Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!pesnta!qumix!ittvax!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!mangoe From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Socialism and minimal law Message-ID: <779@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 01:49:25 EDT Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.779 Posted: Mon Jul 15 01:49:25 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 15:48:02 EDT References: <1615@dciem.UUCP> <1340273@acf4.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD Lines: 25 In article <1340273@acf4.UUCP> mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora) writes: >>Laws should be the minimum >>that permits society to function both freely and efficiently. We can >>argue about the means to that end, but I think that both libertarians >>and socialists on the net would agree on the objective (fundamentalists >>might not). >This is indeed the view of utilitarians and libertarians , but I don't see >how socialists fit in. It seems to me that they wish to introduce laws >promoting their own moral agenda, quite apart from considerations >of freedom and efficiency (I assume you mean efficiency in the production >of material wealth). All laws codify some moral agenda; yours seems to be the protection of private property. Besides, the only thing different about the socialists is that they think that the minimum of law is more laws than you would care to have. Sure, the Libertarians may want few laws. This does not protect them from wanting not enough laws. Charley Wingate umcp-cs!mangoe "You've disintegrated Einstein!"