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>> Strawman, >> I think that, as a society, we're in the situation described in Lothrop
>> Stoddard's "The Revolt Against Civilisation". To the government, regardless of
>> it's political flavour, we're nothing more than resources, to be exploited for
>> all we're worth. We're not that different from all the humans in the power
>> station in "The Matrix". >> All Government wants is obedient drones who earn income, pay taxes and
>> 'consume' the rest. That's what keeps the state alive. They don't give a damn
>> that the quality of the population degenerates. In fact, according to Stoddard,
>> it works in their favour. I kind of agree and disagree. You and I are (presumably) thinking rational individuals. A government is
not. While an organization may be capable of making a plan, it is not capable of
having an opinion. Every organization is made up of individuals who (regardless
of their stated loyalty to the collective) are actually serving their own
interests. It's not that the government officials want obedient drones earn
income, pay taxes and 'consume' the rest. They don't actually care whether
people pay taxes or not - it just so happens that (for each individual in the
government) stealing money via taxation is a good way to line their own
pockets. As for Stoddard (of whom I must in all honesty confess ignorance) - I think
he's also half right. A population of people who understand that wealth is
created by secure private property rights will vote for such rights, and remain/become
rich. A population which thinks that wealth comes from theft, will vote for a
government which steals (and gives the booty to them), and will become/remain poor. There was an excellent example of this this afternoon, with Mark (Maddog)
Latham frantically trying to increase dependence of public housing - people who
struggle to buy and pay for their own homes generally aren't interested in
voting for the welfare state. People who are totally dependent on government
handouts will always vote themselves more welfare, because they believe it will
make them better off. I had to laugh at Maddog's comment on PM this afternoon 'I grew up in
government housing and loved every minute of it'. I found that we have
something in common. I enjoy spending other people's money too!
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