Does he mean our Masonic pyramid, or the gun with Popper and Postrel do you think?

My e-mail to Jonah was thus:

Dear Jonah,

We like you just fine! Honest, really, we do!

Just because we kicked you rather hard in the 'nads a while back when you strayed from your core competency and unwisely pooped on our lawn, that does not mean we do not think you are essentially on the side of the angels. In fact we regard you as one of our favourite benighted conservatives: inconsistent but vasty preferable to the leftie turds you tend to rail against. The enemy of my enemy and all that...

And yes, our logo is very cool.

Regards,

Perry de Havilland ...-

MASONIC? That's it, Jennings! I can see you need another dose of the Illuminati Mind Purge Ritual!

Jonah: Never mistake disagreement for dislike!

I was hoping you guys would see that post and comment. There's at least one fellow over at the Corner -- Stuttaford, I think -- who always seems just a bit out of place there but would fit in quite well here.

I must admit a few comments by Mr. Goldberg in The National Review against libertarians in general fractured my like for The National Review and dyed in the wool conservatism. I labeled myself a 'libertarian-republican' stretching back to my college days. I was willing to abide the religious faction of the party, and the knee-jerk patriots as well, as long as my views of fiscal conservatism were well represented. But Mr. Goldberg printed a blow by blow attack on libertarianism, and how it was ultimately too outside the fold, and that, coupled with the rise of Big Government 'conservatism' (read -give aways to religious based institutions too) I stripped the 'republican' portion from my self appointed label.

With endless justifications for defecit spending, that public debt is a 'good thing', the slight increase in the religious portion of 'conservatism', the smooth and easy patriotism tossed around, and Big Government tendencies gone unchecked (in a serious way) I am no longer a conservative in the specific sense. Anything that reduces government interference is what I buy into and the conservatives (in the US anyway) are, by and large, just as willing to interfere for their own causes, just as much as a liberal/progressive. Mr. Goldberg opened my eyes to the ultimately differences in philosophy and I guess I have him to thank for that.

BTW, both logos are cool.

Sadly, libertarians and conservatives/Republicans in the US can be tactical allies on specific issues, and no more. The larger ideological and philosophical alliance between the two movements has gone by the wayside.

Fundamentally, the mainstream conservatives and Republicans no longer have any issues with unlimited government in principle, and regard any government action in support of their objectives as justified. They only trot out limited government rhetoric when it serves the (partisan) purpose of blocking something the other guys want to do.

I consider myself Libertarian, but I always vote Republican. I also intend to vote for Bush in November.

Libertarians are much more influential in the Republican party than as pointless voters for Harry Browne et co.
Republican Liberty Caucus (which has many members in Congress) has gotten more influence than any Libertarian elected official.

Just ask Ron Paul. Ran for President for the Libetarian Party in 88, and got nowhere of course.
Then Paul ran as a Republican, and won his congressional seat in Texas ever since.

Libertarianism as I understand it has everything to do with following the U.S. constitution and the bill of rights to the letter. It has everything to do with leaving people alone to enjoy personal freedoms as they see fit. It has everything to do with haveing a supreme who would imprison (anyone) who would even think to change the basic principles of freedom that are guaranteed to the people of this free country by our constitution and bill of rights. The idea of big government is a guaranteed recipe for disaster when it comes to violating the rights of individuals in a free society. It should be a law that anyone who runs for political office under the party of republican or democrat should first have to serve a 10 year prison term before taking office, just to be sure that these criminals are at least partially punished before they are allowed to inflict anymore damage to our constitution , bill of rights and our basic right to live free and in peace.