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DennisLeeWilson
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« on: 2013-April-13 03:59:28 PM » |
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What *IS* The Bare Minimum...?http://tinyurl.com/The-Bare-Minimumhttp://atlasshruggedcelebrationday.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=312.msg658#msg658Originally published at...: http://dennisleewilson.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=664.msg1388#msg1388
What *IS* The Bare Minimum...?
(and Why Does No One ASK This Question?*)
by Dennis Lee Wilson
2013-Jan-11
“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
Thomas Jefferson
When central governments collapse, what is the nature of the agreements that people will make to provide for the security of themselves and their family? Or perhaps the question should be..: What *IS* the bare minimum that two people[1] need to agree upon, in order to live together peacefully and productively?
(There is a massive historical example from which to draw some lessons. It occurred when the Imperial Roman Empire collapsed. See http://tinyurl.com/1000-Dark-Years [5]. But I am getting ahead of myself.)
Any attempt to answer that question will find a lot of useful advice (such as "do not steal or murder") in various religions. But religions come with much more than the bare minimum requested in the opening question--far too much, actually, and much of it contradicts the useful advice. Therein lies part of the problem.
All systems of philosophy--including Ayn Rand's Objectivism--have some of the same characteristics. They encompass far more than the bare minimum that individuals need to agree upon, in order to live together peacefully and productively. It is NOT NECESSARY that everyone become an Objectivist or Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddist, etc in order to live together peacefully and productively. In fact, it is readily apparent that even groups of individuals who claim to adhere to Objectivism or some other philosophy or religion cannot agree on many essential core elements of their philosophy or religion. Furthermore, all "Objectivists" are not at the same level of knowledge about Objectivism. The same is true of ANY philosophy or religion. There will always be newcomers, students and children coming into adulthood.
Yet evidence abounds that it actually *IS* possible for some Objectivists to live peacefully and productively with some non-Objectivists--even without an EXPLICIT bare minimum. And the United States is (or at least used to be) evidence that it is possible for people of differing religious views to live peacefully and productively together.
Let's restate the original question as a universal...: Is there a bare minimum upon which *ALL* humans can agree?
Given what I have seen and know of psychopaths and people who gravitate to positions of power, I think that the answer is "DEFINITELY, NO!".
And that answer leads to a more specific question...: Is there a bare minimum upon which *YOU AND I* can agree?
If the two of us can agree upon something, perhaps there is one other person that you know, or that I know...
So what might an EXPLICIT bare minimum look like?
I submit for your appraisal The Covenant of Unanimous Consent.[2] It is rational, simple, easy to read and understand and even short enough to memorize if desired.
If you agree and become a Signatory, at the very least you will have a single piece of paper that you can copy, point to and proclaim:
- "These are MY terms for dealing with other people. They are explicit and they are the bare minimum. Does any one other person agree with these terms? If so, let the two of us agree to treat each other according to these terms!"
Dennis Lee Wilson
Signatory: The Covenant of Unanimous Consent
* Why Does No One ASK This Question? If the wrong questions are being asked, then the answers don’t really matter, do they?
“Ask the Right Question” http://tinyurl.com/Ask-Right-Question
Post Script
There is an important connection between The Covenant of Unanimous Consent[2] and Customary/Merchant Law[3] and Blackstone's Commentaries[4].
One might argue that the Covenant is too simple and ask "What about 'everyday' laws against theft, murder, fraud, and property and contract issues?" In the past[5], Merchant Law and Blackstone's provided those details--and they continue to do so to this day, in spite of the existence of government "laws" and government courts!
The Covenant provides the means by which individuals can and should judge particular instances of Merchant Law and Blackstone's,-- i.e. the Covenant *IS* Supreme Law. The Covenant *IS* what the USA Constitution was intended to be, and attempted and failed to provide.
The Constitution and similar historical documents[6] relied upon "other", delegated people (government) to "make", care for and enforce sensible and rational laws. The Covenant expects the individual Signatories to be responsible for themselves and their own actions, and to organize themselves as they deem to be appropriate. Merchant Law and Blackstone's Commentaries ALREADY EXIST! There is no great effort needed to utilize them. They are made, cared for and enforced by the individuals involved and they are excellent tools for Covenant societies and associations.
[1] It takes two people or more to form Voluntary Groups such as Marriages; Friendships; Agorist, Anarcho-capitalist, Anarchist and Survivalist Communities; Objectivist "Galt" Gulches and similar Societies; Redoubts; Family/Community Farms; Free State Groups; Temporary and Permanent Autonomous Zones; Supersedure Zones; Sea Steads; Independent Territories; Private Apartment Buildings; Home Associations and Restricted or Gated Communities and more. For details see...:
What *IS* a "Political Statement"? Why is One Needed? Who would Use It?
http://tinyurl.com/Political-Statement
[2] The Covenant of Unanimous Consent
http://tinyurl.com/Covenant-and-Galts-Oath
[3] The Enterprise of Customary Law [aka Law Merchant*]
http://tinyurl.com/Customary-Law
[4] Commentaries on the Laws of England by William Blackstone--also known as Blackstone's Commentaries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England
[5] Living for 1000 Years - The "Dark" Ages?
http://tinyurl.com/1000-Dark-Years
-- What *IS* so important about 1,000 years of human history that advocates of government need to label it "Dark"?
[6] A Written Constitution: Protecting the State from the People
http://tinyurl.com/Why-Constitutions-Fail
*Law Merchant...:
By studying the incentives and institutions of primitive law, it becomes evident that precisely the same kinds of customary legal systems have existed in more complex societies, ranging from medieval Iceland, Ireland, and Anglo-Saxon England to the development of the medieval Law Merchant, and even to the western frontier of the United States during the 1800s. Numerous frontiersmen were familiar with Blackstone's and frequently quoted from it.
Law Merchant developed during the time when humans in Europe REJECTED the existing Roman law and actually managed to live--and thrive-- for 1,000 years without big central government! What *IS* so important about the Middle Ages that advocates of government need to label it "Dark"?
Mr. Wilson is a member of Mensa in Arizona and is a past editor of Vidya, the Journal of the Triple Nine Society. He writes and collects articles about current events and analyzes how they relate to the Covenant. Some of his articles have been published on sites throughout the worldwide web. All are available at his personal website/blog at http://DennisLeeWilson.com. See http://tinyurl.com/Articles-Index
Download this article, in MS-Word 2000 .doc format by clicking the next line..:What *IS* The Bare Minimum...? 939 KB updated 2013-06-03 
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