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I want to make a practical point about libertarianism. Libertarians have a set of ideas and they have worked out a system. It's interesting. And, as John has said, there are some good things to be said for it because of the evil that governments have sometimes done.

But look, guys, libertarianism is unworkable. If libertarians had a chance to apply their ideas the result would be a highly unstable political system. It would work just great for people who do very well in a competitive market economy. People with lots of education, for example, would do just fine.

But there would also be a lots of people who would do very poorly in a libertarian society -- and there is virtually nothing but private charity that such a system can offer them as help. The government, which has the role of maintaining a kind of minimum standard of living in every modern society, would be unable to do so. Libertarians can't even find a way to provide public schools and hospitals, let alone social security for the aged and income or jobs for the unemployed. They see every move on the part of government to provide goods and services for the poor, the aged, or the unemployed as illegitimate because it takes something away from someone else who has a right to it.

A system like that would be very unstable. A libertarian Supreme Court, for example, would have to strike down every law that would care for the poor. There would be food riots, job riots, medical care riots, you name it.

I'm sorry, Dee. Your theory is interesting, but it just wouldn't work.