Re: Re[2]: An orderly and somewhat progressive humane society

Abraham Moses Genen (futurist@frontiernet.net)
Sun, 27 Jul 1997 21:34:26 -0400


Abraham Moses Genen
**************************************************************
Being dedicated to the future progress of humankind
should be the prime concern of all civilized beings.
**************************************************************

----------
From: Guru George <gurugeorge@sugarland.idiscover.co.uk>
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: Re[2]: An orderly and somewhat progressive humane society
Date: Sunday, July 27, 1997 5:06 AM

On Sun, 27 Jul 1997 00:08:41 -0400
"Abraham Moses Genen" <futurist@frontiernet.net> wrote:

[snip]

>I quite agree with you when you complain that our governmental systems
are
>far from perfect. The number of policy statements and governmental reform
>legislation that I have been involved in producing to improve government
>operations never seems to end.

[snip]
LOL! Well, doesn't this suggest something to you? Combine this
consideration with the fact that everything the government tries to do
beyond upholding the law and providing a basic safety net (e.g.
controlling what people may ingest and/or their morality - the 'Drug War')
just makes the problem worse, and ...

>For those of you who have wonderful theories on how to improve government
>let us see how they can be implimented for the broad common good. I've
>heard a good deal of criticism of government during my pre-government
>education and continuously during my attempts to serve the citizens who
>pay me a wage that is far less than I would have earned in the private
>sector.
>
[snip]

Again, it does you credit that you think like this: the people are
indeed paying your wage.

I think the fostering of this meme - that government is our employee -
ought to be the main libertarian political task. It is the perfect
way-station on the way to no government at all. For as soon as people
understand that the government, at best, is simply a bunch of folks they
have collectively hired to do a job, they will begin to think "Ah, if
that's the case, then perhaps we should look more carefully at what it
is we are asking them to do!" Also "Ah, if that's the case, then I darn
well want some value for money!"

Does this make some kind of sense to you as a compromise meme on which
we could agree?

Guru George

Dear George and other fellow Extropians:

I'll have to think about that one for a while.

The germ of an idea just struck me and I have to work on it and see what
it develops into before I can do something with it.

Enjoy!!!

AMG