This bitch session really is an expression of extreme disappointment. The sort of disappointment one of jewish decent might feel if a champion of freedom, whom he thought would help him, discovers that this champion’s seemingly anti-semitic jocularity is, in fact, deeply rooted hated; and that a great idea of which he supported was no longer supportable because the highest profile champions of the idea are Nazi’s.

I discovered Neal Boortz, the radio talk show entertainer, several years ago. His political leanings are largely Libertarian-Republican, and he has a reputation for being crass. He’s very entertaining - you might not always agree with him, but hearing him disagree with you is usually quite entertaining as well. Occasionally, he’s an ass - but who isn’t.

For the longest time, Boortz was a good example of a Libertarian. Certain Libertarian views he would not agree with, and he’d express that - but he would do so decently. Until a few years ago, this was true of all subjects on which he differed from Libertarian. Now, there is clearly and loudly one subject to which he does not only differ in Libertarian view, but his justifications for this difference is consistently one of personal hatred - not of any logical reasoning. The subject is Smoking freedoms.

At first, when discussing smoking bans and hardships for tobacco users, he would not be shy of his dislike of smoking, but he would stress opposition to such things based on Libertarian principles. No longer. In following his writings over the past year or two, Boortz has consistently voiced strong support for anything anti-tobacco. And his sole justification for all the support: Smokers are stupid people and should suffer.

To read and hear his musings in total - it is exceptionally jarring to see full-on (and righteous) Libertarian defense on such subjects as lower taxes, less government, illegal drug legalization, abortion freedoms, firearm rights, and private property rights; then right in the middle of it, a blurb on anti-smoking activities and a blatant support of such - eschewing his neighboring arguments on private property and individual freedoms and less government - with his only justification being that he hates smokers.

It has become clear that this is not an oversight or a long-running sick joke. Neal Boortz is so blinded by hate that he cannot see, nor does he want to see, the contradiction. As a result, Neal Boortz has lost all credibility with me, which is a shame because many of his views are good and he WAS a good role model for the Libertarian movement.

By the by, Neal Boortz used to be a smoker. The fact that he is now very anti-tobacco says volumes about his character, and it’s not good.

Which brings me to the FairTax proposal. I first heard of this tax restructuring idea from Neal Boortz. I bought the book and read it carefully. The plan IS a good plan! While many critics have panned it, I have seen that their reasonings for panning it are erroneous. While not actually reducing or expanding our federal tax burden, the plan would have eliminated a great deal of administrative cost and hassle in tax collections and would have made this country so much more competitive for corporations that foreign companies would start relocating here.

And as much as I support this tax proposal, I cannot any longer give any assistance to its life. Why? Because the tax proposal suffers the unfortunate fate of being supported by high profile people who otherwise hate my guts because I’m a smoker. Neal Boortz for one, and Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for another. You might think that’s petty, but consider how much support Mike Huckabee got because of his support of the FairTax plan by Libertarians who otherwise completely glossed over his atrocious track record on individual liberties: the man spearheaded a state-wide smoking ban while governor of Arkansas, raised numerous taxes - not just on cigarettes, promised a federal smoking ban and steep federal tobacco tax increase and genuinely promised a governance of this county not terribly far removed from a theocracy - not terribly unlike Muslim countries, only with Baptists holding the proverbial whips.

I don’t think my disappointment on these two subjects is a sorrow in the wilderness. From what I can tell, Neal Boortz’s popularity is on the wane - probably because of the increasingly clear disjoint between his professed belief in Libertarian values and his inability to apply it to certain subjects and his absolute refusal to acknowledge the disjoint, let alone let anyone express it to him. And the FairTax has been fading from radar of late probably because of association with Mike Huckabee, the worst example of a Republican - evangelical fanatic and nanny-state champion. In popular view - the FairTax is now tainted with that stink.

One can only hope that someday, another champion of Libertarian views and real tax reform will rise and capture the attention of the World - and will be a real champion, not hindered by personal bias, irrational hatred or logical shortcomings.