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View Full Version : is good government impossible given human nature?




RandRevolution
01-04-2013, 11:36 AM
Throughout history we see over and over again tyrannical governments forming, being overthrown and replaced with other tyrannical governments. Humans crave power, it's in our nature, and they can never seem to get enough. Even if you manage to get a good government, a little government leads to more and more government until we're back to bad government. Then you throw in the fact that most people don't and never will care about politics, that people can be easily manipulated (especially now with flashy technology and emedia) and that it's impossible to keep up with everything going on in government. Even people like us, an extremely small minority who pay extremely close attention to our governmnt still aren't aware of a lot of the horrible bills and laws that exist. Then there's the fact that the principles of good government actually take time to understand it seems virtually impossible to have anything close to good government. For example, free health care, free education, that sounds great, who doesn't want that? People don't automatically realize the unintended consequences of that and the dangers of big government. And even if you somehow magically get good government despite human nature, some tyrannical government will just conquer that country.

In the past citizens could just overthrow their government, but with technology advancing that's impossible, meaning governments are going to just get more and more centralized and tryanical. This is why I believe a one world government is inevitable. Then you throw in all the dangers involving new technology that we're unaware of and it seems like we as a species are inherently suicidal.

I think the only way good government would be possible is if a very long time ago someone made a religon based on the principles of libertarianism and spread it all across the world.

Lucille
01-04-2013, 12:23 PM
I think the only way good government would be possible is if a very long time ago someone made a religon based on the principles of libertarianism and spread it all across the world.

I believe they call it Christianity.

brandon
01-04-2013, 12:26 PM
I don't know if it really is possible, consistently at least. What I do know is that the smaller and more localized the government is, the easier it is for the people to change it when things go awry.

pcosmar
01-04-2013, 12:29 PM
Good Government?

Oxymoron.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxymoron

The best we can hope for is Limited Government.
Though limiting it is difficult.

Ranger29860
01-04-2013, 12:31 PM
I believe they call it Christianity.

You are kidding right?

Lucille
01-04-2013, 12:33 PM
Well, it wasn't invented for that purpose, but Christianity is decidedly libertarian.

Ranger29860
01-04-2013, 12:38 PM
Well, it wasn't invented for that purpose, but Christianity is decidedly libertarian.

If you pick in choose, yes it could be a force that can be used the promote a libertarian philosophy so could most other religions.

How do you support the claim that Christianity is decidedly libertarian? I am genuinely curios.

TheGrinch
01-04-2013, 12:48 PM
Well, it wasn't invented for that purpose, but Christianity is decidedly libertarian.

I would argue that Christ was libertarian, but that the vast majority of what's been done in the name of Christianity is decidedly authoritarian.

ghengis86
01-04-2013, 12:51 PM
I would argue that Christ was libertarian, but that the vast majority of what's been done in the name of Christianity is decidedly authoritarian.

Bingo

TheTexan
01-04-2013, 12:55 PM
Government by definition is evil. A necessary evil, some can argue, but never is it "good"

Lucille
01-04-2013, 01:04 PM
If you pick in choose, yes it could be a force that can be used the promote a libertarian philosophy so could most other religions.

How do you support the claim that Christianity is decidedly libertarian? I am genuinely curios.

Do you want scripture, or... (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/can-a-christian-be-a-libertarian/2011/12/27/gIQA4gruKP_blog.html)?


I would argue that Christ was libertarian, but that the vast majority of what's been done in the name of Christianity is decidedly authoritarian.

Absolutely.

dinosaur
01-04-2013, 01:33 PM
I think that people equate a culture of agreed upon morality with authoritariansim, when the real authoritarians are the ones who seek to put the State into Gods role. All cultures will have a popular standard for morality, this canot be escaped; it is only a matter of what kind of morality will be popular. Both christians and statists try to define right choices, but only statists devalue individuality in the name of helping groups. Statists think they know what is right for a group because of their objective outcome, and attempt to assign societal roles to individuals in order to achive said outcome. But christians know that God is in charge, that we do not seek to fill a non-existent vacuum and put the state into that role. When people play God, they place a value on individuals based on outcome, based on what they contribute to society. When God is left in his proper place, individuals have inherent value that cannot be defined by any imposed outcome-based role. The inherent value of an individual soul and the importance of their own unique God-given purpose or vocation is the understanding behind the need for individual rights.