Doug Henwood /11 reports
>I once read a crude and admittedly reductive definition of
libertarianism: "I've got mine, so fuck you." Despite all the pretense
of science, and the high-blown language about liberty, the doctrine
really does come down to that in the end.
Of course, a libertarian would respond that the Left amounts to "I've
got yours, so fuck you," and all the talk about oppression and
entitlement is diversion and rationalization.
The urge to find that "in the end . . . the doctrine really does come
down to" X is a nearly-guaranteed conversation-stopper. That, in itself,
may be a necessity -- how else do you get away from the guy -- but it's
also a thought-stopper, which is not always a good thing.
Michael Etchison
[opinions mine, not the PUCT's]
