I apologize for being flip. I hope I did at least get a smile. Seriously, I think that I tend to believe, and I think what Machiavelli was driving at, is that in a free society we all agree to participate peacefully and not try to usurp power and authority. The 2000 election was a good example, in my limited judgement, because it seems that in many places (and eras) an event like that could have easily occasioned serious violence.
The logical leap to the case of the bum I assume is my own. I cannot ask Machiavelli how he feels about it. When I see a bum begging, it seems to me that he could just as easily prey on innocent people as pray for their goodwill. Of course, one could argue that the penalty for crime is severe and it is better to be an honest beggar than an inmate. I question the weight of this argument since crime (for lack of a better term) seems to be endemic to the human condition. The peaceful beggar doesn't seem to benefit too greatly from society's largesse. Through a series of bad decisions, a few strokes of bad luck, or an inability to obtain adequate mental health care, inter alia, he has become homeless and remedy has not been obtained--since he remains homeless. Yet he still participates in civic society. Were I in his place, I'm not so sure I'd be so civil. This does not make the bum "superior" to me. I could easily view him as a non-productive blight offensive to the eye and (yuck!) nose, and seek to have him banished through my influence with the polity or by threats and harassment. But I don't. Hence, I consider the debt to be reciprocal. Does that make sense? It's one of those things that is difficult for me to put into words. To put another way, "every civil member of a free and civic society owes a debt to every other civil member" seems to me to be a guideline far superior to the Golden Rule. -jsh --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > In a message dated 12/3/02 2:51:56 AM, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > << --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > "'As Machiavelli pointed out, no one is willing to > admit the debt that they incure to those who choose > option #1. > -jsh' > What debt is that?" > > Exactly. >> > > No, seriously, how do I benefit others by begging? > Do I give them a needed > sense of superiority? Or do I serve as an excuse > for government to steal > your money and give it to bureaucrats in the name of > helping me? > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
