The Nappy Cat Chronicles

Many libertarians are basically conservatives who are either gay or druggies or people who generally find the conservative moral agenda too restrictive. So they flee from the conservative to the libertarian camp where much wider parameters of personal behavior are embraced. To the sensible idea of political and economic freedom many libertarians add the more controversial principle of moral freedom, the freedom to live however you want as long as you don’t harm others.

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So here we see another portrait of Atheist Christmas: bitter guys making sophomoric jokes and staggering out of the room inebriated.

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Yes, I agree that many nominal Christians have also forgotten the message of Christmas. Even so I wonder: what’s the atheist equivalent of Christmas? Darwin’s birthday? For many libertarians I suppose it’s the day they get their tax refunds.

I’m occasionally frustrated by how easily an educated moron like Dinesh D’Souza finds a pulpit. I feel bad when I realize that his purpose is to generate buzz for himself and that I’m aiding this. But then I feel even worse when I realize that something like 80% of his readership finds him intellectually insightful and exciting.

Dinesh can always hop on the “I have diplomas” bandwagon when challenged. But, because morality to him is a negative authoritarian abstraction, he will always be wrong. And, if he’s right, they’ll be right for all the wrong reasons.

For me, an atheist, my christmas is Christmas. I celebrate this holiday on this day because it’s when the people that I know and like get to have off from work. The name of this holiday and the Constantinian-Christian origins of its name don’t mean a goddamn thing to me.

Dinesh’s sophomoric critiques of libertarianism are oddly placed. It’s as if he wanted be sure that he had hammered away at every nail before he headed home for Christmas. Regarding these, I have only two clarifications: First, the pursuit of personal gratification and happiness is not controversial. Everyone does it. We do it all of the time. And, second, a tax refund is not a cause for celebration. Throughout the year, the government overcharges you in order to increase revenue through interest. If you qualify, you get back what’s been fleeced. Hence, refund.

Anyway. Merry Christmas everyone. And, if you think your gifts suck this year, remember, nothing sucks like receiving windshield de-icer when you don’t have a car and attend college in South Carolina.