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Title: Philip Pilkington: Libertarianism and the Leap of Faith – The Origins of a Political Cult
Source:
Naked Capitalism
URL Source: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011 ... igins-of-a-political-cult.html
Published: Dec 7, 2011
Author: Philip Pilkington
Post Date: 2011-12-07 09:29:50 by lucysmom
Keywords: None
Views: 27952
Comments: 65
You wanted God’s ideas about what was best for you to coincide with your ideas, but you also wanted him to be the almighty Creator of heaven and earth so that he could properly fulfil your wish. And yet, if he were to share your ideas, he would cease to be the almighty Father.
– Søren Kierkegaard
Political cults often have the strangest and most obscure origins. Take Marxism, for example. Today it is well-known that Marxist doctrine essentially sprang out of the obscure 19th century economic debates over the source of ‘value’. By ‘proving’ – that is, lifting the assumption from classical political economy – that all ‘value’ came from labour, Karl Marx went on to show that it was therefore only logical to assume the existence of something called ‘surplus value’ that was sucked out of labourers by a parasitic capitalist class. From out of this obscure debate flowed an awesome political movement – and a tyranny to match.
What is less well-known is that today’s most popular political cult – that is, libertarianism – was born in very similar circumstances; it too, arrived into the world out of the obscure 19th century debates over economic ‘value’. But before we explore this in any detail it might be appropriate to speculate a little on what characterises a political cult and why so many of these find their sustenance in economic theories of value.
What is a Political Cult and Why Do they Often Love Economic Value Theory?
A political cult is characterised by a political or economic doctrine that answers all the ‘big questions’ about life, the world and everything else. The doctrine that is handed down is then to be conceived of as a way to live one’s life – a project, handed down from Mount Sinai, that one is under the moral obligation to spread far and wide. This is why we refer to these movements as cults. And it is this that gives them such an awesome status in the glazed eyes of their devotees.
Under such circumstances, politics becomes a sort of religious calling. In these doctrines there is usually an ‘Evil Being’ who is opposing the spread of the ‘Good’ on earth and it is these that are to blame for all the bad things in the world. In Marxism this Evil Being is the capitalist; in libertarianism it is the figure who is at different times referred to as the ‘collectivist’, the ‘liberal’ or the ‘socialist’. Needless to say that, since these figures are usually ones of Extreme Evil they must be ‘liquidated’ or ‘eliminated’ at the first possible opportunity lest they spread their Demonic Gospel to the masses.
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#26. To: A K A Stone, Ferret Mike (#24)
Mike. That is not a true statement. Eric deals in facts regularly.
What do you think of CE's response to my post. Would you call it on topic? Is that the sort of debate you wish to encourage?
Thanks for playing, you stupid, STUPID sheep. Now go back to the more entertaining fiction commonly referred to as the "evening news," and be content in your dull stupidity, until they shear you as the idiot sheep you really are.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#27. To: mininggold, Capitalist Eric (#22)
You must have got him good as all he can do AGAIN is blubber around in his usual name calling mode.
Another example of the "facts" he posts, and the "truth" he deals in daily.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#28. To: A K A Stone (#24) (Edited)
Mike. That is not a true statement. Eric deals in facts regularly.
Too bad you haven't learned to discern 'facts' from 'opinion' yet. Maybe you should take some remedial courses while you are laid up.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#29. To: A K A Stone (#24)
"That is not a true statement. Eric deals in facts regularly."
He also likes to try to taunt and bait. What I say is true.
He only deals in facts if he likes someone's politics. Quid proquo, he gets what he gives.
Or are you going to start lecturing to him too about how I deal in facts and he should stop acting like I don't? Heh, you are never worried when he gives worse to Lucysmom or others in here, just when people like me do.
Which is my point. Thanks for walking into that display of your double standard. Now, go ahead and do the other half of that, warn me not to and leave him alone when he does this, like you like to do.
#30. To: mininggold (#28)
"Too bad you haven't yet you haven't learned to discern 'facts' from 'opinion' yet. Maybe you should take some remedial courses while you are laid up."
Eric is like Murron in the strong desire to drive away political opponents and seeing how much he can control and influence the process.
Stone does not like his buddy's balls being busted, but he doesn't care if it happens to those he doesn't agree with very often.
It's one of the ways he thinks is a smart way to manage his forum.
#31. To: Ferret Mike (#30) (Edited)
I call them internet paper thugs.
And they don't appear to be appealing to many if the appearance of this forum is any indication.
There's more support for Ron Paul on DU than this forum.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#32. To: mininggold (#31)
And they don't appear to be appealing to many if the appearance of this forum is any indication.
What would the elite be doing on a popular site?
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#33. To: lucysmom, mininggold (#32)
"What would the elite be doing on a popular site?"
Eric does not want status posters here in any greater number unless they are willing to agree with him and can occasionally 'admire' his perceived intellect.
If Stone wishes, he can do a to/from search and find I was more then civil to this Eric character when he first came and never got reciprocity unless it involved how I took on the now departed for the most part Mad Dog.
Stone also has too much vested interest in grooming people like HQ and Eric to worry about whether he has a double standard or not, or to notice my taunt back at this joker is far milder and is done to make the point he walked into.
I didn't expect Eric to notice it as he has me on bozo. So, why would I waste my time with a mild retort unless I was making a point? ;-D
#34. To: lucysmom (#32)
What would the elite be doing on a popular site?
They would be wasting their precious time mainly preaching to the choir on this one.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#35. To: mininggold (#31)
"I call them internet paper thugs."
Well, they certainly are tow dimensional enough to rate that appellation.
Stone also likes HQ's pick on the President's daughters tabloid thread and other threads almost that pointless and lynch grade fare tailor made to encourage discussion among conservatives like him ,and to discourage participation of those he least agrees with politically and socially.
How this place is run has a strong influence on how many and how often people come to this Internet venue. And Eric does not want it bigger a forum if it gets in the way of his egocentric games.
#36. To: Ferret Mike, A K A Stone (#35)
How this place is run has a strong influence on how many and how often people come to this Internet venue.
Having too many posters with varied viewpoints taxes Stones ability to moderate opinion here.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#37. To: Ferret Mike, mininggold, lucysmom, CapitalistEric, A K A Stone (#29)
He also likes to try to taunt and bait.
In all fairness, Eric was taunted from the very first post of this thread. He is being deliberately taunted by lucysmom with these 'libertarianism is a cult' and similar articles and that has been going on for at least a week. In fact, the last 5 'Cult Watch' articles have been posted by lucysmom and concern libertarianism as a cult. In many of those threads she either mentions Eric or pings him directly in her very first post. Do the search and see for yourself. Eric is not the only one who taunts and baits here.
Then she cries to Stone about the treatment she gets due to her own taunting.
What if we all stopped taunting? Wouldn't that be great?
Like all cults they provide an anchor for their devotees with which they can fasten themselves to a rigid doctrine. They also typically lend their devotees a Holier-Than-Thou attitude as they provide them with ‘secrets’ that those outside of the cult cannot grasp. Not only does this allow the devotees to feel ‘special’, in modern political cults it also gives them practical, albeit ‘secret’ advice about what they should do in their day-to-day lives. (Think of the advice to buy gold or foreign stocks coming out of certain libertarian front men, for example).
Does that not describe you Eric?
#38. To: We The People (#37)
In fact, the last 5 'Cult Watch' articles have been posted by lucysmom and concern libertarianism as a cult.
Thanks for the heads up. That is for real cults.
#39. To: A K A Stone (#38)
Thanks for the heads up. That is for real cults.
The word cult is frequently used to describe radical political groups on the left as well as on the right. Please don't take my word for it, but check it out for yourself.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#40. To: We The People (#37)
Then she cries to Stone about the treatment she gets due to her own taunting.
Just the fact that you can write the above speaks volumes.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#41. To: lucysmom (#40)
I believe he believes most non-christian faiths are cults.
If you asked him what a cult is, I would not be surprised if he answered, well, cults are cults, and crap that are not cults are not cults.
There is an official definition of cults in the science of Sociology, but I kow he doesn't know it, and would take issue with it if he did,
#42. To: lucysmom (#40)
Just the fact that you can write the above speaks volumes.
You nasty bully you. Shame on you for picking on that gallant male rescuer of foreign women looking for a ticket to the states.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#43. To: lucysmom (#40) (Edited)
Just the fact that you can write the above speaks volumes.
The truth always does speak volumes.
libertysflame.com/cgi-bin...?ArtNum=26380&Disp=26#C26
At that link, there you are complaining to Stone about the treatment you've brought upon yourself.
lucysmom to A K A Stone: "What do you think of CE's response to my post. Would you call it on topic? Is that the sort of debate you wish to encourage?"
You taunt others then go to Stone with their responses. If you stopped taunting and baiting others, with thread after thread, you'd likely not get that sort of response.
Think of Newton's 3rd law.
Of course, this is me assuming that you'd like to 'up' the level of discourse here and not drag in down into junior high.
#44. To: lucysmom (#39)
The word cult is frequently used to describe radical political groups on the left as well as on the right. Please don't take my word for it, but check it out for yourself.
Yeah Mormons and Jim Jones would be cults from the right.
#45. To: We The People (#43)
At that link, there you are complaining to Stone about the treatment you've brought upon yourself.
Yes, indeedie, I did do that.
Of course, this is me assuming that you'd like to 'up' the level of discourse here and not drag in down into junior high.
Either you're being facetious, or you're clueless.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#46. To: A K A Stone (#44)
Yeah Mormons and Jim Jones would be cults from the right.
The KKK is an example of a radical right cult.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#47. To: lucysmom (#46)
The KKK is an example of a radical right cult.
The KKK is leftist. Founded by democrats. Just like freedom4um.
#48. To: mininggold (#42)
You nasty bully you. Shame on you for picking on that gallant male rescuer of foreign women looking for a ticket to the states.
I guess I should be grateful the exalted one notices a tv watching, stupid, wretch such as myself, at all.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#49. To: A K A Stone (#47)
The KKK is leftist. Founded by democrats. Just like freedom4um.
the old Southern Democrats now rule the Republican Party
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#50. To: A K A Stone (#47)
The KKK is leftist. Founded by democrats. Just like freedom4um.
Of course Stone. What was I thinking (smacks self on forehead).
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#51. To: lucysmom (#48)
I guess I should be grateful the exalted one notices a tv watching, stupid, wretch such as myself, at all.
He's like Rush, an all seeing, all knowing Maharaja. He knows every step you make sort of like a stalker.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#52. To: A K A Stone (#44) (Edited)
Yeah Mormons and Jim Jones would be cults from the right.
I agree. Jim Jones was using the Kibbutz model for his church plantation down in Guyana, and was a past member of the Communist party. This certainly passes for the current type of 'conservatism' that's in vogue.
"ROTFLMAO... Perfect! She longs... for someone to Teabag her. a man that squats on top of a women's face and lowers his genitals into her mouth during sex, known as "teabagging" She aches for it"... ~~~JWpegler. Head Tea Bagger and Tea Party supporter extraordinaire, explicitly expressing his fantasies in public about other posters.
#53. To: A K A Stone (#44)
Yeah Mormons and Jim Jones would be cults from the right.
You are correct
Mormonism and Politics -- A Libertarian View
Part of God's plan includes free will, which invites us to take responsibility for ourselves and not rely on government.
In Latter-day Saint belief, we lived with God, our Father, as spirits before we were born. In this pre-mortal existence, God presented a plan in which each of us would come to earth to be tested. Part of this plan included agency -- the freedom to act as we wished, without coercion, and to be personally responsible for our actions.
www.patheos.com/Resources...s-A-Libertarian-View.html
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#54. To: lucysmom (#53)
You are correct
Of course I am.
Here is what eles I am correct about.
Romney is a better person then Obama is. Obama is walking talking piece of shit.
If Romney gets the nomination, I expect to vote for him to get rid of the shit face in the white house.
#55. To: A K A Stone (#54)
If Romney gets the nomination, I expect to vote for him to get rid of the shit face in the white house.
Thank you for sharing.
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#56. To: Ferret Mike (#29)
He also likes to try to taunt and bait. What I say is true.
You (wrongly) assume that I get a kick out of doing the "taunt and bait" bullshit.
If that were true, I'd have to change my screen-name to "ferret mike," aka "rat- boy."
The truth is, I simply express my utter contempt for you socialist, parasite fools.
I don't GAS whether you like it or not. I'll go even further, and say I don't GAS whether you live or die. I think you morons will suffer the latter fate, by and large, because you're incapable of taking responsibility for your own actions, and you're immune to logic and reason. "Common sense," for you leftists, is not so common.
And THAT is why you stupid, STUPID sheeple will enjoy the fate you so richly deserve.
And that makes me very happy.
He only deals in facts if he likes someone's politics.
As usual, you think this is a L vs. R situation we're in... How incredibly short-sighted. How incredibly STUPID.
To use someone else's quote (I don't remember where), "if the government has it's boot on your neck, does it really matter whether it's the right boot or the left?"
GROW UP.
DUMMY DwarF: ...I'm eating a meatball...
Capitalist Eric: Foreplay before the president's staff?
"Whenver the dwarf sees something negative about a Democrat, he tries to change the topic of the thread to something else. Usually a personal attack, followed by mutterings about correct 'grammar' 'spelling' whatever. Anything he can think of to avoid a discussion about a Democrat screwing up or looking bad. It's a decade long pattern." --Badeye observation--
#57. To: Capitalist Eric (#56)
And I wouldn't have any trouble eating popcorn at your funeral either, wannabe.
#58. To: lucysmom (#45)
Either you're being facetious, or you're clueless.
I'm being very serious and you're being very puerile. It appears that you see yourself as completely innocent in all this. A perpetual victim of the aggression of others when you often times start the interactions with taunts and baits.
You can't taunt others and expect to be treated with respect. What, are you yukon's wife or something?
#59. To: Capitalist Eric (#56)
To use someone else's quote (I don't remember where), "if the government has it's boot on your neck, does it really matter whether it's the right boot or the left?"
No problem with private sector boots?
Wall Street owns the country…Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us…Money rules. Mary Elizabeth Lease, 1890
#60. To: Ferret Mike (#57)
wannabe.
Speaking of "wannabe," don't you have some toilets to clean? I'm sure your employer's getting their money's worth out of you, for your janitorial services...
LOL.
DUMMY DwarF: ...I'm eating a meatball...
Capitalist Eric: Foreplay before the president's staff?
"Whenver the dwarf sees something negative about a Democrat, he tries to change the topic of the thread to something else. Usually a personal attack, followed by mutterings about correct 'grammar' 'spelling' whatever. Anything he can think of to avoid a discussion about a Democrat screwing up or looking bad. It's a decade long pattern." --Badeye observation--
#61. To: Capitalist Eric (#60)
I'm amazed you think I give a rats ass about your bait. I only worked that particular part of the job for eight months before I indicated I was too busy to do more than my Friday night to Sunday evening Portland Saturday Market job. The PSM hired a janitorial company to take over the duties of building custodian for the Skidmore Fountain Building.
Most of that job involved emptying trash, doing floors and window, and junk like that. I don't know why you have such a fetish for toilets; perhaps because it reminds you of your pie hole of a mouth.
#62. To: Ferret Mike (#61)
I'm amazed you think I give a rats ass about your bait.
That you responded, saying that you don't care, is pretty funny.
LOL.
DUMMY DwarF: ...I'm eating a meatball...
Capitalist Eric: Foreplay before the president's staff?
"Whenver the dwarf sees something negative about a Democrat, he tries to change the topic of the thread to something else. Usually a personal attack, followed by mutterings about correct 'grammar' 'spelling' whatever. Anything he can think of to avoid a discussion about a Democrat screwing up or looking bad. It's a decade long pattern." --Badeye observation--
#63. To: Capitalist Eric (#62)
You do amuse me. You are reliably always a fussbudget and baiter, and I generally answer when someone posts to me unless I have them on bozo and don't see it. Who cares what your take here is?
If I waited until you were civil to respond, you would never get an answer.
#64. To: Ferret Mike (#63)
You do amuse me.
Good. Now, don't you have some toilets to clean?
I generally answer when someone posts to me unless I have them on bozo and don't see it.
Yep. And people end up on your bozo list when they conclusively demonstrate that you're a fucking hypocrite.... And after claiming you were leaving for good, and then coming back with your tail between your legs- twice- I imagine your list is pretty full.
You're STILL a fucking hypocrite, and a mental midget.
DUMMY DwarF: ...I'm eating a meatball...
Capitalist Eric: Foreplay before the president's staff?
"Whenver the dwarf sees something negative about a Democrat, he tries to change the topic of the thread to something else. Usually a personal attack, followed by mutterings about correct 'grammar' 'spelling' whatever. Anything he can think of to avoid a discussion about a Democrat screwing up or looking bad. It's a decade long pattern." --Badeye observation--
#65. To: Capitalist Eric (#64)
"Good. Now, don't you have some toilets to clean?"
Why? You looking for someone to brush your one good tooth for you?
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