[Arlo previously] But I was asking _you_, is the reason you don't commit murder because the government has you "at the point of a gun"?
[Platt] See answer above. [Arlo] OK, Platt doesn't commit murder because society holds a gun to his head. Still I think for the majority, murder is not committed because of a recognition that entering into a social contract where "not doing so" enables a greater degree of freedom. I don't kill not out of fear of jail, but out of knowing that my freedoms are the direct result of voluntary participation in the social contract. This reminds me a bit of the following from ZMM. "Little children were trained not to do "just what they liked" but...but what? -- Of course! What others liked. And which others? Parents, teachers, supervisors, policemen, judges, officials, kings, dictators. All authorities. When you are trained to despise "just what you like" then, of course, you become a much more obedient servant of others...a good slave. When you learn not to do "just what you like" then the System loves you. But suppose you do just what you like? Does that mean you're going to go out and shoot heroin, rob banks and rape old ladies? The person who is counseling you not to do "just as you like" is making some remarkable presumptions as to what is likable. He seems unaware that people may not rob banks because they have considered the consequences and decided they don't like to. He doesn't see that banks exist in the first place because they're "just what people like," namely, providers of loans. Phædrus began to wonder how all this condemnation of "what you like" ever seemed such a natural objection in the first place. Soon he saw there was much more to this than he had been aware of. When people said, Don't do just what you like, they didn't just mean, Obey authority. They also meant something else. This "something else" opened up into a huge area of classic scientific belief which stated that "what you like" is unimportant because it's all composed of irrational emotions within yourself." (ZMM) [Platt] Would you favor making taxes voluntary and eliminating college speech codes? [Arlo] As Case points out, taxes are voluntary. It is only when one "voluntarily" decides to partake of the economy that one has to pay taxes. (You play, you pay.) Or, I suppose, you could move to some other country that doesn't collect taxes. According to Wikipedia, the world average on individual tax is 34% (of one's income). I imagine you feel your tax rate is excessively high. I recommend Bosnia-Herzogovina, with a straight 5% tax for income. By 2010, if you want to wait, Montenegro appears to be lowing its tax to a straight 9%. [Platt] Not solely, but it sure helps. Rich is better than poor. [Arlo] Wealth certainly brings greater options, but given the choice of dying wealthy and without friends or poor in the company of great friendships, I'd choose the latter. [Arlo previously] Indeed, the same reasons that keep me from moving to Wyoming are the same that keep me from moving to Borneo. [Platt] What's wrong with Wyoming? [Arlo] Nothing is "wrong" with Wyoming. I've been there several times, its a beautiful state with good people. I don't just up and move there because I have family and friends here I am not keen on leaving. I have a job I enjoy and a connection to community that took years to develop. When I do move, whether to Borneo or Wyoming, however, I am certain that I could (and would) lead a meaningful life there, quite independent of whether or not I was "getting rich". 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/
