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To: groanup
Government exists for one reason, to maintain order so that we can all engage in commerce and make money.
Do you disagree?

Yes. I also have to disagree with your overly narrow statement.

Not because I am opposed to commerce. But that is a lesser function...a subset of the larger set of rights. It entails protection of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (the latter being where you can pigeon-hole commerce).

525 posted on 03/17/2006 10:39:20 AM PST by Paul Ross (Hitting bullets with bullets successfully for 35 years!)
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To: Paul Ross
It entails protection of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (the latter being where you can pigeon-hole commerce).

Seems like commerce can be 'pigeon-holed' into liberty and life as well. Unless you really believe that the ability to trade with one another serves only to provide happiness...at the exclusion of life & liberty. And listening to the protectionists around here, there's not much happiness in commerce, either, only the misery trading brings.

529 posted on 03/17/2006 12:16:37 PM PST by LowCountryJoe (I'm a Paleo-liberal: I believe in freedom; am socially independent and a borderline fiscal anarchist)
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To: Paul Ross
...pigeon-hole commerce)...

Riiiighhht. I pigeon hole that which I do all day every day except for Sunday when MY religion teaches that I rest. I don't always but, when I do, I watch television (all those networks engaging in commerce).

Once or twice a year I take my commerce to a vacation spot and leave a hell of a lot of it there, bringing back a nice suntan. Some evenings I attend civic events that I suppose could be somehow separated from commerce..., no, it can't because I have to engage in commerce to pay those pesky taxes.

I'm trying to think, other than those hours I'm spending time with my family (except the commerce of eating or watching TV) or going to church or sleeping, I'm engaged in commerce.

So the vast majority of my time and everyone else in our society is used in commerce and you would "pigeon-hole" it. What DO you do all day?

Ahh! Time spent debating on Free Republic could be considered something other than commerce. But you ARE paying your electicity bill aren't you?

8>)

541 posted on 03/17/2006 2:07:04 PM PST by groanup (Shred for Ian)
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