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Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

freeradicals — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:49:22 GMT

Autolykos:

Sorry - "aggression" comes from Latin aggressum, past participle of aggredior, which is from ad-gradior, the second part of which is from gradus "step", which is also the origin of the word "grade". :)

Hah, wow you know your Latin!

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:31:54 GMT

Sorry - "aggression" comes from Latin aggressum, past participle of aggredior, which is from ad-gradior, the second part of which is from gradus "step", which is also the origin of the word "grade". :)

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

freeradicals — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:09:59 GMT

Autolykos:

I'd advise against describing free enterprise as any form of tyranny - of the consumer or otherwise. Freedom and tyranny are opposites IMO.

I meant it facetiously, but I agree it should be worded as something more along the lines of "peaceful" or "voluntary".

Autolykos:

Finally, a little joke: Why isn't Latin taught in public schools anymore? Because then students would find out that "aggression" and "grade" are related.

I wish I knew more Latin to get the joke :(

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:59:13 GMT

freeradicals:
Agreed, we should also emphasize that free enterprise is not America's system so people stop referring to it as such and that real free enterprise is tyranny of the consumer, not some kind of corporate elite.

Indeed, free enterprise is common to all of humanity. It just happened to flourish in America for a while.

I'd advise against describing free enterprise as any form of tyranny - of the consumer or otherwise. Freedom and tyranny are opposites IMO.

Finally, a little joke: Why isn't Latin taught in public schools anymore? Because then students would find out that "aggression" and "grade" are related.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

freeradicals — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:46:50 GMT

Autolykos:

As a follow-up, one of the things that gives me hope is people's desire (if not demand) to hold those in power accountable. With this in mind, one area that I think we should focus on is showing how the voting booth does not provide such accountability. In comparison, free exchange (where allowed to happen) does provide it.

Agreed, we should also emphasize that free enterprise is not America's system so people stop referring to it as such and that real free enterprise is tyranny of the consumer, not some kind of corporate elite.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:21:40 GMT

As a follow-up, one of the things that gives me hope is people's desire (if not demand) to hold those in power accountable. With this in mind, one area that I think we should focus on is showing how the voting booth does not provide such accountability. In comparison, free exchange (where allowed to happen) does provide it.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:16:49 GMT

Clayton:
@Auto: Yep, it always comes back to the ol' double-standard. This is why I believe that the social problem that must be addressed to rip statism up by the roots is the moral problem. Government is only possible because people tolerate double-standards when wrapped in sufficiently floral language. Eliminate that tolerance and you have eliminated the State.

Exactly. I completely agree - it all comes back to the Golden Rule, basically. The only thing I'd like to add is that many (if not most) people typically don't see the double standards as such. This issue is exacerbated in the presence of systematic undermining of people's critical-thinking skills - otherwise known as "public schooling".

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:13:08 GMT

freeradicals:
In the absolute sense yes. However, we all know the government recognizes itself [as] above the law and doesn't follow it's own rules. Hence the government tells everyone else how to live but it believes itself to be in some alternate dimension. I blame the government for interdimensional instability.

Haha! I know what you mean. :)

Right, I was talking about the absolute (i.e. logical) sense. Nothing prevents people from believing things that are logically contradictory.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Clayton — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:49:23 GMT

@Auto: Yep, it always comes back to the ol' double-standard. This is why I believe that the social problem that must be addressed to rip statism up by the roots is the moral problem. Government is only possible because people tolerate double-standards when wrapped in sufficiently floral language. Eliminate that tolerance and you have eliminated the State.

Clayton -

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

freeradicals — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:45:23 GMT

Autolykos:

The reasoning is fallacious. In order for government to tell everyone how to live their life from birth until death, some individuals - those in the government - must do the telling instead of being told. This would mean leaving the living of some individuals' lives in their own hands. A performative contradiction results.

In the absolute sense yes. However, we all know the government recognizes itself above the law and doesn't follow it's own rules. Hence the government tells everyone else how to live but it believes itself to be in some alternate dimension. I blame the government for interdimensional instability.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Autolykos — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:59:55 GMT

Clayton:
The same reasoning can easily be applied to life itself. It's not clear whose choice it is to be alive - the parent or the child - since the parent initiated but the child later seems to perpetuate it. You only get one life and you don't know until it's over how to really live. So, we cannot leave the living of life in the hands of the individual, government must tell everyone how to live their life from birth until death.

The reasoning is fallacious. In order for government to tell everyone how to live their life from birth until death, some individuals - those in the government - must do the telling instead of being told. This would mean leaving the living of some individuals' lives in their own hands. A performative contradiction results.

(I'm sure you're already aware of this, but indulge me. :P)

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

SirThinkALot — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:54:55 GMT

I had to take an elementry physics class in HS. I never studied it in college though...

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Clayton — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:50:41 GMT

The same reasoning can easily be applied to life itself. It's not clear whose choice it is to be alive - the parent or the child - since the parent initiated but the child later seems to perpetuate it. You only get one life and you don't know until it's over how to really live. So, we cannot leave the living of life in the hands of the individual, government must tell everyone how to live their life from birth until death.

Clayton -

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

Eric — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:07:11 GMT

Is it sad that I'v learned more elementary physics and engineering from watching Mythbusters than in all my years of schooling?(granted I didnt study physics or engineering, but still....)

Well if you took no physics classes, then no.

Re: Strange question on education in free-markets

SirThinkALot — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:50:35 GMT

Is it sad that I'v learned more elementary physics and engineering from watching Mythbusters than in all my years of schooling?(granted I didnt study physics or engineering, but still....)