At 19:51 4/20/97 -0700, Declan McCullagh wrote:
Bell sees AP as a means to a freer society. But libertarianism is all about how means (Hillary's health care plan) don't justify the ends (everyone has health care). AP is not about libertarianism, it is about anarchism.
I disagree with the implications of that last sentence. For as long as I can recall, there has been an ongoing debate in libertarian circles between "minarchists" (those that believe in a minimal government) and "anarchists" (those who believe in no government.) I was once a "minarchist," simply because I couldn't figure out a logical way to totally obsolete government functions. Then, I did, so I became an anarchist. It sounds like you are still a minarchist. Now, I could just say, "go ahead, be that way", but the thing to acknowledge is that there is, at least, a DEBATE on this issue. I didn't deny it back when I was a minarchist; I don't deny it today, as an anarchist. Neither should you. AP is, implicitly I believe, an anarchy-producing system. That is (or at least, may be) a libertarian position, particularly for an anarchist-libertarian. _Minarchists_ may be bothered by it, but that doesn't (necessarily) make it non-libertarian. Jim Bell jimbell@pacifier.com