June 23, 2003
Democratic Socialism with a Libertarian Punch?
What the....
Nope, that's what it says.
Wow, here is another one from SamizData. It points to this article about [the Left] rediscovering their libertarian roots.
The key elements of libertarian socialism - decentralisation, democracy, popular sovereignty and a refusal to accept that collectivism means subjugating individual liberty - have a strong pedigree, going back to the mid-seventeenth century, the English Civil War and the radical activists of that age: the Levellers, Agitators and Diggers.--emphasis added
What the.... The idea that you are not subjugating individual liberty with democracy highlights the complete ridiculousness of this. Democracy and most voting mechanisms are a means of making a collective choice. Further, save for the extreme case of unanimity a voting mechanism means that those who are the losers in any vote are going to have their liberty subjugated.1
It is simply astonishing that people like this just cannot see this. It is like some sort of gigantic blind spot that if it were to actually affect their eyesight they'd never qualify for a drivers liscense.
Underlying libertarian socialism is a different and distinct notion of politics which rests on the belief that it is only through interaction with others in political activity and civic action that individuals will fully realise their humanity. Democracy should therefore extend not simply to government but throughout society: in industry, in the neighbourhood or in any arrangement by which people organise their lives.--emphasis added
In other words, you cannot do much of anything without checking in with everybody else. Sounds perfectly dreadful to me, and it means that your liberty is regulated by those around you.
It is simply astonishing the love affair the extreme Left has with voting and democracy. Sure, it is the government system I prefer, but I don't think I want to take to such an extreme that I need to take a household vote before I go to take a dump!
Thanks to SamizData and Catallarchy
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1Or more cynically they do see the inherent contradiction here, but are trying to sugar coat their coercive, liberty squashing world view.
