If everyone does it, it's ok for us to do it too?

For all things philosophical.

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henry quirk
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"By outlawing such conduct across the board, we actually end up with better overall outcomes."

Post by henry quirk »

Yeah, you go wear that straightjacket, Sci.

Me: I pass.
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Re: If everyone does it, it's ok for us to do it too?

Post by Science Fan »

Henry: Actually, that's not true at all. You receive all the benefits of a government, including national highways, uniform laws, the very existence of property rights, etc., while claiming that all of these benefits would simply happen by magic if there was no government. I'm convinced people like you would be the first demanding government protections if you ever got your wish granted in eliminating government.

Sorry, there Henry, but there is no magic, and no one is going to behave as if governmental protections exist unless they actually exist. There is a reason why when governments collapse people hit the streets rioting, as opposed to behaving in a civilized manner.
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-1-
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Re: If everyone does it, it's ok for us to do it too?

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FlashDangerpants wrote: Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:39 pm Just out of interest, the overcooked reviews that you got for your book... was it a book proclaiming a magnificent new science of ethics that will make everybody into better and more honest people? Did you boast about those reviews when plugging that book elsewhere?
The book was... oh, why don't you buy a copy and see it for yourself? I might have to raise the price, though, to make some profit for me and not only for Amazon. Would you be willing to pay... say, $3000 for one copy? In US dollars. That should net me about three dollars and seventy-two cents.

No, the book was not on ethics... its topic was mainly etics, that is, electronic tics, that are automated little robot creatures, or microsoft microbes, which carry the typhoid fever bacteria behind enemy lines, while the enemy spreads hateist atheist propaganda behind our lines, and when the two lines reach infinity, then they intersect, according to the theory of Farkas Bolyai.

It's quite a fascinating read, if you enjoy boredom and reading nonsense taken as reasons to boast self-pomposity.

WARNING: Despite my last paragraph above, this book is NOT about ethics. Don't be fooled. Do NOT buy my book if you are looking for guidance how everyone in the world should or ought to behave to make the world a better place than how they found it.

(That reminds me... we know who discovered America, who discovered the Northest passage, who reached the North Pole, etc., but can anyone here tell me who was the first man who discovered the world? Greta, Belinda and that third woman who writes here, it could have been just as easily a woman... I wouldn't be surprised if she was your direct ancestor.)
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Re: If everyone does it, it's ok for us to do it too?

Post by Science Fan »

So, let's see? If someone knows an author, and writes a bad review, should we then accept that review as being more "honest" than if the person who knows the author writes a favorable review? The good review could still be an honest one, despite the reviewer personally knowing the author.

I just heard from a novelist today how some people buy her ebooks on Amazon, and after reading them, return them for a full refund, cheating her out of a royalty. I am fairly certain most authors on Amazon are struggling to get by and have to work other jobs to make a living. So, I can see how a personal friend of an author may end up writing a favorable review, to help a struggling author friend out, but that does not, in and of itself, mean that the review is not an honest one. Most new authors probably do get their works known initially through word of mouth spreading throughout their close social circles.
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henry quirk
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Post by henry quirk »

"You receive all the benefits of a government, including national highways, uniform laws, the very existence of property rights, etc., while claiming that all of these benefits would simply happen by magic if there was no government."

No, Sci, I PAY for those things with my taxes, and I pay them to proxies, employees, public servants.

My only problem with 'government' is that we -- the employers -- have been boondoggled into believing the elected and appointed -- our employees -- are our 'governors'.

#

"I'm convinced people like you would be the first demanding government protections if you ever got your wish granted in eliminating government."

Where did I ever promote the elimination of government? I promote American government be restored to the minimalistic affair it was designed to be, not that it be killed off.

As for my demands: I want value for my dollar.

As for protections: as I wrote about before in-forum, when my house was broken into, I (with my shotgun) defended me. I didn't and don't expect to be defended (locally) or fed or housed or entertained. Yes, I enjoy many products and services, and I PAY for each and every one. I pay the grocer, I pay the power company, I pay the insurer, I pay the government...guess which one gives the poorest service, offers the poorest products? No accident, I think, the shittiest products and services come from the folks who should merely 'serve' but who think they 'rule'.
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Re: If everyone does it, it's ok for us to do it too?

Post by Science Fan »

Henry: The government in the USA started off as a collection of state theocracies that banned such things as "blasphemy," and prevented atheists from testifying in a court of law. They also denied colored people and women citizenship status, and even poor white men could not vote. So, that's what you want to go back to? This type of government that the founders set in place?

Why?

I prefer not to relive our fascist, racist, sexist, hypocritical past.
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henry quirk
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Post by henry quirk »

Nice try, Sci.

You almost roped me in.

I was half-way through an elegant defense of America when it occured to me your response isn't a response at all.

You address not a thing I posted.

You merely dis-embedded a single line, stripped it of context, used it as a stepping stone.

Yeah, nice try, Sci.
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: "That explains a lot."

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

henry quirk wrote: Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:27 pm What does what explain, Veg?
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but aren't Louisiana people considered 'weird' even by other Americans? That can only be a good thing of course. :)
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henry quirk
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Post by henry quirk »

Mebbe so, Veg.
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