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From: stewart@ihldt.UUCP (R. J. Stewart)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Comments on Libertarianism
Message-ID: <2616@ihldt.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Nov-84 16:59:43 EST
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Posted: Wed Nov 21 16:59:43 1984
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> I seem to remember from John Stuart Mill's  "On Liberty" that he stated 
> that laws for the common good are legitimate, but laws regulating individual
> welfare are not.  Laws are supposed to prevent you from hurting me, not you
> from hurting you. 

Many people would agree with this, if you limit the discussion to laws
that forbid hurting.  The laws in question, however, are those that
mandate benefiting someone else.

I believe that the libertarians are correct to claim that you can't have
freedom without the right to control your property.  I once saw it put
quite well (though I can't remember the author):

     "Any person who produces something while someone else disposes
      of it is a slave."

So, in a real sense, I spend a significant fraction of my time doing
forced labor for my neighbors, since I have no children but must pay
hefty property taxes, most of which is for the school district.  I have
no way of opting out of the system, since the people with children
out-vote me, and have no qualms about taking my money.

Bob Stewart
ihldt!stewart