[ExI] don't let your guard down, not for a minute...

[Dan]

I disagree. The problem with communism is that it's an unworkable theory. It's 
akin to a perpetual motion machine. The problem with libertarianism, in so far 
as application to real work societies, is more one of getting enough people to 
agree with it and changing some institutional arrangements. This is a practical 
obstacle and not a theoretical blocker.

And to see how far humanity has come in a libertarian direction, one has only to 
think of things like the decline of chattel slavery, forced marriages, wife 
beatings, child abuse, persecution of religious (or irreligious) individuals, 
and persecution of individuals based on sexual orientation (this last just in my 
lifetime) in all Western societies. There are, of course, no irreversible trends 
here, but these trends do give cause for optimism -- even if only of the 
cautious and tentative sort.

Regards,

Dan


From: police dept <policedepts at gmail.com>
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 1:27:55 AM
Subject: Re: [ExI] don't let your guard down, not for a minute...


"That is not communism.  In communism the collective owns everything and the 
individual owns nothing.  "From each according to his ability, to each according 
to his needs" is a common slogan of communism at its most idealistic.   That is 
utterly unworkable.  When everyone owns everything and nothing no one has the 
right to do with anything at all what she wishes. >Samantha"

Yes, to be genuinely communistic the human race would have to evolve so far 
ahead of itself it would be unrecognizable.  Unfortunately, the same lack of 
civilization means libertarianism is also Utopian at this time and for the 
foreseeable future.


      
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