Herding Libertarians
A perennial feature of the LP involves our philosophic plurality:
anarcho-libertarians, limited government libertarians, Christian
libertarians, consequentialist libertarians, Randian libertarians,
utilitarian libertarians, and more, all allied to shrink the
oppressive state. Yet in his thoughtful Opinion article ("The Time is
Now to Enhance your Public Speaking Skills," California Freedom, May
2005, p. 6) Mark Whitney decries the "multiple... voices that serve to
define our party" and exhorts LP candidates to "speak as one voice."
Talk about herding cats and teaching a pig to sing! Yes, a herd of
cats and singing pigs may be marvelous sights to behold, but does it
oppose the essential nature of cats and pigs?
I suggest, instead, we more realistically practice acceptance of our
differences while remaining true to the brand of libertarianism we're
passionate about and which energizes us to committedly work for
liberty.
Michael R. Edelstein
DrEdelstein@...
San Francisco
Michael,
I also thank you for reminding CA LP of the somewhat esoteric nature
of Libertarians. I believe that any attempt to morph the LP into an
entity understood, and thus taken seriously, by the general public
would have to take our idiosyncratic collective character into
account. Were I to attempt such a feat, I would start by asking
Libertarians to clarify their terms. What does a "brand of
libertarianism we're passionate about" really mean? How do we
communicate that particular sentiment to the general public when we
are standing at the podium at a "Candidates' Night?" How does that
phrase tell voters how we stand on specific issues? Or for the
$65,000 question, do Libertarians care whether or not the general
public understand us, takes us seriously, or even votes for us.
Well, just a thought.
Regards,
Marcy
--- In lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com, "Dr. Michael R. Edelstein"
<dredelstein@t...> wrote:
Herding Libertarians
A perennial feature of the LP involves our philosophic plurality:
anarcho-libertarians, limited government libertarians, Christian
libertarians, consequentialist libertarians, Randian libertarians,
utilitarian libertarians, and more, all allied to shrink the
oppressive state. Yet in his thoughtful Opinion article ("The Time
is
Now to Enhance your Public Speaking Skills," California Freedom, May
2005, p. 6) Mark Whitney decries the "multiple... voices that serve
to
define our party" and exhorts LP candidates to "speak as one voice."
Talk about herding cats and teaching a pig to sing! Yes, a herd of
cats and singing pigs may be marvelous sights to behold, but does it
oppose the essential nature of cats and pigs?
I suggest, instead, we more realistically practice acceptance of our
differences while remaining true to the brand of libertarianism
we're