[Platt] So the manufacture, production and distribution of goods and services can be done by retards...
[Arlo] I'm sorry, where exactly in Pirsig does he say social activity is basically the level of retardation? Commerce is a social activity, calculus is an intellectual activity. You could say that football requires "intellect" to play, but its still a social level activity. Organized religion requires "intellect" to operate (write sermons, organize events, collect tithes, play music on the organ...), but its still a social level activity. [Platt] A soldier not only fights for his family's freedom but for his own. I don't know where you get this "greater good" from. [Arlo] So you're saying soldier's only fight for their own freedom, that they do not sacrifice for the greater good (freedom for everyone)? But you still haven't answered the question. Is a soldier more moral than a fireman? Is a soldier more moral than your local grocery clerk? Is a grocery clerk more moral than a librarian? I really don't see any rubric to your proposal that some people are more moral than others. So far its only been: Those who fight for intellectual freedom from social repression are more moral than those who fight for threatening biological freedoms from social repression. Or to reword this.... Non-criminals are more moral than criminals. Whatever, but what does this have to do with who does and does not receive health care? [Arlo] if we let the economic market determine who does and who does not receive medical care, then we are tying the value of human life to that person's ability to generate wealth. [Platt] To a person's ability to pay for services rendered, yes. Without wealth there would be no doctors, no medicines, no life saving equipment. [Arlo] And here is the new capistocracy. The life of the rich is more valuable than the life of the poor. A human life is worth only what wealth s/he generates. A sad state of affairs we have descended into. [Platt] Stale? Most people don't even realize that's the only thing that gives government its power. [Arlo] No. What gives government its power is its people (in a democracy). [Platt] Insurance is a voluntary association of people for mutual protection. [Arlo] Which does not change the fact that _I_ subsidize _YOUR_ expenses when your claims outweigh your contributions. I don't _want_ my premiums to go up, but every time someone takes more out than they put in, I get the bill. Once again, you're welcome. [Platt] There's nothing voluntary about paying taxes to support wasteful government programs and fat bureaucrats. [Arlo] There's nothing voluntary about supporting our armed services either, is there? But I gladly do it... 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/
