Ron Paul: The Ten Principles of a Free Society

Originally posted by Maslo
Yeah, stealing in self-defense, just like killing in self-defense, is not wrong. Right to life is more important than right to property, contrary to twisted libertarian principles. When the first is threatened, then breaching right to property is not only justified, it is our moral duty.

It is your moral duty to ensure that heterosexuals always make up 99% of your country's populatiion
This is your moral duty, I believe this to be morals so I am imposing it on you!!!

How's that feel?
The problem is that when you speak of moral duty, that type of morals can be very abstract

It can mean one thing to one person and something else to someone else
If everyone agreed that Govt. could impose moral duties on society then when a new more corrupt party gains a majoirity then it's going to be their vision on what a moral duty.

Right now many think it's America's moral duty to keep on funding Israel.... no matter what
That is not what govt. is about

Govt. is not there to force people to subsidize the "bailout out" of someone's kidney transplant because he drowned his kidneys and liver in alcohol for decades.

reply to post by ModernAcademia

Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong).

All laws in the society are by definition based on some morality, or combinations of them. By outlawing murder, you impose morality that says "killing is wrong" on someone who does ot agree with it. Should we make murder legal?
The only question is what moral philosophy should we base our laws on. Libertarian "natural law" is also a moral system, and you try to impose it on me!

And I agree that in practice it can be hard to ensure government does not get corrupted or people voting it wont get crazy and legislate which we think is the right morality, but thats different problem, not relevant to our discussion about which morality is better.

Govt. is not there to force people to subsidize the "bailout out" of someone's kidney transplant because he drowned his kidneys and liver in alcohol for decades.

Not according to my morality. And libertarians are against all healthcare payed from taxes, not just the cases when it was probably the fault of the ill one. Of course even in that case we cannot refuse to save his life, but we can force him to not drink after that if he wants the help (just as we cannot refuse to provide basic necessities for those who cannot afford them, but we can force them to work for the public or not have a lot of children after we help them).