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Whenever I mention libertarian principles on HN I get a mixed response, but this is one situation where we must demand individual rights. We need to elect polit
by reedlaw 16y ago
Whenever I mention libertarian principles on HN I get a mixed response, but this is one situation where we must demand individual rights. We need to elect politicians like Ron Paul who oppose big government intrusions into our privacy. This country is supposed to be a bastion of liberty and we go to war to "protect freedom" and "democracy" and yet we are less and less free every day. When we see articles about Chinese "human rights abuses" many are quick to condemn them and other countries perceived as less free than ourselves. Yet I have observed that the US has been headed in a very totalitarian direction for at least the past decade while China has been headed the opposite way, towards more and more freedom. Yes, the Chinese have filtered Internet today, but in the last century they've moved from Feudalism to Communism to a mixed economy. We have gone from having the most freedom in the world to having a Department of Homeland Security, TSA, NSA, Patriot Act, full-body X-Rays, and country-tapping.
- bioh42_2 16y agoWe need to elect politicians like Ron Paul Ran Paul has a pretty safe seat in the house. It is not practical to expect Americans to elect him president. I believe the OP asked for practical advice.
- reedlaw 16y agoMaybe his son, Rand (Senator-KY), will someday run. He may stand a better chance.
- nroman 16y agoNot really. Any political consultant worth his salt could easily paint Rand Paul as a racist, given his comments on the Civil Rights Act. (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/05/rand_paul_telling_the_truth.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/05/rand_paul...) Just to be clear, I'm not saying I think Rand Paul is a racist. I'm just saying I don't think he has a chance in a national election.
- kingkawn 16y agoI suppose not caring at all about black people is not expressly racist, indifference and dislike are rather different, no?
- reedlaw 16y agoPaul is neither indifferent nor racist. He is explicitly pro-civil rights and anti-racist.
- reedlaw 16y agoIt is clear from the context what Paul is saying and I don't think anyone who hears him speak for more than 2 minutes will believe he's a racist: PAUL: Well, I think what you've done is you bring up something that really is not an issue, nothing I've ever spoken about or have any indication that I`m interested in any legislation concerning. So, what you bring up is sort of a red herring or something that you want to pit. It's a political ploy. I mean, it's brought up as an attack weapon from the other side, and that's the way it will be used. But, you know, I think a lot of times these attacks fall back on themselves, and I don't think it will have any effect because the thing is, is that every fiber of my being doesn't believe in discrimination, doesn't believe that we should have that in our society. And to imply otherwise is just dishonest.
- tocomment 16y agoThis.
- cyrus_ 16y agoThe flip side of course being that libertarians generally oppose the kind of government regulation that could stop this heinous merger from further destroying an already non-classical market.
- binspace 16y agoGovernment regulation will not stop this, it's top secret. Just give the NSA less money.
- sitmack 16y agoSooo the government can't stop itself? And we are the government. So we cannot stop ourselves from spying on ourselves. It makes sense and it is a positive feedback cycle that will destroy this country. I blame not stopping WWII.
- reedlaw 16y agoWe need more government regulation to stop...government regulation?