The Inferior Golden Rule


It's at best a perversion and at worst enslavement.
I'm sure you've heard of the Golden Rule, also called the Ethics of Reciprocity.

My favorite version comes as part of a set of three rules. Taken together, these rules are a pretty good guideline for healthy human behavior.

GOLDEN RULE
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

SILVER RULE
Do for yourself at least as much as you do for others.

IRON RULE
Don't do for others what they can do for themselves.

These aren't original with me, I ran across the set in a motivational publication during my Corporate Clone days. And I find them a pretty good description of libertarian ideas (although not the best I've seen). Yes, other people are important. But YOU are important too. And you do no favors for another if you do what they can do for themselves. I call it charity and compassion with an attitude.

But there is another Golden Rule, one that is usually trotted out as an example of the failure of selfish free markets. Say it with me, you know what it is.

He who has the Gold makes the Rules.

Starting today, I'm going to call that the Inferior Golden Rule. It also doesn't have anything to do with the free market. Let me remind folks about what the free market is really about.

The free market is based solely on the voluntary and mutual exchange of goods and services. In a real free market, it doesn't matter who has the gold because they want to exchange it for something else. Your economic power is not how much of something you may have, but the flow of exchange.

The Inferior Golden Rule is at best a perversion and at worst enslavement. The Inferior Golden Rule can't work without coercion and the threat of force.

That puts a whole new spin on the government plans to "reform" health care, doesn't it?

And yes, I said "plans."

Because that's the "other" thing they aren't telling you. The Republican alternatives also mean that the government calls the shots and makes the rules.

The politicos are telling you that you HAVE to choose EITHER one or the other. I'm telling you that's a false choice because it costs your freedom.

But hey folks, I'm not the one who's holding a gun to your head.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Wed - September 9, 2009 at 05:18 PM  Tag


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