GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2001-10 > 1004010154


From: (Bryant Smith)
Subject: Re: Irritating Posts
Date: 25 Oct 2001 04:42:34 -0700
References: <a9b2ce02.0110240613.4c2d6be1@posting.google.com>, <20011025013545.55707.qmail@web13307.mail.yahoo.com>


(Arthur Murata) wrote in message news:<>...
> I can't help but remember newsreel footage I saw some years
> ago showing homeless children in the cities of Brazil being
> shot by death squads. I guess some would say - messy but
> effective?
>
> While we "bleeding heart liberals" (actually I'm much
> farther to the left than a "liberal") would prefer to feed
> them, heal them and find homes for them. I always wondered
> why American conservatives, patriots or ex-patriots alike,,
> used the term "bleeding heart" as an insult. They usually
> also profess to be Christian and the bleeding heart is very
> much a "Christlike" image. Better a bleeding heart than no
> heart at all. Bronwen again
>
[SNIP -- with the comment that none of the foregoing
has anything to do with anything snipped, which
is the whole of the messages reproduced.]

Not all expatriates are ex-patriots. As a libertarian
who used to like to call himself a conservative when that
meant conserving Constitutional government including the
civil liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, I have
been able to distinguish three kinds of "liberals:"
The "bleeding heart" variety who want to dress all the
wounds in the world with federal tax money;
The "knee-jerk" variety who want to make laws to solve
every problem that makes them feel somehow personally
responsible and guilty, such laws usually involving some
invasion of individual liberty; and
The honest liberal who actually believes that government
can and should do good things for the people.
The first two varieties are the Savanarolas and Trotskies
of modern politics. My only quarrel with the third variety
is that they are mistaken in their belief that government
can do good.
As for your being "much farther to the left ..." yes, from
I've seen you are far out, in left field.
This will be my final post in this thread. I am interested
in the genealogical implications of the British system of
transportation of convicts and there are several unresolved
issues here none of which seems to be on topic. When I have
the time, I shall find a more appropriate forum and post there
a summary of the issues, and then a BRIEF notice here of where
to find it.

Bryant Smith
Playa Palo Seco
Costa Rica

This thread: