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Re: RE: RE: [FT] UNSC (emotional rant)

From: "Mike J." <pmj6@y...>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 09:45:31 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: RE: RE: [FT] UNSC (emotional rant)


--- "Mark A. Siefert" <siefertma@wi.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> > Is it impossible to believe that
> > somewhere, sometime in the future, a power may
> exist that is not totally
> > corrupted by bureaucracy and personal or political
> gain?
> 
>     As long as the focus of government is
> "protecting" people out of their
> lives, liberty, and property, it will be impossible.

Actually, the focus of democratic government is
protecting individuals from having their lives,
liberty and property taken by other individuals. 

> 
> >I'm not saying the
> > UN is or will be perfect, but if you read the
> canon, the UNSC was CREATED
> to
> > be a benevolent force. It's the whole point of
> their existance, at least
> > until the Kra'Vak show up - at which point they
> become something perhaps
> > even better - the force that is able to finally
> unite humanity (although
> > that may well be attributed more the KVs
> themselves).
> 
>     And why, pray tell, is a good thing to "unite
> humanity?"  When last I
> looked, we humans were individual thinkers, not
> social insects.

Nothing prevents you from being an individual thinker.
It's all about what the Earth's (and Humanity's)
future . There are only two options: Earth the United,
or Earth the Eternal Battlefield. Since the costs of
war have become unacceptable, and thanks to economic
globalization, both of which make some sort of global
governance increasingly necessary, we are seeing an
inexorable, although uneven, progress away from the
latter and toward the former.

> 
> > And what on earth is wrong with taxes?
> 
>     Taxation is state-sponsored robbery, pure and
> simple.  How is it that
> when your average theif threatens my person for my
> property, its a felony?
> Yet, when the state does much the same, then it's a
> "social responsibility"
> that I must pay or face imprisonment or worse?

I take it you'd replace the slogan "No Taxation
Without Representation" with "No Taxation, Period"? 

It's simple, really: if you don't want to pay taxes,
first stop using the things they pay for. Taxes are
levied by ourselves (through our elected
representatives) on ourselves. They are as voluntary
as they can be. 

> 
> >Nobody likes them, but they really are necessary.
> 
>     If you want government and the appearent
> benefits that come with them
> sooooo badly, then you pay for it.  The rest of us,
> who realize that no form
> government is neither capable nor willing to protect
> the freedom of the
> population they claim to rule, can do without.

Really? Have you ever tried it? 

> 
> > Here in the UK right now the NHS is suffering
> badly and no
> > one is willing to raise taxes to support them -
> they're afraid of losing
> > votes. If taxes were raised by 1p in every £ it
> would provide around £2bn
> > more to help the NHS. My family can afford that
> and are more than willing
> to
> > pay.
> 
>    ...and screw property rights of the ones who are
> un-willing to pay,
> hmmmm?

I have yet to see one society where property rights
are absolute. 

> 
> > Why does everyone seem to hate the idea?? In the
> same vein, why
> > shouldn't the UN levy taxes to support an
> initiative that is keeping
> > billions of human beings safe from war?
> 
>     As I said, if people want to be kept safe from
> war, then let them open
> up their wallets and purses to support it.  Just
> because a good, service, or
> institution is considered "good" doesn't mean that
> you have a right to
> extort its support out of those who don't want it.
> 
> Later,
> Mark A. Siefert

Once again, I don't see any extortion in a
democratically elected government levying taxes. If
you don't like what they do you should elect someone
else, pure and simple. 

Mike J.

=====
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