Auto-SummaryThe post discusses the limitations and issues within representative democracies, arguing that despite the illusion of choice, citizens often have little real influence over laws and policies that affect them. The author contrasts this with a pure democracy, which they believe would be worse. The post also addresses the concept of taxation, asserting that it is theft and that governments often exempt themselves from the laws they create. The author concludes by reiterating their stance on morality, acknowledging that personal values are subjective and cannot be proven objectively, but emphasizing that they would oppose laws they deem unjust, even if they must leave to fight against them. The discussion concludes with a focus on the disagreement between the author and the other party regarding the state's representation of society and the moral objectivity of their value system, as well as a question about the state's method of raising funds for defense and police.
Evolving said:
TaoTeChing said:
Quote: The practical difference is that in a government a) the shopkeeper has a say in the matter
Bullshit. That is an illusion you have fooled yourself into believing.
I would say the same about your presumption that 'tax is theft'
Quote: If the man has consistently voted against all new taxes, if his candidates don't win he has absolutely no say in the matter. If the man was convicted of a victimless crime which is a felony, he may not vote - he does not have a say in the matter.
This is unfortunately inevitable in any system of collective action/decision-making. There will always be those that disagree with the decision the society makes.
Quote: Even if his candidate has won, the man he supported may be behind legislation that he is against - the victim's opinion doesn't matter.
and this is a problem with a representative democracy, but I think the alternative--a pure democracy in the style of the ancient Greeks--would be worse.
Quote: I guess if you are accosted by a group of people (outnumbering you) who demand your earnings, and you tell them, "I would prefer that you not take that money" that you have had a say in the matter and everything would be okay? This is after all the same principle, just without the facade of state legitimacy.
if the people tell you in advance that "if you want to live and work here, next year around april you'll have to give a portion of your earnings back into the society", then you are given the clear choice, you can live and work on the society's land or you may freely leave. if those are the rules that society has chosen to enact, then so be it.
Quote:
Quote: the laws are subject to all citizens.
Bullshit again. Governments consistently exclude themselves from legislation. Where taxes are concerned, the legislatures consistently vote their members and their minions raises AT THE TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE, without having to increase profit or productivity.
at which point the taxpayers are perfectly free to vote out those who gave themselves raises and other exclusions--if they think its that big a deal.
Quote:
Quote: Well since I have seen precisely no evidence of an objective morality
Since this is your non-answer, I can assume the following conclusions can be drawn from your statements: there is no right or wrong, anything can be excused if you take the proper relative position, all humans are chattel to the state, no human life liberty or property is safe from the whims of the day, what is wrong today may be right tomorrow, wrongs of individuals cease to be wrongs when carried out by the state...
Tell me would you approve of the taking of all property from black people if the it was voted on and carried out by the state? Would it be okay, because morals are relative and there is no objective standards by which to judge these actions? Would it be just peachy, if the government issued a decree that said, "All persons of African descent are free to leave, you have 72 hours to freely pack your bags before we take everything in the name of democracy and rule of law"? According to your line of reasoning, I can see that this would be okay... Am I wrong?
In conclusion, you still have not demonstrated that the act of aquiring wealth from an individual by force or threat of force is not theft, only that when done by the government you approve of it and choose to label it differently.
Okay, clearly there has been some confusion of my position on morality. I was not saying that I believe there is nothing morally right and wrong, only that I cannot prove the verity of my values of what is right and wrong. and nor for that matter, can anyone else. All we can do is put forth our personal value system of what we believe is right and wrong and try to come to some sort of compromise. I would activley disapprove of such a law as you suggested, but if it were passed and there was nothing more I could do, then I would have to leave with the blacks or else stay and fight. Sure I would say that the law was wrong, but I could not prove that my morality was inherently correct which is the key difference.
Now, before this gets into a huge argument with examples, counterexamples, spin, counterspin, and rationalizations from each side, I think it would be more productive to pinpoint exactly where it is we disagree. I think they are:
#1) Whether the state is representative of the society (I believe it is and as Churchill said "the least worst form of government" and you have clearly stated time and again that you think it is absolutely not --at the risk of putting words in your mouth)
#2) I believe that while I have a moral value system, it is still subjective and do not believe that I can logically argue why it is objectively true. Again, at the risk of putting words in your mouth, you believe that natural rights are objectively true.
What do you think?
Oh, and out of curiousity, what is your viewpoint on how the state should gather money for defense and police?
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