Mencken's Libertarian Creed

[All_Around_Brown]

• I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
• I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.
• I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
• I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.
• I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
• I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.
• I believe in the reality of progress.
• I - But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

From the biography of HL Mencken http://www.io.com/%7Egibbonsb/mencken.html

[wistahpatsfan]

Originally Posted by All_Around_Brown

[*] I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

He never met my ex...

[All_Around_Brown]

"He marries best who puts it off until it is too late.""Suicide is a belated acquiescence in the opinion of one's wife's relatives. "
"Misogynist - A man who hates women as much as women hate one another."


You sure he hasn't met her kind?

[wistahpatsfan]

Originally Posted by All_Around_Brown

"He marries best who puts it off until it is too late.""Suicide is a belated acquiescence in the opinion of one's wife's relatives. "
"Misogynist - A man who hates women as much as women hate one another."


You sure he hasn't met her kind?

I didn't mean ALL women. Just that one, but I know there's lots like her...Overall, women rock in my book. I wonder why they haven't taken over, or have they?

On the Libertarian thing - what do you think of the Party line on environmental regulation and borders? These are the two points I have a conflict with, but overall the other planks are strong enough to keep me on board.

[All_Around_Brown]

Originally Posted by wistahpatsfan

I didn't mean ALL women. Just that one, but I know there's lots like her...Overall, women rock in my book. I wonder why they haven't taken over, or have they?

On the Libertarian thing - what do you think of the Party line on environmental regulation and borders? These are the two points I have a conflict with, but overall the other planks are strong enough to keep me on board.

Good questions. I've made mention before of my problem with the LP in terms of tragedy of the commons issues. Thats where I think we need limited govt, on federal lvl. Why? Overfishing, clear cutting, air + water pollution, etc... these need fed oversight as they are transborder issues.

As far as int'l borders, thats a protectionist issue I tend to agree with. Monitoring is inadequate, big time, but the incentive is within the business community, who need to show solidarity in stopping cheap labor trade. Keep the jobs here.

Bush would have us believe that there are lots of jobs that americans are unwilling to take, and granted specific amnesty for the trade. Tell that to the 9th ward NO population! Not to mention thats where our Al-Q buddies could be coming in.

I love Canada, but we gotta be wary there too.

[wistahpatsfan]

Originally Posted by All_Around_Brown

...Overfishing, clear cutting, air + water pollution, etc... these need fed oversight as they are transborder issues...
As far as int'l borders, thats a protectionist issue I tend to agree with...

I see politics as a fluid thing that doesn't lend itself well to lithic ideas other than the Constitution. I vote Libertarian as much as possible because I believe in most of the ideas the party espouses, but like my Catholic friends practice their religion, I'm guilty of practicing politics "cafeteria style". I guess that makes me some sort of mutt, but the environmental health of North America, and everywhere else, for that matter, is the most important aspect of our existence IMO. I'm a geologist by training and used to work in the environmental "consulting" field after college. The poison in the ground we live on and drink from is startling and the health effects of pollution when done deliberately is a crime against everybody - certainly against those who are killed or injured by it. You commit a crime, you pay the price.

When Mencken wrote, "I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world", that meant to me that to truly conquer something is to understand, respect, and nurture it. I doesn't mean dumping shyte in the ocean and air and moving toxic industries to the nearest country that will let us destroy their land. To me, that's not strength or wisdom.

As far as the borders, I think it's already a huge joke. I don't know how much a necessity the border really is other than an artificial definition of the abstract concept of what "America" is. This can take-off in a million directions and I need to crash for work tomorrow, but suffice to say, I'm comfortable with having borders but I'm unsure of where or what they are or should be. I'll need more time on that idea.