>> If a landlord uses force to evict me, or even if
>> the contract says if I break his rules I go to a
>> cell in the basement, libertarian doctrine does
>> not see this as coercion, so long as I'm free
>> to leave his property.
>>
>> The federal government is the landlord of the
>> property known as the United States. The rules
>> of the landlord must be followed or penalty
>> is effected. It is not coercion so long as
>> you are free to leave the U.S. property if
>> you have a problem with the contract.
>> [much else elided]
>
>Not only is the gaping flaw in this argument obvious
>to anyone with two brain cells,
Arg! Argumentum ad hominem.
>it is clear that
>you are intentionally straining to avoid the only
>issue, because you, too, know what it is: If my
>landlord wants to enforce my rental agreement, he
>can go to the offices of Golden West property
>management and retrieve a large document with my
>live signature on the bottom to show that I consented
>to his terms /before/ I moved in.
I believe US Court precident is that if party A has
enjoyed the benefits of a contract for several years
without contesting it, then party B may hold them to
the contract's constraints, even if they haven't signed it.
I'm not sure how I feel about this, but couldn't the US
make the case that American Libertarians have used government-built
highways, and enjoyed the protection of fire dept., police, etc.,
even if they haven't taken advantage of them?
>Since you clearly know that this is the issue, and
>have gone to great lengths to evade and equivocate,
I'm a bit new to the classic arguments pro/con Libertarianism.
Could you point out where you see equivocations in the previous
argument?
-k.
<bold>____________________________________________________
</bold>Kristen Brennan
codewarrior princess
brennan@jitterbug.com
http://www.jitterbug.com/pages/brennan.html
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"In cyberspace, no one can hear you put on weight."
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