Another Photo-Journalist added to the roll of honor.

On 2/4/2011 12:28 PM, C J Campbell wrote:


Well, I am neither a conservative nor a Republican. However, that does
not seem to prevent the Republicans from spamming my phone and mail with
requests for money. I wish they would stop it.


We agree. I wish both parties would stop spamming my phone, too.

--
Peter

On 2011-02-04 18:00:21 -0800, Peter N said:

On 2/4/2011 12:28 PM, C J Campbell wrote:


Well, I am neither a conservative nor a Republican. However, that does
not seem to prevent the Republicans from spamming my phone and mail with
requests for money. I wish they would stop it.


We agree. I wish both parties would stop spamming my phone, too.


Yup!

As a result of the flood of "robo-calls" from political fund raisers of
all types, the screening message on my landline is "You have reached
805-xxx-xxxx, I am not available. If you know my cell phone number give
that a try, otherwise leave a message and I will get back to you as
soon as possible." Needless to say none of those machines leave a
message.
Anybody of any importance knows my cell number and we communicate that way.
I also use Skype on a daily basis.

One of these days I should dump my landline, but it has been useful
from time to time.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 2011-02-02 17:40:22 -0800, Savageduck said:

On 2011-02-02 16:46:32 -0800, C J Campbell
said:

On 2011-02-02 10:39:32 -0800, Savageduck said:

On 2011-02-02 10:10:13 -0800, C J Campbell
said:

On 2011-02-01 19:44:19 -0800, Savageduck said:

On 2011-02-01 18:55:38 -0800, C J Campbell
said:

Actually, I don't watch TV news much. I get most of my news from Wall
Street Journal, AP, NPR and USA Today apps on my iPad. TV is just about
dead. And anyone who throws me in with the "wingnuts" probably doesn't
read this news group much. I am a libertarian, unaffiliated with any
political party.

How can you call yourself a Libertarian and claim to be unaffiliated
with any political party?
That is an oxymoronic statement.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the
country. There have been winning Libertarian Party candidates in US
elections since 1978. It hold ballot status, along with the GOP, and
the Democratic party in all 50 states.
Your last Libertarian Party Presidential candidate in 2008 was Bob
Barr. I am sure he appreciated your support.

Having no affiliation with a political party is to be an independent,
not a Libertarian. Unless you don't know what it means to be a
Libertarian, that is.

I am a libertarian, not a Libertarian. The Libertarian party sometimes
has issues with libertarianism.

OK! I can accept that in the literal sense you could well be an
independent who follows a libertarian philosophy. However the
dictionary does not differentiate between the capitalized, or
non-capitalized version of the word.

libertarian
noun
1 an adherent of libertarianism : [as adj. ] libertarian philosophy.
• a person who advocates civil liberty.
2 Philosophy a person who believes in the doctrine of free will.
ORIGIN late 18th cent. (sense 2) : from liberty , on the pattern of
words such as unitarian.

In today's political language, most understand an individual claiming
to be a (L)(l)ibertarian in the USA, to be a follower of the
Libertarian Party. So without a party affiliation it might be worth
considering what the Libertarian Party platform actually states:

"As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all
individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to
sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others."
Its Statement of Principles begins: "We, the members of the Libertarian
Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights
of the individual."
The platform emphasizes individual liberty in personal and economic
affairs, avoidance of "foreign entanglements" and military and economic
intervention in other nations' affairs and free trade and migration.
It calls for Constitutional limitations on government as well as the
elimination of most state functions.
It includes a "Self-determination" section which quotes from the
Declaration of independence and reads: "Whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the
people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance
as to them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty."
It also includes an "Omissions" section which reads: "Our silence about
any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive,
edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not
be construed to imply approval."

I would follow the first dictionary definition -- an adherent of a
libertarian philosophy.

The problem I have with the Libertarian Party is that it has sometimes
taken positions contrary to freedom of worship, which I would consider
an essential liberty. Also, way too many potheads in the party. Sure,
if people want to poison themselves, fine. It is Charles Darwin at
work. But I do support tough sanctions against people who endanger me
by driving under the influence. I also think the Libertarians are
deluded by their belief in "victimless" crimes. In fact, most
victimless crimes do have victims, which the Libertarians are all too
eager to ignore.

So I would agree with Robert Ringer: I am a libertarian, not a
Libertarian. Besides, the whole idea of a Libertarian Party kind of
smacks of "Anarchists, unite!"

Then consider the dictionary definition of libertarianism;

"libertarianism
noun
an extreme laissez-faire political philosophy advocating only minimal
state intervention in the lives of citizens.

The adherents of libertarianism believe that private morality is not
the state's affair and that therefore activities such as drug use and
prostitution, which arguably harm no one but the participants, should
not be illegal. Libertarianism shares elements with anarchism although
it is generally associated more with the political right (chiefly in
the U.S.). Unlike traditional liberalism, however, libertarianism lacks
a concern with social justice."

So it seems you are a selective independent-libertarian.

How do you feel about state funded medical insurance for those unable
to provide it for themselves?

I think that pretty much describes it. Selective independent-libertarian.

Not big on the idea of state funded medical insurance. I think most
people who are concerned with social justice are just looking for an
excuse to take money away from those who earned it. However, I would
allow that there are exceptions. And I think that some libertarian
ideas of minimal government are just plain unworkable. Libertarians may
not like the FAA, for example, but clearly we have to have some sort of
aviation regulation. I do think that much of what the FAA does could be
trashed entirely. Let the insurance companies set standards. They are
already more strict than the FAA anyway.

As you probably know, I am fairly conservative socially, a strict
Mormon and all that. I oppose same sex marriage, for example -- but on
the other hand, I am not sure why the government thinks it has any role
in regulating marriage at all. So sometimes I am of two minds. I really
cannot claim to have sorted out all the world's problems, nor do I have
any inclination to do so. I take care of what I can, which doesn't
extend much beyond my own back yard.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor