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From: scw@cepu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: gunpoint
Message-ID: <345@cepu.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Sep-84 11:06:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: cepu.345
Posted: Thu Sep 27 11:06:03 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Sep-84 09:34:33 EDT
References: <542@gloria.UUCP> <29200147@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: scw@cepu.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods)
Organization: VA Wadsworth Med. Center; LA CA
Lines: 39

In article <29200147@uiucdcs.UUCP> renner@uiucdcs.UUCP writes:
>>  >>	Perhaps we who are libertarians are just a little more
>>  >>	concerned at how tacky it is to point guns at people and force
>>  >>	them to go along with us (however well-intentioned the cause).
>>  
>>  "Tacky" is hardly the word!  And those of us who are not libertarians
>>  accept that in any society the people with guns and followers will
>>  force us to go along with them.  When central goverment relinquishes
>>  or loses this power, gangs assume it.
>>  					-- Col. G. L. Sicherman
>
>Any group with guns and followers that chooses to force others to "go along" 
>with them *is* a government.  This is the distinguishing characteristic of
>governments.  When "central government" is replaced by "gangs," all we
>really have is a change of government -- most probably, a change for the
>worse.
>
>But it wouldn't have to be that way.  There is no reason why I couldn't
>gather guns and followers in group self-defense.  Others could come to
>trade, or join if they accepted the rules of the group.  Those who came
>to steal or subdue would be fought.  All without the protection of
>"central government."
>
>Scott Renner
>ihnp4!uiucdcs!renner

This is called Feudalism, but Feudalism is much more difficult to
practice when you can't build semi-invulnerable castles (that only
require a few people to defend).  Of course, as the Man said,
"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.".


'...For might makes right
  until the've seen the light...'

-- 
Stephen C. Woods (VA Wadsworth Med Ctr./UCLA Dept. of Neurology)
uucp:	{ {ihnp4, uiucdcs}!bradley, hao, trwrb, sdcrdcf}!cepu!scw
ARPA: cepu!scw@ucla-cs location: N 34 3' 9.1" W 118 27' 4.3"