[Platt] I always defer to the states to decide legal questions except when the Supreme Court and/or the Constitution specially holds otherwise. For example, states cannot decide to reinstitute slavery.
[Arlo] This isn't just status quo stuff, Platt. The states cannot decide to reinstitute slavery because some rights usurp what "the voters" want. With regard to interracial marriage, the Court said it is not up to the voters to decide whether or not a black and white can marry. The same nonsensical slippery-slope argument, rolled out then as now, said "if you allow interracial marriage, why not polygamy?". I'm glad to see you give it exercise. But the point is, as Micah says (and he misreads me, because I agree completely with him), that consensual activity between adults should not be a concern of government. If I choose to leave my inheritance to a gay partner, it should be bequethed in the same manner as if I chose to leave it to a female partner, or one many partners, or divied up among partners. If I have a same-sex partner, that partner should have the same end-of-life power of attorney as any opposite-sex partner would have. If I have multiple consensual partners, how we decide to enact our estate and wills is up to us. So there is no "dodge", Platt. I only point out the absurdity of the ridiculous "slippery slope" talk-radio bunk. And the absurdity, and sad irony, of your "Platt the Beacon of Freedom" rhetoric. [Platt] If you don't want to be free like me, that's OK. As for Marx/serf, of course you'll pass, ignoring the historical record. [Arlo] No, ignoring your historical distortions. [Platt] Where do you think Lenin got his ideas about and justification for dictatorship? [Arlo] >From thinking Marxism itself would not work, that the state needed a strong myth of "holy war" patriotism and state nationalism to subjugate the masses. [Arlo had said] By the way, gays could not marry in Stalinist Russia, or Pol Pot's Cambodia either. [Platt] Again, ducked my question. (In fact, left it out completely.) To repeat. What's your point? [Arlo] As I said, I think its clear as crystal. Arlo the "Marxist" is all for allowing consensual adults to lead their lives the way they choose, and to enjoy the same civil affordances as any other adult making differing choices. Platt the "Libertarian" is all for using the authority of the state to forbid "deviant" behaviors that could lead to the "degeneration of society". Now of these two positions, mine and yours, which do Stalin and Pol Pot agree with? Clue... not mine. 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/
