Does polluting and misuse of the eco-system restrict freedom?

[chillspike]

I would like some feedback on a thought experiment. I was wondering if we could hoist the right wing using their own petard by taking their insistence on personal freedom to its ultimate extreme?

Remember: These are just examples for a thought experiment to discover if there is a hypocrisy at the base of right wing thinking we can utilize. I'm not planning to do any of these things.

They claim government restrictions and regulations get in the way of personal freedom. But let's say, for example, I personally don't want to use city supplied water. And I don't want to pay for a well. I want to get my water right out of a river or stream. Are the parties that are responsible for the contamination of the natural water supply, impeeding my freedom?

Here's another example: suppose I don't want to work for anyone. Suppose also that I don't want to sell anyone anything. I don't want to participate in the monetary system at all. Yet many laws and local ordinances restrict what I can do without money. For instance, I can't possess land without paying property tax, which is an extension of a monetary system. In short, if I wanted to live totally self-sufficient off the land without conducting any monetary transactions or labor exchanges with others of any kind, there are so many laws and local ordinances I could literraly not do it and remain within the law.

So my question is are these many restrictions and forced participation in a monetary system of exchange a restriction and violation of my freedom AND would Republicans be willing to concede that and take steps to protect my freedom?

Those steps would include cleaning the environment and stopping all pollution so I have a healthy eco-system avalable on which to exercise my personal freedom.

And to suspend all laws and ordinances that require anyone to engage in monetary or labor exchange with anyone else.


Does anyone think this has any legs for backing Republicans into an ideological corner, as they are the ones always claiming we need less government and people should be self-sufficient?

[tabatha]

1. Anything that harms the environment

restricts the freedom of others (to live).

Freedom is a two-edged sword - some interpret it to mean anything they f'ing want to do no matter what harm.

Just as one cannot murder with a gun; one should not be able to murder by poisoning food and water.