From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Fri Sep 13 2002 - 13:39:29 MDT
Emlyn wrote:
>
> Rafal, do you think that, in some kind of libertarian paradise, you
> would be utterly free of politics?
>
### By no means! I realize that as long as there is more than one sentient
entity left on Earth there will be some power play afoot. Yet, I trust you
will agree with me that ceding power to others is not something you do
because you enjoy the idea of being ruled - instead, we only agree to
limitations of our will necessary for our society to function. Anything
beyond that, the arbitrary taking of liberties, will be rejected by most of
us.
-------
>
> So even without a government monopoly on violence, you will still have
> politicians, people whos job is the manipulation and exercise of
> power. In private industry they are called managers.
### I am not a libertarian, and I do not insist that having no government is
necessarily the superior way of organizing our social life. Still, I don't
want to have politicians with more power than the absolute minimum
compatible with the optimal functioning of the community.
------
>
> Speaking as a techie, I work with (under?) several managers. These
> people (the successful ones) are politicians, the more so the higher
> that you go. It's necessary. When I find that I can trust them
> (sometimes), I volunarily cede power to those people, so that they
> can take care of issues that, even were I placed to handle them, I
> would manage poorly on my own.
>
> If those people didn't enjoy what they do, then how good would they
> be at it? I want people who are skilled, successful, and who care, to
> wield power on my behalf.
### Ah, yes, exactly - on your behalf, and not on their own. If they have
too much fun ordering others around, they will not give up even if it turns
out they are not doing a good job, and they will think about ways to control
(e.g. by intrigue, which Dale mentions as an eminently enjoyable pastime)
more and more aspects of their subjects' lives. Such is the psyche of the
professional politician, an alien land to most of us simple individuals
here.
-----
> btw, I'd also expect a professional soldier to enjoy their job,
> before I'd trust my life to them.
### You mean on the receiving end of the stick? I'd rather meet a pacifist
than a berserker.
Rafal
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