Comments on: The Libertarian’s Song

By: Laird

Laird — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:28:07 +0000

I agree with Perry, Peter, but would add that, as a personal matter, if I were forced to rank the three “rights/freedoms” you listed, I would put property rights first, followed by free speech, with sexual freedom a distant third. But I don’t speak for any other libertarian.

Add me to the list of those who enjoyed the song. Someone has way too much free time on her hands!

By: Perry de Havilland

Perry de Havilland — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:31:07 +0000

Libertarians are a sub-set of ‘liberals’ Peter, which is why Liberty uses the word the way she does quite correctly

Left wing statists are not liberals, they are profoundly illiberal in fact.

And ‘sexual freedom’ is actually a misnomer… ‘self-ownership’ would be more accurate.

By: peter hurley

peter hurley — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:53:48 +0000

Liberals value sexual freedom and material equality at the cost of political freedom and property rights, conservatives value political freedom and the well-being of large corporations but not sexual freedom or property rights, while libertarians value all three freedoms, but forced to choose they would prefer sexual freedom to property rights and property rights to freedom of speech. That’s a cynical answer but fairly accurate, I think.

By: CCT

CCT — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:55:21 +0000

Clever and creative, while accurately conveying the essence of libertarianism. Well done.

By: Andy Janes

Andy Janes — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Nice. All we need now is for someone to reocrd thsi and post to YouTube. Any volunteers (I can do backing vocals!)

By: tdh

tdh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:28:01 +0000

Hey, “the hoi polloi” is no worse than “the Alhambra” (the the red) or “river Don” (river ~river) or “Dunlaw Hill” (hill hill hill), and might not even be redundant.

By: Gary McGath

Gary McGath — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:10:20 +0000

I like it! My only complaint is the double definite article in “the hoi polloi.”

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:28:34 +0000

Liberty is a very inhospitable for topic for decent poetry, lyric or otherwise. It’s something to with the inherent worthiness of it, I think, combined with the fact that actually it’s really a very simple concept that does not need extended elucidation. Milton was the 2nd most talented wordsmith the English have had and when he discusses Liberty, he often borders on unreadable. The sanctimonious hectoring is enough to overwhelm good language, of which there is conspicuously less than when he deals with other topics.

Also, it takes a lot of skill to make anything readable if you’re going to use a lot of 5 and 6 syllable words.

By: Liberty

Liberty — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:26:09 +0000

Steve — American terminology is stupid. In America liberal = bong-smoking socialist. In the UK it can mean something closer to ‘libertarian’ (unless attached to ‘Democrat’).

By: tdh

tdh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:55:39 +0000

Ditto on the brava, in keeping the same G&S lightness.

Now, in darker tones, we need to hear from the Lord High Executioner regarding the modern journalist, or other hoi kakistoi (accented on weight, not pitch); they never will be missed.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:41:56 +0000

Excellent, thanks.

As a postscript, can someone explain the words Liberal, Left and Right to me. They are used so many times in contexts that are mutually incompatible that they have become meaningless. Liberal here, in ‘Liberal Democrat’ and as applied to Californians is a case (three cases?) in point.

By: Ian Bennett

Ian Bennett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:12:41 +0000

Bravo!

That’s all.