Right Wing Cheerleader..er...Pussy of the Week Award
What's worse than a Libertarian? A LINO... or Libertarian in Name Only. Meet Jonathan Leffingwell over at the pseudo-libertarian blog Crush Liberalism. You see, if you argue with Jon's extreme right-wing bullshit topics long enough, like most Bush apologists out there in the blogosphere...he gets itchier with that ban-nation trigger than an intoxicated Cheney at a drive-by quail hunt. Apparently, I must have pushed a few buttons as I'm banned from commenting. That's not surprising though... as it is ingrained in wingnut philosophy to silence what one either cannot defend or that presents an open window to reality. What is surprising is that he accused ME of trying to pass myself off as a Libertarian. Wha wha wha?[snip]And don't peddle your "I'm a libertarian" garbage here, since you
spout the Kos kiddies' talking points verbatim. I noticed at Lisa Renee's "Liberal Common Sense" blog that you mention your support for the DNC, your visits to Kos, etc. No self-respecting libertarian would DARE side with either of those lunatics (Kos or DNC)! What's wrong, Drew...too ashamed to admit your liberalism? You think that lying about being a libertarian somehow extends credibility to you that you are not due? At least Lisa Renee admits to being a liberal, is intellectually honest, doesn't support or practice moonbattery, and doesn't drink the left's Kool-Aid. You, on the other hand...[snip]
First of all... I never professed, pretended nor espoused "libertarian" views on his blog. There were a few issues that we agreed on, such as state's rights and better fiscal accountability in government spending... but those are my personal viewpoints and are not based on any affiliations.
I'm also baffled that he would imply that I sucked up to the DNC and Kos over at LCS. I can't remember commenting anything of the sort on that blog. What I did comment a while back is that I believed both parties to be corrupt, the DNC being the lesser of two evils. I also stated that I was considering dropping my (D) registration and voting (I). Although I list Daily Kos in my blogroll, I read it maybe twice a month and have never reposted or regurgitate something
from Kos. In fact, my comments about Kos over at LCS were critical of Kos's support for the "swiftboating" of war veteran and one time Senate hopeful Paul Hackett.
So, like any REPUBLICAN... Jon seems to be suffering from Wingnut Dyslexia. It's so easy (and convenient) to paint someone as a...what's the word... oh, yeah.. MOONBAT... when their viewpoints do not support the right-wing propaganda machine. It's easy for someone to label another blogger as an extremist when they question the governments motives, or actually believe that maybe the polar caps ARE melting due to global warming. It's easy to pass judgment and refer to someone as a leftist loonie when they may think that helping out Katrina victims might be a morally good thing to do, or that shopping at Walmart might go against American interests and support foreign (more appropriately, Chinese) interests.
So let's take a quick peek at the World According to Jon...
Google is evil for bowing to Chinese governmental censorship... but... supporting
Walmart's continuing efforts to export jobs to Asia and support low wage, exploitive labor practices in places like China and Indonesia is OK.
This Dubai port deal is outrageous and will reduce America's efforts to fight the war on terror.... But if George says it's okay, I'm down with it.
Any MSM source (CNN, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NYT, WAPO) are evil and biased. Newsmax and Fox, however, are fair, balanced and reputable.
So while I'm being accused of being a false libertarian (which of course, I never professed to being), Jon himself actually is a false libertarian. According to Wikapedia:
Libertarians strongly oppose infringement of civil rights such as restrictions on free expression (e.g., speech, press, or religious practice), prohibitions on voluntary association, or encroachments on persons or property except as a result of due process to establish or punish criminal behavior. As such, libertarians oppose any type of censorship (even for offensive speech), restrictions on gang membership (as distinct from gang violence), or pre-trial forfeiture of property. Furthermore, most libertarians reject the distinction between political and commercial speech or association, a legal distinction often used to protect one type of activity and not the other from government intervention.So, is Jon a true blue Libertarian, or simply another confused Bush apologist simply trying to disassociate himself from the negativity that comes along with being a Republican.
False Libertarian Dyslexic Wingnut. For sure. Why do you even read that craphead? I know others do too. Grace Nearing goes over there to check it out all the time and does that "I read these so you don't have to..." feature of hers. She (and you) are a better than I am, Gunga Din. I really don't like reading the opinions of people who are out of their fucking minds.
ReplyDeletei try to avoid it too
ReplyDeleteWell I must admit I read some libertarian bloggers but they seem to fall apart on the same issues. I think it is possible to talk about states rights and fiscal accountability, and a desire to see government work efficiently and for its intneded purpose AND be a liberal because this has a basis is equity. Spending billions on an unjust war when people are trapped on rooftops without help defies logic. Thats not based on 'ism'. To say that non-competitive contratcs wastes the taxpayers money is not an 'ism'. The idea that liberals are about inefficiency and waste must be challenged all around because that is not an accurate depiction of many liberals. They talk in absurd extremes (every welfare mother is a cheat, all government programs are wasteful and intrusive, etc.) they cannot speak to the financial reasons that some bureaucracy exists. How could single communities respond to a disaster? An invasion? Regulate currency? They have such strict little bozes they place liberals in, and don;t seem able to recognize that many are not moonbats and silly hippies. And we must try to speak with facts and be rational if we are to change this destructive image of the left. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteSadly though, I am tired and not wearing my glasses so my typing would be a great place to start I'll admit...
ReplyDeleteNeil: I guess I have this sort of foolhearted idealistic hope that I can find a common ground with these sorts of people. Unfortunately, more often than not, it doesn't happen. Still, reading some right-wing blogs are entertaining...in the same sort of morbid sense that one cranes his neck while driving by a car crash.
ReplyDeleteI also blame Kvatch. He left Jon's link up on his Blognonymous site and I was doomed to go and click it.
Lily: There are certain libertarian issues which I fully agree with. I personally do not like a government that has too much oversight on how it's individual states are run. I don't think many people in our circles are overly zealous about the idea of intrusive government. Where I draw the line in the sand, however, is the libertarian notion that taxation is an act of theivery on the part of the government. That viewpoint really shuns the bigger picture. I propose this hypothetical senario: Lets just eliminate all social programs. While we're at it, we'll cut out education, health and preventative programs, funding for Arts, funding for parks and wildlife, EPA funding, Social Security, Medicare/Aid.
(Hmm... now that I look at it, this actually doesn't seem all that far from reality in Bush's tenure. No wonder libertarians love him.)
But back to the scenario. At this point, we're only getting taxed for defense spending and we're living a Rush Limbaugh inspired utopia... except poor people are still poor. And without a handup, that pool of people would be destined to increase dramatically. Those over 65, having no Medicare or Social Security would have nothing to rely on. Education would only be in reach of the elite that could afford it.
When you look at the concept in it's broadest strokes... it seems to reak of fascism and plutocracy.
There is not much difference between a "True Libertarian" and an Anarchist.
ReplyDeleteI guess I would concur with you on why I have voted Libertarian in the past, but there are things that as a society we all need to contribute to create a better society. Education, health care, to name a few.
ReplyDeleteBut I feel that a true Libertarian would not support the war in Iraq either. It is a costly non-defensive war with no clear outcome or exit strategy.
But don't go so hard on kvatch, after all I linked to here from blognonymous.
Yeah... from Blognonymous you are pretty much 6 degrees with every website on the internet.
ReplyDelete