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Varlan Allan

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Why is it so difficult to live a simple life in First World Countries?

By this I mean. Why can I not build my own house on a simple piece of land and educate my child from home and generate my own power from an alternative energy source. All this without having some authority coming and disrupting such acts.
Let us slash bureaucracy and let people live life a bit easier.
Bureaucracy = uneventful life.

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  • Alistair Dunbar

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    Dec 7 2011: Society in terms of government and economy has been of such a complex intertwined nature for so long that it would be impossible to become totally detached from it. The point I was making about liberty is based on the nature of the formation of societies. Since the birth of agriculture there has been property that more than adequately fulfills the needs of the individual. Once you have something that is turning a form of profit it becomes desirable and if there are no consequences to the action an individual could readily take it from you if they were stronger. The most basic laws are all in regards to the right of property and protecting it from these invasions; allowing you to accumulate property without fear of harm.

    The most basic communities will have laws that are principly punishment based to allow the amassing of capital beyond the scope of merely living totally freely in nature (without protection beyond your own means). As soon as you have a system that limits your actions you're not living totally freely, so when the laws regarding property rights and murder are put into effect they are already limiting your freedom. I don't think you'll find many people that will have problems with their freedom to murder and steal be limited and in turn we all gain a degree of certainty in the protection of our property and ultimately our lives.

    Any other laws that have sprung up since are still at some level trying to maintain these two basic ideals; the right to property and the right to a safe life. There has been some muddying of the water since where the presence of the laws does seem to infringe beyond these basic legal rights but I assure you most are to protect you from a wild state of nature where you own nothing and your life is at constant risk.

    The problems with government are far too many to list (reasons longer still) but a good general rule of thumb is that an individual in power benefits to negative consequence of their subjects.

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