Comments on: It’s Never Too Late for the First Time… http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/ Personal website and weblog of the libertarian thinker Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:50:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Harvey Morrell http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13274 Harvey Morrell Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:31:44 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13274 You could take the a href="http://www.wahl-o-mat.de/bundestagswahl2009/main_app.php?sprache=1&wombundestagswahl2009=09c0a11519877d3dee8fdd1dd36908ba&servername=server1">Wahl-O-Mat quiz</a> and see which party is closest to your view. I linked to the English language version. You could take the a href=”http://www.wahl-o-mat.de/bundestagswahl2009/main_app.php?sprache=1&wombundestagswahl2009=09c0a11519877d3dee8fdd1dd36908ba&servername=server1″>Wahl-O-Mat quiz and see which party is closest to your view. I linked to the English language version.

]]> By: Aaron http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13270 Aaron Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:09:56 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13270 Ich dachte die Werbung gar nicht so schlecht war. Ich hoffe, dass sie ein gutes Ergebnis haben -- jedenfalls scheint FDP viel besser als die Alternativen. Ich dachte die Werbung gar nicht so schlecht war. Ich hoffe, dass sie ein gutes Ergebnis haben — jedenfalls scheint FDP viel besser als die Alternativen.

]]> By: Tom G. Palmer http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13261 Tom G. Palmer Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:52:41 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13261 This is an ad for the election campaign, not a manifesto. The FDP leaders believe, on the basis of the polls, that they have the possibility of major gains. One of the obstacles is the unwillingness of many Germans to depart from their traditional support for the conservatives or the social democrats. This ad is intended to overcome that hesitancy by comparing it to "the first time" for love and for making a decision for oneself. So it's not a manifesto, but an attempt to convince wavering voters that doing something -- voting FDP -- for the first time is a good thing. This is an ad for the election campaign, not a manifesto. The FDP leaders believe, on the basis of the polls, that they have the possibility of major gains. One of the obstacles is the unwillingness of many Germans to depart from their traditional support for the conservatives or the social democrats. This ad is intended to overcome that hesitancy by comparing it to “the first time” for love and for making a decision for oneself. So it’s not a manifesto, but an attempt to convince wavering voters that doing something — voting FDP — for the first time is a good thing.

]]> By: MicroBalrog http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13189 MicroBalrog Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:55:06 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13189 A party that's been around for several decades has more than just ideology - they also have a record to stand on, and from what I know - which essentially 'what I am told by German-speakers' - their record doesn't seem to shine that much. A party that’s been around for several decades has more than just ideology – they also have a record to stand on, and from what I know – which essentially ‘what I am told by German-speakers’ – their record doesn’t seem to shine that much.

]]> By: JP Floru http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13179 JP Floru Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:32:07 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13179 of course the FDP are the classical liberals...but what about a message in their videoclip ? This surely won't do the trick. of course the FDP are the classical liberals…but what about a message in their videoclip ? This surely won’t do the trick.

]]> By: OrangeGal http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13165 OrangeGal Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:39:26 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13165 Well, I think you cannot say it like that. The FDP was in the opposition for 2 governments and thus can dare to make bold statements. Maybe you should however look into the Länder and see their track record there, which is everything but gloriously liberal. To me, the fact that the FDP in Bavaria where they form a coalition with the CSU supported and voted for laws which violate the ideals of freedom in an FSK18 way (Online-Durchsuchung is the best example) and that their track record in NRW is as bad (with the CDU as coalition partner) that I cannot imagining voting for them within the next 16 Bundestags-elections. They are just too eager to throw their ideals overboard for a place in a coalition with whoever is willing. Well, I think you cannot say it like that. The FDP was in the opposition for 2 governments and thus can dare to make bold statements. Maybe you should however look into the Länder and see their track record there, which is everything but gloriously liberal. To me, the fact that the FDP in Bavaria where they form a coalition with the CSU supported and voted for laws which violate the ideals of freedom in an FSK18 way (Online-Durchsuchung is the best example) and that their track record in NRW is as bad (with the CDU as coalition partner) that I cannot imagining voting for them within the next 16 Bundestags-elections. They are just too eager to throw their ideals overboard for a place in a coalition with whoever is willing.

]]> By: Tom G. Palmer http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13157 Tom G. Palmer Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:21:51 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13157 You'd be surprised what people overlook, but evidently in your case your vision was 20/20. I suspect it's a matter of what you consider the reason for voting. If it's to register a preference, you might vote one way. If it's to affect policy and swing it more in your direction, you might vote another. I tend to favor the latter and I'm also not quite clear just what the Pirate Party stands for, in any case. I do know that the FDP generally (and specifically) favors less taxation, less state control, more personal freedom, respect for civil liberties, less involvement in foreign military adventures, toleration, etc. Not as far as I would want to go in most areas, I'm sure, but overall going in the right direction. That works for me. You’d be surprised what people overlook, but evidently in your case your vision was 20/20.

I suspect it’s a matter of what you consider the reason for voting. If it’s to register a preference, you might vote one way. If it’s to affect policy and swing it more in your direction, you might vote another. I tend to favor the latter and I’m also not quite clear just what the Pirate Party stands for, in any case. I do know that the FDP generally (and specifically) favors less taxation, less state control, more personal freedom, respect for civil liberties, less involvement in foreign military adventures, toleration, etc. Not as far as I would want to go in most areas, I’m sure, but overall going in the right direction. That works for me.

]]> By: MicroBalrog http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13156 MicroBalrog Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:15:06 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13156 I'm not illiterate. But - unless I'm off key - *you* are a libertarian. So, why support them and not the Pirates? As far as I understand, the FDP is a bland run-of-the-mill European liberal party, am I mistaken here? [If I lived in Europe, I would probably have no idea whom to vote for, but at least TPP have pro-privacy stances and oppose online censorships, which is great in my mind]. I’m not illiterate.

But – unless I’m off key – *you* are a libertarian. So, why support them and not the Pirates? As far as I understand, the FDP is a bland run-of-the-mill European liberal party, am I mistaken here? [If I lived in Europe, I would probably have no idea whom to vote for, but at least TPP have pro-privacy stances and oppose online censorships, which is great in my mind].

]]> By: Tom G. Palmer http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13155 Tom G. Palmer Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:56:02 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13155 Could be, depending on how you use the terms "liberal" and "libertarian." I wrote "Vote Liberal in the German Elections." Could be, depending on how you use the terms “liberal” and “libertarian.” I wrote “Vote Liberal in the German Elections.”

]]> By: MicroBalrog http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13154 MicroBalrog Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:53:44 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13154 Aren't the FDP rather moderate to be called libertarians? [my fiancee is a political candidate with the Piraten, so...] Aren’t the FDP rather moderate to be called libertarians?

[my fiancee is a political candidate with the Piraten, so...]

]]> By: Juan Carlos http://tomgpalmer.com/2009/09/19/its-never-too-late-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-13119 Juan Carlos Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:34:51 +0000 http://tomgpalmer.com/?p=3952#comment-13119 Für Freiheit! Für Freiheit!

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