mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (01/01/70)
In article <515@whuxl.UUCP> orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) writes: >> <mike claims: >> The US makes a good working example of this: it started as a relatively >> libertarian state, grew strong and etc., and slid (is sliding) into a >> totalitarian-socialism [and before the flames start, no, I do *not* think >> those two are inevitebly coupled]. > >Once again we hear repeated the old rightwing myth that the United States >began with a cabal of "Libertarians" and diehard advocates of "free >enterprise". > >It is simply dead wrong for Libertarians to try to claim that the >originators of our democracy were "Libertarians". >Please stop making this claim! > tim sevener whuxl!orb Tim, please *read* what you quoted from my article. I did not say word one about the philosophies of the founding fathers of the US. What I did say was that they founded a relatively libertarian state. The founding fathers, like most groups, represented a range of beliefs, including a some with a libertarian/free-enterprise stance. While they didn't manage to turn out a truly libertarian state, they did manage to keep the US from using force to make people contribute to its idea of "good," at least temporarily. I won't stop making the claim that the originators of our republic were libertarians. I can't, having never made it. I wish *you* would start repling to what people said, as opposed to what you wish they had said. You should consider Carnes as a model, or let him speak for you. <mike
brian@digi-g.UUCP (Brian Westley) (03/24/85)
mwm@ucbtopaz.UUCP (Praiser of Bob) writes: >.... What I did say was that they [the founding fathers] founded a >relatively libertarian state. The founding fathers, >like most groups, represented a range of beliefs, including a some with a >libertarian/free-enterprise stance. While they didn't manage to turn out a >truly libertarian state, they did manage to keep the US from using force to >make people contribute to its idea of "good," at least temporarily. > > <mike Like slavery? Merlyn Leroy "Quote funny nose"