rjc@snow.UUCP (R.caley) (02/19/85)
>From: carnes@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Richard Carnes) >Newsgroups: net.politics.theory >Subject: Private property and libertarianism >Message-ID: <336@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> > >......................................... In reality, they have only >demonstrated a tautology, i.e., a statement true by definition. I think it is more true to say a tautology is a statement which is true under any set of (reasonable) definitions.eg "My dog is heavier than a Garg or it is not" is true for any sensable definition of `Garg` (ie Garg=poem is a bit odd :-) Go ahead flame I like being a pedant :^) Now to the point. >no one, or hardly anyone, would >ever become a wage laborer unless he were COERCED into doing so. > >Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes What I never understood was the alternative to wage labour proposed by socialists.Assuming people are COERCED into doing something for the good of society what is the difference between getting payed by a (filthy capitalist :-) ) manager or by the state.The socialists **SEEM** to say that there is some great difference between being hired by (say) IBM and working for the greater glory of 'the people'. I would rather be coerced by the need to eat (buy a new hi-fi etc) than by the government,at least I have a choice - I work just hard enough to get what I want,if the employer wants more he must make it worth my while. Why is an artist not a wage labourer - he sells his time and skill to someone even if he will generally not know who until after the work is done.If the difference is in the length of employment how about a musician working for some group,where is the line drawn? If there is no coercian at all why would anyone do anything.Who would volanteer to run a sewage farm or work down a mine when the alternative is sit at home and follow my hobby? As allways spelling is optional in the above -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "In the beginning was a flame ...... " Paul Kantner. .......... mcvax!ukc!flame!ubu!snow!rjc [ Any opinions in the above crawled in while I wasn't looking ]