Walk For Liberty Day 162 - Is Government Necessary For A City The Size Of Chicago?

[MrJasondark1]

Visit a 3rd world country and you'll realize this is the best country in the world. This is the land of opportunity. Stop being ungrateful. People have to walk 5 miles for a bucket of water in some places in the world... Look around, open your eyes and see what you have here. You're not even aware of the fact that just because of where you were born you have rights and freedoms and all the resources to live like a king.

[whoo689]

I support the welfare state precisely because there are people born into poverty or who are thrust into it that need help (like w/ affordable health care, better education, etc.). It'd be nice to say "Everyone should be able to pay for his/her own kids' education", but I don't think that will ever be feasible. Lower-income families can't afford private schools. It would break the bank. The situation is very complicated.

[whoo689]

Of course, I do support charities and shelters and things of that nature, but I realize it's impossible for them to come up with enough money in donations, at least compared to how much the federal gov't can muster for its programs. So either the feds give them more money, making it easier to fight poverty privately, or you privatize anti-poverty services altogether. Of course, the latter choice means less money to work with.

Anarcho-capitalism just seems VERY risky, maybe a little too much

[CurtHowland]

Let's turn that around.

Tell me why I should grant some group a monopoly on coercion, the assumption that any force they use is correct first, and make them judges in all their own cases that anyone brings against them for misuse of that force?

That makes one heck of a dangerous monster in my opinion.

The assumption in a free market, in comparison, is that coercion is always wrong. I feel much safer with the latter than the former.

[LumpyRevolution]

"A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim."~L. Neil Smith .... COME BACK JAKE!

[jeffcarruthers]

hey will, it looks like you got people riled up on this one. I call it force when they take my money to help the down trodden. If i want to help them i would like to pick the way to do it. you guys must not have seen wills other videos.

[cardone7]

Government is not the same concept as "force." Your sophistic reasoning in this video is, as in all the others, ridiculous. Can you point to a historical example of a city holding together without government? If government is so unnecessary, why do people always form goverments wherever they settle? Carrying a pink balloon along when one walks is unnecessary and no one does so, not even you.

[wait887]

that's an interesting question as to why government is continuously created if it is indeed so bad. Perhaps some of the ideals for government are good but are flawed by entrusting force and coercion in the hands of a few over many.

[whoo689]

100% private school, toll roads, and so much more would be a reality under a completely laissez-faire society. It would be dangerous to middle and esp. lower class folks, esp. those who can't afford all those new costs.  It would be social darwinism at its worst.

I mean, if even the Founding Fathers knew gov't was a necessary evil, how can you, an ordinary citizen, argue against government? You'd have to VERY wise and extremely intelligent.

[whoo689]

It's just not feasible. Sure, we can privatize some functions of gov't, to an extent, but we can privatize government entirely. Then it would be a truly dog eat dog world, and I'm not so sure I wanna live in that kind of society.

[whoo689]

Will, I think your argument is even less valid in a city as big as Chicago.  You should first argue whether it's necessary in a city the size of Wasilla, for instance. Or a small town of perhaps just 1,000. Government is nearly as big or does nearly as much in cities that small. Government has a huge responsibility in a city of millions. So to try to completely privatize everything gov't does there is a daunting task.

[whoo689]

This is the one problem I have with libertarians: You phrase the gov't issue in such overly simple terms. Government is not MERELY "force!" It's much more complex than that.  Government provides services to the needy to help you get back on your feet. That's voluntary since you get the benefits if you ask for em. Of course, there are taxes, but there's taxes with any gov't, and that's part of the social contract. Government isn't ALL force, either.

[whoo689]

I just don't see a completely private society possible. That would be the Robber Baron Age run wild. Only those with money would have power, and those without would be screwed. There would be no free public schools for lower and middle-class citizens, so they would have to work themselves to death to afford private school. And what if I want my kid NOT to be indoctrinated with Christian dogma? Without public school, that would EXTREMELY difficult since most private schools are religious.

[whoo689]

And there are only about 10% agnostics and atheists in America, so good luck "letting the market work." No one's gonna create a ton of new non-sectarian private schools. Already, the amount of private schools that are non-religious in this country is VERY VERY small.

[wait887]

so you prefer you child be indoctrinated in statist dogma, government worship? I have a child. I chose to have her. I tell you what. You pay for your child's education and I'll homeschool my child. I don't want to pay for your children anymore the you would want to pay for mine.

[whoo689]

Well, now you're just being silly. I never said I wanted my kids indoctrinated in "government worship." Hell, I don't know who in Congress in their right mind, except for maybe Bernie Sanders, performs "government worship." I mean, of course I believe in gov't as small as necessary, and I would love to balance the budget, even if that means cutting inefficient and wasteful programs, but we have a difference of opinion on what gov't should spend money on. It's not 'statism.'

[tucanchew32]

Dummy in boat,lol!

[Magicguy15]

Watch your back in Chicago there are no guns!

[LumpyRevolution]

Partially correct my friend. Chicago has the highest murder rate in the nation. North Park. I'm sure it's available on infoplease as well as many other sites. Look up "North Park".

Criminals will always find a way to get guns. Some go as far as to join the Police Force.