Shalom Israel wrote: “First, if such a contract of adhesion existed, there must exist an adhesing party. You (or someone in this thread) denied that the government is the "other party" to the "social contract," which leaves no adhesing party at all.”
(I believe I’m the one who denied the government is the “other party.”)
But that doesn’t leave “no adhesing party at all.” The other adhesing party or parties would be other citizens.
Shalom Israel wrote: “…the government has not ever asserted its rights per the contract: namely, it has never deported anyone for breach of the social contract. The government has never attempted to enforce the terms, "abide by the contract, or else leave the country."”
You can opt out of the contract by leaving the country per tpaine. I say you can opt out by leaving the country or become an outlaw. The government (more correctly the citizens using the government as a tool) regularly (but not always) attempts to enforce the terms of the contract. That’s why we have prisons in which we put some outlaws.
Shalom Israel wrote: “Third, constitutional rights are applied to minors as well as adults. Therefore, the privileges of alleged the "social contract" accrue to minors; but this is only possible if the obligations of the contract also accrue to minors. Therefore, it is not possible that the contract comes into force at age 18.”
I didn’t quite follow that. In any case, some of the privileges of the social contract accrue to minors because we can allow that if we choose and we have so chosen. We have also chosen not to require all the obligations of the contract from minors till they have reached a stage of maturity and understanding at which we can reasonably expect them to fulfill those obligations, which we may have arbitrarily declared to be at the age of 18. To do otherwise would not be just. And we’d have to put too many of them in prison.
Doesn't work: you're saying that I entered into a contract, even though I didn't, with other citizens, who also didn't enter into any contract. To enter a contract, you must do something that creates the contract.
You can opt out of the contract by leaving the country per tpaine.
You don't seem to have read my answers to tpaine. You're now claiming that someone else created a contract, declared me a party to it, and now leaves me no choice but to consider myself bound by it or to leave. You didn't explain where that someone, whoever they're supposed to be, got the right to give me such an ultimatum. If you try to explain it now, you'll catch yourself reasoning in a circle: apparently they got the authority from that same "social contract"... the one I'm challenging their authority to create in the first place.
I didn’t quite follow that.
I was answering tpaine's assertion that I came under the contract when I turned 18. That can't be true, because I had rights, under that same alleged contract, before I was 18. So I must already have been under it. When did I first have those rights? At birth. So the only conclusion is that I entered into a contractual relationship the minute I was born. Which, I'm sure you'll agree, is impossible.