Some of these could be folded into police, courts, or national defense. A CDC type organization (through the military) would exist as a matter of national defense, either from man made threats or natural ones. If a giant lizard rose out of the Pacific ocean, our military would respond. 
Should the disabled have a right to the money of the able bodied? As someone with some knowledge of this situation, I can assure you government does much, much more harm to the disabled than it helps. Without being forced to pay people could develop empathy and real charity could occur. When forced to pay for the disabled all that exists is loathing, distrust, and cynicism.
I see what you’re saying here, but what you are spelling out is the growth of particular branches of “government” - which is exactly what transpired - albeit not effectively or efficiently, where experts in each individual area would be responsible for things like CDC, etc. Okay, so they’re part of the military, but not for civil defense. Unfortunately, there are individuals in our society that have noone else to rely on. There are many of these types, more than you think, probably. The government may the lesser of two evils, sometimes. The “ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” expression pops into mind. At somepoint, individuals unable to care for themselves, and left to themselves can’t and won’t just throw themselves into the river, or go peacefully into the good night. They will do anything they can to survive (innate). We are not lions or other primitive animals that just leave the wounded to die in the fields to be eaten by scavangers. I would love to hear your example of the harm to the disabled that you speak of (don’t mention Obama’s “special olympics” comment from last night 
)
The word “evolve” here sounds a lot like “compromise”. We don’t naturally increase our understanding of medicine or science and yet people seem to think we naturally, magically advance ethics. Advancing ethics takes work just like advancing anything takes work. I’m not sure how our understanding of medicine or how the brain works can change philosophy. Knowledge trickles down from philosophy, not the other way around.
Hmm. I don’t agree with you here. Knowledge can trickle down from curiousity to answer the unknown. Im not sure how our knowledge of neuronal functioning trickles down from philosophy. Or how deciphering or furthering our understanding of lipid metabolism is based in a philosophical tenet. The search for the truth - perhaps that is a philosophy - but I would say there are many things driving our understanding of medicine and science, including profit, quality of life, and a true scientist (like myself) would say that a basic curiousity of advancing scientific knowldege would drive many to scientific and medical discoveries. Octomom? Abortion of genetically mutated fetuses diagnosed through amniocentesis?
What are “community interests”? Who owns them? Individuals own property, what they wish to do with it is their concern, not a community’s. (unless they initiate force of course) If someone is wreaking havoc and breaking the law, they should be arrested, just as they are now. Maybe that means jail or maybe they go to a mental ward. As far as “consuming resources from your community”, again, whose resources? Are they stealing from an individual, company, or nonprofit group? Those who are unable to care for themselves would rely on charity. There is no compassion in stealing money from one person and giving it to another. Only when rights are respected can charity and compassion really exist.
Well, I live in a community, i share the roads, shopping malls, police force, utilities, etc. with my neighbour. Sharing resources (water/electricity/natural gas/etc). Enless you have your own wind turbine and exist completely “off the grid”, you will require to share some limited resources or resources that are difficult to acquire without significant investment that individuals just don’t have. I respect and understand the “stealing money from one and giving to another” philosophy, I don’t have the time, resources (financial or otherwise) to put toward maintaining myself as an island.
There is still charity on the personal level as well as many legit, well managed charities out there. Without insane taxation, uncle Johnny could afford to help his sick nephew Jimmy out. Right now uncle Johnny instead is having his money stolen and given to labor unions via GM.
The heart of the matter is initiation of force or coercion by government. I want children and the disabled to have a good life as much as anyone, but they cannot make a claim on another person’s property at gunpoint.
I guess my view is that the cost of entry into a civilized, compassionate and productive society is “give and take”. Plus, at this point in history, the complex integration of a variety of global cultures, economies and societies it is imparative that we have representation by elected officials to manage things that impact us either directly or indirectly. Even without taxation uncle johnny could NOT affort to help out jimmy, as uncle johnny would have to build his own way to pay for his own health care, house, car, water, electricity (economies of scale come in to play here) - trickle down economics perhaps?
Now that we are where we are in history and industrialization, how would you envision getting to a place where we could exist as individuals, without the governments role in some areas? Are you going to be able to make enough money at your job to raise your kids, source your own water/energy/food safety/etc at a unit price, where as a community (county/city/state/nation) can make it affordable by buying large amounts of services and products from the private sector for you to focus on raising your family?
Perfect? No!! Logical? Perhaps!! Executed efficiently and effectively in today’s world? No way!!!
If I chose to live in an area serviced by government services, yes, I should expect to pay for the services I use today, or perhaps in the future. I don’t have kids, but am willing to pay for the education system because without an educated society we’d be in even bigger trouble. I’m in Canada, am I willing to pay taxes for a health care system that will allow me to not worry about going bankrupt if I get sick, yes. Sure, there are problems here in the health care system, but to be honest, I bet the cost of your monthly health insurance plus on top of your taxes is not that far off what I simply pay in taxes - plus there’s no real worry about what is or is not covered by my health coverage - i can chose the doctor I go to, and there is no government offical monitoring my care or making decisions for the doctor - contrary to what i think is presented in the US press. I digress, this isn’t a thread about health care - so lets not go there.
I get both sides of the tax thing. And when there is something that offends me to the point of disgust, I am the first either on the phone or writing a letter to my representative at the local/city/provincial/federal level. Alas, it appears noone is listening!
