Etiquette



DP Etiquette

First rule: Don't be a jackass. Most people are good.

Other rules: Do not attack or insult people you disagree with. Engage with facts, logic and beliefs. Out of respect for others, please provide some sources for the facts and truths you rely on if you are asked for that. If emotion is getting out of hand, get it back in hand. To limit dehumanizing people, don't call people or whole groups of people disrespectful names, e.g., stupid, dumb or liar. Insulting people is counterproductive to rational discussion. Insult makes people angry and defensive. All points of view are welcome, right, center, left and elsewhere. Just disagree, but don't be belligerent or reject inconvenient facts, truths or defensible reasoning.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

MAGA's moral rot infects libertarian dogma

Radical right political morality

If the self-professed libertarian Rand Paul is a good example of weak libertarian moral and political principle, MAGA's moral rot has infected and rotted libertarianism. In a stunning abandonment of libertarian free speech principle, Paul now calls for a "crackdown" on bad free speech related to Charlie Kirk's murder. Until recently, Paul was a long-time free speech champion. This wacko response to Kirk's murder shows the intellectual inconsistency in modern Republican Party's relationship with civil liberties. Apparently Paul is too morally weak to stand by his principle in the face of MAGA moral rot.

In a show of infantile reasoning, Paul responded to the statement "Oh people have a right to say things" by responding "Well actually they don't necessarily have a right to say things, many people have in their contract what we call a morals clause .... or a conduct clause". What contract Paul has in mind, if any, is beside the point bullshit.

FWIW, morals clauses, while legally enforceable, have very specific applications and cannot broadly restrict political commentary. These clauses typically appear in contracts for high-profile positions - entertainment industry professionals, corporate executives, professional athletes, and public figures whose conduct directly impacts their employer's brand. They are not standard in most employment contracts.

Rand Paul is someone who needs a contract to keep him from saying stupid things. A good stupidity clause would be quite helpful.

As a long-time observer of American politics, it's amazing how much of our country was held together by a wink, a handshake, and a few norms and moral principles. Most of the norms and morals are now blown to smithereens by MAGA rot. All it took was some blowhard to say "nah, I don't think we will be doing that" and then they set the whole damned thing on fire. 


Bad libertarian, bad, bad libertarian!

Obviously, we don't have wise or 
knowledgeable leaders

No comments:

Post a Comment