Dear Sally,
You mentioned Melanie Morgan will be a speaker.
I recall she supported the U.S. war on Iraq. This is funded via taxation,
inflation, and borrowing. Doesn't this contradict our anti-tax message?
Warm regards, Michael
Michael:
I think this argument is rather weak, since carried to its logical conclusion, it implies that nothing the government does is legitimate, since it is all ultimately funded by taxation or borrowing. I understand that since you are an anarchist this is probably indeed your view.
Tending toward the minarchist side, it's my belief that to maximize liberty, free men form governments to secure their rights against well organized organizations who may seek to usurp them.
I don't know Sally, but I bet that using an anarchist framework in making your points will probably not be effective. Wouldn't it be a stronger argument and more likely to be sympathetic to her to argue that regime change and taxation are really just two examples of government overstepping its rightful role? This way, you don't have to reveal to her that you believe there is no rightful role for a government and she won't quickly dismiss you as an "anarchist".
Derek, Has the San Francisco GOP seen the evil of it's neo con ways and joined the Liberty movement, or are they just desperately holding onto the last tattered remains of legitimacy that the GOP has?
Phil: I don't know. We'll soon see.
-Derek
Derek, have the people responsible we witnessed at the GOP straw poll (either through direct action or lack of action) been removed from any positions of authority within the local party as a result?
correction:
Derek, have the people responsible we *for the corruption* witnessed at the GOP straw poll (either through direct action or lack of action) been removed from any positions of authority within the local party as a result?
I think you're referring to Gail Neira, who headed up "The San Francisco Republican Alliance", which is (was) a splinter group from the SF GOP and the sponsor of the event to which you refer. Neira is not in a position of responsibility with the SF-GOP
Good to hear. If the folks involved in the local GOP were disgusted by her behavior, then maybe there is some hope for them. My only interactions with the local GOP folks has been Gail Neira, Jennifer DePalma (the current treasurer) who said we should "fight the terrorists in Iraq so they don't fight us here in the US", and a Mike Denunzio (the past chairman) who was convinced that Iraq was the source of the 9/11 terrorists and (it seemed to me) practically wanted to jump on a ballistic nuke and ride it into Bagdad.
As with the Board of Supervisors, the local GOP is a mixed bag. My understanding is that Gail and the California Republican Assembly are more hardcore conservative than most of those in charge, for better as well as for worse. The local Log Cabin Republicans have been pretty good -- they endorsed me in at least one of my campaigns. Jennifer DePalma is also somewhat libertarian (her views on Iraq notwithstanding, for those who feel that stance is at odds with libertarianism). She used to work for the Cato Institute. Although I confess I'm disappointed she wasn't supporting Ron Paul in the primaries, IIRC.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
I've met DePalma a few times and happen to agree with her sentiment on Iraq. I don't think Neira has many allies in the local GOP