Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Gun Is Civilization

Tails of the Gun  

The Gun Is Civilization
Written March 23, 2007 by Marko Kloos

Carrying Peace

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument or forcing me to
When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I can not be forced, only persuaded. I don’t carry it because I’m afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid.
do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that’s it.
 
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
 
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.
  [Full Essay]

There's not a single word of this essay that I haven't written myself.  It's the sequencing  that leaves me wanting.  Read the rest.  For easy future reference, I'll be adding this to Defining Articles. (bottom of of page) 

drummermanrick

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would getting paid fall under reason or force?
Plus, you could live on welfare and make more than working.
See: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2990999/posts

Eleven states with more on welfare than working... Did they use reason or force to get their moolah?
tomw

Steve in Greensboro said...

There is a third way in addition to reason and force and that is fraud.

Which of the three ways is welfare? If the cash used to make welfare payments comes from taxation, then it is force. (The state is going to throw me in jail if I don’t pay my taxes.) If the cash comes from newly printed fiat currency, then it is fraud. (You think the $100 bills in your wallet are worth something, but Zimbabwe Ben just printed up a bunch more.)

Helly said...

"Reason or force, that’s it."

Are all dichotomies false? Yes and no. The greatest threat to an armed citizen is the police. It makes no sense to deal with them using reason or force.

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