The buildings associated with The State are real. The consequences of getting caught violating the multitude of its counterfeit "laws" are real. There are a great many people who work for The State who would tell you the State is real.
But, what if everyone stopped believing in The State? How long would it outlast the cessation of belief? It wouldn't. Not by one femtosecond. The State's existence is completely dependent upon belief.
I don't believe in The State. I believe in thugs who band together and call themselves "the government" or "The State", but those are completely separate issues. Stop believing in The State, just recognize all the aggressors for what they are, and stop pretending there's a difference between the warring gangs. They are as they do.
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Hi Kent,
ReplyDeleteWe should examine our beliefs, especially our most closely-held beliefs. Yes, government is a human invention. But is Freedom an invention or a belief? Perhaps Freedom is a "good" belief, but nonetheless we should examine whether any belief can be good.
Dave
I don't really think freedom is a belief. I think it is instead a condition. I think it is the default condition- the absence of coercion; possibly even the absence of rules. Now, I concede that it IS a belief to consider freedom "good". Freedom is neutral. Liberty- having the freedom to do anything that doesn't violate any other person's equal and identical liberty- being "a good" is a confirmed belief when you examine the alternative.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDelete