Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site x.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!think!mit-eddie!cybvax0!frog!x!wjr From: wjr@x.UUCP (Bill Richard) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Defense in Libertaria, and other Amazing Stories Message-ID: <779@x.UUCP> Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 01:21:04 EDT Article-I.D.: x.779 Posted: Thu Sep 26 01:21:04 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 1-Oct-85 07:38:17 EDT References: <3476@topaz.UUCP> <28200073@inmet.UUCP> <567@x.UUCP> <239@umich.UUCP> Reply-To: wjr@x.UUCP (STella Calvert) Organization: Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA Lines: 53 <> Note: This is STella Calvert, a guest on ...decvax!frog!wjr. In article <239@umich.UUCP> torek@umich.UUCP (Paul V. Torek ) writes: >In article <567@x.UUCP> wjr@x.UUCP (STella Calvert) writes: >>[In Libertaria, I'd] know that my neighbors, likewise free, would be >>ready to defend our common condition of non-coercion by killing the coercers. >Not unless there is a very strong community spirit and you have very brave >neighbors. Otherwise many neighbors will cop out, either fleeing or hoping >that the rest of the community will succeed while she (the cop-out-er) >covers her ass. Before the war, the cop-out-ers also don't contribute to >the town's (or region's) Buy-a-tank-and-some-antitank-missiles Fund. I wouldn't contribute to the Tanks for the Invasion Fund either. But if I've armed my neighborhood defenses, tanks would not be a major problem. Landscape repair might be, though. What percentage of the population is militarily effective in the United Statist Army? Someone, perhaps in this newsgroup, pointed out that an army that is 3% effective will beat one that is 2% effective. And even though I am not a martial arts wiz I can provide hot meals and covering fire, and subscribe to a security service in advance. And I assume that there will be what _you_ call cop outs. I accept that there are people who think killing is wrong under any circumstances. I don't agree with them, but I'll kill or die for their right to be left peacefully in their folly. I further accept that I am pigheadedly stubborn, and would rather be a dead freewoman than a live slave. This may be stupid enough to get me killed someday. Other people may doubt the value of dying for their rights. But all fall in the same category as sick, old, young, and pregnant folks. It's in my interest to protect them, because a threat against one of us is a threat against us all. And I may someday fall into the non-combatant class myself. >How incredibly naive. As if nuclear terrorism couldn't work by making an >example out of a few libertarian towns and then warning the rest not to >resist -- or else. How incredibly naive. I've discussed this in another article, but the nut is this. I will not live in a libertaria unless I succeed in selling the idea that coercion must be resisted. That it is both stupid and dangerous to surrender to blackmail. Unless individual responsibility for safety becomes a widely distributed value, there will not be a libertaria to resist nuclear blackmail. And if individual responsibility within a community of interest permits a libertaria, I doubt that nuclear terrorism will work. If you think I'm hand-waving this one, give me help -- the nastiest questions you can ask. It's a lot too important to be wrong on. Thank you. STella Calvert (guest on ...!decvax!frog!wjr) Every man and every woman is a star.