I decided to move some discussion from this post up to the top level here. Specifically, Watoosh wrote: "Well, if violence is defined as initiation of force (which, of course, presupposes certain property rights), then I think Rockwell is correct..." Well, if we define cats as elephants, then many people keep elephants in their house. More seriously, firstly, violence is not usually defined that way. It's defined as, you know, violence, so that, say, someone may respond violently or non-violently to someone who aggresses against them. Otherwise, it would make no sense to say, for instance, "He punched me, but I did not stoop to violence in response." And, secondly, the libertarian usage of "initiation of force" is very offbeat. If I wander onto someone's meadow, most people would not say I had "initiated force" -- I mean, sure, I used "force" against the earth to push off walking, but that's not force directed against...
Yes, it is. Corrected.
ReplyDeleteFrench: "Après moi, le déluge"; Italian: "Dopo di me, il diluvio". That means, in other words: after I have gone everything can collapse but I don't give a damn. I won't be there. It will be the task of future generations to put things right.
ReplyDeleteGrazie.
ReplyDeleteOh, but wait, it now says the opposite of what I meant to say! I was making a joke: it had just flooded at my house, and afterwards all that was left was me. Ah, chuck it.
ReplyDeleteGene, sometimes people don't mean what they say and don't say what they mean. All the best for your house.
ReplyDeleteO Irresponsible One: When was the last time (if in fact time so long ago is expressible) that you blubbered to God, pleading with Him to spare your house? See? I tole ya so!
ReplyDelete