From: E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Date: Tue Oct 21 1997 - 11:46:22 MDT
Abraham Moses Genen wrote:
>Dear Freespeak:
>Maybe we had better work on Freethink before we Freespeak.
>Actually, that's the main problem with trying to administer a government
>for the common good. It's simply that most people don't think in terms of
>the common good if they think at all.
I have yet to see proof that there is such thing as a "common good."
If there *is* such a thing, I seriously doubt that any sort of government
can represent a common good, regardless of whether the government in
question is democratic, socialist, facist or communist. Whenever a
government claims that they are out to attain the "common good of the
people," the general outcome is one of a struggling economy and a
diminished quality of life; is that a common good?
>Everybody has at least one opinion that they flatulate
>on a regular basis. The problem is if they have an opinion that's the
>limit of their perception. In other words no one elses opinion matters or
>is even listened to.
I partially agree with this on the account that many people form
opinions without considering alternatives. Where I think you err is in
your presumption that all people who don't believe in government have
linear thought; on the contrary, history has shown that governments
fail...people who
insist that government will work are the ones who are not considering any
proposition otherwise. An anarchist\libertarian system has not, to my
knowledge, been tried. Is it not open-minded to want to try something new?
If an anarchist\libertarian system had already been tried a few times in
history, I think you might have a leg to stand on. In effect, you have to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt that such a system cannot work; this can't
accurately be done unless it is tried.
>It never ceases to amaze me as to how ideologicaly fixated and parochial
>we've all become.
>You can fantasize about your perception of government until the cows come
>home but how are you going to impliment what you believe?
I think the same could be asked of you: how are you going to
implement a government that can effectively produce the "common good" you
refer to? It very well may be that the only accurate way this can be done
is to have a government of six billion people or none.
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E. Shaun Russell Poet, Musician, Atheist, Extropic Artist
==============================> Transhumanities editor for Homo Excelsior
Kineticize your potential... http://www.excelsior.org
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