THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 658, February 19, 2012 Freedom, Immortality, and the Stars. For me, that's what the current rEVOLution is all about. Special to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise After a series of e-mails between myself and a good friend, L. Neil Smith (Libertarian, author of "Down With Power" (Non- Fiction), "The Probability Broach", "Pallas", "Ceres", and many other novels), I have come to the conclusion that sometimes I'm just not as Libertarian as some think I should be. Here's the opening salvo- Subject: Talking Back to Radio
To which I replied- NeilI understand your objections. However, if people want to suck the public trough for their existence, they have no right to privacy at all. I want them subjected to the government analprobings for cholesterol levels, drugs, alchohol and tobacco, prohibited from purchasing lottery tickets, have airtight regulation on the types of food their food stamps can purchase, hell, I want a government asshole telling them what clothes their kids can wear. I want them denied cable, internet, air conditioning, and cellular phones. I want their heating systems regulated and locked in to 65 degrees fahrenheit. I want them made so fucking miserable that they finally decide to get off their lazy asses and get to work supporting themselves and their kids. To be honest, I ALSO like them being forced to work for their largessecleaning streets, raking leaves on public property, painting public housing, whatever, WHILE wearing Safety Yellow vests emblazoned with "WELFARE RECIPIENT" to let everyone know. When you suck the at the taxpayers' trough, yopu have surrendered your right to nearly ANY privacy. Because I want you OFF the Dole and back supporting yourself. No, it's not particularly Libertarian, but then again, neither is being a leech. Remember a few years ago, when somewhere (Arizona??) decided that dwellers in public housing had to work 40 hours a MONTH on maintenance, if they were not otherwise employed or in school to better themselves and get off the dole? It was portrayed as slavery, forcing the poor little leeches to actually labor for their largesse. Totally ignoring the slaves forced to labor to pay to PROVIDE that largesse. Let me know if I'm missing something, OR if this actually triggered a change of thought in you! Neale Neil came back with- Have you heard the expression "Do it to Julia"?
Now, I understand and happen to be a firm supporter of individual sovereignty. I hate the thought of supporting the reduction of anyone's rights. On the other hand, every single person on the Dole, in any form, has their hands in the pocket of every taxpayer. Taking money from them, under the guise of "It's my right to these entitlements." strips me and every other taxpayer of OUR right to the monies we earn. So, the rights of people who aren't earning money supercede the rights of people EARNING that money. Well, I do not agree. And if you decide to feed at the public trough, you need to pay a steep price. What do YOU think? Was that worth reading?
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