Posted on 06/06/2007 8:05:15 AM PDT by tpaine
SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLECTIVISTS AND INDIVIDUALISTS
1. A collectivist believes that rights are derived from the state.
An Individualist believes that rights are intrinsic to each human being.
2. A collectivist believes the state may perform acts that are forbidden to individuals.
An individualist believes the state may do only what individuals have a right to do.
3. A collectivist believes individuals may be sacrificed for the greater good of the greater number.
An individualist believes individuals must be protected from the greed and passion of the greater number.
4. A collectivist believes coercion is the best way to bring about positive effects in society.
An individualist believes freedom-of-choice is the best way to bring about positive effects in society.
5. A collectivist believes laws should apply unequally to benefit one group over another.
An individualist believes laws should apply equally to all groups so that everyone is treated the same.
6. A collectivist believes government should be an aggressive force for solving problems, providing sustenance, and directing human activities. That government is best which governs most.
An individualist believes government should be a defensive and protective force, limited to safeguarding the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens. That government is best which governs least.
THE CREED OF FREEDOM INTRINSIC NATURE OF RIGHTS
I believe that only individuals have rights, not the collective group; that these rights are intrinsic to each individual, not granted by the state; for if the state has the power to grant them, it also has the power to deny them, and that is incompatible with personal liberty.
I believe that a just government derives its power solely from the governed. Therefore, the state must never presume to do anything beyond what individual citizens also have the right to do. Otherwise, the state is a power unto itself and becomes the master instead of the servant of society.
SUPREMACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL
I believe that one of the greatest threats to freedom is to allow any group, no matter its numeric superiority, to deny the rights of the minority; and that one of the primary functions of just government is to protect each individual from the greed and passion of the majority.
FREEDOM-OF-CHOICE
I believe that desirable social and economic objectives are better achieved by voluntary action than by coercion of law. I believe that social tranquility and brotherhood are better achieved by tolerance, persuasion, and the power of good example than by coercion of law. I believe that those in need are better served by charity, which is the giving of one’s own money, than by welfare, which is the giving of other people’s money through coercion of law.
EQUALITY UNDER LAW
I believe that all citizens should be equal under law, regardless of their national origin, race, religion, gender, education, economic status, life style, or political opinion. Likewise, no class should be given preferential treatment, regardless of the merit or popularity of its cause. To favor one class over another is not equality under law.
PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
I believe that the proper role of government is negative, not positive; defensive, not aggressive. It is to protect, not to provide; for if the state is granted the power to provide for some, it must also be able to take from others, and once that power is granted, there are those who will seek it for their advantage. It always leads to legalized plunder and loss of freedom.
If government is powerful enough to give us everything we want, it is also powerful enough to take from us everything we have. Therefore, the proper function of government is to protect the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens; nothing more. That government is best which governs least.
Not only 'greed and passion'; our Constitution is set up to protect us from the ordinary schemes of local tyrants using 'community values' to deprive us of life, liberty, or property. - It is being ignored.
bump
The principles of good: reason, individualism, personal independence,rational impartial egoism,limited government
“6. A collectivist believes government should be an aggressive force for solving problems, providing sustenance, and directing human activities. That government is best which governs most.
An individualist believes government should be a defensive and protective force, limited to safeguarding the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens. That government is best which governs least.”
BINGO
Good words. Our government has seriously strayed from our individualist baseline.
Good post
“The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.” -- Thomas Sowell
“2. A collectivist believes the state may perform acts that are forbidden to individuals.
An individualist believes the state may do only what individuals have a right to do. “
You might want to rethink that one, unless you believe individuals should be able to imprison/execute others, print money, collect taxes... you get the idea.
Thanks for the comments yall.
Where, exactly, on the website is this list please?
And that is the difference between the dems and normal people.
Bump for later
Yep, we see them posting here everyday. They truly believe that unlimited majority rule is a 'republican form of government'.
The sad fact is that these days, the hyperbole and rhetoric is so bad that people can't even tell when they're deceiving themselves. To them, laws aimed at gays, women, and minorities is supporting individual rights.
Prohibitive laws 'aimed' at minorities by majorities are almost always unconstitutional.
"The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling." -- Thomas Sowell
Great line. Thanks.
You might want to rethink that one, unless you believe individuals should be able to imprison/execute others, print money, collect taxes... you get the idea.
Well, before governments, individuals were able to imprison/execute their enemies, use anything for 'money' [shells/beads etc], demand/collect fees from their neighbors for services rendered [taxes]... you get the idea.
” An individualist believes the state ...”
This posits the existence of a government, so using pre-government activities in defending it sort of begs the question.
Laws are one thing, individuals choosing their preferences is another. We can repeal the first, but it is wrong and against individual rights to make the latter illegal.
ping
Yep, we see them posting here everyday. They truly believe that unlimited majority rule is a 'republican form of government'.
And what about those who think that the government forbidding a businessman from hiring workers in another country is not tyranny and contrary to a free market?
Sowell is sort of on the right track, but he is not speaking from the intellectual level. Actually, in terms of the latest (since 1890) scientific and artificial intelligence engineering thinking he is exactly backwards.
2. A collectivist believes the state may perform acts that are forbidden to individuals.
An individualist believes the state may do only what individuals have a right to do.
My quibble is that the maintenance of a system of justice is a legitimate function of government, up to and including capital punishment for capital crimes. I don't believe that function can be legitimately fulfilled by the individual.
I believe that my perspective on the matter agrees with that of our country's founders. That's a tough one for me to swallow, because in all other respects I'm an individualist.
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