From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   Many libertarians believe that they are thinking freely. Most of them do not.   
   In fact I found in many of these people the behavior of regarding actual   
   free-thinkers as lunatics.   
      
   So we see people portraying as free thought denial of global warming or a   
   claim that there is a Satanic conspiracy among world leaders. This is not free   
   thought, this is foolishness. If there has been such a conspiracy, then you   
   would be dead and I would    
   be dead. As for global warming, the evidence for it is overwhelming, and it   
   takes gouging out your eyes not to see it.   
      
   I actually know a thing or two about free thinking, and I can say right now   
   that these people do not measure up as free-thinkers. They don’t have free   
   thought. They have a party line. And if you do not follow this party line,   
   there is hell to pay.   
      
   As for actual free-thinking, it is a very important pursuit. Free thought is   
   necessary for people to come up with anything new. Everything manmade started   
   as an original idea. And original ideas start in minds that operate in   
   original ways – which, as    
   such, will always see someone claiming them to be insane.   
      
   I have not seen libertarians come up with original ideas. What they have, once   
   again, is a party line. This is like the Communists claiming to own progress   
   even as they lagged greatly behind the West technologically and economically.   
   In my experience,    
   they were some of the most intolerant people that you would find, and ones   
   most resistant to actual free thought.   
      
   If you are a libertarian, I would encourage you to do more to explore and   
   study. That way you are less likely to do stupid things. As for free-thinking,   
   I have seen it across ideologies as well as outside ideologies, and in all   
   cases there was merit in    
   it.   
      
   There will always be leaders and there will always be followers. It is to be   
   expected that the followers be less impressive than the leaders. Most   
   Christians don’t compare to Christ, and most objectivists do not compare to   
   Ayn Rand. The leader starts    
   with free thought. The follower adopts it as gospel and then behaves   
   sheepishly under the banner of free thought.   
      
   As for actual free-thinking, it is a major risk. A free-thinker will always   
   see people portraying him as crazy or evil. I have decided to take that risk   
   because I have original things to say and I’m willing to face the   
   consequences of saying them.   
      
   Libertarians should take that risk themselves and actually become   
   free-thinkers. At which point they may actually achieve the freedom for which   
   they claim to speak.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)