The Greater Good

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DP_Thinker's picture
DP_Thinker, posted on October 07, 2012

I think one of the most dangerous ideas to our liberty today is the "greater good" argument. That an individual is part of "society". These false doctrines have tremendous impact on our freedom of choice. Vaccines mandated for "public" health seem not that unlikely in the near future in this country. The fact is there is no such thing as "public" health. There is only individual health.

Vaccines hit home to me because they are personal to our bodies, and who other than myself personally should have the right to mandate what I MUST do?

Great video, and I hope it hits the fact that in 1905 the supreme court upheld mandatory vaccinations as constitutional. That is one dangerous precedent!

Samarami's picture
Samarami, posted on October 07, 2012

DP Thinker:

    'I think one of the most dangerous ideas to our liberty today is the "greater good" argument. That an individual is part of "society" '.

Some years ago I came across an essay by Delmar England that has helped me immensely. His argument, which hits many of us right here at STR in the gut (and I suspect that is why I've never seen much in the way of accolades at STR for England's ideas), outlines precisely the description you've given to this issue of vaccines -- a language game:

    'The fact is there is no such thing as "public" health. There is only individual health'.

"Language of lies" terms are over long periods overtly and subtly planted into a great many of the thoughts and statements of even us "libertarians" and "anarchists". It is down right difficult to break oneself of their use. Even after coming to see (and admit, which is the hard part) it is not easy. Because I suspect I might not be as "free" as I'd like you to believe.

I'll read libertarians make statements like, "the state commits violence".

The state does not commit violence. The abstract term "state" describes violence -- in its most egregious form. It is the gangsters and their parasitic minions grouped into what they call "the state" that commit the violence.

Engaging in the "language of lies" term insulates the perpetrators of the violence. It allows them to hide behind a godlike abstract, "the state" as though "it" were a living, breathing beast.

Good observation, DP. Sam

 

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