Limits of State Power
POSTED BY: SergeantX
UPDATED: Sunday, December 14, 2025 21:53
VIEWED: 37205
PAGE 5 of 36
Sarge, I'm not attacking you. Well, maybe a little. But the point is that you keep proposing unrealistic options. Economic hardship is as compelling as a gun. Whether you or your child dies by starvation or untreated pneumonia or gunfire is... well, irrelevant. There are more kinds of force than weaponry. YOU say that you would rather die or become an outlaw.... but yanno what? Most people don't want to live that way. And the old, the infirm, the young... CAN'T live that way. That option is only for a young, healthy, slightly sociopathic males who don't mind robbing people who just as destitute as they are (because the rich will always be protected). If that's your "solution" to economic injustice... leave me out of it.
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We should have strapped him into a glider, filled it nose heavy w/ explosives, and dropped his Allah lovin' ass into a large, empty field. After which, release wild boars into the area so they could make good use of his remains. Now THAT's justice.- rappy
Yeah, that's what Sheikh Issa said. Seems you both have a lot in common.- signy
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Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
It's a business, not a government.
A business existing existing with the consent of the government.
Quote:
If you had to chose between an anti-slavery government and a pro-slavery business, which would you choose ?
Obviously, the anti-slavery government. But a pro-slavery business would imply a pro-slavery government. Again, I'm not sure I see your point.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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"A business existing existing with the consent of the government."
I dunno. Back in Iceland a few hundred years ago - the supposed bastion of libertarianism - people were owned. They were slaves. It's where the word 'thrall' came from.
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Silence is consent.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Sarge, I'm not attacking you. Well, maybe a little. But the point is that you keep proposing unrealistic options. Economic hardship is as compelling as a gun.
This is the point you keep making with which I categorically disagree. Despite my reluctance to share personal details as part of an argument, it seems important to you so I'll say this much. I've faced both economic hardship as well as being at the mercy of someone with a gun. Thankfully, much more of the economic hardship, some of which was pretty extreme. I say "thankfully" because there's just no comparison. Being poor, even desperately so, is just not the same thing as being on the barrel end of a gun.
Quote:
If that's your "solution" to economic injustice... leave me out of it.
Tell you what. I'll gladly leave you out of mine, if you leave me out of yours, deal?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
"A business existing existing with the consent of the government."
I dunno. Back in Iceland a few hundred years ago - the supposed bastion of libertarianism - people were owned. They were slaves. It's where the word 'thrall' came from.
Uh..heh.. despite my typo, I think you got my point. But I'm still not getting yours. Slavery is not part of the libertarian credo.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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Why not ?
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OOPS. It's late, I gotta go.
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So, is there any chance of getting back to the topic? I just don't think you're going to have any luck convincing me that "working for the man" is the same thing as slavery. As long as I can throw down my tools and walk without getting lashed, it's not even close.
Anyway, I was particularly interested in the socialist explanation of what, to me, seems a contradiction. If we're not willing to let the government tell us where we can live, what career we can pursue, etc.... yet we don't want wealth to be the deciding factor, how do such dilemmas get resolved?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
Why not ?
Perhaps you missed the part that mentioned "freedom"?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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LIbertarianism - seems to me to be about small - or best - no - government, and letting the marketplace decide. Neither one precludes slavery.
Anyway, I have to go. I'm late.
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Silence is consent.
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Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
LIbertarianism - seems to me to be about small - or best - no - government, and letting the marketplace decide. Neither one precludes slavery.
Maybe you should do some more reading. From the libertarian point of view, the protection of individual freedom is the sole justifiable purpose of government. Limited government and a free market are concepts derived from this central tenet.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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