From: ivaliote@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Lotus )
Subject: Re: Bleeding-Heart Libertarianism (was Legalizing drugs)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 22:47:04 GMT

starr@genie.slhs.udel.edu (Tim Starr) writes:
>}some rich person was gonna use to buy a second Ferrari and soend it on feeding,
>}clothing, and housing people.  I guess the Libertarians and I can't debate on
>}this one.  I understand their objections, but I just don't agree.

>This strikes me as prejudiced.  Perhaps what we need to do is have "the rich"
>tell everyone they prefer to be called the "differently financed," and start
>attacking the way they're stereotyped with all the mental activity of a
>reflex ("knee-jerk")!
>Worse yet, what often happens is that the stereotypes are based upon those
>who acquire wealth unjustly on libertarian grounds (through the initiation
>of force and/or fraud), then applied to those who acquired their "differently
>financed" status justly (the old-fashioned way: they earned it).
>Then the whole class is blamed for the crimes of a few, and those who aren't
>guilty are "guilt-tripped" into supporting the victims of the true criminals.
The rich defend themselves *quite* well, thenk you.

>They're scapegoated, dehumanized, and persecuted.  The IRS persecution of
>Leona Helmsley is a case in point.  She was accused of being deviant: she
>was "rich"; she was blamed for the crimes of the IRS, which implied that
>since she hadn't paid her "fair share" of taxes, that others had to pay
>more by default; she was portrayed as being as uncompassionate as the
>popular image of Marie Antoinette - compare "Only the little people pay
>taxes" to "Let them eat cake!"; then she was persecuted and publicly
>humiliated as an example for any other potential tax evaders.
I do not agree with you at all. Helmsley didn't pay her taxes.  She suffered 
for it.  Her drive was greed.  I don't feel for her at all. 

>This was simply inhumane.  Also see the treatment of Michael Milken.  What
>crime was he accused of committing against anyone else?  What victims were
>there?  He wasn't prosecuted at the instigation of any victim, he was
>persecuted and scapegoated for having made lots of money during the 1980s
>(and creating millions of jobs and threatening the Blue-blood Eastern
>Establishment CEOs and chairmen of the board of Corporate America).  He
>thought it was all just a misunderstanding, and now thinks that they went
>after him because he was Jewish.
Never once was he denied food, medical care, ability to enter a restaurant or
bus, or life.  He was not beaten, shot at, or vandalized.  Golly, how *did* he
handle all of those nasty press stories.  They may have been going after him 
because he was Jewish.  That would be wrong.  I doubt they went after hjim 
because he was rich.  In this country, that is stupid.

>Then, when the ritual persecution of this minority is pointed out, they're
>said to be privileged enough to take it - just like Blacks were said to
>be physically strong enough due to eugenic breeding by white southern
>slaveowners to be able to take the backbreaking labor they were performed
>under duress.
Unbelievable that you can make this analogy.  Totally off base, in my view.  
Still, I understand where you are coming from.  I just come from the other side
of the globe.

Matt I.
>Disgusting.

>Tim Starr - Renaissance Now! - Think Universally, Act Selfishly
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