--- In lpsf-activists@yahoogroups.com, "Amarcy D. Berry" <amarcyb@...>
wrote:
>
> Dear Ron,
>
> I would love to invite my daughter to one of our meetings, but there
> is a little problem. Her political leanings are a cross between
> flaming liberal and fascist, so libertarianism does not appeal to her.
I would ask her to take the political quiz at
[http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/questionnaire.php](http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/questionnaire.php)
The graph isn't as well labelled as the OK Cupid test, but it's much
more comprehensive I think.
One of the first things anyone should do before really getting adament
about his belief system is to take this test and understand the
"Nolan" chart. After that point, it seems that she could begin to
have a vastly more meaningful discourse with folks like us. As a
recovering socialist (I was a libertarian in elementary school, but
college brainwashed me into socialism) I know full well that the
biggest problem with most people's views, especially on the economic
axis, is that they haven't ever been challenged to really think about
them.
The impression I get by your description is that she's somewhat of an
authoritarian/dominionist, which is often confused for a fascist, but
is significantly different. The thing people like this have to come
to understand, just as I did, is that the ends don't necessarily
justify the means. And stealing people's money by force, even if it
is to help the poor, is still stealing. She needs to have it pointed
out that in a libertarian society, everyone gets a 100% vote of how to
spend his own money, so the same people who would vote for socialist
candidates could still donate as much of their own money as they liked
to charity. She needs to understand that no majority gives anyone the
right to take someone's private belongings.
I don't get the impression that you are anywhere near the kind of
evangelist that I am, but this is a concept that I constantly go in
mad circles with when talking to socialists. I think it would do her
tremendous tremendous good to have to justify her beliefs and have
them tested. Deep thought cured me at least.
CLAY