Jim Devine writes:
>> I would guess that he's the type of principled money libertarian
>> encouraged by the socioeconomic environment of the West (including
>> Texas). Somehow government subsidies help breed "rock-ribbed"
>> individualism there.
So he is principled, but his principles derive from government subsidization.
Now, I doubt that you intend to mean that since Ron Paul is so experienced
experiencing the effects of government subsidization, he is uniquely positioned
to know that government subsidization is a bad thing and, therefore, his
libertarian philosophy is more credible than say, a proponent of government
subsidization who has not experienced government subsidization. That would be
logical -- opinion informed by experience. But I assume you are saying
something else, something along the lines of it is a priori impossible for any
individual to reach a decision that is abstractly objective untainted by
personal historic circumstance (or, to use the word I was taught back in the
day, all individuals are "encumbered").
You have made this argument before, in fact very recently. I suppose it is
true, but it is unclear to me whether it is true in any sense more than
trivial. Once I know that my decision-making is encumbered, I can try and
identify my encumbrances and weed them out of the analysis. At least from
personal experience and introspection, I think that can make a very real
difference. I am curious, how do you explain your beliefs and opinions? Do
you assume that your present beliefs are traceable to specific historical
events in your life as opposed to the application of dispassionate reason? If
so, by what measure do you determine that your beliefs and opinions are better
or preferable to the beliefs and opinions of others? If so, how do you justify
anger and moral judgment directed at individuals when those individuals make
decisions with which you profoundly disagree?
David Shemano
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