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.

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