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The Conundrum of Any Free People
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<blockquote data-quote="curiousbrain" data-source="post: 832503" data-attributes="member: 31608"><p>Exactly my point; doesn't that encourage investigation into why other countries don't live like we do - and if they don't, should we not make it our mission (as is occasionally espoused by the "Western establishment", if you will) to lift them up to our level of living? And, more to the point, if increasing their standard of living causes a decrease in our own level of living (because of finite resources, the world market is only so large, etc), do we, out of self-interest, really care at all?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I agree.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I think I worded it that way because in the context of the original post, I envisioned it such that there is a global limit to equality - if all countries in the world are equal, there is an equilibrium that mandates that the economic standards of living have to be at a certain level for everyone. If one country exceeds that "midpoint," then there is no equilibrium.</p><p></p><p>I'm not advocating communism at all; however, this is precisely the point I was trying to highlight - global advocation of freedom (the freedom of the nation/citizen to do what they want and pursue their goals vigorously) is at odds with any country believing they hold a position of preeminence. To promote equality is to give up the notion that any one or any thing has a monopoly of power, importance, wealth, etc.</p><p></p><p>Note: I hasten to add here that this was a thought experiment; I am not advocating anything, beyond attempting (perhaps vainly) to defend the original point.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="curiousbrain, post: 832503, member: 31608"] Exactly my point; doesn't that encourage investigation into why other countries don't live like we do - and if they don't, should we not make it our mission (as is occasionally espoused by the "Western establishment", if you will) to lift them up to our level of living? And, more to the point, if increasing their standard of living causes a decrease in our own level of living (because of finite resources, the world market is only so large, etc), do we, out of self-interest, really care at all? I agree. I think I worded it that way because in the context of the original post, I envisioned it such that there is a global limit to equality - if all countries in the world are equal, there is an equilibrium that mandates that the economic standards of living have to be at a certain level for everyone. If one country exceeds that "midpoint," then there is no equilibrium. I'm not advocating communism at all; however, this is precisely the point I was trying to highlight - global advocation of freedom (the freedom of the nation/citizen to do what they want and pursue their goals vigorously) is at odds with any country believing they hold a position of preeminence. To promote equality is to give up the notion that any one or any thing has a monopoly of power, importance, wealth, etc. Note: I hasten to add here that this was a thought experiment; I am not advocating anything, beyond attempting (perhaps vainly) to defend the original point. [/QUOTE]
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