Re: [Fwd: Grassroots Geeks on Stipends? or Money for Nothing?]

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

In reply to Declan McCullagh's message sent 4/21/98 9:53 PM:

>Personally I think the Objectivists are wacky (they are not libertarians,
>BTW), but I and libertarians I know would never make that claim about
>business never resorting to force. I can think of some pizza parlors run
>by the Mob that do just that. Certainly initiating violence is wrong -- if
>done by the Mob or by the Pinkertons -- if nothing else. 

Rand was fond of calling Libertarians "the hippies of the right," which 
as far as I know, was the only genuinely humorous remark she made in her 
entire life. Not that this prevents the libs from adoring her (little 
plastic statuettes of St. Ayn the Objectivist on their dashboards, etc.). 

Both of these cults (er, philosophical movements) share the same bizarre 
definitions of "force." While they might both agree that actual =physical 
violence= is a no-no, they're really ambivalent (or haven't really 
thought much about) all other forms of personal or corporate coercion and 
intimidation -- except for government activity, which is de facto 
coercion.

They perform this philosophical sleight of hand mainly by ignoring all 
concepts of the commons. But that's another topic.

BTW, from everything I've heard from and about him, Bill Gates is a 
dedicated libertarian.

   Mitch Stone
   Editor, Boycott Microsoft
   http://www.vcnet.com/bms 
 +---
   I think a lot. --- Bill Gates