[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] Sounds good to me ;)

Russell Senior seniorr at aracnet.com
Tue Jun 18 22:23:01 UTC 2002


>>>>> "Scot" == Craighead, Scot D <craighead.scot at vectorscm.com> writes:

Russell> Wait, I know, there are more of "us" than "them" right now,
Russell> so lets just vote, right?  Suppose we all vote to tax
Russell> redheads at double the ordinary rate, or require them to hop
Russell> on one foot for a couple hours a day.  "We" have a majority
Russell> on that.  They aren't really part of our culture anyway.
Russell> They all come from Scotland or something.  Majority rules,
Russell> right?  What is wrong with that?

Scot> We do have laws like that.  Smokers pay extra texes because they
Scot> are in the minorty.  The Oregon legislature is debating raising
Scot> this tax again right now becuase they know that smokers are a
Scot> minority.  

So, uh, you are equating tobacco users with redheads and people who
like to speak in a different language than you.  The rationale for a
tobacco tax is to curb known harm and to compensate for damages
incurred (i.e. a "user fee").  For non-english speakers and redheads,
it is a sheer power trip, it seems to me.  And such an inconsequential
one to boot.  To suggest that our "english-speaking" culture is
imperiled in *any* way right now is just ludicrous.

Besides, you've got nothing to worry about when it comes to your tax
dollars going to coddle foreigners.  Your entire federal tax bill last
year went to pay for a tail fin on a 500 lb bomb.  Curdle maybe, but
not coddle.

Scot> So you don't believe in majority rule...what form of government
Scot> do you like?  Perhaps an educated elite that can decide for the
Scot> crude masses?

Again, I refer you to the "tyranny of the majority" as discussed by
our "founding fathers" for elucidation on the tensions involved.

Russell> BTW, does it bother you at all that _our_ goverment's sole
Russell> goal around the world is *precisely* to tell other
Russell> governments what their laws should be?  We've got our grubby
Russell> mitts *all over* this Loya Girga thing, and I only mention
Russell> _that_ to be topical.

Scot> Yes it bothers me.  I made several posts regarding this in
Scot> another thread a while ago.

Well then, please go and vent on that topic for a while and leave the
poor non-english speakers alone.  It is a vastly bigger problem than
the one you've been investing so much mental energy in.


-- 
Russell Senior         ``The two chiefs turned to each other.        
seniorr at aracnet.com      Bellison uncorked a flood of horrible       
                         profanity, which, translated meant, `This is
                         extremely unusual.' ''                      




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