Libertarians get a bad rap where conspiracy theories are concerned. But that's not very honest. The entire political and philosophical landscape is filled with conspiracy theories.
People from the "left" and the "right" love to dismiss the views of libertarians by calling us "conspiracy theorists"- and some libertarians are- but I've noticed that libertarians aren't the only ones with their own brand of conspiracy theories.
"Conservatives" and "liberals" each have their own particular types of conspiracy theories they spread endlessly.
I'm sure that is you have a variety of people in your circles you have been exposed to some conservative conspiracy theories and some liberal conspiracy theories.
"Conservatives" love their theories about different religions taking over "Our Country", about "other races" being given special status that allows them to get away with crimes, and other things that threaten "traditional values".
"Liberals" love their theories about "The NRA", rich guys ("The Koch Brothers") influencing political policies, and "conservatives" rewinding science and the rights of "others" back to the Dark Ages.
And, yes, both fears have some basis in truth. Which makes it stupid to "run" the world by the political method.
Yes, there ARE conspiracies in the world. Anytime two or more people plot to gain power, "authority", or property by fooling or scaring people into giving them what they want (or when they simply steal it for themselves) you have a conspiracy.
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To your point about there being real conspiracies, one of the reasons that a conspiracy can exist almost undetected is that the dirty work is spread out over different groups of people so that it appears each is 'just doing its job'.
ReplyDeleteFor example, from the Miranda case:
- the cops just do what they are told (no understanding of law)
- the people who write the policies and procedures do so without regard for the actual law. These bodies are created by statutes (can you imagine a more ignorant and arrogant bunch than a legislature?) and are rarely tested.
- the courts mostly run like conveyor belts and rarely hear an argument from a (brutalized and/or intimidated 'defendant'). When an argument is attempted, it is usually done by someone without the knowledge and balls it takes to step on the hideous bastards who do this to them. And so it can be dismissed as to procedural or formal requirements.
So, everybody (legislator, police management, courts, cops) all do their job and you end up with people being framed, pleading to crimes they didn't commit, or just being punished for things that are not real crimes.
Anybody who is not offended by this, I'm sorry to say, is 'guilty'.
Sorry to ramble, call me a conspiracy theorist, but I can tell shit from ice cream too.
Rich
I don't think you were rambling at all.
ReplyDeleteI like how Progressives talk about the Conservatives wanting to go back to the dark ages, while the Progressives do everything they can to destroy technology and trade in the name of "regulation".
ReplyDeleteNot that Conservatives are better, just different.
Conspiracies notwithstanding, have you ever noticed how some things, that are painfully obvious to the normal mind, are continuously carried out(i.e.gun control, excessive foreign aid to undeserving regimes, supporting failed...anything). It seems to me that we're at the apex of history, that sooner or later the other shoe will drop and the balloon goes up, and we're back to square one.
ReplyDelete