im sure they were paid excellent wages since the pharoahs were the world greatest all time entrepeneurs and paid ‘efficiency wages’
Could be! But then, from where would that money have come from? The present value of PPF (the Pharaonic Pension Fund) speculating in the potential tourist incomes a few thousands of years into the future?
Even if the stone draggers and pilers were well paid, then WHO paid them? The farmers did, through taxes of course! Maybe the construction workers were decently paid public servents. But then it must’ve been the farmers who were the slaves! The huge destruction of economic value, which the pyramids represent, must’ve come from somewhere. And they probably had no giga-capitalist around who had accumulated enough wealth through voluntary trading, to pay for it out of his own pocket as his hobby, did they?
A pyramid is the symbol of slavery. Its physical manifestation of hierarky is more than symbolic/geometric. It points to the Sun, but the destruction of human wealth which it represents was caused by some lowly parasite human dirt bag of a psychopat and his brutal fellow gang of bandits.
Ok. So heres the question. When we get rid of all our legal and regulatory systems, whos to stop the snake-oil salesman from tricking people into buying his miracle tonic? I dont think you understand that the market will only take care of that problem after the fact. Who will stop the Bernie Madoffs? What, do you expect a superman to rise up and fight the Lex Luthors of the world?
This government stole from you, and fed me as a child. It forcibly confiscated your wealth, and gave me the resource to go through college. I am the case you fear at night. And I would like to take this time to thank you for the oppurtunity. Thank you.
Any system of governance that exists will be open to corruption. And there will always be systems of governance. So what should we do about that? I would think that, instead of aboloshing the system, we should work to “break the trusts” every once in a while; to ferret out the parasites, and nix the cancers.
I think you fail to understand that government can only take care of those things after the fact via punishment. And why are we using a comic book character?
And when did I say anything about getting rid of a legal system.
Um… you thank people for favors. I’m 15 anyways, you haven’t stolen anything from me, yet.
Um… if by system of governance, you mean a State, then you are wrong, historically there have been stateless societies, and there will be in the future.
Yes, lets start by getting rid of the biggest group, the one’s that run DC.
Did Adam believe these are the only ways to bring about this “feeling of combined accomplishment”? This “feeling” has to be forced upon a man and woman. Maybe he needs a girlfriend or wife? Free love will bring you this feeling.
good point. The government is Lex Luthor and all he touches turns to salt (to poetically add)
Imagine if the government wasn’t there. You may have been able to do this all on your own without the government forcing somebody else to lose their child and not able to go to college. Using today’s culture to point out a more idealistic pattern isn’t going to happen for the government has warped this culture into distortions.
ok, then, get rid of it.
there hasn’t always been a government so why all of a sudden will there always now be in the future one, huh? There’s been tradition, but not always government.
“break the trusts” Does this include trusting one another?
Profit and loss.
Well you’re wrong, the state can afford to do so because it can externalize the costs, market participants cannot.
Apparently not the state.
First of all, the government does not do a good job accomplishing this goal. I find it astounding that people use the Madoff case to argue for government regulation. The SEC has enourmous power, had plenty of time, and even had people tipping them off, and still failed to catch him. Doesn’t that say something?
If government were abolished, there would still be a demand for information about products and investment opportunities. Of course private institutions would provide for this need. If anything, the existence of the SEC and other regulations cause people to just assume that investments/products are safe, without checking it for themselves. And since these government institutions are incompetant, it leads to serious problems like Madoff.
There is plenty of literature on this site about how this could work, if you actually tried to learn before trolling here you might have noticed. Plus, theres the fact that you assume we have never thought of this problem and that this is actually a valid criticism 
So you are admitting to being a parasite? Even if you are grateful, why is it okay that you stole from us? We did not want to help you, and we, in return, do not want your help. If you honestly find it impossible to provide for yourself, then why not find people who willing want to help you (even if just in return for the help they recieved from others). I have no problem with people forming a community/government which has a welfare system like ours today, as long as it does not force those who do not want to be a part of it.
As others have said, yes government will always have corruption, but no, there does not have to always be governments. Therefore, the solution is to eliminate the state. Even in situations where there is a government, the only logical answer is to minimize its power, so as to minimize the negative effects of the inevitable corruption
So obvious it hurts…
[:'(]
lol
hmm, crying smily face isn’t working
The state can, by decree, order against something. It can regulate earthquakes out of existence if it likes. Doesn’t mean people will either obey these dictates or not act against them in secret. So state “regulation” is pretty much ex post facto as well, and being a monopolist of certification and approval it can afford to be as corrupt as it likes without fear of falling prey to less venal competitors. What kind of crime is not punished ex post facto by the way? Should we have PreCrime maybe? You didn’t commit a crime but you might, so you’re to be punished! As for prevention, given that fraud is punishable being of the same nature as theft, and given that selling rubbish will earn you an equivalent reputation (as well as more tangible problems, such as poor credit ratings for instance), I think the market is far better suited for it, once it’s understood that the state really prevents next to nothing… except actual prevention.
My father worked 12 hrs a day 6 days a week. To think we werent trying to do it ourselves is ludicrous. We lived in a trailer park, recieved food stamps and free lunch, and still had to just scrape by. If you know of an easy way for poor people to make $50k THAT THEY CAN SPARE, let me know. I still have some cousins that need to go to school.
So, Im going to law school in the fall. And once again I will have to forcibly confiscate your wealth. So instead of doing that, right here today Im starting a collection. Lets put your charity to the test. You dont know me, and have no connection to me. Yet Im asking you to help me stay off of government assistance. Will you step up and keep one more person from forcibly taking your wealth?
My gut says you wont. My gut says libertarianism is a twisted pseudo-academic way to justify your serving only yourself. Maybe Im wrong. Maybe you would buy a bum a meal. I just doubt it.
And please point this student of anthropology in the direction of these societies that had no system of governance. You may be talking of the various native peoples around the world, which dont have established states (probably becuase theres not enough of them who consider themselves of one nation). There has been no civilization I know of that didnt have a state. If Im wrong please point me in the right direction.
My gut says you’re a troll who can’t keep his hand off strawmen. As for a handout, forget it. I’m no richer than you are, and you’ve given me no reason to think you deserve one. What a pathetic attempt at begging.
I think that’s what the innocent until proven guilty concept is all about. Yet, as we are taxed (aka punished) for AIG and others needing bailed out for their own mistakes, we are obviously, in the eyes of the state, ‘guilty’ and we are left trying to prove our innocence.
You see, most “civilizations” also had cruel religious rituals and inhuman cults as an integral part of their governance. One step forward in human evolution was to drop this unnecessary bloodshed, but the fact that many had them did not justify them. The same is true for the state, it’s just that collective plunder and murder has yet to be widely recognized as what it is, large-scale injustice.
Well, looks like your cousins can’t go to school cause you took it from them.
Well maybe if we didn’t have to pay over 40% of our income to taxes, so, ask the government about that.
Do you have a garden?
Well, I’m not a student of anthropology. I already have a degree with all A’s in anthropology. And you might remember that nation-states are different from chieftains, tribes, and pinoneers on the frontier. But this brings up nothing to argue with reason to reason, so, we can drop these dramatical parts.
So, you admit to being a thief and an extortionist. But if you had any guts, you’d rob actual convenience stores and banks yourself rather than relying on the government to plunder the people “legally.” Maybe in law school they’ll teach you that stealing is wrong, if your father failed to impart this to you.
No, we don’t know you, but there are people in your community that do. Put their charity to the test.
You seem to loot others under the delusion that the world owes you a living. Grow up.
But under your system everyone still serves only himself. There are no loving feelings between the thief, namely, you, and the people whom you rape, namely, the taxpayers. The taxpayers do not revolt, because they fear the IRS. They do not willingly serve you. Do you not see this point?
I dont fear and am honest with the IRS, I pay them as little as I am required to and do the same for my clients. I have a problem with the rates, as does everybody. But I understand that Southington, Ohio wouldnt have roads without a system for the People to get their money together and pave the roads for the greater good. Becuase theres no need for paved roads in Southington, except in limited circumstances. But I believe that ALL people should be able to live in a modern society.
See, you start from the standpoint that I think all government is good. I just think its barbaric for people to not have free education, healthcare, paved roads, adequate energy supplies, and safe food and drink. I would like to enlist my fellow revolutionaries here to help provide for that, but your revolution is “I got mine, damn everyone else.”
Idealism is for the future. Theres a place in the debate for the here and now.
So what, if
?
Nothing is free. I think it is barbaric that you propose to steal from people in order to give others an arbitrary set of “needs”
And you still have not vindicated your belief in the morality of taxation or the existance of the IRS. The fact that you try to pay as little as your required to demonstrates the point. If the tax dropped to 20% tommororw would you still pay as if it were 40%? What if it disappeared? If you’re not freely willing to pay your “fair” share then what moral auithority do you have to suggest that everyone be forced to do so at gunpoint?
I’m sorry I’m not an Ohioan, so I don’t even know if Southington exists, so I’m hardly equiped to comment. Sorry.
Then why do you support a less efficient system than capitalism?
Why not “free” clothing? “Free” housing? “Free” microwaves and appliance? “Free” hotdogs? “Free” housing? “Free” books? “Free” boats? “Free” computers? Isn’t it barbaric to expect people to pay for these too? How about condoms? How can we trust people to provide their own birth control? Wouldn’t this limit a rapidly ballooning population and be for the “greater good” as well?
Your “revolution” is not a “revolution”. It’s social democracy. Guess what? It’s been growing in this country for the better part of the 20th Century, arguably all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt. Pskampompos, you are a reactionary! You support the expansion of a system that has been in place for over a century and the glorification of that system!
BTW, who said “I got mine, damn everyone else”? I have no problem supporting family, friends and colleagues. In fact, I’ll buy a bum an egg mcmuffin and donated to the red cross every now and again. All I said was, “I’ve got mine, don’t steal it”. Does that make me morally bankrupt? Simply requesting not to be stolen from?
I await your reply, chief.