"Try Me"

Go read Bruce McQuain.

To begin with: there will be no comments at this weblog. Anybody who doesn't like it that way should go someplace else and have a divine day. Memo To Other Bloggers: anyone who runs comments on their weblog and who doesn't appreciate me commenting there because I don't allow it here should simply say so (or for any other reason, or no reason at all), and the thing will be so easily solved that they won't quite believe it.

To the matter at hand:

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Bruce --

You write of "the continued state of denial the do-nothing purists who call themselves libertarians find themselves".

The only thing that identifies who you're talking about with that sentence is the smear, "purists". If you want to talk about "denial", one could point to three decades of hope for a democratic solution to a problem that gets worse and worse and is positively wrecking America, while lots of people get more and more "pure" about "reaching out" and "building consensus" with outright cannibals and assorted monsters. And I don't know who you're talking about with that "do-nothing" crack, but you know damned well that you're not talking about me.

So; who "call[s] themselves libertarians"? What's their problem?

You say it's "not about compromising principles... Its about compromise in order to eventually see your principles enacted". Compromising what then, Bruce? What else even qualifies for the concept? What, exactly, that is already mine do I have to give up in order that assorted monsters and chippers can get what they want of what's mine? What is this "eventually" that you're talking about? How about: the length of a man's life, Bruce? Your mileage may vary, and that would be your right if you could swing it, but mine's mine. Who's to say? I should go "becoming a part of the political process in order to change the process and the outcome", is that it?

Look at yourself, Bruce. You're writing code-talk at me. You could put that shit on television.

They usually don't get as plastic as this, though: "Instead of claiming to be in possession of the 'one true way' and demanding all instantly accept and enact it, its about accomplishing the possible incrementally to achieve the goals your principles establish."

Let me tell you something, Bruce: there was once time in my lifetime for a great deal of this work to have been done by now. There is no good reason why it shouldn't have been. And "the possible incrementally" is easily observable in the books: it has been manifestly incrementally possible for a raggedy-ass batch of decrepit fantasies to drive this nation into just about every ditch along the road when matters were put to poll. Now, you guys come along with something big, just as the big thing is ratcheting-up the prospects of pressure group warfare to explosive proportions not seen since television sank its fangs in democracy, and never before that. You want me to go bargain with goddamned Democratic Underground and AARP, and that's what it is. If that's not what it is, then "representation" is a bigger lie than most anybody knows about. Spare me the "one true way" sneer. You guys are the ones falling into line.

You tell me, "So the bottom line is instead of telling everyone how stupid they are for not agreeing and accepting my 'one true way' of how life should be lived,..." (uhm, the political value sublimated in the quotes is "freedom", but I know you know that.) ...I've decided to see if I can persuade people there's a better way to live and govern and to work toward that change." So that they can go express themselves twenty-six times in the average American life. And they're going to go do this demonstrably trivial thing that they feel and hope is so momentous... in favor of neolibertarian principles, because ...you're nice to them? Or what? You won't scare them? You promise not to use bad words? Are you going to smile at them when you get on TV, Bruce?

You're going to try to convince them to be free in a time when history is rolling faster than ever and political activity is intensifiying to a point where you can barely die without it being an honest-to-god federal case: there are more and greater consequences of government than ever before and democracy is even less and less competent to deal with them (the average American is going to vote twenty-six times in state and federal elections, Bruce) -- unless and until direct democracy arrives as technological hand-maiden, and then look out -- and they're going to vote for your defense if you rub elbows with someone who gives them free scripts. Or they'll vote for you if you let them keep two precent of what they earn.

And this will all happen once people realize Henke's dictum: "But, if politics is merely war by other means, then there's also nothing wrong with fighting it to win." By compromise.

I can give this credit for trying to say what it means, but it cannot possibly mean what it says, even if he thinks it can.

Who hasn't "been paying attention", Bruce? I asked about someone's problem, above, and you tell me this: "I've grown tired of the incessent screamers who constantly decry the problem but don't lift a single little finger to remedy it, all the while denouncing those who do for supposedly 'compromising their principles'." Who, exactly, are you talking about? While living some ridiculous semblance of "a life", I've been doing everything I can to starve this rotten thing out of existence, and you know the what, why, and how of it. Who's been lifting which finger[s], the whole year 'round, every year, forever? You want to complain about me saying that people are "stupid"? Try telling me that you don't know the truth about compromising principles: which ones, and what they mean. Go ahead and tell me that principles are nothing to live by -- the way Henke does -- and maybe you'll convince me that I should just smile teary-eyed at what we're all doing for the children who'll inherit a better life after efforts that were worthless in our lifetimes. These same children, no less, who are actively being taught to not think.

Try me. Maybe I can be "stupid", too. I'll try anything for a friend.