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Subject: 
Re: Only nations can generate patriotic pride (Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 23 Jun 2004 11:23:55 GMT
Viewed: 
1009 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks wrote:
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Richard Parsons wrote:

Don't get me wrong, government is critically important (like say, a decent
sewerage system),

Disagree, see below.

but its highest achievement is to be just a tool.

I'd agree with that. Properly construed, government is a tool to protect rights.
Improperly constructed, government is a master that takes them away.

My sewerage system is completely privately owned and works just fine.

Two points.

1, Perhaps there's a bit of cause and effect there? Sewerage isn't really a
proper function of government anyway.

2. Completely privately owned things that work just fine are a large part of
what I feel patriotic about. Certainly I take a lot more patriotic pride in
thinking about the achievements of, say, IBM, than I do the "achievements" of
the BATF. One of the great things about the US (and other western democracies,
and other countries where capitalism has been allowed to function) is that great
things consistently get done by private organizations.



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Only nations can generate patriotic pride (Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?)
 
(...) Sewerage systems tend to be monopolies. The only way to ensure treatment and conveyance standards are met is to regulate performance... the "market" is poor at protecting our environment. (...) You are cherry picking. I'm sure IBM and BATF (...) (20 years ago, 23-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
  Re: Only nations can generate patriotic pride (Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?)
 
(...) As per my reply to Chris I wasn't actually saying that governments should run sewerage, only that government is critically important, like sewerage is critically important. (...) I think we've got a large area of agreement on this, looking at (...) (20 years ago, 24-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Only nations can generate patriotic pride (Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?)
 
(...) My sewerage system is completely privately owned and works just fine. Chris (20 years ago, 23-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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