[extropy-chat] Re: A view of what politics is

[Samantha Atkins]

On Oct 16, 2005, at 10:58 PM, Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:

> Having a black belt, or being rich, while buying apples is not being
> "violent". But threatening to beat the other guy to a pulp, or force
> him out of business, if he does not sell at a given price, is
> violence.

Precisely.  Violence is forcing the mind of another.  It is a  
violation of freedom.  "Weapons" are irrelevant.

> All I am saying is that it does not happen in the real world.
> In the real world power is a runaway phenomenon - more power you have,
> more power you get - and those with power can and do disrupt free
> market dynamics.

Irrelevant.  You attempt to sneak your notions of economic inequality  
in as being due to "violence" and thus are less able to say what  
violence is.

> Instead of buying apples at the fair price set by the
> market, the guy with the big guns can force all producers to sell at a
> minimum price barely sufficient for subsistence.

How so?  This is very much not what happens in the real world  
generally.  In the real world those without such big guns often can  
do work at a cheaper rate than in the country with the big guns.  The  
cheaper rate is often relatively riches in the less gun endowed  
country due to cost of living differentials,   So the country  
relatively without guns sets the price.   Where is the violence you  
insist on there?

> This is what happens
> in the real world unless some kind of balancing mechanism is put in
> place.

Nope.

- samantha