Tom, Chris, you're both wasting your time.
Simon is a druggie, and he spends all day smoking dope and blogging.
Best is ignore him.
For What Are You Willing To Be A Slave?
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GIThruster
- Posts: 4686
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 8:17 pm
Tom C. says:
Appetites for the goods of others should be kept to an absolute minimum. Envy is bad for a republic.
The mind set should be - every law I want represents thieving from others.
If we can keep in mind that government is a gang of thieves, we will be all right.
When I was hanging out with the outlaws we often remarked that the agents of the government had a mlndset similar to our own. It amused us. These days I am not amused.
The other thing that is killer for a Republic is the idea that with laws and guns man is perfectable. It infects all the left and most of the right. Pity. And dangerous.
Yes. The principle has been established. Not being an anarchist I do believe some thieving is necessary. It should be kept to an absolute minimum. I might allow that we should go 10% or 50% above the minimums in order to have some margin. But 500% ? 5,000% ? It will be death and tyranny for us all.You reckon it is immoral for governments to take money away from citizens in tax.
Appetites for the goods of others should be kept to an absolute minimum. Envy is bad for a republic.
The mind set should be - every law I want represents thieving from others.
If we can keep in mind that government is a gang of thieves, we will be all right.
When I was hanging out with the outlaws we often remarked that the agents of the government had a mlndset similar to our own. It amused us. These days I am not amused.
The other thing that is killer for a Republic is the idea that with laws and guns man is perfectable. It infects all the left and most of the right. Pity. And dangerous.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
Isn't it amazing that I could become an aerospace engineer (sans degree), and learn Polywell so deep while being so doped out? Not to mention being able to design programming languages and design processors. I put it all down to some very good dope.GIThruster wrote:Tom, Chris, you're both wasting your time.
Simon is a druggie, and he spends all day smoking dope and blogging.
Best is ignore him.
You ought to try some. It might improve your intelligence. It is hard to see how it could make you any stupider.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
If we understand government as a gang of thieves balance will be restored.Skipjack wrote:But Msimon, there is a natural limit to how small government can be. We have already established that there are things that have to be run by the government. These are a significant part of he US budget. So you may be able to cut taxes in half, but that still leaves too much room for those with the money to direct the taxes that they have collected from everyone to whatever benefits them the most.
It is amazing that men so bright are unable to discern the difference between anarchists and libertarians. My condolences for your loss.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
Well no. It is the ability to decide for yourself what your obligations should be. The principle was once so deep in America that we have a state nicknamed after it. The Volunteer State. Voluntary interchange. Voluntary interaction. It still operates in Amerca more than any other country in the world. We like helping our fellow men. We hate being forced to do the same. And to think that our cultural lineage once ran through England. Sad to see you have lost your way.What is freedom? It is the removal from the obligations of others.
When government steals your money and then says that if you behave as we wish we will return some of it to you (keeping what we like in the bargain), that is tyranny.
Most Americans these days believe in tyranny. They want it bad. The Tibetians had a name for this. Preta (sp?) monsters. Birds with rings around their necks who could never get enough to eat. Always hungry.
The balance will be restored. In the process a lot of men are going to have their faith in earthly power destroyed. Good.
As you can see from the above America is in a state of confusion. I intend to bring some clarity to the situation. From what I can tell the attempt at clarity is gathering momentum.
http://classicalvalues.com/2012/06/a-rally-report/
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
When I worked in aerospace I observed that about 1/2 the engineers were stoners. It always amazed me.TDPerk wrote:"It is hard to see how it could make you any stupider."
Truer words were never typed.
The popular conception of dopers as stupid is due to one thing. Prohibition.
Under a prohibition regime only the stupid get caught. Or if the powers need your services they will look the other way even if you are a bit careless. Of course if you are a LOT careless nothing will save you. You will be made into an example.
Look at that Progressive insurance guy caught in an airport with a bag. Or the Whitney Houston deal. A slap on the wrist. "Be more careful from here on." And nothing further.
We are in the "last days of the Soviet" stage. Everyone mouths the words, but true believers are few and far between. Collapse can not be far off.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
Ok, I guess your worldview is different from mine. I dont see government as a band of thieves. I see government as a provider of a service (or many services for that matter).If we understand government as a gang of thieves balance will be restored.
Of course like any other service provider, I have to pay for the services I receive.
The difference is that- unfortunately- we have to bow to the opinion of the majority in regards to what services we receive and how much we have to pay for them. It is not always fair and not always perfect, but I have yet to see a better system.
It is a very old American trope:
"An election is an advanced auction of stolen goods" H. L. Menken
It started a long time ago.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."
"An election is an advanced auction of stolen goods" H. L. Menken
It started a long time ago.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
I think that you should rethink whether your form of democracy is really the best possible if so many people think of their government like that.
I am not saying that I am extremely happy with my government. I severely dislike politicians and regard most of them as leaches. But, I do accept the fact that I need a government. I can use the means provided to me by democracy to at least somewhat direct things in the direction that I like.
Is it perfect? No! But it is better than the alternatives (dictatorship, monarchy, theocracy, etc).
I am not saying that I am extremely happy with my government. I severely dislike politicians and regard most of them as leaches. But, I do accept the fact that I need a government. I can use the means provided to me by democracy to at least somewhat direct things in the direction that I like.
Is it perfect? No! But it is better than the alternatives (dictatorship, monarchy, theocracy, etc).
"I think that you should rethink whether your form of democracy is really the best possible if so many people think of their government like that."
You mean we should not think of government accurately?
To put it another way, the Enlightenment ended when Europeans (and for the first 100 years or so, it was fortunately only Europeans, effectively) began to believe the conceit that a general will exists. Rousseau's error may yet dam-n every one of us; it became the Endarkenment.
The worst interpretations of Nietzsche and what it led to--think jackboots and iron curtains--all depend on what Rousseau got wrong, and the best of America depends on what Locke and Smith--and the America Founders--got right.
Another thing, subsidiarity is the inverse of federalism, not it's parallel. Think of that in relation to Europe and it's parliamentarian majoritarianism and ridiculous lists of positive rights.
You mean we should not think of government accurately?
To put it another way, the Enlightenment ended when Europeans (and for the first 100 years or so, it was fortunately only Europeans, effectively) began to believe the conceit that a general will exists. Rousseau's error may yet dam-n every one of us; it became the Endarkenment.
The worst interpretations of Nietzsche and what it led to--think jackboots and iron curtains--all depend on what Rousseau got wrong, and the best of America depends on what Locke and Smith--and the America Founders--got right.
Another thing, subsidiarity is the inverse of federalism, not it's parallel. Think of that in relation to Europe and it's parliamentarian majoritarianism and ridiculous lists of positive rights.
molon labe
montani semper liberi
para fides paternae patria
montani semper liberi
para fides paternae patria
The US started out thinking of the Government like that. It is foundational.Skipjack wrote:I think that you should rethink whether your form of democracy is really the best possible if so many people think of their government like that.
I like it. I side with the 1776 rebels.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
"Maybe you mean "the US government" when you say "government"?"
No I mean any government.
A pure democracy is a majoritarian hellhole at best. Constitutional republics at least require supermajorities to attempt the injustices a pure democracy does with on 50% + 1.
Every other government is worse, including parliamentarian centralised states, like is all but universally found in Europe.
No I mean any government.
A pure democracy is a majoritarian hellhole at best. Constitutional republics at least require supermajorities to attempt the injustices a pure democracy does with on 50% + 1.
Every other government is worse, including parliamentarian centralised states, like is all but universally found in Europe.
molon labe
montani semper liberi
para fides paternae patria
montani semper liberi
para fides paternae patria
Well GIT you want fewer of my posts? Easy. Endeavor to keep me busy until I'm self supporting. That should not be too hard to do. About $1000 a month for a year (a month at a time) should be adequate to fill the design pipeline plus a few connections when my designs are ready are ready for roll out. And once I'm self supporting? Well more designs. And upgrading previous designs.GIThruster wrote:Tom, Chris, you're both wasting your time.
Simon is a druggie, and he spends all day smoking dope and blogging.
Best is ignore him.
A little extra kick for dope money (and in this weather air conditioning) would be appreciated as well.
See - I'd rather be busy designing stuff than wasting my time with politics. But if all I have is politics then politics it is.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.