Solid_Choke

I have been on the boards for a while now but haven't posted a whole lot. I currently attend Arizona State University and am double majoring in Economics and History. Although I don't consider myself an Objectivist yet because I don't agree/understand ALL the Objectivist morality, I am educating myself on the philosophy. I read Capitalism: An Unknown Ideal and am about half way through The Capitalist Manifesto. When I was young I traveled a a lot with my parents to the U.K., France, and Italy. Something has always bothered me about the higher degree of socialism and that fact that many people think it is their "right" to take things from other people without their consent. Up through high school I thought I was a libertarian but more recently I have grown tired of the anarchistic ideas that I found many other libertarians to have. From my knowledge of history these types of "utopias" only ever lead to disaster. Currently when people ask I say that I am a Market Liberal but am liking Objectivism more the more I learn about it. Anyway this has been my journey in a nutshell. Hi

Wow...although I am no where near a conclusion on this topic you guys have given me the inspiration to continue my study of intellectual property. Thanks for the replies.

My legal code is a separate document from my constitution. I am creating a "mock" nation if you will. I guess I should have clarified that a bit more.

Yes I suppose you are right. Please just vote for the one that is closest to what you believe and then explain your answer in a post. Actually I am much more interested in the posts then in the survey itself.

Hu"man"ity....j/k But seriously if people just understood the origin of the word they wouldn't complain so much. Correct me if I am wrong but man comes from "mannaz"(proto-germanic) meaning person.

Lately I have been writing a mock constitution that I am basing on Objectivist ideas(note: I do not consider myself an Objectvist but instead a market liberal) and I am writing a rough outline of a legal code. I have gotten to the part on intellectual property rights and am totally stumped. What are your thoughts on copyrights and their duration?

Awesome! Thanks

Thank you sir

This is exactly the kind of thing I am interested in. I would appreciate a link very much. I am using the US Constitution as my starting point but am making very large changes and additions. Right now I am primarily concerned about limiting the government to its only legitimate duty of providing security and protecting individual rights. Only after I have perfected that will I move on to trying to define "how" the government should go about doing its only legitimate job. Thanks in advance

I was wondering if anyone has written a constitution based on Objectivist ideas. This summer I am going to begin writing a constitution as a intellectual exercise and could use some input. Although I do not consider myself an Objectivist because I do not believe I fully understand the philosophical case behind it I do understand the economic and historical case for capitalism. Has this ever been attempted by anyone else in the Objectivist community?

Personally I would like to a see a European coalition act as a buffer between Israel and a newly created Palestinian state. I wouldn't force the Israelis living in Palestinian land to leave but would make it very clear to them that they are no longer going to be living in Israel and give them ample time to leave for those that want to. I am sick of my European friends complaining that the US is doing such a horrible job in the middle east and would love for them to take the burden on their own shoulders(oddly enough they had nothing bad to say about our meddling in Kosovo, go figure). I really believe that a two state situation is the only practical solution besides the elimination of the Palestinians which I do not consider just.

I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed with the interview. Her defenses of Objectivism weren't anywhere near as clear as her writings. Although I do admit my expectations were extremely high and probably higher then I would expect of any living philosophers in regards to defending their ideas.

Just to add some food for thought in my favorite sport, Mixed Martial Arts, there are very few black champions. The #1 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world is from Russia. In fact most of the successful heavyweights are either Russian, Americans(primarily whites), or Brazilian(lighter skinned Portuguese descendants). Also in the lightweight and welterweight classes you see a lot of Japanese champions. Just adding some things to think about.

In your opinion if there was such a thing what would the "ten commandments" of Objectivism be? For instance: #1 Freedom of Action is Absolute #2 The initiation of physical force is the only way to violate somebodies rights etc.... (And yes even the ones I already stated could be totally off the mark) If you think I am an idiot then just go ahead and say so(I have pretty thick skin) but I think having a few basic principles would be very helpful to introducing people to any kind of philosophy.

Don't forget Hong Kong(although admittedly it isn't a country). When I compare Hong Kong to the U.S. I can't help but see Hong Kong as more Capitalist.

[Mod's note: Mrged with earlier thread. -sN] How would an Objectivist view the act of dying to preserve your family or friends(such as battling an enemy while your children escape)? Would it be against your self-interest and therefore be evil? Or would preserving your children's health be rational and in your self-interest making it good? Sorry if I sound like an idiot but I am very curious and my copy of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal hasn't arrived in the mail yet from Amazon . Thanks in advance for the responses.

Thanks for the replies everyone. These are some really interesting responses.

Do any true Objectivists give to charity? What kind of charity? Why or why not? Also can one be for capitalism and also be an altruist? Like for instance someone who believes they should sacrifice their own happiness for other people but also respect other peoples rights to live free from physical force?

[Mod's note: Merged with an earlier thread. - sN] What are your opinions on Gold or Silver Standards versus fiat currency? How should the money system work in a capitalist country?

Well if scientists "created" a cell then would they not be "intelligent designers"?

Actually no his neck is not broken. In fact 30 seconds after he lands on his back he wins the match via armlock. His name is Fedor Emelianenko and he is fighting Kevin Randleman. It is a great match, you should definitely see it if you haven't yet been exposed to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts yet. Fedor is the current Heavyweight Champion of Pride Fighting Championships in Japan and most consider him the greatest unarmed fighter in the world right now. P.S. If you would like to see the rest of the match or have any more questions about the sport(I am fairly knowledgeable as I am a competitor myself) send me a PM.

Thank you for your responses. I did use the search feature but didn't find what I was looking for on the first page of results...I guess I should have looked deeper. IAmMetaphysical why is my Avatar inappropriate? Mixed Martial Arts is a sport that is governed by a set of humane rules and the participants are both willing to engage in a sport they know has risks. Am I missing something or are sports avatars not allowed on the forums? If it is because you think the sport is violent or dangerous I would assume you are against both boxing and football as they have a much higher injury rate among participants. Also thanks for the response but what about countries that are new to capitalism or are still developing?

Is there a practical means of funding the government in a Minarchy without the use of taxation? If not, what would be the most moral type of taxation in such a government? P.S. Sorry if this post is too vague I am very new to the forums and am not yet sure of all the customs. I apologize in advance.

Many people ask the question: "Would you steal someone's car if it was as easy as downloading music?" But a more correct version of the question would be: "Would you copy someone's car if it didn't destory or even effect the original car?" I think downloading a song is probably immoral, but I don't for one second think it is the same thing as stealing a physical CD from Best Buy. What about lending your friend a CD? What if instead of lending him the physical CD you sent him a copy of a legally purchased song from iTunes via e-mail? Too me it seems slightly more complicated then simply being the same as stealing a CD from Best Buy. Just a few questions to think about...