Friday, August 30, 2013

Will "Take No Prisoners" Hart - A Conservative Now?

Before I answer that, can we just please stipulate here that, aside from the two played, crony, and brain-dead political parties, none of these demarcations and categories are set in stone, and that it would probably be a good thing if we were to minimize any sort of strict adherence to them? Yes? Good............................................................................Alright now, me, conservative? Again, it totally depends upon your definition. Am I a social conservative? Obviously no (this, in that I am strongly in favor of marriage equality and generally pro-choice - I do support restrictions in the third trimester). How 'bout a neoconservative? Hell no (this, in that I was strongly against both Iraq wars and, while, I initially supported the Afghan war, I also opposed that when it morphed into a nation-building/counterinsurgency operation)!............................................................................Which leaves us only with fiscal conservative and libertarian and, yes, I have in fact become that. BUT EVEN WITH THIS ONE, I still consider myself much, MUCH, more of CATO problem solving/policy oriented libertarian than I do a Mises or Rand Institute (while, yes, I have a great amount of respect for people like Yaron Brook and Robert Murphy, I generally prefer the art of the possible to that of the theoretical world) libertarian................................................................................So, FOR INSTANCE, on the whole health-care issue, instead of wanting to do nothing a la Brook, I have advocated a comprehensive policy of health savings accounts, subsidies for the poor, catastrophic insurance, and case management for the indigent..............................................................................And the same thing with tax reform. While, yes, I do in fact see the appeal of a flat tax with zero deductions, I've instead put forth a more palatable (to the left) plan of still zero deductions but with three rates (10% on the first $50,000, 20% on $50,000 to $500,000, and 30% on everything over $500,000) as opposed to one - the goal here still being to make the tax form the size of a postcard...............................................................................So, there it is, folks. Whatever...............................................................................Oh, and, yes, I'm a civil libertarian, too - anti-warrantless wiretaps and anti-torture (which, yes, President Obama, also includes rendition).

9 comments:

BB-Idaho said...

IMO, most Libertarians fall outside the conservative/liberal
set as they agree or disagree with
both. In that sense, it is understandable that the far left might label you conservative and the far right consider you liberal.
There seems to be a range within
the Libertarians as well: recently
read a post where a self-proclaimed Randian stated that
Little League is f***n statist,
teaching lockstep obedience to gullible kids. I would agree, though that a bit of pragmatism
in all points of political view
is better than total theory.
..and, IMO, Little League probably
is meant to build teamwork, comradery, synergy and mostly fun.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Small l libertarian (fiscally conservative, socially tolerant, noninterventionist) is a label that I could ultimately be comfortable with.......In terms of the 2 major parties, Huntsman and Warner are 2 fellows who I would consider (both of them seemingly having that pragmatism gene).

Les Carpenter said...

Labels get in the way of open honest discoure, and by and large they have become meaningless.

As for myself I am a fiscal conservative, socially tolerant libertarian non, nontervensionist Objectivist, Classical Liberal, non denominational atheist, pro individual anti collectivist pro business, and pro equal universal, anti authoritarianism American Patriot.

I think I covered it. Well, maybe tomorrow I'll noticed I missed something.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I agree with all of that but I probably substitute pro-market for pro-business.

Les Carpenter said...

Yes, a far superior choice of words.

dmarks said...

Either way, that particular point is rather anti-socialist.

Les Carpenter said...

Indeed!

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

What wd fails to realize is that in a true free market economy, guys like Cheney, Gore, Immelt, Lay, Raines, etc. would actually have to compete for our business and market share. As the thing stands now, big business and big government are totally in bed together and the former gets a lot of it's power FROM the latter; Philip Morris practically writing the tobacco bill to further its monopoly, Fannie and Freddie being exempted from Dodd-Frank, GE getting all sorts of benefit from the stimulus bill, etc.. Decrease the size of government and you decrease the power of corporations.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

No, wd, there isn't a free market (it's all your guys' crony bullshit). We definitely agree on that.