| Donald Tees 2006-04-18, 6:55 pm |
| Pete Dashwood wrote:
> "Donald Tees" <donald_tees@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:ltV0g.2292$wK1.134911@news20.bellglobal.com...
>
>
> Not if there are a large number of such entities, Donald. Or even a
> reasonable number. I like your analogy of corporations with robber Barons
> but it only goes so far. Feudalism was far worse for the peasants than
> anything we have to bear today. And autocratic dictatorship (or the "Divine
> Right of Kings") was even worse than that. John didn't happily hand over
> power at Runnymede in 1215. The Magna Carta was not just so the Barons could
> acquire the King's power; they weren't all villains. Many of them were God
> fearing men who realised that their wealth and power depended on a viable
> life for the peasants. Misrule by the monarch was not conducive to good for
> anyone. (OK, they weren't about to give away their wealth or power, but they
> would certainly see that people could live reasonably, and they provided the
> protection for them, not just in times of war but also in normal times,
> settling disputes and providing justice.)
>
> (The Dashwood family motto is "Pro Magna Carta" - we've been liberals for at
> least 1000 years...:-))
>
> Pete.
>
>
And what is so different today? I rather expect there are a few
corporations that have morals too. There was also more than one noble.
The fact remains that without death, any entity that can be managed for
several hundred years will do a lot better than mere humans. The wealth
becomes very concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. That has already,
to a large extent, happened.
Doing away with death duties will solidify that trend. Note that Habeus
Corpus, about the only right as old as the Magna Carta, has been
repealed in the states.
The United States has become a monarchy. The only difference is their
monarchy is for limited term, and a new monarch has to be chosen every
couple years. LX-i reminds me of one of her majestie's loyal officers,
willing to die for the crown, regardless of what the crown does or says.
He and such policies belong in the dark ages. Unfortunately, we have
not progressed much beyond them.
Donald
|