Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!tekbspa!optilink!cramer
From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Comm. Morality (summary)
Keywords: ethics, society
Message-ID: <1278@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 28 Apr 89 17:50:31 GMT
References: <754@infovax.lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de# <3687@ficc.uu.net# <13237@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU#
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 31

In article <13237@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU#, mjm@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Michael McClemen) writes:
# 
# After reading Prof. Foessmeier's summary of the discussion on Prof. Frank's
# "New Communications Morality" I came to the blinding conclusion that I (and
# most of the other people who replied) had missed an essential point and an
# essential word.  That word was "morality".  Most of the postings seemed to
# assume that the subject was "law".  Is it a peculiarly American state of mind
# that we cannot discuss such a subject in terms of voluntary restraint?  That,
# for instance, complaints about commercial television cannot be talked about
# in terms of trying to persuade broadcasting stations to change their standards?
# That discussions of software copyrights cannot be talked about in terms of
# trying to persuade people that sharing algorithms might sometimes be profitable?
# Does it have to do with the litigiousness of our society?  Do most of us assume
# that no one will conform to any moral standard unless it is legislated?
# 
# -- Michael McClennen

Perhaps its because the two political factions that run American 
politics -- conservatives and liberals -- can't think in any 
terms EXCEPT legislating morality.  Those of us who would prefer
the government not run everything have become rather skeptical
of anyone who talks about "morality", since it seems likely that
the following sentence will be "I'm from the government, and
I'm here to {help you, make you a better person, solve all the 
world's problems}."

-- 
Clayton E. Cramer                   {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer
Governments that don't trust most people with weapons, deserve no trust.
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