Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: legal by definition Message-ID: <1399@dciem.UUCP> Date: Thu, 14-Feb-85 23:42:59 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.1399 Posted: Thu Feb 14 23:42:59 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Feb-85 02:08:05 EST References: <24bb0e6d.264c@apollo.uucp> Reply-To: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 33 Summary: >> Might does not make right because there is no "right"; governments are >> natural phenonena - they arise quite independenty of moral philosophy. > >> Terry Dineen > >I believe I've got you "dead to rights" here... :^) > >If you don't believe in right and wrong, I don't see why you bother to >object to my moral condemnation of governments. I agree with you that >*they* don't take much account of right and wrong. > >I believe that most people believe in right and wrong, and (wrongly) >associate government with right. That's why I spend my time talking about >it. > >--JoSH I like your smiley-face with the nose out of joint. It really fits! Terry Dineen never said HE didn't believe in right and wrong. He said, to paraphrase, that governments arise naturally. In other words, their existence is as right (or wrong) as an apple falling off a tree. As for associating governments with right: they are like people, some good most of the time (but occasionally bad), some bad most of the time (but occasionally good). I doubt you will find purity in this world, even among governments -- whether purity of good or of evil. -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsrgv!dciem!mmt