From: phil@netcom.com (Phil Ronzone)
Subject: The socialist/fascist claptrap item #1: the "Social Contract"
Organization: Generally in favor of, but mostly random.
Distribution: ba
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 19:33:38 GMT

In article <1k6ftsINN1mv@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> stephen@orchid.UCSC.EDU (coram populo) writes:
>In article <1k4ueaINNooa@morrow.stanford.edu> XA.U20@forsythe.stanford.edu (June Genis) writes:
    >>But what allows you to compell me to be a member of your
    >>"group".
    >>
    >Number one, you live and function ( I assume ) within the
    >social and political structure of the US. That for one, makes
    >it someone compelling to become and belong to the
    >social/political contracts that we based the operation of our
    >society on. You of course, are quite free to make change via
    >democratic processes.

Hey George, did you sign your "Social Contract"? Nope, me neither. Hey,
how about you Tony? Did you? yeah, I've never seen this "Social Contract"
ion any kind of writing either, much less signed one.

Our Declaration of Independence clearly states *why* we have instituted our
current form of government. Not for purposes of a nonsensical social
contract, not to serve the State, but *ONLY* to allow each and every one
of us, as individuals, to pursue happiness. To wit:

   We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
   equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
   rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
   That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,
   deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That
   whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is
   the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
   government, ...

Now, just WHAT is this idiotic concept that some peoplew toss around, calling
it the "Social Contract". Well, in essence:


    +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                                                      |
    |  From: atfurman@cup.portal.com (A T Furman)                          |
    |  Newsgroups: ba.politics                                             |
    |  Subject: Re: Social contract?                                       |
    |  Date: 14 May 92 08:53:22 GMT                                        |
    |                                                                      |
    |  We've all heard of the "Social Contract" -- the unwritten agree-    |
    |  ment between individuals and "society" (i.e. the government.) The   |
    |  following is an attempt to write down, once and for all, just       |
    |  what the contract is that we've all supposedly agreed to.           |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |                            SOCIAL CONTRACT                           |
    |         between an individual and the United States Government       |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |  WHEREAS I wish to reside on the North American continent, and       |
    |  WHEREAS the United States Government controls the area of the       |
    |  continent                                                           |
    |          on which I wish to reside, and WHEREAS tacit or implied     |
    |  contracts are vague and therefore unenforceable,                    |
    |                                                                      |
    |  I agree to the following terms:                                     |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 1:  I will surrender a percentage of my property to the     |
    |  Government.  The actual percentage will be determined by the        |
    |  Government and will be subject to change at any time.  The amount   |
    |  to be surrendered may be based on my income, the value of my pro-   |
    |  perty, the value of my purchases, or any other criteria the         |
    |  Government chooses.  To aid the Government in determining the       |
    |  percentage, I will apply for a Government identification number     |
    |  that I will use in all my major financial transactions.             |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 2:  Should the Government demand it, I will surrender my    |
    |  liberty for a period of time determined by the government and       |
    |  typically no shorter than two years.  During that time, I will      |
    |  serve the Government in any way it chooses, including military      |
    |  service in which I may be called upon to sacrifice my life.         |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 3:  I will limit my behavior as demanded by the govern-     |
    |  ment.  I will consume only those drugs permitted by the Govern-     |
    |  ment.  I will limit my sexual activities to those permitted by      |
    |  the Government.  I will forsake religious beliefs that conflict     |
    |  with the Government's determination of propriety.  More limits      |
    |  may be imposed at any time.                                         |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 4:  In consideration for the above, the Government will     |
    |  permit me to find employment, subject to limits that will be        |
    |  determined by the Government.  These limits may restrict my         |
    |  choice of career or the wages I may accept.                         |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 5:  The Government will permit me to reside in the area     |
    |  of North America which it controls.  Also, the Government will      |
    |  permit me to speak freely, subject to limits determined by the      |
    |  Government's Congress and Supreme Court.                            |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 6:  The Government will attempt to protect my life and my   |
    |  claim to the property it has allowed me to keep.  I agree not to    |
    |  hold the Government liable if it fails to protect me or my pro-     |
    |  perty.                                                              |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 7:  The Government will offer various services to me.       |
    |  The nature and extent of these services will be determined by the   |
    |  Government and are subject to change at any time.                   |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 8:  The Government will determine whether I may vote for    |
    |  certain Government officials.  The influence of my vote will vary   |
    |  inversely with the number of voters, and I understand that it       |
    |  typically will be minuscule.  I agree not to hold any elected       |
    |  Government officials liable for acting against my best interests    |
    |  or for breaking promises, even if those promises motivated me to    |
    |  vote for them.                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |  SECTION 9:  I agree that the Government may hold me fully liable    |
    |  if I fail to abide by the above terms.  In that event, the          |
    |  Government may confiscate any property that I have not previously   |
    |  surrendered to it, and may imprison me for a period of time to be   |
    |  determined by the Government.  I also agree that the Government     |
    |  may alter the terms of this contract at any time.                   |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |  ----------------------------------    ---------------               |
    |  signature                             date                          |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |                                                                      |
    |  Copyright 1989 by Robert E. Alexander.                              |
    |  May be distributed freely.                                          |
    |                                                                      |
    +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

    >That is quite true. But in the larger sense of the
    >organisation, ie. government etc. you are bound somewhat more
    >tightly. And within this organisation, there are processes in
    >place that protect minorities from the tyranny of majorities.

Oh? Since when? Ask any minority (try those that earn more than the
average income) how well they are protected.

    >>But you can not scratch my back and then demand that I
    >>scratch yours unless I agreed to do so before you started
    >>scratching. If you as an individual have no right to compel
    >>me to scratch your back without my consent you can not cede
    >>this non-existent right to a government which you elect to
    >>represent you.
    >>
    >I am at somewhat of a loss to what it is your are trying to
    >convey. In no way do I propose that you must do something
    >without getting benefit or giving up some purported right.
    >But you have to agree that we always compromise in some form.
    >We agree to give up certain things for the good of whole.

This is again *INCREDIBLY* stupid. The poster can't think at all.

Sentence A: "In no way do I propose that you must do something
             without getting benefit or giving up some purported right."

Then the poster goes on to directly contradict himself in the
next two sentences:

	 B: "But you have to agree that we always compromise in some form.
	     We agree to give up certain things for the good of whole."

*What* good of the whole? Who IS this "whole"? What is this "good" of the
"whole"?

What actually happens of course is that some set of people gain enough
control of the means of coercion to force another set or sets of people
to hand over their property at gunpoint for the first set to dispose of.

Do people agree to this? Of course not -- no ONE believes that an action
performed at gunpoint is one of "agreement".



If you are mentally challenged enough to not believe this, consider this.

1. I Agree to buy my groceries at Safeway.
2. I Agree to pays taxes.

Now, we ensure that there are NO laws that inflict punishment on me in any
manner for failing to either buy my groceries at Safeway or to pay taxes.

What happens?

I continue to buy my groceries at Safeway.

I immediately stop paying taxes.



    
-- 
There are actually people that STILL believe Love Canal was some kind of
environmental disaster. Weird, eh?

These opinions are MINE, and you can't have 'em! (But I'll rent 'em cheap ...)
Newsgroups: ba.politics