Comments on: The Libertarian Harry Potter http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/ Liberalism and general burblings Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:48:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Thank you for the link. http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/comment-page-1/#comment-20503 Thank you for the link. Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:30:14 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/#comment-20503 <strong>Charlie Brown...</strong> Charlie Brown Says Thank You.... Charlie Brown…

Charlie Brown Says Thank You….

]]> By: James Graham http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/comment-page-1/#comment-12689 James Graham Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:49:14 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/#comment-12689 Very simply, wealth has an uncanny ability to create wealth - especially specific kinds of wealth such as land. If the economic system allows this to go unchallenged then the wealthy will simply pull the ladder up from the poor. If, as a libertarian, you accept that some forms of wealth are not created by the individual and are created from the wider community - and as such belongs to the wider community - then great. But in my experience a lot of libertarians wouldn't agree with you. Very simply, wealth has an uncanny ability to create wealth - especially specific kinds of wealth such as land. If the economic system allows this to go unchallenged then the wealthy will simply pull the ladder up from the poor.

If, as a libertarian, you accept that some forms of wealth are not created by the individual and are created from the wider community - and as such belongs to the wider community - then great. But in my experience a lot of libertarians wouldn’t agree with you.

]]> By: tristan http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/comment-page-1/#comment-12685 tristan Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:55:20 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/#comment-12685 Those debates allow the expression of the liberal/libertarian view of equality under the law - the muggles should be treated equally. They also however show the way in which humans have treated the 'other' as bad - wizards took the decision to hide from muggles to protect themselves. As for your slur upon libertarians - the libertarian rejects egalitarianism (as does the liberal). Equality of outcome cannot be achieved and the only way to come close to achieving it is to coerce and use force. Libertarianism also rejects the claim that only state intervention can result in improving the life of the poor. Libertarians tend to point out that the state usually entrenches the privilege of certain groups against others. I don't see how the policies of libertarianism are about keeping an underclass in its place. Unless by libertarianism you mean some sort of Tory corporatism in which case you are not talking about libertarianism. Those debates allow the expression of the liberal/libertarian view of equality under the law - the muggles should be treated equally. They also however show the way in which humans have treated the ‘other’ as bad - wizards took the decision to hide from muggles to protect themselves.

As for your slur upon libertarians - the libertarian rejects egalitarianism (as does the liberal). Equality of outcome cannot be achieved and the only way to come close to achieving it is to coerce and use force.

Libertarianism also rejects the claim that only state intervention can result in improving the life of the poor. Libertarians tend to point out that the state usually entrenches the privilege of certain groups against others.

I don’t see how the policies of libertarianism are about keeping an underclass in its place. Unless by libertarianism you mean some sort of Tory corporatism in which case you are not talking about libertarianism.

]]> By: James Graham http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/comment-page-1/#comment-12679 James Graham Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:07:24 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/08/14/the-libertarian-harry-potter/#comment-12679 Of course, Rowlings' universe is also a world where privilege is entrenched - no magic for those hoi polloi muggles. The wizards behave like an occupying colonial power who don't even contemplate sharing their skills with non-wizards. Sure, they have condescending debates about the need to 'tolerate' muggles, but it isn't exactly an egalitarian paradise. Of course, for a lot of libertarians, that is exactly the sort of world they want. One where they flatter themselves about meritocracy while blithely ignoring the fact that the policies they support are all about keeping an underclass in its place. Of course, Rowlings’ universe is also a world where privilege is entrenched - no magic for those hoi polloi muggles. The wizards behave like an occupying colonial power who don’t even contemplate sharing their skills with non-wizards. Sure, they have condescending debates about the need to ‘tolerate’ muggles, but it isn’t exactly an egalitarian paradise.

Of course, for a lot of libertarians, that is exactly the sort of world they want. One where they flatter themselves about meritocracy while blithely ignoring the fact that the policies they support are all about keeping an underclass in its place.

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