Comments on: Different models of justice

By: Dan Weston

Dan Weston — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:30:56 +0000

Johnny, don’t be modest. Thanks to you, I can’t get that visual with the BOCK out of my mind. Reminds me of my work station, actually. :)

By: Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:24:06 +0000

da-it, i tried…but #34 #35 are hard acts to follow. bravo brothern. bravo.
by comparison my nonsese sucks. at least i got a flute out of it.

By: Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:13:22 +0000

what if the kid who built the flute was forced to make it in a sweat shop and really want’s nothing to do with it because it reminds him of the incessent threats, he endured well, of replacing his conveir belt seat with the BOCK (a midieval torture device. basicaly a piramide on a stick for a seat equiped with foot tugs, i.e. wieghts, for added comfort) for crying cause he could only work so hard for his capitalist benifactors? Also lets say the one who knows how to play can only do so as a result of his never ending practice session brought on by the relentless coersion of his parents who really would have prefered satans plan in the pre-existance on top of which are sadisticly living thier dreams of glote through his talent? Then you got the poor fool with no toys. He has already been geronteed faithfulness over many things in the next life because in this one he has proved faithful over no things and throwing a few things into the mix would just mess up a good thing going??? (pheeeeewwww “Thoreau” long sentances)

answer: I get the flute! suckers…

By: rameumptom

rameumptom — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:40:45 +0000

Mike M #22 should NOT get any points, because he stole my idea. See #6. Instead, for plagiarizing, he should be cast into the pit with the lions or at least be elected to Congress….

By: Scott B.

Scott B. — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:23:48 +0000

Dan, remove the flute, shove a piano into the situation instead, and Presto! You've got Mormons.

By: Dan Weston

Dan Weston — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:06:53 +0000

I don’t know about Mormons, but for Catholics the road is clear:

The flute should be given to the first child, leaving the third with a life-long grudge against both Mom and sibling. The first should be forced to practice endlessly until he can no longer stand the sound of a flute and smashes it in frustration. The middle child is used to being neglected, so we need not concern ourselves with her Jan Brady low self-esteem. Anyway, one day she will write a Mommy Dearest book about everyone that makes a lot of money. In contrition, she shares it with everybody in the family. Luckily, Dad has to work late to support everyone, so he doesn’t deal with the trauma.

Actually, Catholics don’t like flutes. Now I know why.

By: Ziff

Ziff — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:03:31 +0000

Perhaps the flute could be neglected for a time, and later sold at an auction where a masterful player steps up and shows its worth, thus providing fodder for thousands of sacrament meeting talks. All three children are equally shafted, and tens of thousands of listeners are enriched. Sort of.

By: BobW

BobW — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:57:09 +0000

This is obviously a straw man argument. That they should be children? Clearly to evoke an emotional response. How about casting this clearly as people, a flute maker, a flute player and a deprived individual. This is, truly, as I stated up front, an economic argument. Place this in a greater economic sphere, as has been done, and talk about the theory of economics.

We, as a society, have an obligation to the deprived. Flute makers, alone, should not have to bear the burden alone to give away flutes to all of the deprived people.

The flute player, if economically viable, should compensate the maker. That is the fair market value of the flute.

If we were an Inuit or Kalahari aboriginal society, we share everything. I am not sure how a modern economy can operate under these conditions. This is the basis for the United Order, isn’t it? So I make a flute and you play it when you want to.

In the United Order does the Church own the capital, the means of production? Are there boards of directors chosen by bishops? Not that I am a champion of the totally free market, but I find the idea of operation of a complex economy by the Church to be absolutely frightening, making decisions on who owns what and where the resources are allocated.

By: Dan Weston

Dan Weston — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:17:54 +0000

I assume that no one would fear the possibility of undo coercion here, where everyone is "encouraged" to consecrate everything they have (or their neighbors claim they have), especially given that you later dare not fail to honor this spontaneous act of induced generosity?

By: Dave P.

Dave P. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:16:37 +0000

Property rights have always been what separated the United Order from socialism/communism. Even under the Law of Consecration we still have our agency and ability to do what we wish with what is ours.