Inside Catholic has a interesting post at Driving libertarians out of the Tea Party movement
They have to moderate comments over there so mine is awaiting it's time in line I suppose. Here is a somewhat edited version of that comment with more thoughts.
I am a Republican and proud of it so I will put my cards on the table with that.
I am not associated with the Tea Party movement mainly because of it's libertarian bent. I predicted these factions would emerge in the movement. We conservatives are often at each other throats in our different factions and the tea party movement will have to deal with that too.
On the flip side some of my conservative friends that don't hate the GOP are treated sometimes lets not say in a friendly fashion there. It goes both ways.
Also I am taking some of what he is saying with a grain of salt. Do you really think there are a lot of people that never heard of RON PAUL. Were they living under a rock. I doubt it.
That being said Tea Party folks are too quick to use the term CO OPT. I highlight and agree with some of their concerns and because I am a Republican I am accused of trying to "co-opt" the Tea party movement.
The Tea Party movement invites Republican officials to their events to speak and after they leave they yell they are Co-opting. It gets annoying fast.
Still all this is predictable. While there is a "Libertarian bent" to it it is not like all of ground floor of this movement are that.
Purity and purges work both ways. If they can't get along with each other and start calling each other TPINOs( Tea Party In Name Only) then they will not get very far either.
Also as to the Libertarian bent there are factions in that. Lets say I was a traditional Libertarian that had a more traditional view toward immigration, free trade, and yes immigration reform. Would I be welcome in the Tea party movement. There are factions even in that faction. If I agree with parts of the Patriot Act am I out? The GOP is the least of their concern. The first concern for them is if they can live with each other.
Is libertraian one who prefers individual liberty? Therefore, does that dislike for libertarians mean acceptance of the supremacy of community interests and a kind of Rousseau-based social structure, perhaps like Nelson Rockefeller and Jonn McCain? Check my site claysamerica.com for the root differences.
ReplyDeleteSELF INTEREST OR SELF-CENTERED
ReplyDeleteThis is directed at those who admire and criticize Ayn Rand’s beliefs about people who stand on their own feet. Most who criticize Rand say she promoted selfishness, thereby greed, which is self-centered and anti-individual creativity, therefore, anti-Rand. Rand admired the creative individual, such as James Jerome Hill, on whom she was reputed to have based her character Dabney Taggart in Atlas Shrugged. If we look at Howard Roark’s summation to the jury, from Fountainhead, we do not see a self-centered individual destroying his work. Were he greedy, he would have simply accepted his payment. We see a self-interested, other- and outer-centered individual in love with his own dreams and creations, as one would love a spouse, child or family and refuse to allow them to be assaulted. Though love for anything spiritual may be missing, a great idea or vision also measures up to that which is spiritual, and that view is not inconsistent with Christianity. Claysamerica.com.