"Forever Stamps"
Do you notice that the US government assumes it will exist forever? I ran across one of those "Forever Stamps" today. You know, the ones that are supposed to be good "forever" no matter what the price of mailing a letter climbs to. I think there is some baseless assuming going on there. "Forever Stamps" are good "forever" only if the US government lasts forever. The courier company that replaces the government monopoly after the US is gone will not honor them. Why should they?
Why would the US government and its supporters make such an irrational and silly assumption about its permanence? Probably because they honestly can't imagine the alternative. But there has never been a government that lasts "forever", and I seriously doubt there ever will be. Few last more than a couple centuries. It just isn't rational to ignore this fact. The more a government meddles, the less likely it is to last much longer. The more strict a government is, the sooner it collapses. And the less mercy its "organs" and collaborators receive.
That doesn't mean that a free society is the inevitable outcome, but it does mean that to make that happen, some plans need to be made. Now. I'm making mine; how about you?
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Why would the US government and its supporters make such an irrational and silly assumption about its permanence? Probably because they honestly can't imagine the alternative. But there has never been a government that lasts "forever", and I seriously doubt there ever will be. Few last more than a couple centuries. It just isn't rational to ignore this fact. The more a government meddles, the less likely it is to last much longer. The more strict a government is, the sooner it collapses. And the less mercy its "organs" and collaborators receive.
That doesn't mean that a free society is the inevitable outcome, but it does mean that to make that happen, some plans need to be made. Now. I'm making mine; how about you?
.................................................
Labels: future, government, personal, society
posted by Kent McManigal | 12:00 AM |
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3 Comments:
Even aside from questions of permanence, the idea of "forever stamps" assumes the government will actually keep its word. Ever since I heard about them, my only reaction has been, "Who do they think they're kidding?"
Government officials tend to equate the state with "America" itself, geographically, socially, culturally, the whole nine yards. They imagine that the permanence of "America" in those contexts also means that the USA state will be just as permanent. And you are right Kent, they cannot imagine the alternative.
Let's give them a bit of a surprise then, eh? ;-)
Bzzzz. Excuse me, Emperor Honorius? I have the Visigoths holding for you on line 3.
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