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Quote by: Keith Hamburger  Seems to me that the person who is strongest or can gather the biggest gang making decisions for everyone else is quite immature. "I'm right and if you don't agree that I'm right, I'll thump you. That will show you I'm right." That's the general impetus of most any form of government, including, and possibly especially, any form of "democracy".
The kind of belief libertarians have is that it is wrong to initiate force against your fellow human being.
What part of that do you disagree with?
What grounds do you think it is proper to initiate force? (notice the word "initiate". that doesn't mean respond to force but to use force initially)
Do you believe it is proper to initiate force because you don't agree with the way someone else lives? Perhaps their home isn't clean enough? Perhaps they don't eat the right food? What makes it your position to decide for them how to best live their life?
As to your example of barbers and beauticians ... At what point does a person fall into such a category? In some states poor black people have been arrested for braiding other people's hair for money. Do you feel this is appropriate? If not, do you feel that the only difference is whether they used their hands, rather than tools and chemicals such as scissors and shampoo? Or, should only those that use more harsh chemicals and power tools (blow dryers and electric clippers?) be regulated? And, if I'm willing to pay someone without the proper paperwork to cut my hair, what makes it your business to stop me from doing so?
For prostitutes, if I buy a woman a $100 dinner and a night on the town, and she sleeps with me one time and never sees me again, should that be illegal? Should you regulate the single woman who goes on a date with a different man each week to make sure she doesn't spread disease, without any other indication that she might do so? What makes things different if we cut out the in between stuff and I just come up with the $100 directly to a woman?
Knee-jerk ... You're right, we libertarians haven't thought through any of this stuff. That's why I have so many questions. Let's see your deep insights.
Keith |
Democracy is an ideology and government by the people is only one expression of that ideology. The opposite to having a democratic form of government is an autocratic form. Education is essential to democratic forms of government but not autocratic ones. To be more precise, governments are combinations of democratic and autocratic.
Why do I object to giving people too much freedom? Simple, there are some really awful people who do terrible things unless they are prevented from doing so. However, the first line of defense against this is education that transmits a culture that manifest social order using social pressure rather than government control. That is the best way to improve civilization.
Most of your questions are so outrageous I think you intended to flame, rather than discuss. And I didn't say prostitution should be illegal. I said like other business it should be regulated for health reasons, and to prevent the sex slave activity that happens internationally.