liberty student: Arbitrary is not the word I would like to use. It's implies that I make my moral decisions lightly, or casually.
Arbitrary is not the word I would like to use. It's implies that I make my moral decisions lightly, or casually.
Sorry
liberty student: I come to my morality subjectively. By my own rational analysis.
I come to my morality subjectively. By my own rational analysis.
Rational analysis as in self discovery?
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." ~Dream
Snowflake:Sorry
S'okay, I did use it when responding to Juan. Juan is a great libertarian.
Snowflake:Rational analysis as in self discovery?
My own rational (means oriented) analysis.
I value peace and I value creativity. Given that those are my values, then it seems libertarian ideas are very complimentary to those ends.
If you find something evil that wobbles, push it. - Gary North
liberty student: I value peace and I value creativity. Given that those are my values, then it seems libertarian ideas are very complimentary to those ends.
So, just for kicks, how do you talk to people who value violence and ignorance?
I ask because I'm trying to start an anti-NWO group on campus created expressly for the purpose of debating topics with the mainstream political organizations. The dems ask for general welfare and social justice, which is easy to work around in a debate. The republican groups are a little scarier. They advocate these wars America has been fighting against "islamo-fascists" and support the patriot act and bla bla. Even some of the libertarian groups are super into bombing the middle east.
While it could be argued that these conservative groups think this way because they value some higher ideal, like freedom, it feels more like they have an insatiable bloodlust they promote under the guise of popular morality...
Blueline976: Alright so thus far, I've only showed him Long's "10 Objections" article. He replied with: Him: Rockwell fails at #4
Alright so thus far, I've only showed him Long's "10 Objections" article. He replied with:
Him: Rockwell fails at #4
#4 is the failure point. Look at the mob, gangs and warlords for inspiration.
"Anarchism misunderstands the real nature of man. It would be practicable only in a world of angels and saints" - Ludwig von Mises
Snowflake:So, just for kicks, how do you talk to people who value violence and ignorance?
I don't anymore. I won't invest the time once people demonstrate they have no interest in what I have to convey. I've posted it here many times before. There is a lot of low hanging fruit out there. People who have never considered ethics, or anti-statism. People who never looked at the premise of the state clearly. Those are people you can affect.
LS: Juan: By the way, if they act for Y that seems to be strong evidence they like Y, not X... Excellent analysis.
Juan: By the way, if they act for Y that seems to be strong evidence they like Y, not X...
LS: Juan: It implies your decisions are groundless - mere whim. Face it. How do you reconcile this with praxeology?
Juan: It implies your decisions are groundless - mere whim. Face it.
February 17 - 1600 - Giordano Bruno is burnt alive by the catholic church. Aquinas : "much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only excommunicated but even put to death."
I do believe that the state is something of a mob/gang, being that it takes territory by force, demands protection money, controls commerce etc.
States already have battled over territory, and left millions dead as a result (deaths that were often not even necessary for any sort of "victory", what we could call deaths by malfeasance or incompetence). I am unsure what anarchistic bogeyman the minarchists fear, as they still trust the ultimate warlord to protect rights when by his very nature he must be more powerful than the people united against him.
Furthermore, Poptech never ANSWERS the objection to the objection to Libertarian anarchism, that is, the socialization of costs. Note that the means of a state and a gang are very much similar (if not the same) the only difference being the illusion of legitimacy via non-existent consent, implicit or otherwise via a voting system which rarely if ever limits the state's scope. Observe the introduction of states into tribal societies in Africa. The tribes, formally having something of a balance for power, now fight for the throne of the state (call it the gun in the room) and use it to annihilate each other. They could hypothetically do this w/o the state, but having the ability to collect an arbitrary amount of funds from all individuals in a given territory is certainly helpful.
Furthermore, I'm sure that most of the members of this forum, Poptech included, know the role that state economic regulations play in the rise and fall of organized crime. Markets are much better at finding equilibrium than the state and it's thuggery.
Poptech:Look at the mob, gangs and warlords for inspiration.
But that is the state. There are no restraints on the state, or its laws, or its violence. There are no checks and balances. They are as Rothbard put it, "a gang of thieves, writ large".
So at best, it is a wash.
Did you read Hasnas' "Myth of the Rule of Law"? You should. It was a turning point for a lot of us here.
Juan:Thanks.
You're welcome.
Juan:Not sure what I have to reconcile with praxeology.
Are all decisions groundless? Is man an irrational creature, operating without regard to satisfying his ends?
Btw, do you like Vanilla Ice Cream?
Juan:Does it matter ?
Of course it matters. I need to know if you like vanilla ice cream.
Seriously, I am wondering if you believe my decisions are all made as whims, or just some of my decisions like morality.
Could you answer that please?
Mlee:via a voting system which rarely if ever limits the state's scope.
The existence of a voting system cannot limit a states scope, pure democracy will always result in mob rule. Better attempts at this are via constitutional republics.
I am not sure where I ever stated support for state economic regulations as I support lazzaie-faire.
liberty student:But that is the state. There are no restraints on the state, or its laws, or its violence. There are no checks and balances.
That depends on what form of government. Constitutional republics have restraints and checks and balances. Obviously how effective they are is a matter of opinion but they exist. Simplistic declarations that do not deal with reality don't impress me.
I never claimed you supported "economic regulation" (Although you do depending on the definition)
What I did claim however, was that there was a strong relationship between organized crime, and state regulation of the economy. Given this, it can be understood that in an environment with little (no society is perfect) to no regulation would not be a playground for organized crime.
liberty student:Did you read Hasnas' "Myth of the Rule of Law"? You should. It was a turning point for a lot of us here.
I'm not sure how that was a turning point. I am well aware of unconstitutional laws existing and being proposed ect... It doesn't take much to convince some people it appears.
Poptech:That depends on what form of government. Constitutional republics have restraints and checks and balances.
They don't work. Hoppe explains why. Economics is the study of incentives on action. The incentives for a monopoly is to rule in its favour (growth).
There are no minarchy constutional republics. They all grow into democracies.
Poptech:Obviously how effective they are is a matter of opinion but they exist.
Back to semantics.
Poptech:Simplistic declarations that do not deal with reality don't impress me.
Back to adjectives.
It doesn't matter what the Constitution says. The republic disregards it. America is not the first example of this. Nor will it be the last.
So no, it doesn't depend on the form of government. A priori, we know what the outcome of monopoly states will be. And anecdotally (what you call, "reality") you can't prove otherwise.
Poptech:I'm not sure how that was a turning point.
Did you read it?
Mlee:What I did claim however, was that there was a strong relationship between organized crime, and state regulation of the economy. Given this, it can be understood that in an environment with little (no society is perfect) to no regulation would not be a playground for organized crime.
Yes regulations can lead to activities that organized crime partake in but that has nothing to do with my reference of them. It was to how private security forces would act towards each other. The Mob is a great example because they don't care about morality or any law, they take what they want and kill to do it.
Snowflake: no state has ever been able to catch more than 60% of its murderers.
no state has ever been able to catch more than 60% of its murderers.
Not true, murders have generally one of the highest detection rates. The Czech police, for example, has had murder detection rate of 85-95 percent for decades and I think the number is similar in many other states.
Poptech:The Mob is a great example because they don't care about morality or any law, they take what they want and kill to do it.
Like the government.
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