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Opening Arguments

Change? No thanks

Former News-Sentinel columnist Nancy Nall Derringer gets a nice Washington Post byline. With a little help from former Mayor Paul Helmke, she takes a run at defining Indiana's brand of conservatism:

In other states, they say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" said Paul Helmke, executive director of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and the former three-term mayor of Fort Wayne. "In Indiana, we wait until it's broken, falling down and lying on the ground rusting. Then we fix it." Maybe.

Indiana is, in many ways, the most conservative state in the country, stubbornly resistant to change of any sort.

I think they're right about the basic nature of Indiana's conservatism, which is just, simply, opposition to change. (I might argue that such "stubborn" resistance to change is a necessary counterbalance to the current rabid impulse to change for no good reason, but, come to think it, I have, extensively, so never mind.) The terms "conservative" and "liberal" have become so intertwined with our political conversation that we've lost their more basic meanings of husbandry (as in conserving what's good in our traditions) and generosity (as in being liberal with our praise). Too bad.

I would quibble a little with a later observation that people in Indiana "aren't as libertarian as other conservatives." But "other conservatives" aren't that libertarian, either; there's a lot of tension between those two philosophies. And Hoosiers at least have the foundation of libertarianism, which is "leave me the hell alone." They just need enough of a communitarian spirit to also say, "And as a matter of fact, leave us all the hell alone," but perhaps that is a bridge too far.

Comments

Nance
Tue, 05/06/2008 - 4:47pm

Libertarianism is, I've decided, a form of Dungeons & Dragons for even nerdier people. (And yes, I'm looking at you, old pal.) Since libertarians are never elected, they can say anything. You roll the dice and you're nine feet tall and can throw fire; you eliminate all zoning laws and a Hardee's moves in next door, but you are not powerless against it -- you can refuse to eat there, and then the invisible hand of the marketplace will...will...well, it'll do something.

Another definition: Libertarians are Republicans who want to smoke pot and cavort with hookers.

A blogger I like followed the haiku-like postings of Glenn Reynolds for a time and came up with the term "glibertarian," and that seems to fit a movement that can simultaneously advocate machine guns in private hands and believe embryos have a full set of civil rights.

Anyway, in the context of my conversation with Helmke, we were discussing how politics is linked to geography, and it's no surprise that modern libertarianism -- whatever the hell it is -- has its roots in the west. When you live on 10,000 acres of Nevada scrub, you can afford to be an old crabbypants about the government, but it's harder when you're elbow-to-elbow with your neighbors. To use the example you like to trot out from time to time -- I really don't care what sort of curtains you hang, but when you replace them with aluminum foil and paint your house black, I think your neighbors have a right to be testy.

Enjoy election night.

gadfly
Tue, 05/06/2008 - 11:34pm

Gosh and Gawwwlee, Sargaent, we'un Indianians are jist not happy about bein' called dumb by bucknut folks deliberately livin' in the state with the worstest unemployment. Maybe they'uns need to get a liberal lady Gov'nor to save 'em.

To Barry from Bernadette:
"You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows"

Leo Morris
Wed, 05/07/2008 - 8:11pm

Libertarians will become a serious political force about the time an atheist is made pope. In the meantime, libertarianism as a philosophy exists to take extreme positions in order to keep one side of the debate alive with the attendant hope of influencing the political process from time to time (I presume you would not object if a Republican or two were persuaded to lighten up a little in the process).

This privilege of being able to say anything without fear of real-world consequences also exists for liberals and conservatives ("free health care for all!" "Death to the embryo killers!" "Wingnuts and moonbats are hijacking the debate!") and people of all philosophic inclinations. It's called arguing, which some of us live for.

"Modern" libertarianism is just like every other kind of libertarianism -- "liberty" is the root word and the animating principle. It's surprising and dismaying how many people are uncomfortable with that most important idea in the history of the world.

And if you'd ever seen the movie "Revenge of the Nerds," you'd know enough to show us a little more respect.

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