Arnold Kling has a column in today's Tech Central Station headlined "Bleeding-Heart Libertarianism". He starts out by quoting my very first blog post, where I introduce myself as a "bleeding heart libertarian". He cloaks himself in this label and proposes the intriguing idea of abolishing the welfare state and the current tax code and replacing them with a universal (and in some cases negative) consumption tax. That's not exactly what I had in mind for bleeding heart libertarianism, but a thought provoking proposal nevertheless. Read the whole thing.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at September 29, 2003 08:22 PMShark!
I had no idea you called yourself that back on your first post!
Please don't think I ripped you off when I chose my handle. I actually used to post under several different monikers at LGF, but never got much reponse. One day I used BHC, and got a big reponse from one of my posts, so it's stuck.
I took up the label because I believe in charity for individuals by individuals, and not by tax and spend. In fact love the idea of "from each according to his ability to each according to his need" in a self-selected, independent, finite community of faith, but uterly abhor it to the core as a state policy. A kibbutz where you're free to come and go as you please v. communist China.
And I think the GOP should tweak the hypocrisy of the "compassionate" left and ask the world to consider how much statist socialism has hurt the needy.
Posted by: Bleeding Heart Conservative on October 1, 2003 09:03 AM