Comments on: The Libertarian Disclaimer

By: India puts the US in its place « Thoughts on Freedom

India puts the US in its place « Thoughts on Freedom — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:49:25 +0000

[...] 1 This post is subject to the Aussie Libertarian Disclaimer. [...]

By: Trinifar

Trinifar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:44:36 +0000

America has lost her way. All people who love america should be shouting that from the roof-tops.

I completely agree with that, John. I was trying to point out that the America-defenders here have not made their case very well — and there is an excellent case to be made if one is willing to acknowlege postive attributes of China and negative features of the US. Without that acknowledgement, both sides seems more merely ideological than fact-based.

China and the US are very different, and both are flawed, each in its own unique ways. I applaud these two posts of Sukrit’s because they force people to think about that. Usually China is simply demonized and too often the US put on a pedestal. It’s interesting to get people to think about the positive attributes of China and the negative ones of the US — helps to show where our biases (and knee-jerk reactions) are.

By: nicholas gray

nicholas gray — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:46:22 +0000

I have a steep roof, and my neighbours don’t like loud noises. Can I just quietly whisper it in people’s ears?

By: John Humphreys

John Humphreys — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:27:01 +0000

Trinifar, I think you're confusing the idea of american (which is great) with the reality of america (which is less than great). Just because they're currently better at china in a number of areas is hardly reason to get all mushy eyed. America has lost her way. All people who love america should be shouting that from the roof-tops.

By: Mark Hill

Mark Hill — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:47:06 +0000

“If can’t distinguish between USA and China we have a problem”

Damn right.

By: Trinifar

Trinifar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:37:00 +0000

The debate, I think, is important. If we can not easily and intelligently distinguish between American and Chinese values as realized in their respective judical and economic systems, we have a significant problem. I think the defenders of America here have come up short — not from lack of ammunition but more from taking good aim.

By: pommygranate

pommygranate — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:43:17 +0000

John – the debate is stupid, not the people debating.

By: John Humphreys

John Humphreys — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:11:31 +0000

Again with the cheap personal insults. If you think I’m too stupid to debate you pommy, then simply don’t respond to my wacky anti-american islamofacist propoganda.

China has many problems. America has many virtues. But I saw nothing in Sukrit’s posts that deny this (except in sarcasm). It seems more like some americaphiles are being overly sensitive to criticism.

By: TimT

TimT — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:06:14 +0000

Good point pommygranate – I meant in the sense that, from the perspective of people of most other political groupings they’re offensive. (‘Cutting welfare? Terrible! More guns? Horrible!’ etc, etc).

By: pommygranate

pommygranate — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:48:03 +0000

Tim – do you think of libertarians as offensive? Most libertarians i’ve met are utterly inoffensive people who simply ask to be left alone.

There are of course those who spoil for a fight at every conceivable opportunity..:)