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<DIV>In a message dated 12/15/2005 8:11:49 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
neptune@superlink.net writes:</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=2>And a better way to lessen wars would be to slash government
military budgets (down to zero if possible), lower the size of the government
military (again, down to zero), abandon many foreign commitments, and foster,
as much as possible, free trade through unilaterally opening markets.
Privatizing military forces would probably be best too. If each person
had to pay the direct cost of all the military she or he wanted, I think most
people would opt for purely defensive forces and there would be a marked drop
in foreign adventures -- save for those few who felt some kind crusading
spirit. Those few would be very few indeed and their leaving on such
adventures would likely be no great loss and even a welcome respite from their
bleeding heart asinine harangues.</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV> As neat as this sounds, a state that did this would
likely lose to any neighbors that maintained a large, well-funded, tightly
centrally controlled military. This option (slashing military budgets and the
size of the government military down to zero, or as low as possible) is only a
viable strategy - or a safe one at least - if everyone else one knows about is
doing the same.</DIV>
<DIV> And then, like in many similar games where the
perceived benefits of "defection" are huge, all it takes is one "defector" to
upset the whole order, and it's only a matter of time before one comes along.
Doing away with, or minimizing, the military and military budgets, is still a
little too close to doing the same with one's immune system. Ditto for
intelligence agencies (which let you know when someone else is spying on you and
planning to do something to you that you wouldn't like).</DIV>
<DIV> As long as there are "germs," there'll be need of
"immune systems." And "germs" are a good deal tougher to eliminate completely
than sophants of any kind.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Dan</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>My first post,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mike</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>