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Regardless of his fate or the consequences of his revelations, he scarified his life for us. My respect for him is boundless. It's also a reminder of the vital

by nsns 13y ago

Regardless of his fate or the consequences of his revelations, he scarified his life for us. My respect for him is boundless. It's also a reminder of the vital and essential difference between fighting for liberty and Ayn Rand-ish "libertarianism", which is probably what many in government believe in.

olalonde 13y ago
I fail to see how you managed to make a connection to "Ayn Rand-ish libertarianism" and why you think many people in government believe in it. Don't libertarians dislike government?
- nsns 13y ago
  e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Greenspan#Objectivism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Greenspan#Objectivism
- rayiner 13y ago
  Libertarians (unlike anarchists) don't "dislike government." They dislike government that has more than a specific set of responsibilities. That said, I don't get the Rand connection here either. I will say that NSA spying isn't necessarily incompatible with a libertarian government. Libertarians don't reject the law & order or security functions of the state. Even a libertarian government would have the power to issue warrants, subpoenas, etc. Given that, something like the recent NSA incident couldn't have been prevented with a "small libertarian government." It's cheap as hell (Google, etc, do all the work!) and leverages basic powers that would exist in the "smallest" governments.
  - jetti 13y ago
    "I will say that NSA spying isn't necessarily incompatible with a libertarian government." I would believe it is against the very definition of libertarianism as a belief and not any political party with libertarian in its name. Taken from Wikipedia: "Libertarianism (Latin: liber, "free")[1] is a set of related political philosophies that uphold liberty as the highest political end.[2][3] This includes emphasis on the primacy of individual liberty,[4][5] political freedom, and voluntary association. It is the antonym to authoritarianism.[6] Libertarians advocate a society with a greatly reduced state or no state at all.[7]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
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Shivetya 13y ago
I assume from your comment you never read Atlas Shrugged. If anything it calls out the issues we are seeing today in the NSA and especially the IRS. The threat of, if not use of, government power to regulate, dictate, and confiscate. The intimidation of people and thoughts not acceptable to those in power. Her books are about personal freedom. Whether the freedom she espoused is too much for some people is another question

by nsns 13y ago

olalonde 13y ago

I fail to see how you managed to make a connection to "Ayn Rand-ish libertarianism" and why you think many people in government believe in it. Don't libertarians dislike government?

nsns 13y ago
e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Greenspan#Objectivism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Greenspan#Objectivism
rayiner 13y ago
Libertarians (unlike anarchists) don't "dislike government." They dislike government that has more than a specific set of responsibilities. That said, I don't get the Rand connection here either. I will say that NSA spying isn't necessarily incompatible with a libertarian government. Libertarians don't reject the law & order or security functions of the state. Even a libertarian government would have the power to issue warrants, subpoenas, etc. Given that, something like the recent NSA incident couldn't have been prevented with a "small libertarian government." It's cheap as hell (Google, etc, do all the work!) and leverages basic powers that would exist in the "smallest" governments.
- jetti 13y ago
  "I will say that NSA spying isn't necessarily incompatible with a libertarian government." I would believe it is against the very definition of libertarianism as a belief and not any political party with libertarian in its name. Taken from Wikipedia: "Libertarianism (Latin: liber, "free")[1] is a set of related political philosophies that uphold liberty as the highest political end.[2][3] This includes emphasis on the primacy of individual liberty,[4][5] political freedom, and voluntary association. It is the antonym to authoritarianism.[6] Libertarians advocate a society with a greatly reduced state or no state at all.[7]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

Shivetya 13y ago

I assume from your comment you never read Atlas Shrugged. If anything it calls out the issues we are seeing today in the NSA and especially the IRS. The threat of, if not use of, government power to regulate, dictate, and confiscate. The intimidation of people and thoughts not acceptable to those in power. Her books are about personal freedom. Whether the freedom she espoused is too much for some people is another question