Re: The Ayn Rand World

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 7:46 PM, David Deutsch <david.deutsch-LR/[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 3 Feb 2013, at 14:43, hibbsa [email protected]> wrote:
>
> > In this brave new world why:
> >
> > - would anyone be willing to fight and die for their country, for a few
> > hundred bucks a month? Where's the personal advantage right there for
> > that person?
> >
> > - How would democracy work without an ethos of public service? Why
> > should some elected official regard his duty as being to serve his
> > constituency? Why not just the position to line his own pockets?
> >
> > - Why not be corrupt in general if it makes more money for a given
> > individual in a given position?
>
> In any world, brave or not, why would anyone ever buy anything if the
> result was that they had less money?
>
> - David Deutsch
>

I know the simple point you are making, but I'm not sure I know how to
unpack it if you feel like helping out :o)

On the military side my response would be....really? You think people
are willing to fight and die for the money? I can imagine many go into
service for the career and money, but not courage under fire. Not
refusing to talk when captured.

I mean, why not take a better deal from the other side if one is
offered? Some do, but they get defined as traitors. Is that definition
wrong in the Ayn Rand world?

Is all the work they put into building up that sense of country,
patriotism, loyalty to unit and comrades and so on....is it
unnecessary...is it coercion/manipulation? Is it wrong?

On the corruption side, I can't unpack your point at all....because
here I'm actually suggesting people doing something  for the money.