Comments on: It's Okay To Kill: A Libertarian Argument for the Death Penalty http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/ Horror Writer and Political Thinker Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:57:45 -0500 hourly 1 By: guest22 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1344 guest22 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 06:24:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1344 You're also missing the alternative: It's quite possible doing nothing and doing something cannot fix the issue. i.e. the issue is intractable because they'd first have to be aware of what is causing the issue to begin with. Just being aware that there is a problem does not mean democrats, republicans or any economist understands what is going on to begin with. It's highly likely that the answer is c) They are too ignorant to even begin to come up with a solution to the problem and that doing nothing and spending more would not solve anything simply because there are other factors that are unknown by both parties. You’re also missing the alternative: It’s quite possible doing nothing and doing something cannot fix the issue. i.e. the issue is intractable because they’d first have to be aware of what is causing the issue to begin with. Just being aware that there is a problem does not mean democrats, republicans or any economist understands what is going on to begin with.

It’s highly likely that the answer is c) They are too ignorant to even begin to come up with a solution to the problem and that doing nothing and spending more would not solve anything simply because there are other factors that are unknown by both parties.

]]> By: Nate http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1343 Nate Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:41:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1343 I think the problem is that to avoid this fallacy, you have to have a certain degree of belief in your opponent's good faith. And it has become extremely difficult to maintain a belief in either party's good faith, since they both have abandoned consistency whole sale. Take judicial nominations. It is the solemn duty of a senator to closely question a judicial nominee, delve into their politics and position. Unless that nominee is from your party, in which case each senator must dispassionately examine their qualifications and only their qualifications. And that's only when you consider specific issues. If you extend the argument out to philosophical consistency you go straight to evil, because neither major political party has an iota of philosophical consistency. I think the problem is that to avoid this fallacy, you have to have a certain degree of belief in your opponent’s good faith. And it has become extremely difficult to maintain a belief in either party’s good faith, since they both have abandoned consistency whole sale.

Take judicial nominations. It is the solemn duty of a senator to closely question a judicial nominee, delve into their politics and position. Unless that nominee is from your party, in which case each senator must dispassionately examine their qualifications and only their qualifications.

And that’s only when you consider specific issues. If you extend the argument out to philosophical consistency you go straight to evil, because neither major political party has an iota of philosophical consistency.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1342 Aaron Ross Powell Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:11:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1342 What's always struck me as interesting--and it's something others have noted and something I have theories explaining--is that, typically, Democrats think Republicans reject Solution Y because Republicans are evil, while Republicans think Democrats reject Solution Y because Democrats are stupid. In other words, Republicans see Democrats as dumb while Democrats see Republicans as morally flawed. What’s always struck me as interesting–and it’s something others have noted and something I have theories explaining–is that, typically, Democrats think Republicans reject Solution Y because Republicans are evil, while Republicans think Democrats reject Solution Y because Democrats are stupid. In other words, Republicans see Democrats as dumb while Democrats see Republicans as morally flawed.

]]> By: Brad Warbiany http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1341 Brad Warbiany Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:01:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1341 You know what's even worse than this? When someone uses this debate tactic against you, and makes it clear that they don't think you're evil... Gee, <a href="http://unrepentantindividual.com/2005/01/10/the-evil-and-the-stupid/" rel="nofollow">which one does that leave</a>? Frankly, I wish they'd call me evil. You know what’s even worse than this? When someone uses this debate tactic against you, and makes it clear that they don’t think you’re evil… Gee, which one does that leave?

Frankly, I wish they’d call me evil.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1339 Aaron Ross Powell Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:49:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1339 Are Republicans blocking some of Obama's proposals out of spite and a quest for electoral advantage? Probably. But I find it impossible to believe that it is the driving motivation in most, or even many, of their no votes. The Democrats came power thinking they had a mandate to reshape America into a progressive utopia. There should be no surprise that non-progressives disagree with their agenda--and thus disagree with most of their policy proposals. For example, there are principled reasons for not extending unemployment benefits, reasons that except that doing so will cause suffering for many of the unemployed but also recognizing that extending unemployment will have the effect of likely making unemployment worse. You can disagree with that but then, again, you're facing an economic question--and not one of stupidity or evil. Are Republicans blocking some of Obama’s proposals out of spite and a quest for electoral advantage? Probably. But I find it impossible to believe that it is the driving motivation in most, or even many, of their no votes. The Democrats came power thinking they had a mandate to reshape America into a progressive utopia. There should be no surprise that non-progressives disagree with their agenda–and thus disagree with most of their policy proposals. For example, there are principled reasons for not extending unemployment benefits, reasons that except that doing so will cause suffering for many of the unemployed but also recognizing that extending unemployment will have the effect of likely making unemployment worse. You can disagree with that but then, again, you’re facing an economic question–and not one of stupidity or evil.

]]> By: Plato http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1338 Plato Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:42:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1338 The problem with this analysis is that Republican rejection of Democratic initiatives is not driven by principled disagreement, but by a belief that the best way for their party to regain power is to help ensure that things are as bad as possible come November, hoping thereby that Americans will put them in control. Principled disagreement is a good thing. Obstructionism in pursuit of making things worse so they can win elections, voting against otherwise acceptable legislation because they want to prevent Obama from getting credit for solutions IS evil. The problem with this analysis is that Republican rejection of Democratic initiatives is not driven by principled disagreement, but by a belief that the best way for their party to regain power is to help ensure that things are as bad as possible come November, hoping thereby that Americans will put them in control. Principled disagreement is a good thing. Obstructionism in pursuit of making things worse so they can win elections, voting against otherwise acceptable legislation because they want to prevent Obama from getting credit for solutions IS evil.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-30 Aaron Ross Powell Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:46:44 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-30 I'm sorry you didn't find it helpful, Thomas. I’m sorry you didn’t find it helpful, Thomas.

]]> By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1904 Aaron Ross Powell Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:46:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1904 I'm sorry you didn't find it helpful, Thomas. I’m sorry you didn’t find it helpful, Thomas.

]]> By: Thomas O'Connell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-29 Thomas O'Connell Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:26:31 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-29 This didn't help me at all for writing a paper over the death penilty. This didn’t help me at all for writing a paper over the death penilty.

]]> By: Thomas O'Connell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/its-okay-to-kill-a-libertarian-argument-for-the-death-penalty/#comment-1903 Thomas O'Connell Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:26:00 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=31#comment-1903 This didn't help me at all for writing a paper over the death penilty. This didn’t help me at all for writing a paper over the death penilty.

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