View images tagged “I don’t even know where to begin…”
Here's a pretty old post from the blog archives of Geekery Today; it was written about 16 years ago, in 2008, on the World Wide Web.
I noticed this recently in an ad on reason‘s website.
If you want a brief illustration of just about everything that was wrong about the late, unlamented miserable failure of the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential ticket, well, here’s a start.
Follow
Hahah, good point Charles. Yet, I bet that more than one libertarian will see this post and ask “What´s the point? What´s wrong with that image?
Damnit, you made me puke in my beer again.
I’ve never paid much attention to the internal politics of the LP, but I genuinely like Mary Ruwart’s personality — from what I can glean of it via reading her work online.
Let me just say, for the benefit of those that haven’t seen the grand asshole in person, that pictures don’t do justice to his sleaziness.
I think the time for outrage has long passed. This is the libertarian movement, or at least what the plurality anf effect of the libertarian movement add up to. It’s pandemic. Those who won’t see it either support what has happened or never will have a clue.
Obama’s just another politican, but there were reasons why I was all smiles for a few days after his election. If, per impossibile, either Barr or Ron Paul had become president, I would have felt fearful, ashamed, and nauseous.
The libertarian movement is in despicable shape and digs in its heels against all reform and criticism. This book cover isn’t a fraud but a symbol of what the movement truly has in its soul.
How would the world be any worse than the world is today if the libertarian movement had never existed? If this is true, then what does that say to all the thousands of people who have spent their lives and fortines in pursuit of this ideal? If individual freedom is indeed an inestimable virtue, then what words on Earth can describe those who are responsible for turning the movement which was supposed to give United Statians the reality of liberty into this?
When historians write of the decline of America, doubtless someone will notice that there existed a political movement which, in that country’s final years, attempted to reclaim everything which the United States had represented at its best. They will note that this movement utterly failed to stop the country’s slide into a miserable dictatorship and in fact itself became dominated by the specific noxious spirit which characterised late imperial America. Their question will be: what was essentially wrong with this movement, that it not only failed to defeat the monster but itself also became it.
There’s no reason why not to start asking thee questions now. There are a great deal of people invested in not looking for the answers, but there is a limit as to how long everyone can keep denying the reality of the problem.
I am not delusional or invested in not seeing reality accurately. Be careful about generalities! Please.
Ok, I don’t really care whether anonymous responds to this or not, but I want to get it off in my chest in a way that invites public feedback. I write for my own pleasure, but I am also an aspiring freelancer — with some promising connections.
Begins passionate speech
This is also not the venue most in need of disillusionment about what Libertarianism signifies in the public mind or the nature of the LP’s bad policies. I don’t have any real personal stake in what happens to the LP, because I’ve never been a member of it. I suspect that many of Charles’s readers aren’t socially reactionary and proud of Barr being the candidate or have a major ideological interest in these kinds of electoralist pragmatic power politics — apart from voting defensively.
The Alliance of the Libertarian Left’s banner explicitly states that opposition to sexism, racism, and homophobia is something that unites us. In my own efforts to evaluate potential Libertarian ALLies in the D.C. area, I have yet to come across a bible thumping decentralist theocrat or an outright jerk. Right now, I am more afraid of being conscripted for mandatory civil service by the Progressive’s man in Washington named Obama. “Progressives” as a whole are hardly my friends and Libertarians as a whole are hardly my enemies. A previous commenter’s exhortations to me to support modern institutions fell on already convinced ears. When have I ever proposed alternative institutions to the state that aren’t modern in design or outlook? My website speaks for itself. No one is walking away from it with the idea that I want an acontextual political ideology incapable of challenging bad philosophic trends in contemporary America. And if they are, then I need to review my writings for improvement.
Like others who have aspired to the heights of the mind, I stand on my own two feet with a fiery tongue.
Ends speech
Ok. Now, I respectfully request your consideration for donations and welcome your generous consideration ( :
I should be writing more soon. Look for it to appear on http://www.lifeloveandliberty.com/ or a new second site aimed at the promotion-discussion of liberal principles and philosophy I might be creating. If I create it, then I’ll probably let Charles know.
Nick-
If it’s not about you, it’s not about you. And it’s not about you.
I figured so after my first response — driven by knee jerk emotions. My second response was actually not directed at defending myself, but I could have worded it better. I think the point you made was a good ones, and I like to promote discussion of solid points — via stirring pieces.
It also hopefully boosts my readership.
Readers here should know that I have “neurotic” (stupid psych term, I know) emotions and tend to spill them out on other people.
You’ve all been forewarned ( :
Anon.
I am sorry for responding in a way that might have caused you pain or suffering of some kind. I admittedly jumped to conclusions.
Once again, my sincere apologies.
Although; what looks like an angry rebuke hurt my feelings much like any angry rebuke does — though, I suppose my first response came off as hostile.
Nevertheless, I am going to stop talking about this now.