Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Political Penndit * Don’t stop believing (in principles)

  1. #1 | Top
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces New Mexico
    Posts
    10,656
    Thanks
    260
    Thanked 1,630 Times in 874 Posts
    Groans
    8
    Groaned 39 Times in 33 Posts

    Default Political Penndit * Don’t stop believing (in principles)

    http://thedp.com/article/political-p...ing-principles

    The libertarian movement should not compromise its ideals

    by Prameet Kumar * Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 1:13 am

    Printable VersionShareThis
    Everyone is a libertarian these days: the outcast independent who is fiscally conservative but socially liberal; the gay-rights activist who wants to legalize same-sex marriage; the Tea Party protester who denounces Obama’s agenda; the college student who dreams of decriminalized marijuana.

    The libertarian label has been appropriated by so many disparate groups that it often acts as an umbrella organization for those who feel disenchanted with or victimized by Republicans or Democrats. In popular usage, it has almost become a catch-all for any deviation from the standard two-party system. But while the party is growing, it needs to make sure it doesn’t sacrifice its principles in favor of increased membership.

    Young people are especially drawn to the ideology because they find it harder to pin themselves down on the linear spectrum between liberal and conservative. Libertarianism is increasingly appealing to college-aged students who disfavor Democratic economic theory because they support a free market and are tolerant enough of liberal social values to disapprove of Republican intrusions in the private sphere.

    “College students these days are just more tolerant of personal lifestyle choices than earlier generations,” said Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party. “We’ve been outspoken against the war on drugs, the war on Iraq and Afghanistan and against the PATRIOT Act.”

    A paper published by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, reported data from the Center for American Progress that shows that 13 percent of young people identify themselves as libertarians, in contrast to just 6 percent of people overall. In addition, 2006 data from the Pew Research Center showed that one-third of all libertarians are between the ages of 18 and 29.

    The face of libertarianism on the national stage is Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is a frequent supporter of libertarian causes. Paul is a darling of the internet world, which is dominated by young people. He also won the Conservative Political Action Conference’s 2012 presidential straw poll in February, in which 54 percent of respondants were between the ages of 18 and 25. It is perhaps Paul’s honesty, sense of purpose and unwavering principles that young people admire most.

    “We call ourselves the Party of Principle,” Benedict said. “We stick to our principles and espouse them more than Democrats or Republicans do.”

    But the resoluteness of Paul and libertarians’ principles is also their biggest detraction.

    Whether libertarians are praised or mocked, they refuse to surrender their ideals. Paul was criticized for being foolishly anti-federalist in his calls to end the Federal Reserve System. And the Libertarian Party joined Republicans in denouncing the healthcare overhaul, earning scorn for obstructing reform.

    This unshakeable resolution in the face of pressure from both the right and left has caused an internal debate within the Libertarian Party. The clash is between “taking a more pragmatic approach versus a more principled approach,” said Mik Robertson, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. He said the party needs to find a balance between principle and action, explaining that “You need to ground your public policies in principle.”

    But while it may be tempting to try to change some of the party’s stances in an effort to please as many people as possible, this would weaken the party’s cause and do more harm than good. What already unites party members — why young people, gay-rights advocates and Tea Party protesters self-identify as libertarian — is the love of personal and economic liberty. A niche Libertarian Party that remains faithful to its current ideals is preferable to one that sacrifices its principles to become just another unscrupulous political party.

    As Robertson said, “Without principles, you get Democrats and Republicans.”

    Prameet Kumar is a Wharton sophomore from New York. His e-mail address is kumar@dailypennsylvanian.com. Political Penndit appears on Wednesdays.

  2. #2 | Top
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    61,491
    Thanks
    1,041
    Thanked 3,617 Times in 2,816 Posts
    Groans
    1,008
    Groaned 1,328 Times in 1,225 Posts

    Default



    despite the fact that you think i'm an unprincipled murderer of innocent children.
    A sad commentary on we, as a people, and our viewpoint of our freedom can be summed up like this. We have liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, yet those very people look at Constitutionalists as radical and extreme.................so those liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans must believe that the constitution is radical and extreme.

  3. #3 | Top
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces New Mexico
    Posts
    10,656
    Thanks
    260
    Thanked 1,630 Times in 874 Posts
    Groans
    8
    Groaned 39 Times in 33 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SmarterThanYou View Post


    despite the fact that you think i'm an unprincipled murderer of innocent children.
    No I think you are sometimes an emotional hot head who when he sees things he wrote written back at him sees that he is sometimes an emotional hot head. Aren't we all sometimes?

  4. #4 | Top
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    55,018
    Thanks
    15,249
    Thanked 19,001 Times in 13,040 Posts
    Groans
    307
    Groaned 1,147 Times in 1,092 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Socrtease View Post
    http://thedp.com/article/political-p...ing-principles

    The libertarian movement should not compromise its ideals

    by Prameet Kumar * Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 1:13 am

    Printable VersionShareThis
    Everyone is a libertarian these days: the outcast independent who is fiscally conservative but socially liberal; the gay-rights activist who wants to legalize same-sex marriage; the Tea Party protester who denounces Obama’s agenda; the college student who dreams of decriminalized marijuana.

    The libertarian label has been appropriated by so many disparate groups that it often acts as an umbrella organization for those who feel disenchanted with or victimized by Republicans or Democrats. In popular usage, it has almost become a catch-all for any deviation from the standard two-party system. But while the party is growing, it needs to make sure it doesn’t sacrifice its principles in favor of increased membership.

    Young people are especially drawn to the ideology because they find it harder to pin themselves down on the linear spectrum between liberal and conservative. Libertarianism is increasingly appealing to college-aged students who disfavor Democratic economic theory because they support a free market and are tolerant enough of liberal social values to disapprove of Republican intrusions in the private sphere.

    “College students these days are just more tolerant of personal lifestyle choices than earlier generations,” said Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party. “We’ve been outspoken against the war on drugs, the war on Iraq and Afghanistan and against the PATRIOT Act.”

    A paper published by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, reported data from the Center for American Progress that shows that 13 percent of young people identify themselves as libertarians, in contrast to just 6 percent of people overall. In addition, 2006 data from the Pew Research Center showed that one-third of all libertarians are between the ages of 18 and 29.

    The face of libertarianism on the national stage is Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is a frequent supporter of libertarian causes. Paul is a darling of the internet world, which is dominated by young people. He also won the Conservative Political Action Conference’s 2012 presidential straw poll in February, in which 54 percent of respondants were between the ages of 18 and 25. It is perhaps Paul’s honesty, sense of purpose and unwavering principles that young people admire most.

    “We call ourselves the Party of Principle,” Benedict said. “We stick to our principles and espouse them more than Democrats or Republicans do.”

    But the resoluteness of Paul and libertarians’ principles is also their biggest detraction.

    Whether libertarians are praised or mocked, they refuse to surrender their ideals. Paul was criticized for being foolishly anti-federalist in his calls to end the Federal Reserve System. And the Libertarian Party joined Republicans in denouncing the healthcare overhaul, earning scorn for obstructing reform.

    This unshakeable resolution in the face of pressure from both the right and left has caused an internal debate within the Libertarian Party. The clash is between “taking a more pragmatic approach versus a more principled approach,” said Mik Robertson, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. He said the party needs to find a balance between principle and action, explaining that “You need to ground your public policies in principle.”

    But while it may be tempting to try to change some of the party’s stances in an effort to please as many people as possible, this would weaken the party’s cause and do more harm than good. What already unites party members — why young people, gay-rights advocates and Tea Party protesters self-identify as libertarian — is the love of personal and economic liberty. A niche Libertarian Party that remains faithful to its current ideals is preferable to one that sacrifices its principles to become just another unscrupulous political party.

    As Robertson said, “Without principles, you get Democrats and Republicans.”

    Prameet Kumar is a Wharton sophomore from New York. His e-mail address is kumar@dailypennsylvanian.com. Political Penndit appears on Wednesdays.
    Uh yea.....but aint this the same kind of uncompromising ideological purity and intellectual conformity that has been so detrimental to Republcicans?

    This is just plain stupidity. The only way Libertarians can become of any significance is to build political coalitions not turn their nose up at those wish to ally themselves to them because they are not ideologically pure Libertarians.

    This advice is stupendously stupid political advice and if the Libertarians ever aspire to relevence of any sort it should be utterly ignored!

    What Libertarians should be saying is "Hey Gay rights activist, come join us!" "Hey frustrated moderates/independants, come join us!" "Hey Teabaggers come join us!" "Hey Dope Smokers, come join us!".

    and if enough of these people do join you can build a political coalition that will have relevence and meaning but if you can't compromise enought to do that.....well good luck to ya.
    Last edited by Mott the Hoople; 03-29-2010 at 02:14 PM.
    You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!

Similar Threads

  1. Chances of people believing an outrageous statement
    By FUCK THE POLICE in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-10-2009, 10:58 PM
  2. Support the President's principles for reform
    By Cancel4 in forum General Politics Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 08-20-2009, 10:07 AM
  3. Replies: 17
    Last Post: 02-23-2009, 03:59 PM
  4. Where Does This Stop?
    By Cancel7 in forum Current Events Forum
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 09-24-2008, 08:26 PM
  5. Replies: 38
    Last Post: 05-14-2008, 03:35 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Rules

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •