I think that at the heart of the matter both libertarians and traditional conservatives see the same problems but definitely differ in the solutions as well as the very basis of the problem.
<<I believe that if you protect individual rights, there is no need for "moral policing">>
The problem here is in establishing what constitutes an infringement on another's rights. Let's say that under libertarianism there are no laws regarding sexual conduct between consenting adults and likewise there are no incentives given for 'traditional' sexual behavior. In 20 years we may be looking at an even greater increase in teen pregnancies and 'fatherless' children. Who pays for this? A strict libertarian might say 'the people who had the babies' but the practical working out of the matter is not so clear cut. A conservative approach would be to discourage indiscriminant sex and at the same time reward the family via tax credits for the children they have. This may be interpreted as an intrusion into private matters but regardless, the social outcome (should this method be successful) would be enjoyed by all in the form of lower taxes and fewer children growing up in horribly maladjusted homes.
<<The legitimate duties of the federal government, as outlined by the constitution, are very limited and rightfully so. In a very broad sense, the intent IMO is to protect us, where necessary, from foreign powers, and from each other.>>
Just curious. Should the government have a duty to protect us from ourselves?
<<It appears to me that the "inherently weak bricks", or "lives in disarray" probably has some basis in your belief that man is inherently evil.
I believe that if you protect individual rights, there is no need for "moral policing".>>
I do believe that man is inherently evil. I can certainly speak for myself in this regard and history speaks pretty clearly for the rest of the world. Civilizations rise and then they fall. They fall almost always because they crumble under the weight of their own weaknesses. These weaknesses I would call evils. Should they fall to an outside force then one must question 'is the outside force acting for good or for evil?'. It is almost always evil in the form of selfish gain and material conquest.
I believe that man behaves for one of two reasons and two reasons only (except for the autonomic nervous system and reflex actions). It is either the prospect of reward or the fear of punishment that guides our behaviors. Societies in which there is a belief in God behave according to how their 'god' will reward or punish. In many instances this has led to actions which are abhorent (Crusades, Jihad, etc.) but absent a spiritual direction then we look to government to handle the reward/punishment sytem or the peer group to praise/ridicule us. Once the peer group has accepted behaviors once thought wrong (which they will over time when spiritual certainties are removed) then we have only government. Over time the government will feel the pressure of the morally failed peer group to 'not be so hard' on certain behaviors. So, the slide continues until laws have been stripped of 'morally sensitive' content. That is a harbinger of the end of a culture.
Some people have stated that open homosexuality is a sign of the end of a culture. I do not think that this means that this behavior is more prevalent at that time but I do think that the general acceptance of homosexuality as nothing more than an alternative to heterosexuality shows that the lines of distinction have been blurred and that we have ceased to have the ability to call any behavior as unnacceptable. To those who are now angered at my comment just ask yourself this question "At what point should pedophilia be considered acceptable and normal?". Now that I have angered you all the more ask yourself why you have such a distaste for the latter but no such opinion of the former? It used to be that just having sex before marriage was a deep shame. Now it is cool. God forbid a child should result from premarital sex (just a few decades ago it was a dark secret). Now we have about 40% of the nation's children born in this fashion.
People are weak. Outside of a recognition that they are weak there can only be failure as a culture because the legal structure will be based upon a false and deadly premise - that we are basically good.
Jim |
