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No, I think both governments and corporations can be a good thing - if they behave ethically and the people all the way from the top to the ones carrying out po

by jgaa 8y ago

No, I think both governments and corporations can be a good thing - if they behave ethically and the people all the way from the top to the ones carrying out policies - are accountable for their actions. Example: If a border-patrol officer chose to follow orders and take an infant from her mother - because it's policy, he should be liable to criminal prosecution for breaking domestic and international law. Like any soldier in the field is. If a soldier choose to follow an illegal order and commit crimes against humanity, he risk prosecution. Police officers, migration officers, judges, prosecutors - they don't. And because of that, they do a lot of harm. Again, not all of the time, and not to everyone. But too often, and too much.

TulliusCicero 8y ago
> I think both governments and corporations can be a good thing > Governments will always do evil. > they are by nature evil. Please either make up your mind or use less misleading language in the future. You made a strong, controversial assertion, which then turned out to be a pretty mundane belief upon challenge.
- jgaa 8y ago
  Well, I think the wrong people will search power. Always. That means that governments, by nature, will be evil. They will always to some degree do evil. However, if the people abusing their powers (by evil intent, neglect or pure stupidity) are held accountable, and removed, may be the governments can become something I can live with, even mostly good. Today, I think the balance is very much that the governments are on the dark side. Some more than others (yes China - I'm looking at you), but noone that I know well inspires any good feelings. I would not work for any of them. Even paying taxes feels deeply immoral.
  - TulliusCicero 8y ago
    > Well, I think the wrong people will search power. Always. That means that governments, by nature, will be evil. They will always to some degree do evil. Sure, but this is trivially true. Individuals will always to some degree do evil. Corporations will always to some degree do evil. Religions will always to some degree do evil. There are no possible groupings of humans that will not to some degree do evil. > Today, I think the balance is very much that the governments are on the dark side. An interesting observation, considering the proportion of (functional) democracies is higher than it has ever been. At what point in history were governments not on the "dark side"?

by jgaa 8y ago

TulliusCicero 8y ago

> I think both governments and corporations can be a good thing > Governments will always do evil. > they are by nature evil. Please either make up your mind or use less misleading language in the future. You made a strong, controversial assertion, which then turned out to be a pretty mundane belief upon challenge.

jgaa 8y ago
Well, I think the wrong people will search power. Always. That means that governments, by nature, will be evil. They will always to some degree do evil. However, if the people abusing their powers (by evil intent, neglect or pure stupidity) are held accountable, and removed, may be the governments can become something I can live with, even mostly good. Today, I think the balance is very much that the governments are on the dark side. Some more than others (yes China - I'm looking at you), but noone that I know well inspires any good feelings. I would not work for any of them. Even paying taxes feels deeply immoral.
- TulliusCicero 8y ago
  > Well, I think the wrong people will search power. Always. That means that governments, by nature, will be evil. They will always to some degree do evil. Sure, but this is trivially true. Individuals will always to some degree do evil. Corporations will always to some degree do evil. Religions will always to some degree do evil. There are no possible groupings of humans that will not to some degree do evil. > Today, I think the balance is very much that the governments are on the dark side. An interesting observation, considering the proportion of (functional) democracies is higher than it has ever been. At what point in history were governments not on the "dark side"?