[ExI] playing psychologist

[spike at rainier66.com]

From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of William Flynn Wallace
Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2018 10:14 AM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: [ExI] playing psychologist

 

Yes, I am going to play a bit.  I was asked a question on Quora about what my parents did to me that was immoral or unfair, and my answer was 'nothing.'  I was the freest kid ever.  Went everywhere on bikes and buses, etc.

 

I then reckoned that maybe that is what helped me to be a libertarian - no authoritarianism in my upbringing.

 

So I just thought I'd invade your privacy and ask you what helped you become a libertarian, as I suppose most of you are, and when it happened.  Few people just look at all the philosophies and pick one.

 

bill w        

 

 

 

First to your point of kids running free.  BillW, I was part of the biggest generation.  We never worried much about weirdos stealing kids: if they ever wanted to do that, there were plenty of them to choose from, hanging around everywhere.  Go outdoors in nearly any suburb like the one where I grew up, or even that one, and ask the obvious question: wheeeeere are all the children?  Why don’t we see them everywhere like we did back then?  Answer: they have a loooot better more fun stuff to do indoors, compared to when we were that age, when being indoors at home was playing Monopoly or watching Gilligan’s Island.

 

Today we have evolved into a society where it is functionally illegal to let children run free if you live in a safe neighborhood.  If you live in a dangerous neighborhood, then it is OK, but in safe neighborhoods, letting children run free is considered child endangerment.  In order to not face charges of child endangerment, they must run in dangerous neighborhoods.  

 

Evidence: go to Google street view, find a safe neighborhood.  No unattended children anywhere.  Find a dangerous neighborhood.  Children everywhere.

 

Do let us ignore for a moment the fact that the children are what make the neighborhoods dangerous.

 

With regard to how I came to be a libertarian: recognize that there are multiple brands of libertarian, which are incompatible.  Just as the two US mainstream parties are loose coalitions both in the process of fracturing, libertarians have always been a group of incompatible notions.

 

My brand of libertarians learned what a marvelous system the framers of the US constitution invented.  Get a union of states, which are independent governments working together for a common military.  Much outside of that, the federal government isn’t asked to do much and isn’t really allowed to.  This sets up a bunch of competing governments, with varying level and techniques, experimenting, down were most of the heavy lifting of government takes place.  That is how it should be: most governing is done at the state level.  The feds take care of the military, the National Parks, make trade deals, etc.  The rest of the governing is done by states.

 

spike

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