Barf

Submitted by ndsturgess on Thu, 2009-02-05 07:48

I have developed a sort of love-hate relationship with these questions and discussions. I find myself thinking about nearly constantly and losing a little sleep at night as well. It’s one of those things you can’t just get out of your head; it grows and matures and evolves. That said, I feel, as you likely do, that we agree on far more than we disagree, but disagree on very simple and basic questions. I, at least, feel I have vomited up all of my preliminary thoughts on the issue, and while I would like to respond to every comment I feel that some of them have already been address in other things I’ve written and I don’t like to repeat myself. In other words I will try respond back in time, but I really feel we should be moving forward. By moving forward I mean I think we should analyze what we all have already said and try to find those (hopefully) few, basic questions that are at the bottom of this issue. For myself, I wish to do that in an open way. I have decided to list them here plainly said, and would encourage others to do the same, so as to see if our questions aren’t nearly the same.

1.    Do human being tend to do what is right, or rather to do what is wrong?
2.    Is there a realistic alternative to the State?
3.    Is forcing another person’s hand wrong?
4.    Is the State a natural part of the pattern in human society, or is it a unneeded invention of society?  

I may think of more, but I think this is a list of the most basic questions, even though, in my mind, they could all to summarized by the first one. At any rate please post your few basic questions so that we can focus on those that are mutual by themselves. I think this will help us understand each other and reach some kind of conclusion.

(Please use this blog to write your questions by themselves so that we can all see them clearly)
 

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Aunt Judy's picture

Aunt Judy says:

I am thinking off the top of my head here and have not really formulized exactly what I want to say.  So, first let me respond to your questions then list a couple of my own.

1.  As long as there is free will there will always be good and evil, right and wrong.

2.  I cannot think of one.

3.  Not too sure what you mean by this one.  But if you are talking about coercion then it depends on the situation.

4.  I believe some form of the 'state' is a natural part of society.

Now, my questions are a little less philosophical I think, in some ways.  But these are the things that trouble me.

1.  Is the state (meaning for me national, state and local governments) too big and too personally and commercially invasive?  If so, then how can it be changed?

2.  How would you deal with evil in a stateless society?  How would you protect the rights of the individual?  How would you protect the country from invasion or outside evil coercion?  What kind of court system would you have?

3.  How can we protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?  How can we keep our rights from being eroded?

4.  How do you instill in people a sense of self-esteem and a desire to be the best you can be (whether it be a teacher, a ditch digger, a scientist, a statesman, a mother, an engineer, a journalist, a factory worker, etc)?  A sense of being a doer, a creator instead of a parasite and a taker?

I would like to see more discussion on this topic.  I, for one, would not like going back to a hunter gatherer society which is the only way I could see a stateless society.  We have progressed beyond that.  There are some things that need to be changed, I agree, but I cannot see throwing it all away.

 

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