I've been a member of John Allen's libnetd discussion list at Yahoo! Groups for several years. A lot of what he posts (forwards from other lists) is interesting, while some of it is of questionable value or clearly promoting a conservative agenda, rather than focused on libertarianism or self-sovereignty. I seldom post, but I do read almost everything he sends. Tonight, I chose to comment on a posting about Isaac Asimov's essay on the National Anthem. It has been making the rounds recently with a bit of added text about "AND IT'S SUNG IN ENGLISH!!!"
I shared my thoughts about the lack of libertarian content and asked why a libertarian should care about what language a person sings the National Anthem. Johnny did not like that.
Apparently, I need to grow up. And now, I'm being accused of making a mountain out of a molehill for my clumsy attempt at pointing out that National Anthem debates are a distraction from the real goal of libertarian activism – liberty. My last response to Mr. Allen, which has not been posted to the list yet (either due to net congestion or me being put on moderation for asking him an uncomfortable question) is listed below:
I don't think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill at all. Again, why should libertarians concern themselves with things like the National Anthem (and it's bastard cousin the loyalty oath Pledge of Allegiance) which are more about nationalism, and less about individual sovereignty? Liberty is my goal, not United Statesism or My Country Is The Bestest.
Further, I didn't address the "content of the whole message" because it is old news. It has been floating around for over a decade. I remember first reading it in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction while on active duty at Camp Lejeune in the early 1990s and about a dozen times since when some SNCO or officer passed it around or someone distributed it on a message list.
What I find interesting is the new propaganda statement added to the end of it – the part that Asimov did not write.
And by the way, there is nothing unlibertarian about censoring what you allow and don't allow to be posted in your own forum. It is your property (so long as far as Yahoo! allows it to be). You could ban me and be fully within your rights as the moderator of this forum. There would be nothing unlibertarian in such an action. It might be cowardly or vindictive, but not against the concept of self-sovereignty. You "own" the forum, so you get to control what goes on and is allowed to participate. Howver, if you initiated force (or used the government to initiate force) to prevent others from making their own statements on their own property, with resources separate from your own – then you would be violating libertarian principles.