Re: A Third Way?

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Vertegaal wrote:
>  ..  "[It is the duty of] the government to be the protector of those who
>      are unable to defend themselves against the excesses of the
>      powerful; in the interest of an impartial but enduring stability for
>      all, and to countervail the often passionately fought for, but just
>      temporal advantage to the few... Only [this authority], transcendent
>      of prospective productivity gains being a sufficient condition to
>      motivate individuals [on the micro scale], is able to correlate
>      [these tendencies] with the augmentation of living standard and
>      happiness for all; which ought to be the goal and disposition of
>      society."   Sismondi, N.P. I:52,53 (2e ed. 1827)  [my translation]


I have written several times on this and other lists that it is the
function of government to protect the weak, for the strong is itself
government and needs no other.

It is more than a matter of duty.  Any government that does not protect
the weak has no reason to exist.

Henry C.K. Liu