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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction
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To: Solon who wrote (45196)2/13/2006 7:11:29 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 90947
 
Then you are saying falsely. It IS an attack on society

You say it is, I say it isn't. Most of the rest of our arguments are based on those differing assumptions. You assume there is a moral obligation to obey a legitimate law passed by a relatively free and just democratic government. I don't.

For those who think we are morally obligated to obey the law in a democracy, the source for this sovereignty is most often given as being "the social contract". I don't think that I am obligated by an agreement that I have not actually made. Another, less common justification is similar to "the divine right of kings" but instead extends to the people, so you get "the divine right of the people". I find this even less convincing (and I doubt you support this particular argument)

"The law is a tool of government"

The law is the safeguard of the rights and freedoms of citizens

It is a tool that can be used for that purpose, and is in fact used for that purpose, but is also used for many other purposes.

Re: Your response to "The government is not society." -
None of it really addresses that point. Yes in theory the government exists to protect our rights, and fortunately it often does so. And yes we get to vote for and lobby the government so we have ways to influence it. Neither of those facts means that it is us or that we are it.

Tim
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