On Guns And The Minimum Wage
by Quinn
Why looky here, well whaddya know. According to this simply spiffing quiz organised by those kind chaps at the UK Libertarian Party…
That puts me in the same group as Hitler, Stalin and Gordon Brown (ha,ha). No, not really. Well, yes really, insofar as the LPUK quiz really does lump Gordon Brown in with Hitler and Stalin in the ranks of the wholly illiberal; but my answers didn’t mark me out as a Fascist Stalinist, in fact I gained a respectable “80% liberal” ranking. This high mark prompted the Libertarian Party’s website to suggest that I may be interested in joining their number, but as I am about as likely to do that as I am to join the BNP or Socialist Workers Party, I feel I may as well display the above badge as the pretty green “I am 80% Liberal” version my answers merit.
Because while I’m perfectly happy enough to call myself a liberal by my definition, I think the 80% mark as issued by the LPUK flatters me by theirs, thank to the rather feeble questions they have asked on the test. Hence, while I don’t think that we should simply “raise taxes on the rich so we can redistribute wealth to the poor”, it doesn’t follow that I agree that “it is illiberal for people to be taxed at a different rate based on their income”; although I don’t currently think “the state should make people change their behaviour to tackle climate change”, I do support some methods to encourage people to make environmentally friendly decisions; whilst I agree that “it is wrong for democratic nations to overthrow foreign dictators” as long as we are talking about it being “gross arrogance, for one state to impose their will on another”, I feel it is simplistic to say that these “issues are for the people of said state to resolve themselves with their leader(s)” because I wholly support the idea of a multilateral framework of international law to allow intervention in the case of a genocide.
In all, then, I don’t think I deserve that 80% grade, perhaps 50% or 60% is nearer the mark, a score that elicits a suggestion that I may like to find out more about liberalism by checking out the Libertarian Party’s manifesto. Perhaps. But I already know enough about my own brand of liberalism, which is founded on a belief in liberty, equality, tolerance and understanding, and with which I feel very comfortable; and I also know it is a million miles away from the “liberalism” as espoused by this repulsive [former] Libertarian Party member for example, apparently a co-author of the aforementioned LPUK manifesto no less* and a certified bigoted tosser to boot, of whom the best you can say is that there are even more sick and twisted views by assorted pondlife to be found in the comments on his blog. This is a kind of liberalism to which I can never aspire and a club I do not wish to be a part of.
*This sentence has been amended following comments from Martin, DK and OH.
The Obscurer 
OH isn’t a member, and sure as hell didn’t write the manifesto. OH is a troll, who sets out to offend, nothing more.
Other than that, say what you want.
SLight correction on my part: He used to be a member.
He left after a fight with another member. He was not involved with the manifesto, however.
OH isn’t a member, and sure as hell didn’t write the manifesto.
Fair enough, and I did say he was apparently a co-author as I too doubt his Libertarian credentials, at least by my understanding of the term. But he does claims to have authored the manifesto in that blog post I linked to, and he hasn’t been called on it as far as I’m aware, despite featuring on the blogroll of many a Libertarian Party blogger, including yourself.
Other than that, say what you want.
Cheers, I intend to.
As one of the founders of the Libertarian Party, and as someone who – along with my fellow founders, and other members – wrote and edited large parts of the manifesto (as well as being the person who, apparently, drove OH from the party), I can honestly say that OH in no way, shape or form decided what was in the manifesto.
Through our forum, many members contributed ideas and suggestions to the manifesto but the final editing process was and is the responsibility of the elected party leadership. OH has never been one of those.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that you view me as being equally repulsive, in which case this comment will have done nothing to ameliorate your view…
DK
I am not a member of the LPUK and have never contributed to their manifesto
Now fuck off, cuntbubble.
DK:
I probably disagree with you on almost every point you can imagine, but your views are just this side of repulsive. That adjective was aimed purely at Old Holborn.
OH:
Thanks for the clarification, but on this post you did say that “a few of us have…knocked together a manisfesto for the Libertarian Party”. Having read your blog I should have known that the “us” you referred to was simply your racial and social demographic, and was not necessarily inclusive of yourself specifically. That is my fault. Perhaps you just wanted to bathe in some imagined reflected glory, but you can no doubt understand my confusion.
Regarding your poignant comment of “Now fuck of, cuntbubble”: fuck off from where? My own blog? You daft racist twat.
Racist?
Where did that come from?
Ah, standard moonbat response to criticism.
It’s not a standard response for me, and what you have written can barely be described as criticism. I called you racist because I have read some of your blog, decided to apply an appropriate and accurate epithet, and your racism is something that defines you. No more, no less. Similarly I called you a “daft…twat”, “repulsive” and a “certified bigoted tosser”, which you don’t seem to have taken issue with. Why you then get riled by being called racist when you so clearly are I cannot imagine, but you no doubt have your reasons.