From: pmetzger@snark.shearson.com (Perry E. Metzger)
Subject: Re: Why vote Libertarian?
Reply-To: pmetzger@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers
	<PMETZGER.92Apr3121333@snark.shearson.com>
	<1992Apr5.235704.1@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu>
Distribution: usa,local
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 00:03:25 GMT


In article <1992Apr5.235704.1@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu> f67709317@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu (Greg Franklin) writes:

   You're (since you refer to the LP in the first person, I feel
   comfortable using the second person) close to being nihilist
   radicals.  Turning back the clock on a social safety net, no
   regulations on corporations' activities, no funding for expensive
   but necessary projects (e.g., infrastructure, basic research in
   universities, elementary school education, space), no fetters on
   racial or sexual discrimination -- this would entail a huge change
   in our nation, and would, IMHO, irreparably harm it.

We don't believe in eliminating the "social safety net". We merely
believe that private institutions do a better job than public ones.
Nor are we against expensive but needed projects; however, there is
little evidence that the government does such work well, and we desire
that medical research, education, and the gammut of such activities be
done well. We feel that they are so crucial to society that they
cannot be left to the same butchers who spend $800 a piece on toilet
seats. Plenty of evidence exists to suggest that private organizations
can do a far better job on such matters, so we want them privatized.

It is inaccurate to say we would eliminate all fetters to
discrimination. We'd still prosecute lynchings, make sure that PUBLIC
institutions remain unbiased, enforce voting rights, prevent Klansmen
from threatening to beat up black people, and the like. It is accurate
to say that we would eliminate government fetters on private
nonviolent racism and sexism, but that is neither to say that we are
racists/sexists nor to say that fetters to such activities on the
private level would not continue to exist; powerful fetters on
peaceful private discrimination would continue to exist, but only on a
private level.

It is inaccurate to say that we would not regulate corporate
activities; we would simply reduce the regulation of corporate
activities to being the same as our regulation on individual's
activities, which may be stated succinctly as "do neither violence nor
fraud to others". We hold people strictly liable for their actions; we
merely do not favor having the great governmental father telling
everyone how to run every minute of their lives. If a businessman
dumps toxic waste on your land, jail him for trespass and sue him for
making you sick; but for gods sake, don't call in some namby-pamby EPA
personel in from the revolving door from industry to pretend to be
doing some good.

We are indeed suggesting radical changes to our country, but we feel
that our nation is suffering from some deep and fundamental problems
and needs the changes we propose.

--
Perry Metzger		pmetzger@shearson.com
--
"That government is best which governs least."
		-- Thomas Jefferson, former US President and early libertarian.
Restore the American Dream: Andre Marrou for President! Vote Libertarian!
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