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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frederick Smart who wrote (82974)	6/27/2000 7:22:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

So "the collective" is actually a ruse, a charade which, as you say, "does the dirty work" in areas which we, as individuals, don't care to go or tread. This "black hole" power of "the collective" will always increase on the basis of ONE force: personal failure and resulting breakdown that happens when INDIVIDUALS do not accept and take responsibility for living a life of service to others. If I were a doctor, my services might be of some interest to the indigent sick. I am a writer, and the poor do not need writers. My contribution to the collectively provided safety net is of more value to the poor than any service I could directly provide. The "selfish lives" and enormous consumption of Americans, supported by the productivity of those who are too busy with their work to live lives of service, absorb the exports of the world, provide jobs around the globe, and in general do far more good than all our charity combined. Live a life of true service. Produce something, sell it, and go out and buy something. If you will remove your head from the clouds for a moment and experience the novel sensation of treading upon the earth, you will see that the collective menace is nothing of the sort. We are a nation of individuals. We recognize that we need a government to perform certain functions, and we assess taxes to provide it with the resources to perform those functions. The extent of the functions which need to be provided and the extent of the resources needed to provide them are under continuous debate and refinement. The system of debate and refinement is itself subject to continuous debate and refinement. Individuals are free to participate in the debate and refinement process to the extent that they desire. Many individuals choose to eschew debate and focus on the productive work that sustains them. Nobody should hold them in contempt, because the bottom line is that productive work, not charity and service, keeps the whole ship afloat. The system is a long way from perfect, but it works better than any of the other ones around.