[extropy-chat] Re: Ethics and evolution

[Mike Lorrey]

--- BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 9/5/05, Mike Lorrey wrote:
> > On the contrary, holding others to their own beliefs, having them
> put
> > their money where their minds are, and gaining or suffering the
> > consequences as a result, is evolution in action. Are you saying
> > evolution is unethical?
> 
> Yes. Evolution is the cruelest, most savage method of improving
> species ever devised. Heard of 'nature red in tooth and claw'? We can
> do better.
> 
> > I would say the entrepreneur is selling not a machine, but an
> > education. There are some lessons that people have to learn the
> > hard way.
> 
> This is why Libertarians have little concern with the billions of
> dollars of fraud and snake-oil in the free market system and the
> resulting misery and unhappiness for millions of people.
> Libs come across as 'Never give a sucker an even break' types.  
> And 'They deserve all they get' is common also.
> 

On the contrary, Libertarians are against all forms of fraud on
principle. Problem is that the population has conditional ethics toward
fraud. Fraud is okay in the form of social security, income taxes,
"election reform", flouridated drinking water, public sale of coal
plant fly ash and 'ground based radon', "global warming", "peak oil",
whole math, outcome based public education and school district property
taxes, among other things from the large to the mundane. Like, for
instance, that expensive wart removal patch sold at drug stores: the
active ingredient is a fraction of a cent's worth of aspirin.

Based on the above frauds which are occuring daily everywhere, what is
the difference between fraud for the sake of profit versus fraud for
the sake of a true education?

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com