X-Message-Number: 23157 Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 12:51:17 -0500 (EST) From: Charles Platt <> Subject: Read books I have tried to be polite about this, but James Swayze still seems to feel that his views have merit, even though apparently he has read very little about the topic which he is discussing. No one would expect to be taken seriously if he posted to a list discussing brain surgery, without educating himself on the topic beforehand. Why should political theory be different? Citing John Shirley as an informed libertarian skeptic does not help. I know John, he's a wonderful person, and in the days when I was a book editor, I published one of his science-fiction novels. But by no stretch of the imagination is he thoroughly grounded. He just has a lot of opinions, which he enjoys expressing. If you start by going to the CATO web site (www.cato.org) you will find archives of texts on contemporary issues by people who *have* done their homework. You may not agree with the views expressed, but at least you will find that most of your objections and opinions are not new and have already received thorough examination. After you understand the system that is being proposed, you will then be better situated to debunk it, assuming you still wish to do so. If the CATO site is too big, you could start with something smaller: A copy of "Libertarianism in One Lesson" from amazon.com for $1.69. That was the first libertarian tract I ever read, and it certainly changed my mind on some issues. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=23157