Thought experiment: Where does authority come from?

[bak407]

Mine comes from Vicente Fox

O.K. Tony.....you now owe me one keyboard, as I just shot root-beer out my nose, and onto my NEW wireless keyboard! 154498433755485241331796485552 pesos should cover it.

[Iron Man]

Mine comes from the President of The United States.

Mine come from Congress.

[dlux]

Why haven't we had a ban Ian thread yet?

[Jenna]

Why haven't we had a ban Ian thread yet?

It's not as fun to beat up on someone who fights back!

[markw76]

O.K. Tony.....you now owe me one keyboard, as I just shot root-beer out my nose, and onto my NEW wireless keyboard! 154498433755485241331796485552 pesos should cover it.

You gotta remember to turn your head when you hork, man...

[OFK]

My wife. Just ask her.

HA I knew you were p whipped!

[bikecop3141]

And the Current Events Awareness, International Subdivision Prize goes to 2209!

But maybe Tony's a diehard loyalist who will go down fighting for his leader, elections be darned.

Damn, Jenna, that was funny! I may have to change my opinion of you if you keep it up!

As for my authority, it comes from the state of Tn and the city I work for by virtue of my employment as an agent of said gov't and an enforcer of the law.

[Hannibal]

My authority comes from Brad and Will.

[Coloradocop]

Hmm... I noticed that Ian never replied to this thread, and I haven't seen him around lately. Guess the freedom fighters have grown tired of talking with us evil agents of the regime?

We win, by forfeit!!! (oh, and because we are jack-booted thugs with guns )

[TheOldRhino]

I think since he didn't have his buddies here to "not harass" us like he "didn't tell them to do" he lost interest.

[Coloradocop]

I think since he didn't have his buddies here to "not harass" us like he "didn't tell them to do" he lost interest.

+1

I played around on their site for a little while (per their invitation). You can't even have an intelligent debate with those guys without it digressing into some kind of mindless rhetoric. They aren't Libertarians, they are flat out anarchists. None of their views hold any water, and the only argument they have for anything that they drone on about is that it is "individual freedom". Shit, go live on an island somewhere, no one will bother you then. The idea that everyone should do exactly what they want, with no government interference, just doesn't work in a society of 300 million people.

[Big Al]

Mine comes from Vicente Fox

Was the authority document fraudulent?

[Piggybank Cop]

Mine come from Congress.

Mine is a long story about 9-11 and the patriot act.

[Piggybank Cop]

Authority on Earth ultimately belongs to (I know that's not the same as 'comes from') anyone who has the ability to use brute force to subject their will on others. Our Founding Fathers were traitors to the Crown, but they banded together and used force to send the King packing.

If you don't like our laws, you have two choices: Obey them, and work for political change (and thank God that you live in a country that gives you that option), or disobey them, and be imprisoned by authorities that have the ability to force their will on you. You can resist, and you may even take a few cops out if you're good. But you will ultimately lose because more people in this country will fight for its current government than against it.

You forgot door #3, you can haul your sorry ass the hell out of my America; there are no walls or any thing else to impede you on your way.
So start hauling, and don’t give me any bullshit about your a citizen, born here or any other crap, just haul your sorry ass carcass over the border; I don’t can which one you’ve got four directions.

[FTL_Ian]

So, Ian, what is your take on where authority comes from?... since you raised the question originally.

It's a myth. Government is a group of men and women offering their "services" at the point of a gun.

"Society" did not give authority to government and by proxy the police. "Society" is nothing more than individuals. Individuals don't have authority over other individuals, therefore they cannot delegate authority to anyone. Walking behind a curtain and "voting" doesn't change that.

And now, a little vision for you:

As more people wake up to the fact that government is force, non-coercive, voluntary alternatives will be presented to replace government's "services". They will be adopted and government will be replaced by private property and free market based services.

Worry not about employment, unless you are a sadist or an otherwise bad cop. Good cops will be hired into all sorts of protection-services related fields. No organization based on customer service will accept sadists and bad guys in their workforce, as if they do the customers will go elsewhere.

You'll also benefit as incompetent, bureaucratic administrators are eliminated in efficiently operated protection agencies.

Hope that helps.

[tapout]

dee dee dee

[FTL_Ian]

I think since he didn't have his buddies here to "not harass" us like he "didn't tell them to do" he lost interest.

Nah, took a break. It's no easy task to run a nationally syndicated radio show!

[BEK]

it aint easy bein cheesy

[TheOldRhino]

What I find most amusing about your logic, Ian, is that you trust large corporations to govern themselves. Which means if that ideology were used today, they'd be handing out cigarettes in the Phillip-Morris Kindergarden Smoke Break. They'd be little brightly-colored cigarette packs with Mickey Mouse on them.

Your idea of government regulations- or lack thereof- is like communism: Sounds good in theory, but is catostrophic in practice.

[2209]

My actual authority comes from that darn good looking guy that I see in the mirror every morning!