Topic: About the Chart
Welcome to the Nolan Chart This article officially launches the Nolan Chart website. The website is fully owned and operated by Nolan Chart LLC.by Walt Thiessen
(Libertarian)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Ever since I became a libertarian in 1980, I (like most other libertarians) have been dismayed by the lack of respect that has been demonstrated up until this time by the major media. For the most part, libertarian ideas are not presented as being part of the public discussion of issues. If they are mentioned at all, the reference is usually made in a disparaging way, and the merits of the ideas are discounted.
This is an intolerable situation, because libertarian ideas have already been successfully affecting the public discussion in subtle, unnoticed ways. Most people in this country would be hard pressed to simply identify a libertarian idea, yet many are unwittingly expressing them in their daily discourse.
Since libertarians are opposed to initiated force, we are also unwilling to force our way onto the public stage. That's why I created nolanchart.com...to provide a venue in which libertarian ideas can appear on equal footing with conservative, liberal, statist, and even moderate (centrist) ideas. My expectation is that this will help elevate libertarian thinking to a prominent place in American politics that it so richly deserves. With any luck, instead of trying to change the major media, this site will (hopefully) become a part of the major media!
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2007 Walt Thiessen, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, August 19, 2007
Last modified: Thursday, January 3, 2008
The views expressed in this
article are those of Walt Thiessen only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Walt Thiessen is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Colette von Hessen
Date: 2007-10-17 09:43:16
Hi Walt, I'm really happy to be a part of Nolan Chart. I wish the abortion question and immigration questions were in the chart, though, because I don't want my readers to think I am a straight-out libertarian. I used to pay dues to the Libertarian Party and even attended statewide meetings until they officially took the pro-choice stance on their platform. Harry Browne was the last time I voted for a Libertarian because of this. Libertarians also are generally for open borders, which I am firmly against. I just don't want my readers to be misled by my Nolan chart rating -- I think I am mostly libertarian, but with two conservative positions, i.e., pro-life and anti-amnesty. I hope you will add these issues to the Nolan chart, since they are important for many people, especially during these times.
I agree with you, Walt, and I'm glad I stumbled across your site. Libertarianism is not afforded the attention it both deserves and needs, and I am with you in hoping this site will help change that.
Colette, I think you are confusing libertarianism (lower case "l") with the Libertarian party (upper case "L"). Those who hold a libertarian philosophy but are not affiliated with the party (such as myself), often disagree with them. For example, I oppose any act of aggression of any type. This means I oppose abortion, because it is the cold-blooded, premeditated murder of a helpless, unborn child. I also oppose open borders, because I feel this erodes America's sovereignty and the individual liberties of our citizens.
So you can be a "libertarian" and still not necessarily agree with the "Libertarians". In fact, at times it only makes sense to do so.
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2007-10-25 11:20:16
Thanks for the agreement David, although I can't honestly say that I understand why you think I'm confusing libertarian with Libertarian thinking. My entire article was about the more broad-based small "l" libertarian meaning of the word, and I really don't see where I referred to the party in any way, shape manner or form in my article.
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2007 Walt Thiessen, all rights reserved.