Today is not Independence Day. Of course, according to the sticklers, neither was the 4th of July. It's good to have perspective on these things. That said, July 4th is probably just as good a day as any given the fact that the principal at which the Declaration was aimed didn't receive it anyway for at least a few more weeks
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I didn't have a problem with exporting democracy to Germany at the barrel of a gun. And I don't think the Kurds minded when we did as much in Iraq. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.
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I had a quibble with taking The Great Explosion's MYOB as an ideal to live by. It was great satire, mind. Brilliant. And the Freedom = I Won't thing works well -- if you have no people you love better than yourself, for whose safety one can be compelled. A parent can be compelled by threats to his or her children, for instance. That's where MYOB falls through for me. Each planet, for purpose of satire, was purposefully simplified. In this instance, the Idle story was of a mere lazy man. What of a murderer? What of a demagogue? Remember the belief behind the Constitution: that mankind is motivated by greed, not goodness. The first planet -- the prison planet -- exemplifies what happens then.
I'd much rather a society where Freedom = Selflessness. It's impossible, because people will always be vile to one another. But selflessness is a freedom, if only in small pockets of time and person. I would never want a life where I was merely concerned with building up obligations with other people. I think you'd agree.
Btw, if none of this is coherent. I blame lack of sleep. Blegh. But thank you for giving me something to chew on. I'm so glad you read Russell too.
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