck. I do know several candidates and proponents of the
Constitution Party, at least here in Idaho. Insofar as the Conservative
Party is concerned, I haven't followed that a great deal, and know probably
very little insofar as how that Party stacks up on major issues with the
Libertarian Party.
One thing I find interesting is that the rank and file of the Republican
party is far more libertarian than the leadership. When I've raised the
issue of drug legalization, I am astonished at how high support for it is
among people who would generally be considered conservatives. Support for
medical marijuana is over 80%, over 70% among conservatives according to
surveys - and I think those understate the support. For recreational
marijuana, the last survey I saw was 36%, but I think the actual level is
higher, based on recent votes.
I think the rank and file of Dems is about the same as the leaders, though
on the drug issue, the leaders are basically spineless - or unwilling to
reduce govt. power by even a drop.
I honestly don't know what the answer is anymore, as I am stuck with the
fascists and socialists who want to control each and everything we want to
do individually, and even with the context of voluntary associations.
We have honestly, become a sick society of becoming comfortable with sound
bites, rather than principle and reasonable alternatives to the sordid mess
we find ourselves in today. And, right now tonight, I don't have a single
clue on how to change much of that.
Maybe I've become too much of an ideologue to make a difference anymore in
the scope of things. Who knows?
Well, I'll tell you what I do. In the course of discussing ethics in my
marketing classes, I always bring up the issue of drug legalization or
"underage" drinking. I allow all sides to present their views, but I
certainly make my views clear - many of my students are astonished that a
professor would have such views; they are used to professors being in favor
of more govt. control over everything, certainly not in favor of drug
legalization or removing the drinking age. And, of course, when I bring my
own medical history into the equation, it's even harder for students to say,
well, even cancer patients having a bad reaction to chemo and not getting
relief from anti-nausea medicines should be told by the govt. what they can
do.
Most of my students are politically apathetic, but I plant the seeds for
when they aren't. Nothing out of line; just explaining how antitrust laws
work and how policies are decided (all part of the marketing environment
session) is enough to make students distrustful of expanded govt.
Doug
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