CompuServe Messages

> Our government and, hopefully, yours is still somewhat > answerable to its citizens. To a small degree, it is. However, that is small comfort for those that see the current misinterpretation of the entire basis of the country as being the method by which government reduces, and will continue to reduce, the amount that the citizenry has to say. If you examone the founding fathers' politics, you will, for the most part, find men who would likely have been ardent Libertarians if they were here today. They would be appalled at the governments of the past 50 years, and the powers they have usurped. > These functions that YOU name as purposes of government are not > typical of a pyramid scheme. > Sir, you contradict yourself! I do not. When I compared government to a pyramid scheme, I spoke of 'government as she is in evidence today', only part of which is concerned with defense, police, and judiciary, the three proper functions of government. When I say that I want to aim for _AT LEAST_ limiting gobvvernment to its proper functions, I am speaking of a goal; a far different thing than a current implementation. > I am leery of the extremes of either philosophy. "Either"? Hmm… I think you may have confused me with someone of a different political stripe. > Too much conservatism leads to a 'big brother' type of society. > Too much liberalism leads to chaos. Ahh… there it is.. the assumption that if I lambaste the liberals, I must, of necessity, be a conservative. Same mistake that many make, but a mistake nonetheless. I am a libertarian (and sometimes a Libertarian". There is no such thing as "too much libertarianism". > .. rural letter carrier. … I believe that our effects are neither useless nor parasitic. You may be quite right in your statement. However, I note that none of your examples is of a person who, to cite a few, issues business license, works in a PR department, or audits tax returns, all functions I consider to be parasitic. After all, I cannot hold the opinion that taxation should not exist, and at the same time, hold the opinion that tax colection is useful, or that chatting up the public to make them think the gov't is doing good, is useful, etc. > You appear to be following a Jeffersonian model of reasoning > in that the government that governs least governs best. Absolutely. Jefferson is a man to be admired, and who would be a libertarian if he were here today. No doubt about it. > Merry Christmas to you and yours, And to you and yours. -larry