Comments | cpcliff: There we were all in one place, a generation lost in space with no time left to start again.

cpcliff

There we were all in one place, a generation lost in space with no time left to start again.

Jun 18, 2005 11:13

GAH! Stupid stupid populace!

Here's a great definition of American Government that should be plastered at the top of every college PoliSci syllabus and textbook just to thoroughly depress anybody who thinks they might want to give a shit about the government for a living:

"I don't think the public knows what it wants Congress to do, but it wants ( Read more... )

Comments 3

lordmyrann June 18 2005, 20:58:12 UTC

Can someone tell me why libertarianism is bad? I've never heard any arguments against individual rights and personal responsibility, it seems like it's what everyone wants (and SAY they want), but no one votes for it.

Also, thank you for the perfect grad gift (the book you mentioned in my post about democracy). I will enjoy reading that.

cpcliff June 18 2005, 21:55:59 UTC

Sure you have heard arguments against. Mandatory taxes are an argument against Libertarianism (in its most extreme ( ... )

lordmyrann June 19 2005, 08:24:38 UTC

Sure you have heard arguments against. Mandatory taxes are an argument against Libertarianism (in its most extreme).

Taxes levied to pay for government benefits which all of society receives (judicial system, military, roads) can be argued not to intrude on personal rights. There is no good argument--that I'm aware of or that I can think of--for mandatory taxes against people who receive no benefit whatsoever from the payment (due to government bias).

More realistically: sure, everybody is for individual rights (when it applies to them), but what about the individual rights of a child molester who has served his time in prison, and is out, but has to register with every sex offender list whenever he moves into a new neighborhood? A privately owned neighborhood may require this of their residents as part of the agreement for living there. A city or other government entity should not require this, because the person had served his proper punishment through the law already. As to exactly what punishment the law requires, that is up ( ... )