Collectivism, whether it is exercised by a class or a corporation or a state, is bad regardless of form or function. It is in the individual respecting the value of other individuals that the American experiment had its highest success.
The below was copied from http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedom.cfm?fuseaction=creed THE CREED OF FREEDOM INTRINSIC NATURE OF RIGHTS I believe that only individuals have rights, not the collective group; that these rights are intrinsic to each individual, not granted by the state; for if the state has the power to grant them, it also has the power to deny them, and that is incompatible with personal liberty. I believe that a just state derives its power solely from its citizens. Therefore, the state must never presume to do anything beyond what individual citizens also have the right to do. Otherwise, the state is a power unto itself and becomes the master instead of the servant of society. SUPREMACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL I believe that one of the greatest threats to freedom is to allow any group, no matter its numeric superiority, to deny the rights of the minority; and that one of the primary functions of a just state is to protect each individual from the greed and passion of the majority. FREEDOM OF CHOICE I believe that desirable social and economic objectives are better achieved by voluntary action than by coercion of law. I believe that social tranquility and brotherhood are better achieved by tolerance, persuasion, and the power of good example than by coercion of law. I believe that those in need are better served by charity, which is the giving of one's own money, than by welfare, which is the giving of other people's money through coercion of law. EQUALITY UNDER LAW I believe that all citizens should be equal under law, regardless of their national origin, race, religion, gender, education, economic status, life style, or political opinion. Likewise, no class should be given preferential treatment, regardless of the merit or popularity of its cause. To favor one class over another is not equality under law. PROPER ROLE OF THE STATE I believe that the proper role of the state is negative, not positive; defensive, not aggressive. It is to protect, not to provide; for if the state is granted the power to provide for some, it must also be able to take from others, and that always leads to legalized plunder and loss of freedom. If the state can give us everything we want, it also must be powerful enough to take from us everything we have. Therefore, the proper function of the state is to protect the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens, nothing more. That state is best which governs least. ------------------ Doesn't this provide a wonderful place for quality... the essence of individual freedom? Todd -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Carl Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 12:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MD] The American Ruling Class Platt, A corporation is an entity devoted to making profits and gaining power. The State is an entity devoted to gaining power. They work quite well together and when the corporate power controls the state, that seems as clear an example of Fascism as any I can imagine. I notice you decry the violence done in the name of past collectivism quite a bit Platt. So I ask you, if this government/corporate combine was able to consolidate power gently, without death and violence but rather through propoganda techniques, would it then be "ok"? So far my favorite form of government I've ever experienced was at Burning Man - which is about as libertarian as I can imagine. But I could be wrong, I could be right, who knows? John On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 1:22 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey John, > > Mussolini was widely admired by progressives in the first half of the 20th > century because he established an all powerful state, holding to the > assumption that any action of the state is justified to achieve the > common good. > > "Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the > State" > > -- Benito Mussolini > > Of course corporations fell under fascist state control either by > nationalization or by regulation to the point where there is a distinction > without a difference, the current push for cap & trade being an example > of the latter. > > By contrast, right-wing conservatives favor limited government and free > markets. > > Platt > > > On 8 Dec 2009 at 10:28, John Carl wrote: > > > Fascism should be more properly called corporatism, since it is the > merger > > of corporate and state power. > > > > > > Benito Mussolini > > > > > > > I enjoyed a documentary film the other day and thought of dear Platt: > > > > > > http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/american_ruling_class/ > > > > > > > > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can > change > > the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." > > > > > > "Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in > a > > box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we've put it in an > > impossible situation." > > > > > > Margaret Mead > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
