> [Case] > Since you have a voice in your government and are under no obligation to > participate in the economic system, it is hard to say you are forced.
[Craig] Hard for you, but not for me. Your line of reasoning could be used to justify way too much government. [Case] Believing does not make it so. No law or threat of force requires anyone to participate in either the government or the economy. That is a function of self interest. Your line of reasoning could lead us back to the caves. [Case] > Can you think of a single civilized society where such a view [of voluntary vs. force as yours] predominates? [Craig] Ah, but I consider a society as being civilized to the extent such a view of voluntary vs. force does predominate? [Case] I never tire of mentioning the Asteroid King from The Little Prince. One way We the People can accomplish this, is through the use of influence. Without the power to influence behavior We the People must resort to force or hand wringing. Tax law is complicated because it is one of the tools We the People use to exercise our collective influence toward the common good. Suggesting that the common good can be determined by the invisible hand completely ignores the nature of the hand. To be ruled by "market forces" is to be ruled by Chaos. Individuals have collective interests. The morality is a collective interest. An economy is a collective interest. Defense is a collective interest. Rearing the young and tending to the sick are collective interests. A society without a means of assessing and managing collective interests is no society at all. A society that does not recognize that individual liberty is a collective interest is no society at all. [Craig] Evolution hasn't ended with our current "developed world". [Case] True 'dat and there's no telling where it's heading or which direction either. There never has been. 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/
