[extropy-chat] Rational force?

[Thomas]

Russell Wallace wrote:

> On 12/11/06, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com <mailto:lcorbin at rawbw.com>> 
> wrote:
>
>     Quite true.  But there is no guarantee that south central LA will
>     be reclaimed
>     to civilization simply by outlawing drugs.
>
>
> ("by legalizing drugs", I assume you meant?)
>
>     The National Guard needs to surround
>     the entire area, and drive all suspected gang members into
>     concentration camps
>     and restore order.  Then one by one, those found not guilty of
>     belonging to
>     gangs can be released. 
>
>
> Lee, I agree with much of what you say, and I certainly think treating 
> terrorists as if they were soldiers of a civilized nation is wrong. If 
> a man is found _after fair trial_ to be a terrorist, by all means let 
> him be hanged forthwith.
>
> But suspending due process of law for your own citizens isn't just 
> more of the same idea - it's a completely different kind of thing, and 
> far more dangerous.
>
>     The alternative is to wait until slowly all of society looks the
>     way it does there.
>
>
> I don't think that's the only alternative. I think there are better 
> approaches. I think if:
>
> the drug laws were repealed,
> the labor and business laws that make it illegal for large numbers of 
> people to find work were relaxed enough so that everyone regardless of 
> age, social status, academic background etc who wanted to earn an 
> honest living could do so,
> the ghastly tower blocks were demolished and the government got out of 
> the housing business,
> existing laws against violent crime were enforced in a fair and 
> unbiased manner,
>
> things would improve enough that the perceived need for concentration 
> camps would disappear.
>
> If all the above is tried and found to be insufficient, then by all 
> means bring up the idea of concentration camps again, but I don't 
> think they should be advocated until that time.

Russell, I'm so glad someone can see the rational chain of events and 
come up with alternatives to the irrational chains.  Doesn't the "by all 
means" leave us open to fascism?  Let's remember that ends are 
consistent with means and choose rationally.  -- Thomas


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