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This is for all the people at FR who shriek for unlimited 'freedom' where they want unlimited License to do whatever they want, whenever they want, without any regard for the consequences to their fellow citizens.

Superb article. I posted it a week or two ago (it bears repeating) and it's been excerpted and linked on my FR profile.

http://taor.agitator.dynip.com/on_law.htm

People such as this author take the real concept of "license" and stand it on its head. "License" is permission granted by some authority other than one's self to do something. True freedom does not entail receiving permission from another to engage in actions which do not violate the rights of others.

Counterfeit freedom is worse than fraudulent. It is the mortal enemy of the real thing.

I agree if the author is talking about REAL "license" such as a true democracy where things are put to a vote. Direct democracy IS the mortal enemy of freedom. Democracy puts rights up to a vote. Rights then become a "license" which can be revoked by a vote.

Counterfeit freedom can provide no rational account or defense of its own normative claims. It speaks the language of rights, but in abandoning the ground of moral duty it provides no rational basis for anyone to respect the rights of others or to demand of others respect for one’s own rights.

The moral ground to TRUE freedom IS the recognition of each indivual's natural right to live their life in the manner they see fit as long as the individual's choices and actions do not infringe on another's same right. TRUE freedom is about INDIVIDUAL rights. Freedom becomes license not when each individual operates on the above premise of freedom, but when natural rights are voted away "for the good of the community" or any concept that places the wishes of a group above the rights of the individual.

Freedom is freedom. It can't be redefined to suit the needs of a particular social faction. License is created in the absence of the recognition of freedom.

Interesting.

Thank you for posting this.