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Posted by Edgar on July 18, 2007, 11:43 am
> Edgar wrote:
>
>> I stand by my point, GOVERNMENT (not beauracracy) has worked towards (and
>> is bound by) equality, and people have fought long and hard to get that
>> equality which has not come easy. To say that things were better back
>> then because the government was not involved ignores the thousands of
>> people who were NOT getting the same level of care because of inequality.
>> If we have to bring others down so that others may FINALLY be equal, so
>> be it. Since then we should have been working on bringing everyone back
>> up, but instead inequality continues. I agree 100% with reducing
>> bureaucratic waste but that waste is not the same as what the govenrment
>> should be.
>
> Equality is a myth. It always has been. Nobody is born "equal". Some
> are born smart, some dumb, some blind, some deaf, some crippled, you name
> it. Some born in the USA to affluent parents, other born into starvation
> in the Andes. Life is not equal. Nor will it ever by and to think that
> "equality" is a laudable goal shows a lack of understanding of human
> nature.
>
> Governments cannot and should not try to create "equality". They
> shouldn't even try for "fairness." If you want to think that "equality"
> is granted or created by government, go back and reading the Federalist
> papers, and the writings of the Founders. The only thing we have equal is
> the opportunity to pursue our happiness without interference from
> government. It's the opportunity to pursue happiness that is to be
> protected and guarded, not the happiness itself. As long as our pursit
> does not infringe on the natural rights* of others, then we're good to go.
>
> *Natural Rights
> (http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/06/bogus.html):
> Philosopher John Locke's vision of natural law guided the founders of our
> nation. Our Declaration of Independence expresses that vision, declaring,
> "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal,
> that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
> that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
> Government is necessary, but the only rights we can delegate to government
> are the ones we possess. For example, we all have a natural right to
> defend ourselves against predators. Since we possess that right, we can
> delegate authority to government to defend us. By contrast, we don't have
> a natural right to take the property of one person to give to another;
> therefore, we cannot legitimately delegate such authority to government.
>
While you may be right about equality in general, equality in particular
should be a goal, that is what I believe. Specifically, with regards to
exactly what you said, nobody should be given less of a chance to pursue
their happiness. For example, I believe gays have just as much right to
marry each other and therefore pursue their happiness (or unhappiness as the
case may be) just like everyone else. Or an even simpler idea that everyone
should be familiar with, is the right of women to vote, or of not forcing
people to the back of the bus based on color. I understand certain things
can be taken too far, and I am always the first to lambaste the extremists,
and call for moderation, but can you honestly say anything would have
changed regarding civil rights if the people didn't take action through the
government. Can you honestly say if we left things to "market forces" that
slavery would have worked itself out over time?
--
Edgar
--
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