Re: Beggars in Spain

Jeff Bone (jbone@activerse.com)
Fri, 09 Jul 1999 00:33:33 -0500


Now in a serious vein, some responses:

Dave sez:

> I don't find anyone holding a gun to my head to collect

It doesn't take physical intimidation to constitute coercion.

> it shouldn't be difficult to find places to live

I guess I'm objecting to the notion that the "services package" I get by
paying taxes to the government I'm a citizen of should be tied to my
choice of geography.

(And in general, both the "gun to the head" and "if you don't like it go
elsewhere" forms of these arguments are typical defenses, but really are
just tactics for avoiding having to debate the underlying issues on any
sort of rational basis.)

> Choices are not always made "freely" in commerce, either.

I beg to differ, and I don't see what office suites have to do with this
either. Nobody forces purchase decisions --- they are always *always*
freely made.

> one can avoid... whining about scraped knees

I don't get the metaphor at all. Again, I don't believe there is are
really free choices in this matter. We are coerced into compliance by
our friendly, paternal Fed.

jb