Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles; site ea.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!ea!mwm From: mwm@ea.UUCP Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Re: Re: We're not drifting ... - (nf) Message-ID: <9800032@ea.UUCP> Date: Fri, 24-Aug-84 17:33:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ea.9800032 Posted: Fri Aug 24 17:33:00 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Aug-84 05:30:30 EDT References: <254@mit-athe.UUCP> Lines: 45 Nf-ID: #R:mit-athe:-25400:ea:9800032:000:2075 Nf-From: ea!mwm Aug 24 16:33:00 1984 #R:mit-athe:-25400:ea:9800032:000:2075 ea!mwm Aug 24 16:33:00 1984 /***** ea:net.philosophy / mit-athe!yba / 1:59 pm Aug 20, 1984 */ I'm sure there are many comments. Please make sure to deal with the ones that say "But the government is one of the resources". Do you believe in self-mediating higher authorities built out of the same stuff as what they have authority over? Or do you propose something new? -- yba%mit-heracles@mit-mc.ARPA UUCP: decvax!mit-athena!yba /* ---------- */ I haven't seen any that say "But the government is one of the resources." Could you explain what you mean, or mail one to me? Your second question is one I've asked several times. I asked the socialists what "controlled by the populace" means in practice, and asked in general what kind of society people would like. Each of these implicitly asks where the government should come from. The answers I've received have been the same in both cases: silence. I will attempt to answer the question. First, though, I'd like to point out that the higher authority can be broken up into two parts. The first part mediates disputes between citizens, and holds a near-monopoly on force. The second part manages the public resources (which may or may not include the government). It would seem that choosing professional managers would be the correct way to handle the second part of the government. Said managers should have to answer to the higher authority, both as a group and as individuals, when citizens disagree with the policies the managers are implementing. Now, for the heart of the question: I don't know how to build an uncorruptible government from a corrupt populace. The best working example we have (to my knowledge) is a representative democracy. We've managed to turn that into an n-ring circus (n > 1 and equals the number of parties). I'd be interested in how a draftee government would work (I know, this sounds strange coming from someone who claims to be a libertarian), as it avoids the problem of only those who want power running for office (or the equivalent). Anybody else have any thoughts, or pointers to thoughts?