Walter In Denver

TO: Walter
RE: You Were Expecting....What?

"...the quiz really seems to be testing for anarcho-capitalist purity rather than libertarian." -- Walter

That's what libertarians are, Walter; latter-day anarchists.

"You do what you want. And I'll do what I want. And never the twain shall cross."

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Anarchy - Government by everybody.]

That was fun Walter, but I agree with you an anarcho capitalist scores perfect, but a "constitutionalist" type libertarian would score much lower. Those are the two main factions of libertarians and I think both are libertarian, but the scores definitely would vary widely.

TO: severin
RE: The 'Test'

Anyone who scored more than 5, on a scale of 0 to 160, was some from of 'libertarian'.

Nice of them to be so 'inclusive', but it's 'bogus'.

Regards,

Chuck(le)

The whole notion of "libertarian purity" makes my skin crawl. Intellectual rigor is desirable, perhaps. But Purity?

On anarchocapitalism, it's no less a dream state than the withering-away communist one. As WUTT posted before, "if government is outlawed, only outlaws will have governments." And they'll be perfectly happy to impose their government on us once ours is abolished.

TO: Fûz
RE: Purity?

"The whole notion of "libertarian purity" makes my skin crawl. Intellectual rigor is desirable, perhaps. But Purity?" -- Fûz

Good point.

When does the political cleansing begin?

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Only the pure in socio-political theory shall enter into my pressence.]

P.S. Who gets to determine what is 'pure'?

Took it yesterday, and my score was in the 60 range (didn't write it down). I too found several of the questions too vague to be answered in a very meaningful way.

It would seem that Andy and I scored in the same general area. Yeah, I think the test was fun, but not particularly meaningful.

"That's what libertarians are, Walter; latter-day anarchists."

Please, Chuck, the Libertarian idea of self-ownership, and hence property rights, is hardly anarchist. That a handful of libertarians identify themselves as anarchists is a weak criticism of the movemement.

Guys, "purity tests" have been a staple on the net since before the Web was invented; it's just a term, pretty much stemming from the joking "sexual purity tests" ever so popular with adolescents of all ages; think of it as a hyphenate.

"On anarchocapitalism, it's no less a dream state than the withering-away communist one."

I rather feel that way myself, for the near-term of the next fifty years or so (and I think it's silly to politicaly/economically theorize beyond that, given the revolutionary technological changes that continue to come, and change our culture and economy and polity), but I will say, in extreme libertarianism's defense, that much as sometimes the airy theorizing irritates or bores the hell out of me, I do think it's entirely valuable and appropriate that a bunch of people be out on the edge, thinking crazy theoretical ideas, trying to visual different ways to do things from today, no matter how loony-sounding, because it's only by the work of those on the edge, Going Too Far, that what's valuable to change actually eventually percolates into the mainstream.

I just don't have too much more interest in spending much time on anarcho-libertarian theorizing, myself, than I do on theorizing how perfect communism will lead to the withering away of the state. But y'all carry on and have fun, and every now and again I'll come over and give a listen. Just don't harangue me at a party.

Ouch, a 49... they say, "Your libertarian credentials are obvious. Doubtlessly you will become more extreme as time goes on," but I think I'm some kinda commie now.

I'm off to build my puppet for the next G8 meeting.