A powerless government would be meaningless in general... wouldn't it? ... and then how exactly does a powerless government protect its citizens from the collective or great individual powers of... foreign countries... mega wealth elites... giant corporations...mafias/cartels/gangs? Do you support monopoly busting? All of these wonderful "examples" of how much more powerful and dangerous the government is than private powers... exist in a state of the government having power, what happens when that's no longer the case? Only sunshine and rainbows I just disagree that having a meaningful government is inherently dangerous, I can definitely agree and understand the great fear over a poorly ran and corrupted government, I just always come back to the key being a greater democracy with equal representation. I don't see why one would have a greater fear over an entity they have representation in than a private one with zero representation when it comes to things like control of social media and the greater internet in general. I appreciate the debate, it's always interesting having these exchanges. I have failed to really have my mind changed, nor have I seemingly changed anybody else's, though.
Yes, yes it would. Imagine that. I noticed the number one danger of not having a powerful government was .... other powerful governments. It is almost like governments are the most powerful and dangerous forces on the planet. So, what if the government had power in the area of protecting citizens from foreign countries invading us (who we cannot simply choose not to do business with), but not great power to interfere in our business dealings. Monopolies only exist when the government creates the environment for them. In a free market, an abusive monopoly will simply invite competition. It is high barriers to entry that prevent competition, things like strict environmental rules, minimum wage, restrictive licensing, etc. There is a reason Lyft and Uber have eaten into the Taxi business, they ignored the medallion system. Without the government having power, there would be no need to fear the government. Then you are dealing with individuals. What if what you want to avoid from government is that which is supported by a majority of the citizens. Doesn't seem like having greater democracy would help with that. Everyone having as little interference in their affairs as possible would though, so they would be free to interact with what entities they choose and not with those they want to avoid. Maximizing personal liberty, one might say. I have said it about nine times now, so I think you are willfully not seeing it. You can opt out of the private entity. They have no legal power over you. If you don't like how much Netflix is charging you, you can cancel it. If you don't like how much the government is charging you, you can vote against it, but a majority of people may be perfectly happy with how much the government is charging you, or may want the government to charge you more. Voting gives you one share in the government of America, which isn't enough to control anything. Your private engagements you have 100% control over. I like talking about stuff like this as well. Even if I can't change your mind and you can't change mine, maybe someone will think something about the topic that they never thought of before.
I just got my NZETA a phone app that works as a visa for visiting New Zealand. Looking forward to going hiking in the Fjordlands SW of Christchurch.
He's caught the Florida/DeSantis Virus. My impression is that he purchased a residence in Florida for the use of his family and himself, and while there is nothing wrong with that, of course (I've read all of the works of John D. MacDonald, probably twice, and have visited Florida on several occasions), my guess is that ATW's new proximity to DeSantis Central caused him to contract the disease. Purely my opinion, naturally. I hope our German friend doesn't proclaim me evil because of my theory. Fingers crossed.
Just a fantasy land…. What you rubes don’t realize…. It’s people that are the issue. There is no magical libertarian system because all systems created by man are inherently flawed.
Yes, people are the issue. That is why I want to give other people less power over my life. We should prioritize personal liberty over collectivism. The less power we put in the hands of the government; the less power other people have over our lives.
Libertarian like you only want liberty in the sense that you want as much freedom as businesses to **** over people. That's what "liberty" means to economic libertarians. The right to **** over people.
Well I’m sure no other person would dare to consolidate power through any means necessary because of “personal liberty”.
Great point by @dmoneybangbang That's another thing economic libertarians never grasp. Free market competition naturally eats up competition. That is the nature of a "survival of the fittest society". As the winners consolidate, they want to protect their assets AND the means in which they obtain more assets and then that consolidated power will want to strip "liberties" to accomplish said goals.
To restate it again the concept of "Liberty" as it was understood by the Founders isn't what many currently make it out to be. The Founders understood that too weak of a central government was doomed to failure which is why they abandoned the Articles of Confederation. "Liberty" as Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and the other Founders understood it did require a government that could guarantee rights. While the individual was important it wasn't a matter that individuals were responsible for the defense of their rights. That would be an anarchy.
It's like with Crypto.... where folks created their own jargon and ideology (mathematical principles or whatever) but just glossed over human nature because the ideology sounded good. Governments are only as good as the people running it despite the system.
WRONG THREAD! Of course at this rate it will be before the end of the year when we hear Pete Davidson is dating Jacinda Arden. Heck I'm surprised Liz Truss didn't say she was stepping down as PM to date Pete Davidson.
Tied for #1 amongst the most recent corruption perception index(2021), the JACINDA ARDERN-led nation of New Zealand. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/nzl Very odd people may be disappointed to learn the rank of #1 is actually for the least corrupt, not the most. Congratulation to the people of New Zealand, and prime minister Ardern for her success as a leader.
I am less concerned about the people whose power I can avoid by not purchasing their products or using their services than the ones that can arrest me if I don't give them the amount of money they demand from me.
