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Define “net”. An especially corrupt government might be a net surplus compared to anarchy, yet simultaneously a significant net loss compared to a more typical

by comex 2y ago

Define “net”. An especially corrupt government might be a net surplus compared to anarchy, yet simultaneously a significant net loss compared to a more typical government. Put another way, the government is failing to give its citizens what it owes them. By analogy, suppose your employer pays you half the wage they agreed to pay. That’s still a form of theft, even if you are still at a surplus compared to the alternative of being unemployed.

Retric 2y ago
Ed: When exactly did these governments agree to do better? A restaurant consistently providing bad food isn’t theft, it’s just a poor place to go. I have a great deal of sympathy for people living in areas captured by Russia or locked into North Korea etc, but in general it’s decades to generations of poor performance at this point. > Define “net”. All personal costs vs all personal benefits. Militaries and public roads etc may be basic functions of government but someone needs to pay for them and your personal contribution isn’t enough to completely cover such expenses.
- lupire 2y ago
  You might do well to read about the fundamentals of political philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract
  - lazide 2y ago
    I doubt very much they don’t know the potential philosophy. Personally though, at some point theoretical vs practical takes precedence yeah. Or are we going to start going around ‘fixing’ everyone else’s political systems? Because historically, that hasn’t exactly helped has it?
  - Retric 2y ago
    That’s not the fundamentals of political philosophy. It’s a western take on political philosophy, there’s many others both from the west and elsewhere.
  - nickff 2y ago
    Social contract theory is not the basis of political philosophy, it is one response to the problem of political authority. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_authority https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_authority If you look at the criticisms section of your linked page, you'll also see why social contract theory is more popular in high-school than it is with actual philosophers (most of whom think it's wrong).

by comex 2y ago

Retric 2y ago

Ed: When exactly did these governments agree to do better? A restaurant consistently providing bad food isn’t theft, it’s just a poor place to go. I have a great deal of sympathy for people living in areas captured by Russia or locked into North Korea etc, but in general it’s decades to generations of poor performance at this point. > Define “net”. All personal costs vs all personal benefits. Militaries and public roads etc may be basic functions of government but someone needs to pay for them and your personal contribution isn’t enough to completely cover such expenses.

lupire 2y ago
You might do well to read about the fundamentals of political philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract
- lazide 2y ago
  I doubt very much they don’t know the potential philosophy. Personally though, at some point theoretical vs practical takes precedence yeah. Or are we going to start going around ‘fixing’ everyone else’s political systems? Because historically, that hasn’t exactly helped has it?
- Retric 2y ago
  That’s not the fundamentals of political philosophy. It’s a western take on political philosophy, there’s many others both from the west and elsewhere.
- nickff 2y ago
  Social contract theory is not the basis of political philosophy, it is one response to the problem of political authority. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_authority https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_authority If you look at the criticisms section of your linked page, you'll also see why social contract theory is more popular in high-school than it is with actual philosophers (most of whom think it's wrong).