Or do I stand to gain more by favoring the state?
I promise I'll give great consideration to all answers.
bloomj31:Or do I stand to gain more by favoring the state?
Without a doubt, you can profit greatly by using the state to advance your own prosperity.
Of course, you could also profit greatly by killing someone rich and moving into their house.
So the question is not whether the state can make you wealthy, but if you are willing to accept the moral arguments to justify using the state for that purpose, and whether you would be consistent when those arguments are used against you by someone else employing the state to get rich at your expense.
I really think, and I mean this with all friendship and sincerity, that you're going about this wrong. You lack the philosophical and economic understanding to make this decision. Ancap is not a club. It's a particular perspective on the world, rooted in ideas like voluntarism, ethics, praxeology etc. It is truly in your best interest, whether you end up supporting ancap or statism or something else, to understand these arguments, and evaluate them for yourself. We can try to make arguments for you to do this or that, ultimately you will have to decide, and I think we can both agree, you are better off making an informed decision.
so was communism good for all these bread-wanters or bad? or do you have a sophisticated response?
and would your response not apply to all those things you listed, which involved the present regime?
Where there is no property there is no justice; a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid
Fools! not to see that what they madly desire would be a calamity to them as no hands but their own could bring
nirgrahamUK: so was communism good for all these bread-wanters or bad? or do you have a sophisticated response? and would your response not apply to all those things you listed, which involved the present regime?
No, but unlike communism, American socialism actually pays out big time to these people and they keep voting it back in. In fact, they keep demanding more benefits. Why is this happening?
Its no mystery; its a heavily investigated field of inquiry.
'Public Choice'
Monopoly government is at the root
bloomj31: Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
why, why, why...
don't ask me why, but for some mysterious reason this echoed in my head:
bloomj31:No, but unlike communism, American socialism actually pays out big time to these people and they keep voting it back in. In fact, they keep demanding more benefits. Why is this happening?
The state makes mistakes in its handouts...
So I answer that firstly people insist that there are welfare troubles (not enough poor getting their share) so people vote for more welfare (even though it is because welfare is essentially free that it is overused to the extent that not everyone can get it). Secondly, welfare does confer a benefit on those who get food stamps and such but the people shouldn't be clamouring for nasty government cheese when they could just free the market or take advantage of volunteerism like living at home (assuming parents or friends would let them).
nirgrahamUK: Its no mystery; its a heavily investigated field of inquiry. 'Public Choice' Monopoly government is at the root
Ok, but why are so many people so comfortable with monopoly government?
they don't know economics. they are ignorant of the evils of monopoly government.
bloomj31: nirgrahamUK: Its no mystery; its a heavily investigated field of inquiry. 'Public Choice' Monopoly government is at the root Ok, but why are so many people so comfortable with monopoly government?
Why are so many net beneficiaries of theft so comfortable with theft?
To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process. Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!" Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."
nirgrahamUK: they don't know economics. they are ignorant of the evils of monopoly government.
So you're saying that basically they don't know that what they're arguing for isn't in their interest?
Daniel Muffinburg: Why are so many net beneficiaries of theft so comfortable with theft?
Because they benefit from it.
bloomj31:Because they benefit from it.
If you didn't benefit from it, but instead suffered from it, would you continue to support it?
Indeed, as per my original post, the state destroys the intellecual side of man so that he is inhibited in his quest for new knowledge in this case, the knowledge of why the state fails.
liberty student: If you didn't benefit from it, but instead suffered from it, would you continue to support it?
No.
bloomj31:Because they had no other way to get the bread.
Breadlines could be a good thing if you have celiac disease.
bloomj31: Daniel Muffinburg: Why are so many net beneficiaries of theft so comfortable with theft? Because they benefit from it.
Exactly. You'd be amazed at how productive the taxpayers are. Likewise, you'd be amazed at how unproductive the tax eaters are.