CollectiveReason.org Archives - The Libertarian Labyrinth

To the Point! To Action!! (4 of 4)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur

[Part 1] – [Part 2] – [Part 3] XIX With governmental control, such as was held by fallen administrations and as we have preserved until the present time, we can boldly address a challenge to anyone who would seriously accept public functions, and thus diminish the personnel of two formidable armies that weigh on the liberties and the fortunes of France: the army of the offices and that of the barracks. We can challenge them, consequently, not to proclaim liberty—if they do that, I will laugh—but to put that liberty into action, and lead them to be something other than […]

To the Point! To Action!! (3 of 4)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur

[Part 1] – [Part 2] XIII But there are people who are still far from accepting this reasoning. The theoreticians, our masters, find ideas preferable to fact. And this doctrine that they maintain provides them with a dividend which strongly encourages them to continue maintaining it. In their view, provided that tax payments continue and provided that the rain respects the words Republic and Liberty on the front of the public buildings, we are republicans and free. These people are very bright! As bright as that well-advised character in the Arab proverbs who, without touching the contents of a vase […]

To the Point! To Action!! (2 of 4)

May 8, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur

[Part 1] VII The representatives to the National Assembly were elected, let us not forget, to create a democratic constitution, to simplify the administration to allow a reduction in tax and respect for the individual; they were elected to set up the country. What have they done, however? Instead of setting up the country, they have been busy setting themselves up in government; they have deduced the consequence before establishing the principles; then, and without being able to escape the disastrous precedent they have just established, they have only been concerned, as they could only be concerned, with the health […]

To the Point! To Action!! (1 of 4)

May 8, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur

To the Point! To Action!! AN INTERPRETATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC IDEA[Part 2] – [Part 3] – [Part 4] Anselme Bellegarrigue I am told that that I am governed for my own good. Now, since I pay my money to be governed, it follows that it is for my own good that I pay that money. This is possible, but it nevertheless deserves verification. Moreover, it is a fact that no one could be more familiar than me with the means of making myself happy. I still find it strange, incomprehensible, anti-natural, and extra-human, to devote oneself to the happiness of […]

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Getting collaborative at Collective Reason

January 8, 2009 Shawn P. Wilbur

Well, I had expected complications in my translating efforts, and they have come already. But the largest complication of the last several days has been of a rather fortunate sort: I have help. As I’ve mentioned before, there has been a fairly long-running, if somewhat desultory conversation about establishing a collaborative translation site. But there has also been a fair amount of practical tinkering going on as well, and it looks like we have one, and potentially more, projects really moving forward. Collective Reason, which I have been using for some of my work, now has a set of simple […]