Comments on: The Conscience of a Moderate http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate The Official Student Publication of Claremont McKenna College Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:14:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Up Way Too Late http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-16343 Up Way Too Late Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:34:37 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-16343 Liberalism definitely endorses particular views of the good-- tolerance, diversity, and equality, each for its own sake and each according to some liberal government's respective whacked-out definition. Not to mention heedless of the costs to the taxpayers and to actual progress. It also doesn't "allow the conditions for people to pursue their view of the good," it starts with its own view of the good (witness identity politics, i.e. "since all black people are the same, let's give them what we decide they want, since after all we know better!") and mandates those conditions at the expense of the American taxpayer. The doctrine that allows everyone to pursue their view of the good is libertarianism. Liberalism definitely endorses particular views of the good– tolerance, diversity, and equality, each for its own sake and each according to some liberal government’s respective whacked-out definition. Not to mention heedless of the costs to the taxpayers and to actual progress.

It also doesn’t “allow the conditions for people to pursue their view of the good,” it starts with its own view of the good (witness identity politics, i.e. “since all black people are the same, let’s give them what we decide they want, since after all we know better!”) and mandates those conditions at the expense of the American taxpayer.

The doctrine that allows everyone to pursue their view of the good is libertarianism.

]]> By: Up Way Too Late http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-48734 Up Way Too Late Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:34:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-48734 Liberalism definitely endorses particular views of the good-- tolerance, diversity, and equality, each for its own sake and each according to some liberal government's respective whacked-out definition. Not to mention heedless of the costs to the taxpayers and to actual progress. It also doesn't "allow the conditions for people to pursue their view of the good," it starts with its own view of the good (witness identity politics, i.e. "since all black people are the same, let's give them what we decide they want, since after all we know better!") and mandates those conditions at the expense of the American taxpayer. The doctrine that allows everyone to pursue their view of the good is libertarianism. Liberalism definitely endorses particular views of the good– tolerance, diversity, and equality, each for its own sake and each according to some liberal government’s respective whacked-out definition. Not to mention heedless of the costs to the taxpayers and to actual progress.

It also doesn’t “allow the conditions for people to pursue their view of the good,” it starts with its own view of the good (witness identity politics, i.e. “since all black people are the same, let’s give them what we decide they want, since after all we know better!”) and mandates those conditions at the expense of the American taxpayer.

The doctrine that allows everyone to pursue their view of the good is libertarianism.

]]> By: Charles C. Johnson http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-16321 Charles C. Johnson Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:24:30 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-16321 @Sorry Charles, Yes, and I do not believe that they exist under every bed and behind every closed door. Externalities have totally been oversold economically to justify way too much of the administrative state. It's almost like a religion -- as if you can somehow waive a wand and declare, "ah there be externalities and so we must regulate it." @Sorry Charles,

Yes, and I do not believe that they exist under every bed and behind every closed door. Externalities have totally been oversold economically to justify way too much of the administrative state. It’s almost like a religion — as if you can somehow waive a wand and declare, “ah there be externalities and so we must regulate it.”

]]> By: Charles C. Johnson http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-48733 Charles C. Johnson Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:24:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-48733 @Sorry Charles, Yes, and I do not believe that they exist under every bed and behind every closed door. Externalities have totally been oversold economically to justify way too much of the administrative state. It's almost like a religion -- as if you can somehow waive a wand and declare, "ah there be externalities and so we must regulate it." @Sorry Charles,

Yes, and I do not believe that they exist under every bed and behind every closed door. Externalities have totally been oversold economically to justify way too much of the administrative state. It’s almost like a religion — as if you can somehow waive a wand and declare, “ah there be externalities and so we must regulate it.”

]]> By: Sorry Charles http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-16313 Sorry Charles Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:33:21 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-16313 "Without getting into a debate about the minutia of drinking regulation, I would say that you have therefore made your peace with an administrative state that professes to know better than a market solution to water droughts would." Ever heard of externalities? “Without getting into a debate about the minutia of drinking regulation, I would say that you have therefore made your peace with an administrative state that professes to know better than a market solution to water droughts would.”

Ever heard of externalities?

]]> By: Sorry Charles http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-48732 Sorry Charles Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:33:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-48732 "Without getting into a debate about the minutia of drinking regulation, I would say that you have therefore made your peace with an administrative state that professes to know better than a market solution to water droughts would." Ever heard of externalities? “Without getting into a debate about the minutia of drinking regulation, I would say that you have therefore made your peace with an administrative state that professes to know better than a market solution to water droughts would.”

Ever heard of externalities?

]]> By: Brendan http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-16273 Brendan Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:27:23 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-16273 "So Brendan should we be intolerant of intolerance then?" No-- and I don't see how anything I said commits me to that. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't make intolerance official state policy. People are free to hold rallies in support of segregation or against same-sex marriage. People are free to form their own opinions on the issues, but that doesn't mean their opinions are right. We can respect the right of people to have racist views and still recognize that segregation is wrong. “So Brendan should we be intolerant of intolerance then?”

No– and I don’t see how anything I said commits me to that. All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t make intolerance official state policy.

People are free to hold rallies in support of segregation or against same-sex marriage. People are free to form their own opinions on the issues, but that doesn’t mean their opinions are right. We can respect the right of people to have racist views and still recognize that segregation is wrong.

]]> By: Brendan http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-48731 Brendan Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:27:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-48731 "So Brendan should we be intolerant of intolerance then?" No-- and I don't see how anything I said commits me to that. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't make intolerance official state policy. People are free to hold rallies in support of segregation or against same-sex marriage. People are free to form their own opinions on the issues, but that doesn't mean their opinions are right. We can respect the right of people to have racist views and still recognize that segregation is wrong. “So Brendan should we be intolerant of intolerance then?”

No– and I don’t see how anything I said commits me to that. All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t make intolerance official state policy.

People are free to hold rallies in support of segregation or against same-sex marriage. People are free to form their own opinions on the issues, but that doesn’t mean their opinions are right. We can respect the right of people to have racist views and still recognize that segregation is wrong.

]]> By: Charles C. Johnson http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-16269 Charles C. Johnson Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:44:55 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-16269 See Hayek's discussion of the "fatal conceit." How do we know what's best or in the best interests of society? What is perfection? How do we know that society is "progressing"? In my experience, most progressives tend to be the least in favor of economic growth -- which tends, of course, to progress the living standards of their fellows. See Hayek’s discussion of the “fatal conceit.” How do we know what’s best or in the best interests of society? What is perfection? How do we know that society is “progressing”? In my experience, most progressives tend to be the least in favor of economic growth — which tends, of course, to progress the living standards of their fellows.

]]> By: Charles C. Johnson http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09282009-the-conscience-of-a-moderate#comment-48730 Charles C. Johnson Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:44:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6189#comment-48730 See Hayek's discussion of the "fatal conceit." How do we know what's best or in the best interests of society? What is perfection? How do we know that society is "progressing"? In my experience, most progressives tend to be the least in favor of economic growth -- which tends, of course, to progress the living standards of their fellows. See Hayek’s discussion of the “fatal conceit.” How do we know what’s best or in the best interests of society? What is perfection? How do we know that society is “progressing”? In my experience, most progressives tend to be the least in favor of economic growth — which tends, of course, to progress the living standards of their fellows.

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