- Capitalism and Alternatives -
Merit will bring forth a kiss - who could ask for more?
Posted by: bill on May 12, 1999 at 13:37:03:
In Reply to: Rather merit than guns posted by Gee on May 11, 1999 at 07:27:29:
: In discussing obligation lets look at chosen obligations and unchosen obligations. Would you accept the position that most people would chose to oblige others with their assistence, as 'good folks'? i would. I dont think this requires the wips of state, or an angry mob, to happen. I dont think this obligation extends to supplying an indefinate gaurantee to a standard of living to anyone who makes a claim to it though, hence the tensions.
--------Well it get's tricky. I don't particularly like the word "obligation" because it seems to imply being forced to do something you would really rather not do. Taxation will be felt as theft by those who perceive that they are not getting back, in whatever form, a value equal to what they have 'contributed'. Naturally the wealthy will feel particularly put upon. This is one reason I would seek a societal design that would result in an egalitarian approximation. For this to occur, individual self-worth and societal praise would have to take forms other than the various displays of wealth (which after all are only meaningful as long as there exist a poor against which wealth can be measured)
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