The III Percent Mission Statement: Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will
within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. ~ Thomas Jefferson
In the absence of orders, go find something Evil and kill it!
Enemies of Liberty are ruthless. To own your Liberty, you'd better come harder than your enemies..
When I read the article link, I thought of mises.org and Lew Rockwell contributor Walter Block's "Defending the Undefendable", which has a section debunking the MSM accounts of child labor sweatshops.
It may be more moral to encourage child labor:
"If we say that the United States should abolish child labor in very poor countries," Boaz said, "then what will happen to these children? ... They're not suddenly going to go to the country day school. ... They may be out selling their bodies on the street. That is not an improvement over working in a t-shirt factory."
In fact, studies show that in at least one country where child labor was suddenly banned, prostitution increased. Good economics teaches that as poor countries get richer and freer, capital investment raises the productivity of labor and child labor diminishes. There's no shortcut through government prohibition—unless you like starvation and child prostitution.
--John Stossel in Reason magazine http://reason.com/archives/2011/08/25/almost-everything-were-taught
HM: Probably true, but that's not the point of the article.
The article is how much slack we cut those around us who support the FedGov, statism, authoritarianism, Obamunism and progressivism.
It's a tough call. I have friends who voted for Obama but regret it. I have freinds who voted for Obama and might do it again. Can I still be friends with such a person? What if it's your 80 year old, NY Times reading and CBS News watching mother?
The child labor thing was only an example. OK, maybe it wasn't the best example.
I likely wouldn't ask why he was buying it in the first place, either.
If he was stupid enough to let me know, I would not only not sell it to him, I would stop him. Even if I had to use the chain. ;-)
I've made a few so-called "stupid" and costly decisions based on nothing but principles in my day. One cost me a career. Another cost me more. Losing out on a chain sale is nothing.
How far down the trail do you go though? When you put money into a bank or credit union, are you not helping to finance things that you would disapprove of? When I buy something at a store, am I not providing income for many people who are working against me?
It's a tricky road to negotiate.
One may not buy things from China, but what about buying things that were welded with filler metal made in China? And what about the CEO of the company, who privately donates to Obama?
As far as person to person transactions, I am selective, but I cannot say that every supplier I buy from is perfectly aligned with me, and I cannot say that my employer is, either.
The only way to do that for 100% certainty would likely be to trap and hunt in the mountains for the rest of one's life.
While that appeals to me, it would not appeal to my wife and children much. So here I am, helping to indirectly perpetuate and ensure my own descent into the mire.
When I read the article link, I thought of mises.org and Lew Rockwell contributor Walter Block's "Defending the Undefendable", which has a section debunking the MSM accounts of child labor sweatshops.
ReplyDeleteIt may be more moral to encourage child labor:
"If we say that the United States should abolish child labor in very poor countries," Boaz said, "then what will happen to these children? ... They're not suddenly going to go to the country day school. ... They may be out selling their bodies on the street. That is not an improvement over working in a t-shirt factory."
http://reason.com/archives/2011/08/25/almost-everything-were-taught
In fact, studies show that in at least one country where child labor was suddenly banned, prostitution increased. Good economics teaches that as poor countries get richer and freer, capital investment raises the productivity of labor and child labor diminishes. There's no shortcut through government prohibition—unless you like starvation and child prostitution.
--John Stossel in Reason magazine
http://reason.com/archives/2011/08/25/almost-everything-were-taught
HM:
ReplyDeleteProbably true, but that's not the point of the article.
The article is how much slack we cut those around us who support the FedGov, statism, authoritarianism, Obamunism and progressivism.
It's a tough call. I have friends who voted for Obama but regret it. I have freinds who voted for Obama and might do it again. Can I still be friends with such a person? What if it's your 80 year old, NY Times reading and CBS News watching mother?
The child labor thing was only an example. OK, maybe it wasn't the best example.
I wouldn't sell it to him...but...
ReplyDeleteI likely wouldn't ask why he was buying it in the first place, either.
If he was stupid enough to let me know, I would not only not sell it to him, I would stop him. Even if I had to use the chain. ;-)
I've made a few so-called "stupid" and costly decisions based on nothing but principles in my day. One cost me a career. Another cost me more. Losing out on a chain sale is nothing.
How far down the trail do you go though? When you put money into a bank or credit union, are you not helping to finance things that you would disapprove of? When I buy something at a store, am I not providing income for many people who are working against me?
It's a tricky road to negotiate.
One may not buy things from China, but what about buying things that were welded with filler metal made in China? And what about the CEO of the company, who privately donates to Obama?
As far as person to person transactions, I am selective, but I cannot say that every supplier I buy from is perfectly aligned with me, and I cannot say that my employer is, either.
The only way to do that for 100% certainty would likely be to trap and hunt in the mountains for the rest of one's life.
While that appeals to me, it would not appeal to my wife and children much. So here I am, helping to indirectly perpetuate and ensure my own descent into the mire.
AP