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>> >> S>You can run for office yourself, and invite people to vote for you. Try
>> >> telling the average man in the street how much better off you will be without
>> >> a health or welfare system, and you will get blank stares if you are lucky. >> The electoral system is designed only to elect the Liberal/Labor party. Come now. The electoral system was designed before either of these parties
existed. >> I'm
>> trying to get people to understand the system. Good "representation" is
>> impossible and majority rule (democracy) is always coercive to minorities. .. as opposed to dictatorship, which is always coercive to majorities. It's a case of the lesser of the evils. >> >> Yes, governments continually use stolen money to indoctrinate the benefits of
>> >> of an all-controlling government, but the final responsibility is with the
>> >> people who believe the rubbish and vote for a repressive government. If the
>> >> voters have no responsibility because they have been 'misled by the ruling
>> >> classes', then tell me - does anyone have any responsibility for any of their
>> >> actions? >> Good point and I think people who naturally belong to the governing class (like
>> you and me) have to change the system - this is about consciousness-raising in
>> the governing class. Everyone, and not just the politically weak, would be
>> served better by free trade. The elites know they are lying, and merely perpetuate the lies to satisfy greed
and self interest. The proles are merely misinformed. I would rather try to
convince the proles. >> You seem to be able to cop the political dirt better than I can, but you have
>> to admit the problem is systemic. It won't change simply by character-bashing. I disagree. Character-bashing politicians is not only good fun, but also
educational. Demonstrating that politicians will serve their own interests is
one first step toward convincing people of the merits of small government. >> >>"where does it work better than here?" >> It's ABL's call but I would guess that he means the US system works better than
>> the British parliamentary model. I think so. All the criticisms you level at the Australian government also apply to the US
government. If you look closely at tax-rates, welfare mentality, subsidization
of special interest groups etc etc, it's not that much different to here. Just because Americans worship capitalism doesn't mean they actually want it -
or even understand it. It's a close call, but I would rather live in Australia than the US. I think we
do pretty well compared to them. >> >>.. and yet levels of state control, and taxation increase every year? I
>> >> don't see the end in sight anytime soon. >> Not soon, but the progression to free markets is happening, and technology is
>> helping to drive it. As long as the people can make some profit from their
>> effort there will be slow progress. Yes, part of the purpose of setting up Internet sites like this one. The move towards free markets is a good one, and the free-trade argument is
basically won. It's just a matter of sitting back and letting people realize
that trade is good (how much are those plasma TVs now?). but the benefits are
offset by greater government control, and spiraling taxation increases. I firmly believe that either major party will increase taxes to the Laffer maximal point, so
the major difference is what controls they put on our lives, ownership etc. The socially controlling coalition annoys me, but given that I have no interest
in taking drugs, going to prostitutes or marrying someone of the same gender,
I'll choose those over a party who wants to control every other aspect of my life. >> >> >> The old elitist representative system evolved straight out of the tradition
>> >> >> of the divine right of kings, and became the divine right of the
>> >> >> representatives. Why shouldn't normal free-market principles apply in our
>> >> >> selection of "government" (or property security agents)? >> >> Because the majority of people don't want it to. They believe in a
>> >> collectivist society. >> The "majority" doesn't matter except to collectivists. Only individual choice
>> really matters. So democracy = collectivism? There's a lesson there. Not quite. Democracy = collectivism if 51% of people believe in collectivism.
They do, so it does. Sell individualism to them and it wont. >> >> There is nothing wrong with mob-rule if the mob doesn't believe in
>> >> mob-rule. Change the mentality of the mob. >> And change the mentality of the leaders of the mob. Change the mentality of the leaders of the mob, and they won't remain leaders
after the next election. Change the mentality of the mob, and they will elect
better leaders at the next election. Again - the only hope lies with the proles.
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