tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post6147056227279026606..comments2024-02-13T02:39:22.756-05:00Comments on EconomicPolicyJournal.com: Ron Paul versus Gary JohnsonRobert Wenzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14296920597416905488noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-59776135875221910972012-06-08T01:39:43.181-04:002012-06-08T01:39:43.181-04:00That's a non sequitur. You can educate plenty ...That's a non sequitur. You can educate plenty of people without voting. Look at Stefan Molyneux or Hans Hoppe.<br /><br />No part of you going to a polling station and completing a ballot is necessary for educating people about voluntaryism.DixieFlatlinehttp://notreason.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-53153827909257759842012-06-06T22:06:56.285-04:002012-06-06T22:06:56.285-04:00Three things occur to me. 1) One running for Presi...Three things occur to me. 1) One running for President on LP ticket is really an educational activity. How can Johnson educate if he relies on "common sense" instead of a firm grasp of libertarian principles gained by exposure to the great libertarian thinkers? He is a bit like Rand in that regard, she wasn't terribly well read and liked to pretend she had devised objectivism by Josiahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-67694167334465744892012-06-06T19:20:32.420-04:002012-06-06T19:20:32.420-04:00"Considering that Murray Rothbard pretty much..."Considering that Murray Rothbard pretty much founded the modern libertarian movement, I would say that yes, reading Rothbard is a requirement for being a serious libertarian."<br /><br /><br />Exactly. This.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-40581795513315850162012-06-06T19:16:17.083-04:002012-06-06T19:16:17.083-04:00@Jon - Totally spot on comments all around, +1
@...@Jon - Totally spot on comments all around, +1<br /><br />@anon - Wenzel only sounded to you like he was "trying to prove how smart he was", only because he was direct and persistent about finding out where GJ stood on the libertarian spectrum.<br /><br />He did not back down when Gary was obviously floundering and out of his depth - thereby showing his true hand when it comes to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-38732367851632316542012-06-05T23:58:38.592-04:002012-06-05T23:58:38.592-04:00I vote because it helps educate people. As Tom Woo...I vote because it helps educate people. As Tom Woods has written:<br /><br />If these ideas win more than 2% of the vote, it makes the rest of us look less weird. Let's face it: most people lack the courage to adopt views they think are "fringe" (by the way, the sign of a terrible writer is that he uses this word to describe his opponents). And most people do indeed draw Voluntaryisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02070172298710492866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-3189871387544835892012-06-05T01:39:02.932-04:002012-06-05T01:39:02.932-04:00If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.
...If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.<br /><br />Don't be a sucker. Help educate people thus reducing the scope and prestige of the state.<br /><br />If you really believe it is wrong to attack innocent people (non-aggression) you cannot support the state. The state has to attack innocent people to exist, and that contradiction exposes a lot of people as ethically bankrupt.<br /><DixieFlatlinehttp://notreason.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-57072645043260500542012-06-05T01:14:46.553-04:002012-06-05T01:14:46.553-04:00The problem isn't that Johnson distrusts the s...The problem isn't that Johnson distrusts the state, it's that he thinks you can make the state better with better policies.<br /><br />It completely misses all of the Austrian and pre-Cato libertarian critiques of the state, from Konkin to Bastiat, from Hoppe to Nock.<br /><br />I couldn't listen to the whole thing. I got about 40% of the way through. Johnson was embarrassing to DixieFlatlinehttp://notreason.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-17903681849104433712012-06-04T23:37:27.631-04:002012-06-04T23:37:27.631-04:00"All he needs is the constitution and common ..."All he needs is the constitution and common sense."<br /><br />Uhh, we want him to learn about Liberty, not convoluted, arbitrary statist doctrine.<br />A good read of "Man, Economy, and State should do the trick" ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-40372411370607943732012-06-04T23:35:22.394-04:002012-06-04T23:35:22.394-04:00Considering that Murray Rothbard pretty much found...Considering that Murray Rothbard pretty much founded the modern libertarian movement, I would say that yes, reading Rothbard is a requirement for being a serious libertarian.Ed Ucationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15375062362847706272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-81724842556354781072012-06-04T23:32:59.066-04:002012-06-04T23:32:59.066-04:00For crying out loud.....this is just the "Rom...For crying out loud.....this is just the "Romney is more electable" argument repackaged for Gary Johnson.Ed Ucationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15375062362847706272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-30191621314706646422012-06-04T22:58:51.464-04:002012-06-04T22:58:51.464-04:00Yes, thanks to Friedman when he was "employed...Yes, thanks to Friedman when he was "employed in the Treasury Department in the early 1940s, it was largely his innovation to have income taxes withheld each payroll period.."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-20332718511578085832012-06-04T20:07:34.398-04:002012-06-04T20:07:34.398-04:00Obviously Gary isn't Ron Paul, but who is? I ...Obviously Gary isn't Ron Paul, but who is? I know we all are looking for someone who hates the state, but short of that I'm ok with someone who merely distrusts the state. If there's no better option, I'll still vote for him and rationalize it the same way I did with Bob Barr... it's a protest vote for the Libertarian Party.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-90140068917545253762012-06-04T19:32:15.455-04:002012-06-04T19:32:15.455-04:00A brain like Robert Wenzel ???? I would say that...A brain like Robert Wenzel ???? I would say that Wenzel looked dumber than Johnson after the interview concluded..... Wenzel was trying to prove how smart he was... and GJ was trying to have a conversation.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-73170112997812873032012-06-04T19:28:33.631-04:002012-06-04T19:28:33.631-04:00No joke..... actually all he needs is a love for f...No joke..... actually all he needs is a love for freedom and axioms that support freedom ... individual freedom .... it is no more complicated than that 99guspuppetAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-30731941897434623722012-06-04T18:19:46.286-04:002012-06-04T18:19:46.286-04:00I would have never heard of the free market, speci...I would have never heard of the free market, specifically the arguments for abolishing the FDA, if it weren't for Milton Friedman. Then, years later, when I saw some old dude who was a Republican representative being interviewed on Bill Maher, to my amazement, talking about abolishing the FDA and most of the federal government, without Friedman I would not have been properly primed to see theMyFirstNameIsPaulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-54253143830870460772012-06-04T17:33:49.531-04:002012-06-04T17:33:49.531-04:00I was hoping Johnson would at least say he's i...I was hoping Johnson would at least say he's intrigued by the Austrian school. But he seems completely content with Beltwaytarianism. That's the kind of candidate that can deliver libertarians the blame for the disaster the Dems and Reps have been building for so long, allowing the situation to continue for another generation.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16192630129745886988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-12257282178688807662012-06-04T17:26:34.117-04:002012-06-04T17:26:34.117-04:00Good comment. If I had a dollar to give, I'd s...Good comment. If I had a dollar to give, I'd send you one.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16192630129745886988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-36590579061379244922012-06-04T17:22:10.729-04:002012-06-04T17:22:10.729-04:00Johnson is just a nicer Bob Barr, paying lip servi...Johnson is just a nicer Bob Barr, paying lip service to libertarianism, in beltway style.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16192630129745886988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-35066080169924651802012-06-04T16:37:01.868-04:002012-06-04T16:37:01.868-04:00"Since they cannot imagine a person understan..."Since they cannot imagine a person understanding human nature, natural rights and human action without having read books."<br /><br />Not only has he not read the books, he doesn't understand any of those concepts. You can have a fairly basic understanding of those concepts from reading a few articles. Johnson hasn't even done that. He can't name ANY libertarian books he&#Bharathttp://theinterventionistparadox.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-34322408341337762562012-06-04T16:36:34.941-04:002012-06-04T16:36:34.941-04:00VP Johnson?VP Johnson?Mike Salibanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-91604219866257549082012-06-04T16:05:53.050-04:002012-06-04T16:05:53.050-04:00The austrian school of economics is very important...The austrian school of economics is very important for libertarianism because it gives us more intellectual tools for taking down statists. How are you gonna debate a statist keynesian when you cant articulate the free market alternative? Gov Johnson could start out by reading Bastiat's "The Law".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-24870459684263741182012-06-04T15:42:02.113-04:002012-06-04T15:42:02.113-04:00Obviously there is a difference between learned me...Obviously there is a difference between learned men and wise men. I am not saying Gary Johnson is wise or learned(he may be I dont know) but I am certainly saying that the learned men here are not incredibly wise. Since they cannot imagine a person understanding human nature, natural rights and human action without having read books. The so-called Rothbardians are after a guy for not having read Jayanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-65757364889688996702012-06-04T14:54:35.316-04:002012-06-04T14:54:35.316-04:00I wish we could have a Woods/Stossel ticket or som...I wish we could have a Woods/Stossel ticket or something...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-65058062833779210312012-06-04T14:40:14.046-04:002012-06-04T14:40:14.046-04:00I was wondering.... if Ron Paul wins the Republic...I was wondering.... if Ron Paul wins the Republican nominattion will Gary Johnson drop out and support him ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758330678390419129.post-78889717079569910292012-06-04T14:12:36.366-04:002012-06-04T14:12:36.366-04:00I think that comparing anybody's libertarian c...I think that comparing anybody's libertarian credentials to Ron Paul's is almost unfair. Ron Paul is probably the only true elected libertarian statesman in American history. There are probably 5-10 people alive that could match his knowledge of libertarianism, and none of them are politicians.<br /><br />I would not dream of telling anybody what to do with their vote in November. For GoldBaconnoreply@blogger.com