From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Thu Jul 15 2004 - 11:46:58 BST
Arlo,
> Well, this is a little reductionistic. I could easily say "Freedom" =
> "education", and support this by saying that "slaves were not allowed to
> attend school". Right?
You could say it but you wouldn't be right, unless you believe education
is a human right.
> I thought I made the positive role of money clear when I mentioned buying a
> Harley? Here I think you are confusing social wealth and personal wealth.
Social wealth? Where did that idea come from? Does it mean that part of
everything you earn and own belongs to others? Are "free roads" and "free
college educations" human rights?
> So, if my neighbors next door lose their heating for the winter
> (hypothetically), it is "not good" for me to let them stay with me? Or help
> them with the money to pay for the heating?
>
> If the little girl across the street, whose family is unemployed, is not
> eating well, it is "not good" for me to offer them help buying food?
If it makes you feel good to help others, fine. What I object to is
someone pointing a gun to my head and telling me I must or else. On
balance, welfare has done more harm than good by creating an entire class
of dependent people whose motive to become self-sufficient has been
squelched.
> > I find nothing wrong with economic "inequities." As Jon wrote not long
> > ago, "Communism appealed to people for all the wrong reason -- it offered
> > a world where everyone would be equally miserable."
> >
>
> "Inequities" existing can not be used for justification that severe
> inequity can or should be tolerated. People will likely always commit
> murder, but that does not mean we should blindly accept murders and "live
> and let live".
What's your point? Is there such a thing as non-severe murder?
> Are you advancing the notion that if UC went out of business because it had
> to abide by "stifling social codes", that people everywhere would be worse
> off, would not be able to find new or better employment, and would thus
> cease being "free"?
If Union Carbide when out of business prices for a lot of goods would
skyrocket, making a lot of people worse off.
> The regulations against monopolies are regulations promoting a "level
> playing field". Would you abolish them?
I would abolish laws that give government a monopoly of doing anything
except run the the military, the police, and the courts . . .especially
its monopoly on public education which is, on balance, an unmitigated
disaster.
> A little reductionistic again. What you are basically stating is that since
> "free" people can "earn money", that maximizing personal wealth maximizes
> personal freedom. Furthermore, that we should only be concerned with our
> own "freedom", and if that "freedom" (maximizing wealth) tramples someone
> else, then that is their tough luck.
I don't accept your premise that maximizing wealth necessarily "tramples"
anyone. That's a reflection of belief that there's only such much of the
pie to go around. What capitalism does is create an ever larger pie.
> So, you can either work as a slave and earn no money, or as a a free person
> and earn money. I agree that the latter option is damn "Good". But you can
> also work as a free person and earn money and believe that your ability to
> maximize your individual money stockpile is the only "Good" that exists, OR
> you can work as a free person and earn money and recognize that there are
> greater freedoms, or greater measures of freedom, than simply the gross
> total on your personal paycheck or sum in your personal savings account. I
> think the latter is damn "Good"!
Believe what you wish. Speak out against what you deem evil. You're free
to do so unless intimidated by political correctness designed to smother
"degenerate" views.
Maybe we can agree that freedom of speech is the most precious freedom of
all, one that's worth dying for.
Platt
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