Political Theory

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

ZB — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:48:09 GMT

Rothbard argued that children cannot necessarily be owned, but that people can owner a "guardianship" for them until the child "homesteads" his/her free destiny (an example of this would be voluntarily moving out of the house). Generally a system like this would tend towards a system where the best-fit parents are caring for more and more children.

I tend to view being born into a family unit as feudal, especially considering that a great number of families nowadays are extremely dysfunctional, abusive, etc and greatly shape the psyche of the child as he/she grows up and matures psychologically and such. However, it is the state that props up this form of feudalism (just as it propped/propped all the other forms of feudalism in history) -- by forbidding child labor, enacting minimum wage legislation and rent control/regulations, controlling and thus inflating the costs of schooling, etc, it makes it nearly IMPOSSIBLE for a child to escape from a psychologically and/or physically abusive situation.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:57:40 GMT

E. R. Olovetto:
You never answered the question. Don't pretend like you did. Anyhow, the answer is yes

How is the answer yes if I never answered it? Either I did answer it or I did not. You have destroyed this thread, claiming I had not given an answer, and now you claim to have it.

E. R. Olovetto:
... it disproves your hyper-subjectivism in regards to punishment.

How can you disprove subjectivism? And how is my subjectivism "hyper"?

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

E. R. Olovetto — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:33:51 GMT

You never answered the question. Don't pretend like you did. Anyhow, the answer is yes and it disproves your hyper-subjectivism in regards to punishment. There's a lot of writing by Austrians against hermeneutics. I'll just let you check that out since I'm sure you won't give me a worthwhile response.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:29:02 GMT

E. R. Olovetto:
It just enrages me that people like liberty student are so intellectually dishonest that they can't answer a simple question.

That's funny because I don't get enraged on the internet. I'm an adult and in control of my emotions. I know that these discussions are not worth getting upset over. ymmv

Btw, you were answered, and if you had accepted the answer given, you could have spared yourself all of that rage and angst. And you wouldn't have had to pollute this thread (and now apparently others) with the same repetitious content.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

E. R. Olovetto — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:21:50 GMT

abskebabs, my response to you was unnecessarily harsh and I apologize. It just enrages me that people like liberty student are so intellectually dishonest that they can't answer a simple question.

There's reason to suspect that many/most people would pursue some form of monetary restitution rather than taking "an eye for an eye". This is not really part of the libertarian calculus though. On the primacy of punishment, see this post by Kinsella. On why there has to be, at least in theory if not in practice, the threat of the death penalty for murderous robbers see this by David Friedman.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

abskebabs — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:45:16 GMT

As exciting as this is... back to the OP.

If there is a functioning market, wives have an alternative to reliance on their husbands for support, which is where much of the tyranny stems from. This could obviously deter and eliminate most forms of abuse. I think Steve Horwitz touches on this in Capitalism and the Family.

Good point. Social services currently assume this role pretty much monopolistically, and provide a pretty shit service too. Yet most people see these institutions as the hallmark of enlightened progressive civilization. In a market society, there might be a lot more social workers who actually have practical skills and dont spend time studying sociology degrees to recite marx back to front. This is not of course to say there are not plenty of good people employed in this part of the public sector as any other however.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

Angurse — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:40:13 GMT

A lot of women beat up their spouses too. This idea that it is always bad husbands and fathers is a stereotype. There are plenty of abusive mothers and wives.

Of course, I've read its actually more common in some areas, capitalism would be beneficial to both non the less.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:04:07 GMT

A lot of women beat up their spouses too. This idea that it is always bad husbands and fathers is a stereotype. There are plenty of abusive mothers and wives.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

Angurse — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 01:45:00 GMT

As exciting as this is... back to the OP.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:41:54 GMT

Look again.

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

E. R. Olovetto — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:39:10 GMT

I don't see it. Yes or no?

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:37:35 GMT

I have already answered that, have I not?

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

E. R. Olovetto — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:37:05 GMT

What was Angurse's answer?

Is your answer the same as his, yes or no?

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

liberty student — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:34:27 GMT

What was Angurse's answer?

Re: Is there a libertarian solution to domestic abuse?

E. R. Olovetto — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:31:19 GMT

Is your answer yes or no? I'm having trouble telling.