Thanks, Alicia. Without being shy about letting correspondents know when I disagree, I try to respond diplomatically to everyone who writes to me as an LNC member – and if they write to more than two or three LNC members, post my responses here as well as to the writer so that LNC members who weren't copied on their "cc" list and folks reading on the reflector list can see what kind of input we're receiving.
Part of the way in which power "corrupts" is that it tends to make those who possess it arrogant. Thus I see maintaining humility as an important practice for libertarians in positions of power (whether formal positions like public office or internal party office, or more informal types of power). In traditional stories, wise and compassionate rulers are often portrayed going out of their palaces disguised as ordinary people in order to mingle with their subjects on an equal footing and see things from their points of view in order to learn what's really going on. Not that LNC members are anything like kings of course, but making a practice of politely responding to all grassroots contacts and inquiries seems like a small way to take a spiritually somewhat similar approach. I don't think it's a coincidence that the most libertarian member of Congress, Justin Amash, is also the only one I've ever heard of explaining his votes on each piece of legislation to members of the public.
Ideally I think governments seeking to operate in accord with libertarian principles on a sustainable basis would do well to also include some structural safeguards designed to keep leaders humble. Government chambers being designed with the most comfortable seating reserved for members of the public rather than the officeholders, requiring officeholders to commute using public transit, live in modest public housing, this sort of thing. The tradition of the Pope washing the feet of parishioners may be a little weird for modern times, but in spirit it's right on the mark. Seeing members of Congress required to spend a day each year as volunteers helping members of the public fill out their tax forms would certainly be a gratifying exercise. :-) I also like the idea, which has been seriously proposed, of requiring politicians to wear uniforms emblazoned with the names of their biggest campaign contributors, kind of like athletes wear jerseys emblazoned with the names and logos of their corporate sponsors.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
(415) 625-FREE
On Oct 1, 2016, at 11:49 PM, Alicia Mattson wrote:
I'm just writing to compliment Starchild on his very diplomatic response to an absurd request.
I found it interesting that her FEC filings say she does not plan to exceed the $5,000 filing threshold, but she told us she would raise hundreds of millions of dollars...
-Alicia
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