Friday 12 January 2007

Resolved. Not.

The Tomahawk Kid (with whom I very much enjoyed catching up recently) has posted as his New Year's Resolutions the late Harry Browne's list of resolutions, made I think when he was running as Libertarian Party candidate for US president.

I don't think they're resolutions I'll be able to follow myself...
2. I resolve to keep from being drawn into arguments or debates. My purpose is
to inspire people to want liberty -- not to prove that they're wrong.

4. I resolve to identify myself, when appropriate, with the social goals
someone may seek -- a cleaner environment, more help for the poor, a less
divisive society -- and try to show him that those goals can never be achieved
by government, but will be well served in a free society.
See what I mean? It's fair to say that Harry, good man that he was -- and laudable though his goals might seem -- definitely comes from the softcock end of intellectual activism. Not every adversary is as genuine and honest as Harry, and others, might like to think they are. Think John Key. Or David Benson-Pope. Or that warmist you were arguing with over New Year.

And knowing the Tomahawk Kid, I'd give him until the end of January until he's broken at least half-a-dozen of Harry's resolutions. In fact, I'm sure he broke most of them the other night when we emptied a bottle of Tullamore Dew together...

LINKS: A libertarian's New Year's resloutions - Tomahawk Kid

RELATED: Libertarianism, Blog

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think there is real merit in the spirit of (2). I too am far too easy to be seduced into an argument when one is not merited, solely to prove foolishness or poor logic. I spent some time last week vehemently debating facts on a small newish blog, with no facts or logic coming back from the other direction, simply blind cheerleading. It is that kind of argument which is just a time-sink...

Happy New Years, anyway. I didn't piss about with resolutions, but instead did the same New Years random goal-selection that I do every year. In the weeks leading up to NY I cook up several schemes for five or so activities I'd like to get into, and on NYE there is always a random selection of the 'winner' wherever I happen to be (this year down the Marlborough Sounds with a bunch of Swedes).

And 'make an excellent quality piece of furniture' won out. I was secretly rooting for 'learn how to brew fine quality beer at home'. But oh well...

DenMT

Kane Bunce said...

I didn't piss about with resolutions, but instead did the same New Years random goal-selection that I do every year.

Life requires that make decisions not do things randomly. Random "decision making" is contrary to the requirements of life.

Anonymous said...

Kane, my work and social life commitments mean that I don't have unlimited time to spend on the extraordinarily large number of things I'd like to try my hand at every year. The random goal thing is a bit of fun with my friends and family every year at New Years to pick one fun thing to focus on for the year ahead.

Take your boring, prescriptive, staid approach to life and jam it. Your life might require 'that make decisions not do things randomly [sic]' but mine doesn't - luckily I am not bound by the strictures of a half-understood philosophy in the same way you appear to be.

I've done my darndest to be civil to you on your own blog (the blogosphere has likely never had a more haphazard mess of logical fallacies, grammatical travesties and primary-school-level spelling errors has likely never been excreted into it previously) but fuck it. You don't deserve it.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

Bugger. It appears in my frenzy of flaming I committed my own grave grammatical error above. Spot it and write your address on the back of a self-addressed stamped envelope for a prize chocolate fish.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year, PC & familiar posters! I trust your holidays were enjoyable, all.

"10. I resolve to speak, dress, and act in a respectable manner. I may be the
first Libertarian someone has encountered, and it's important that he get a
good first impression. No one will hear the message if the messenger is
unattractive."

Sound familiar?!

I guess it means I can't call someone a fuckwit.

Rats.

Anonymous said...

Den .. what on earth were you doing down south with veges?

:)

Anonymous said...

Sus - as you may have picked up from previous threads, I am a vegetarian. Sometimes the pressures of the holiday season and attendant stream of partying, drinking and socialising with other people mean that I feel like taking time out from humans and spend time communing with produce.

In 2004 I had an excellent getaway to Fiji with a bagful of grapes and a stick of celery, although after the 2003 Gold Coast trip I shall never holiday with fennel again. The conversation was interminable and seemed to centre solely around obscure French philosophy and the plays of Brecht.

:p

DenMT

Anonymous said...

Laughed out loud, Den! Many thanks for the giggle!

But given your mixed success of holidaying with veg, I feel a change of tack is due .. may I suggest San Francisco? I used to live there and the fruit's excellent.

Plentiful, too.