You came back! Welcome back. I think you'll find the answer to some of your questions about my political leanings in the following article. (I'm actually far more left wing than most people think I am)
https://medium.com/p/dc04f4267b96
That should help you get a sense of where I sit in the political sphere and why I seem to have very few friends. Left-wing libertarians like me are a dying breed in the modern world and I think probably far more prevalent in Europe than in the USA. Nevertheless, that should help you with fitting me into some ideological boxes. Think Noam Chomsky and you won't be far wrong. I don't think Libertarians are fence sitters, I think we've got very clear views on how much or how little the state should interfere, my libertarianism is sometimes spoiled by my socialism which gets in the way and ruins perfectly valid ways of viewing the world.
There's an excellent comment on here about the 10th man (it came from Reuben Salsa who is well worth following). It's pretty accurate to why I believe arguments are an integral part of how societies function. The article is here. https://themindcollection.com/the-tenth-man-rule-devils-advocacy/
I don't argue to win... and i didn't win in the argument about the young girl and her father. What I did was provide enough of a rebuttal so that a better solution than the one originally proposed was enacted - that isn't winning.
With regards 'woke'. I think it means something different here in the UK, I've been called out on this before by American readers. Given that we didn't have the original usage of the word and didn't have slavery on our shores, the word is largely derogatory and tongue in cheek when used over here. It is almost always used sardonically and that's how I use it. I've heard of Tucker Carlson, but I'm not really sure who he is.
I derive far more pleasure from not functioning in an echo chamber - and you must know this to be true, because you have rocked up with some angry critiques of my work and found me willing to engage with you, argue the toss and do so time and time again. Given how hard and fast you came in on that piece (which may have disturbed you) I would've been well within my rights to hit the block button. I won't re-debate it now, anyone reading our back and forth should be able to find it. And yes, there were an entire team of people dedicated to protecting her, and only one Penguin protecting her from the State running rough-shod over her wishes and feelings. It felt balanced.
That's by the by...
The fact i didn't block you, haven't and wouldn't should be enough to tell you what I think about being challenged even vociferously. Consider what I wrote in the article about Andrew Tate against your comment to me - and decide which of us has the most likely claim to protection from the Medium powers that be...
Principles I universally support:
- all human beings have the same intrinsic value and all lives are equally valuable. I cannot be a monarchist for this reason.
- money is complicated and should go where it's needed not where it's wanted. That's why I'm a socialist.
- The Government should not be able to interfere unduly with the lives of its citizens. That's why I'm a libertarian
- No society should have the death penalty for any reason. (more libertarian)
- Most people are inherently good but humans are complicated and human psychology is difficult.
- Conversation is almost always the answer and no matter how much I disagree with someone, I believe I could sit down and have a coffee and a chat with them.
