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Don't you see where this sort of argument is
going?
Once you create a strong government with the
right to define the rights of property in a way
that serves the "common good" or maximizes the
welfare of the greatest number of people, there
are no internal limits on what it can do.
If you're lucky, there will be considerable
political opposition to the expansion of
government power and it will be held back. But
you may not be that lucky. Besides, in
principle there is no limit on what it can
do.
If you are going to use some sort of obligation
to the common good or to the greatest number as
a justification for the modern welfare state,
there is virtually no limit on what the
government can do with anyone's property.
For me, that's unacceptable. The beauty of
libertarianism is that it does provide
principled limits on government, not just
practical political opposition.
You can say that what the government does is
acceptable because it is "legitimate." My answer
is that a government without some internal,
principled limits on what it can do is never
legitimate.
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