They are statues with their hearts of stone.
No man is an island, entire of itself,
Adam Smith noted in The Wealth of Nations that we are more than animals but this does not stop us behaving harshly at times:
In almost every other race of animals each individual, when it is grown up to maturity, is entirely independent, and in its natural state has occasion for the assistance of no other living creature. But man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. [Book I, Chapter II]Given the mayhem of US roads, it seems very silly to argue “Why should I be forced to drive/ride on the right? – my freedom is being infringed”. It seems even sillier to argue that rules of the road are criminal. On Ron Paul’s web site:
Why should anyone be forced to subsidize the medical care of others? Very few individuals would personally assault their neighbors at gunpoint and steal thousands of dollars to pay for their own medical needs. How could any freedom loving person agree to delegate such criminal acts to the government by supporting a compulsory health insurance system? [Emphasis in original]Now Paul might feel compulsory health care is reprehensible, but it is certainly not criminal. I hope I would not use violence to assault anybody at gunpoint to steal money for any reason: and I would hope this is true for most people – assault is a criminal act. For example, being told to drive on the right is not a criminal act by society, though it reduces my freedom, because it is a sensible act intended to reduce carnage on the roads. It would be irresponsible to call the act "criminal".
Each man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.
Paul is irresponsible, because even the compulsion of slavery in the original US Constitution was not criminal – it was simply reprehensible, taking away people's freedom. Segregation was not criminal, it was reprehensible, and Paul has tried to excuse segregation as being something unimportant, something in the past (see my comments here). Paul’s remark about the criminality of health insurance is worthless.
Paul is also a dreamer because he believes that many doctors would have a conversion on the road to a liberated health care system (but not “Imagine all the people sharing all the world”):
... Under a liberated health care system prices would come down and additional options would become available, thereby making health care much more affordable. Moral corruption would give way to true compassion, and many doctors would remember their implicit obligation to provide free medical care to those in need, just like they did in the past. [Emphasis in original, my emphasis]Translation: “many doctors are morally corrupt, but under a liberated health care system they would suddenly remember their human obligation to help others who cannot pay – just as I think they used to do.”
… send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.
No Man Is An Island
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
John Donne
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