[Demidog]

One derivative of the right to life is the right to self-defense, the right to use retaliatory force against those who initiate force. Citizens delegate this right to the government, which therefore holds a monopoly on its use, placed under objective control, to protect individual rights.

I don't agree with this at all. I do not delegate this right to anyone.

[roughrider]

The use of force can never be a "monopoly" of the government in a free society, as this separates the government from the people who are supposed to be the principle, while the government is the agent of the people. If the agent is the only party to retain the use of force in defense of the rights of the principle, the agent is master, not the principle. The citizens having a duty to assist the servants of the law is an ancient Anglo/Saxon tradition, and citizens cannot come to the aid of the law if they are without arms. Rand is attempting to start from scratch in devising her libertarian ideology, rather than making reference to the ancient prescriptions and traditions of Anglo/American civilization, which has never witnessed a governmental monopoly on the use of force to defend rights and property, until recently in Great Britain.

[gjenkins]

"I don't agree with this at all. I do not delegate this right to anyone."

No sane person would if the government is corrupt or unjust. The pretext, I believe, is objective laws and rules for evidence. If I believe the government able to administer justice, I would have no problem delegating this authority to it. As it is now, our society is schitzo. We can't resolve that there is truth ... let alone justice.

[annalex]

I do not delegate this right [to use retaliatory force against those who initiate force] to anyone

In matters of foreign policy you have little choice; like it or not, there is plenty voters in this country to empower a government that retaliates when this country is attacked or threatened.

[Moby Grape]

You do not delegate this right to anyone!!!!! We'll I guess we will have to get DEMIDOG'S permission...he has NOT delegated this right as of yet....or it means we must call him to fight terrorist for us....he has not GRANTED the government these powers as of yet.