I understand why you mentioned anarchism and your apology is accepted, but I just want you to know that just because you don’t know of any other system without policing, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Again, like I have said in many posts prior to this one, smart people like you fall in the trap of talking like God. I know you don’t mean to sound like that, but science and math are subject that create a sense of all knowing and no ‘if’s’, ‘ands’ about it. Just cautioning you to be careful.
I agree that without authority there would be not just a few but a majority of rogues who would abuse the system. But that is now, it doesn’t have to be like that in the future. I will post my view on this future at a later time. I respect your view on capitalism, and it’s “middle ground”. Although I must disagree and maybe we can discuss some of the foundational theories and policies behind capitalism to further discuss the full potential of capitalism, or the lack of.
Ben stated:
“Even if justice is not done in a murder case, I would rather still maintain the human right of “a right to life” than throw it out the window because “it never gets enforced anyway”.”
I agree Ben, but again, you make it sound like I said that I want to throw human rights out the window. But I dont. I believe in human rights, what I don’t believe in is our rights being used to make optimistic statements about the country we live, ie. Land of the free, when these rights are not being defended (other than the rich, even their rights aren’t always protected actually). I agree that the concept of human rights should stay, but these human rights themselves need a severe thrashing, amending, implementing, reviewing, and holding.
Ben stated:
“However, in a democracy, the government is controlled by the people.”
The people elect the party into power Ben, people do not control the government. This is the whole problem again with this make believe freedom and choice system. If you have 4 representatives to choose from and they are all bad, you can choose to not vote, but one of them will still get voted in. So you don’t have a choice as to which party is going to sit in government and represent you. You don’t have control as to what policies or laws they will instill. You also don’t know whether these representatives really care about the people or if it is just for the money, or power, or for some other reason.
Ben stated:
"If a government wants to stay in power, it must reflect the want of the people otherewise it will not be re-elected. "
Most governments don’t care if they are elected, since party platforms are created for one term. So what if they don’t reflect the want of the people and they are not re-elected, we are talking about four years of this party controlling our country, alot of damage can be done in those short four years.
Ben stated:
“If a government does not protect us and instead exploits us, we are able to vote them out.”
Vote them out? You mean not re-elect them right? Or do you mean impeachment? Well in Canada Brian Mulroney harmed the Canadian nation as well as exploit and unemploy a huge amount of the population. I am referring to NAFTA. Forget whether he meant well or not, but what happened was that he thought business would come into Canada from the states if the tariffs were taken off the products coming into Canada from America. Meanwhile, the whole reason American companies opened up branches in Canada, employed Canadian citizens, and increased the Canadian economy is because of those tariffs, it was cheaper for Americans to just open up branches, warehouses, and factories in Canada and saturate the population with their products that way. When he implemented NAFTA, the exact reverse happened of what was planned. American companies closed their doors, threw hundreds of thousands of employees out on the street, packed their backs, and headed for the border…to the US.
So again, what is the point of voting anyone out when you can’t stop them from destroying you life and your country?
Ben stated:
"I’m sure there is a lot of corruption in the government and places like the CIA and that is wrong, but I would rather have a government protecting me than not. "
How do you know that your government is protecting you? The government institutes laws and procedures that monitor and control you from the moment you take your first breath. Why? Well because they need you to work to make the government money so they can put through their will and might on the rest of the world. Is the government really protecting you, or is it protecting it’s income? I’ll let you decide.
Ben stated:
“Unlike in communism say where people really are forced to work for the good of the society, capitalism and other systems, do not require people to work.”
DO NOT REQUIRE PEOPLE TO WORK!!??!! Do you truly think if no one worked there would be a country to speak of? The only reason you can say you live in a country is because there are people working. The capitalist system REQUIRES, NECCESSITATES, and EXISTS only because of the people that will work for it. Everything in the capitalist system is about people working for the government. You still don’t get the propaganda, the paradox, the LIE. The government wants you to believe you are free, but like I said, talk to people that have lived in the socialist system and now live in North America (and are working class ofcourse) and ask them where they had more freedom.
Ben stated:
“There is always the choice to move to a different society which runs in the way that fits your ideals.”
Unfortunately, I have never heard of a society which runs in the way that fits my ideals.
Ben stated:
“I don’t know people have always been self-centered. To clarify my point, from a gene-centered view, we are selfish.”
You cannot say without a doubt that people are selfish. It is debatable. Moreover, the human genome has been mapped, but not explained fully. So we don’t know if there is a gene that has the ability to act unselfishly.
Ben stated:
“I am happy to admit that I am self-centred in the true sense of the word because in the long term, I shall look after myself. This does not mean I disregard others and that I don’t have a kind bone in my body. I personally do think it is possible for anyone to perform a totally selfless action.”
How can a person like you who has stated previously that people are completely selfish, and that everything can be translated into the person doing even what seem altruistic actions selfish, how can you say that you think it is possible for anyone to perform a totally selfless action?
About the judaism concept, you are quite right in putting that quote, it exemplifies much of judaism. I’m not sure if you read my previous post on religion, but Nietszche explains religions and why they hold the beliefs and theories that they do. Judaism came from a rich class, hence it proposes self and furthering ones own and ones family goals. I wish not to go into this in great detail as another post fully explains my understanding of Nietzsches ideas. This still doesn’t validate your premise of completely selfish human beings.
I thank you for your sincere and eloquent apology, it is most humbly accepted. Please, I say this only because many do and not because I think you will, but because there is a chance you may, take my kindness to be a weakness instead of a strength and an open mind. I want you to know I am a very honest person, and as you have asserted about always being open to alternative view point, I am as well.
What’s your take?