`Every person shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media, and the freedom of artistic creativity and scientific work.' - South African draft constitution
`Sure there are dishonest men in local government. But there are dishonest men in national government too.' - Richard M. Nixon
`If Russia has to choose between a constitution and sturgeon with horseradish, she must choose the constitution. Besides, it will make a very fine wrapping for the sturgeon with horseradish.' - Nikolai Fëdorov, Russian Minister of Justice
I'm interested in US and international politics. I particularly follow events in Russia and other CIS nations.
My politics are fairly liberal, with a dose of cynicism. It's that cynicism that makes me sceptical of the strict Libertarianism that seems to be very popular on the Net. Communism - in the theoretical form proposed by Marx, not as implemented by Lenin or Mao - seems to me to have been based on the failed hope that if you let people alone, they'd be nice to each other out of altruism. My sense is that Libertarianism is based on the even less plausible hope that if you let people completely alone, they'll be nice to each other out of greed. (OK, so maybe I'm oversimplifying just a bit. :-) But I don't trust governments either.