Thinman wrote:
There's been a noticeable lack of people willing to voice alternate (non-liberal, secular, pseudo-libertarian) views around the forum lately, and I don't like it. That sort of thing leads to internet echo chamber effect -- closed-in groups of people patting themselves on the back and telling each other <i>"Of course we're right and they're wrong"</i> without ever really bringing their beliefs into sharp focus.
Don't know if this qualifies as "alternate", but here is my two cents. First, to clarify my basic stance, I am a free-market capitalist who tries as much as possible to follow Natural Law as opposed to Political Law.
To define my terms:
- Capitalism is a system of transactions based on voluntary agreements without force, coercion or fraud. It is also a moral system in which the individual has the exclusive right to their person and their property, including the fruits of their labor.
Natural Law can be summed up in 17 words:
1- Do all you have agreed to do, and
2- Do not encroach on other persons or their property.
The first of these is the basis for business law (contract law).
The second is the basis for criminal and tort law.
Natural Law is based on unchanging principles that are "discovered" and "applied equally" to all entities including corporations and government.
Political law is artificial law or man-made law. It does not require logic or morals, and changes with the political wind. Political Law is a system for creating privileges and advantages, and political power can be defined as the privilege of being able use force or the threat of force (coercion) to make others act as you wish, even if they have done nothing wrong.
These are of course gross simplifications, but I felt they were necessary before commenting in this thread so that there is some basis for evaluating my comments.
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First, on abortion.
The only issue is at what point *human* life starts. Some people say at conception, others say not until live birth. I am no expert on the matter, but feel that it is probably somewhere inbetween, since a fertilized egg or bunch of dividing cells cannot survive and grow on their own, but there are cases of extreme "premies" developing into functional human beings. Regardless, a logical and scientific judgment should be reached as to when *human* life starts, and once that point has been determined, then anything before it is choice, and anything after it is murder as per Natural Law #2 above. (Exception: when the mother's life is at stake) And as for people having and performing partial-birth abortions, fuck them. They should be dismembered and have their skulls crushed and their brains sucked out as they scream in pain during the final moments of their ugly lives.
Second, on gay marriage.
Personally, I don't give a fuck about gay marriage because I don't think the government should be involved in marriage in the first place. Marriage should be a private issue between two people (and their church/god if applicable), and government should not be in the business of providing marriage benefits or applying penalties. Everything else can be handled through separate legal means such as contracts, wills and insurance policies, so there is not even any need for "civil unions". If two people want to be together, then so be it. Just don't force me to support or associate with them if I don't want to, or prevent me from doing so if I want to. If a company wants to give or not give marriage benefits according to their own standards, then that is between the company, the employees, the stockholders and the customers. If a "family group" wants to publicize and/or boycott the company, well, that is their choice. Other people can boycott the family group if they want. It's called "freedom of association" folks.
As for politics, I guess my basic stance can be summed up as: "Leave me the fuck alone." I see little or no difference between Republocrats, Demoblicans, liberals, conservatives or any other political do-gooders. They can all be lumped under the term "compassionate fascists" -- "We are so concerned about you that we are going to force you to act how we think is best and support programs and causes we think are worthy."
Fuck that. With a nail-studded baseball bat.
As long as I am following the two Natural Laws, what gives anyone the right to tell me what I must or mustn't do/think? Just leave me the fuck alone, and don't even think of telling me to get involved in politics. I have no intention of validating a system that is fundamentally corrupt. If you really think that your vote matters, then go buy some lottery tickets, because for your vote to matter you would have to be the swing vote in the swing district in the swing state in the closest election in history. All elections above the most local level do is distract people who are too stupid or lazy to do the math with a public spectacle (bread and circuses, anyone?) and then let them slap each other on the back or bitch and moan until the next election.
Yeah, right.
For various reasons I voted once with my feet 16 years ago, and in the spirit of free association and ostracism, my production, consumption, taxes and other activities currently contribute to the locality that I feel treats me best. And if things change, I may very well "vote" again. This is the digital age, people, and we are mobile. Don't get fixated on "Big Brother" -- start thinking in terms of "Big Hotelkeeper". If the hotel you are staying in is excessively expensive, unsafe or the hotel management harasses the guests, well then maybe you should think about moving to a different hotel. And don't give me any "patriotism" crap, either, because more often than not that is just a thin veneer of nationalism over smoldering fascism. Your ancestors were not traitors to their homelands when they moved to where you live now. They were just looking for freedom and/or a better life. If you think things are intolerable or better opportunities exist elsewhere, then do something about it. Just don't sit and bitch about it like a bunch of Hollywood stars.
Regardless of which side is in control, governments and courts have a history of working for their own interests and expanding their power at the expense of the governed. You can try and fight it if you want, but you probably won't succeed, and you may just end up turning into some version of what you hate. So let the government and courts do what they want and stop worrying about it. The smart people will look around for better alternatives, and the remainder will get the government they deserve. And if things really get bad enough, then the country will be residually populated by idiots and parasites.
Call it Macro Social Darwinism. :)