Liberty: a unified field theory

Orange County Register ^ | Sept. 15, 2002 | Alan Bock

[logician2u]

Senior Editorial Writer.

The last in a weekly series of 12 essays about aspects of liberty. All 12 essays can be found on our Web site.

Nat Hentoff, whose columns the Register sometimes runs, titled his 1980 book on the history of free speech in America "The First Freedom."

[logician2u]

This is a concise, well-written essay that ought to stimulate people's gray matter.

There are any number of ways this thread may branch out from the concepts Alan Bock presents, all of which are worthy of discussion.

I will only ask those who have other views to please be considerate of fellow FReepers who wish to discuss the article. Attack the message if you must, but not the messenger.

[AzJP]

All those "Rights"...how about naming them various forms of property rights?

That might get a little closer to a "unified field theory"?

(With thanks to A.J.Galambos)

[f.Christian]

Creation/God...Christianity---secular-govt.-humanism/SCIENCE---CIVILIZATION!

Originally the word liberal meant social conservatives(no govt religion--none) who advocated growth and progress---mostly technological(knowledge being absolute/unchanging)based on law--reality... UNDER GOD---the nature of GOD/man/govt. does not change. These were the Classical liberals...founding fathers-PRINCIPLES---stable/SANE scientific reality/society---industrial progress...moral/social character-values(private/personal) GROWTH(limited NON-intrusive PC Govt/religion---schools)!

Evolution...Atheism-dehumanism---TYRANNY(pc-religion/rhetoric)...

Then came the SPLIT SCHIZOPHRENIA/ZOMBIE/BRAVE-NWO1984 LIBERAL NEO-America---

[AzJP]

liber

Latin root = free

Hillary ain't no real liberal.

That also with gratitude to Mr. Galambos.

[logician2u]

I've read your posts before, Mr. Christian - or tried to.

Perhaps someone will offer to translate?

[tpaine]

Great article log2, thanks. -- I'll flag a few of FR's more active anti-constitutional libertarian haters, as they need to read some reason now & then.

Tho I doubt they will.

[Cultural Jihad]

f.Christian is a she, by the way, and she herself will have to provide the translations to her sometimes cryptic and free-flowing 'stream of consciousness' wording.

[logician2u]

Galambos was truly an original thinker, one who deserves more recognition than is currently accorded him.

I'm fairly certain Bock knew him.

(Let's face it: the number of freedom-minded individuals in the '60s with the capacity to convey their ideas beyond their immediate family was pretty small. Today's group is somewhat larger, to the point that there are even different flavors of objectivists.)

[f.Christian]

To: f.Christian

Now I follow, thank you. Actually, I don't disagree with this at all since I see the left as abandoning the uncertianty of democracy and majority rule for the assurance technocracy and expert rule.


152 posted on 9/10/02 12:17 PM Pacific by Liberal Classic

[f.Christian]

Fletcher Christian!

[KrisKrinkle]

"For the libertarian, however, it is virtually impossible to construct a hierarchy of rights and freedoms."

All else aside, such an impossibility would promote the extensive use of force in settling conflicts in rights.

"Many would argue that political and social rights, especially freedom of speech and press, are the most important of liberties, the rights that most directly keep despotism at bay. "

Freedem of speech is a natural right inherent in a sentient being born with the ability to speak. Freedom of the press is at a minimum, derivateive of freedom of speech and contingent on the ability to construct or obtain a press or its equivilent. I offer that as a two level hierarchy to counter the impossibility argument noted above.

"You could even make an argument that if we do not own ourselves, if we do not assert complete control over our actions (subject to circumstances, limitations and exigencies of the human condition) we cannot be truly moral beings or be held accountable to a higher power."

If you can't transfer ownership of yourself can it be said that you truly own yourself?

[AzJP]

I'm absolutely flabbergasted that anyone even recognized his name!

Much less had a clue of his worth!

(former AJG student)

[logician2u]

Might as well bring you into this and see what you think . .

My apologies, ma'm, for thinking you were a Mr.

(Mutiny on the Bounty stuck in my memory, I guess.)

[lucyblue]

BUMP!!

'Cause I, too, have"...an unusual proclivity for intellectual consistency"!!

[tpaine]

Read the post, then make a logical rebuttal of ANY of the authors points, CJ.
-- Two bits you can't do it, any better than 'f.C' could.
In fact, - You never have made such a post in your FR history, to my knowledge.

[f.Christian]

Mr. Expert...

the assurance technocracy and expert rule.

You!

[tpaine]

Bizarro.
- Go have a dialog with our 'ideolog', CJ. --- S/he/it seems to understand you.

[f.Christian]

nwLo---you!

[f.Christian]

Try... this!

[logician2u]

Thanks for the BUMP!!

. . and proud to be similarly afflicted.