Comments on: Shutting Down The Debate http://spoonfighter.com/archives/155 A funny, frequently updated blog from Denver, Colorado, about current events, politics, media, humor, ideas, entertainment and life. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:54:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on Shutting Down The Debate by: Clair http://spoonfighter.com/archives/155#comment-4170 Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:24:45 +0000 http://spoonfighter.com/archives/155#comment-4170 With that being said, which governments and nations are truly "legitimate"? Should we throw them all out with the bath water and it be Anarchy in the UK? <em> I think Anarchy is a bit like one of those elements at the bottom of the periodic table which only exist in the lab for split seconds. Eliminate a country's government and it will be replaced by - if nothing else - a collection of warlords and mafias, which are simply despotic, tribal governments of limited scope. But if you accept the basic democratic principle, that the legitimacy of any government is based on the general consent of its subjects, then certainly some governments are more legitimate than others. Whether or not the US was founded legitimately, according to this principle it is certainly legit now. - SF</em> With that being said, which governments and nations are truly “legitimate”? Should we throw them all out with the bath water and it be Anarchy in the UK?

I think Anarchy is a bit like one of those elements at the bottom of the periodic table which only exist in the lab for split seconds. Eliminate a country’s government and it will be replaced by - if nothing else - a collection of warlords and mafias, which are simply despotic, tribal governments of limited scope. But if you accept the basic democratic principle, that the legitimacy of any government is based on the general consent of its subjects, then certainly some governments are more legitimate than others. Whether or not the US was founded legitimately, according to this principle it is certainly legit now. - SF

]]> Comment on Shutting Down The Debate by: Dan Stratford http://spoonfighter.com/archives/155#comment-4051 Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:31:43 +0000 http://spoonfighter.com/archives/155#comment-4051 So they are "illegal" and I am not a racist, and they are insurging terrorists-can we get on with the discussion now? What do you think about the idea that some of the Mexicans feel they have as much right to the Western part of this country as we do (and the "native Americans" do), considering they were once "native Americanish". Just because one of their government leaders sold us the land for "mere pesos" years ago, does that man they should honor this transaction-at least at a "heart" level? Of course they have to recognize the legalities involved, even if they choose to ignore them. Anyway, it's a stance some could take-even if they have no idea what they are talking about. <em>It's definitely something that should be included in the discussion. Personally, I don't think it's a good argument. It's true that Mexicans are generally of mixed European and Native American descent, but their "Native American" heritage is from what is now Mexico. As far as the "sale" goes, their government's ownership of the territory was just as morally questionable as ours, and any Mexicans who were part of the territory when it was sold stayed and became US citizens by default, I suspect. - SF</em> So they are “illegal” and I am not a racist, and they are insurging terrorists-can we get on with the discussion now?

What do you think about the idea that some of the Mexicans feel they have as much right to the Western part of this country as we do (and the “native Americans” do), considering they were once “native Americanish”. Just because one of their government leaders sold us the land for “mere pesos” years ago, does that man they should honor this transaction-at least at a “heart” level? Of course they have to recognize the legalities involved, even if they choose to ignore them.

Anyway, it’s a stance some could take-even if they have no idea what they are talking about.

It’s definitely something that should be included in the discussion. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good argument. It’s true that Mexicans are generally of mixed European and Native American descent, but their “Native American” heritage is from what is now Mexico. As far as the “sale” goes, their government’s ownership of the territory was just as morally questionable as ours, and any Mexicans who were part of the territory when it was sold stayed and became US citizens by default, I suspect. - SF

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