As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, a steady collapse of unmaintained bridges is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-mobile people whose leaders at last lose their focus on building infrastructure will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually crossing its rivers and improving light rail has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would build you a scenic bike path, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
Commissioner Pravin Lal, "U.N. Declaration of Not Bridges"
They usually define the state in a similar way as us, actually. The entity that maintains a monopoly on political violence. The difference is that we think of the state as an instrument of the ruling class, while they’re idealists who think the state is its own independent entity that functions as a protection racket.
And an additional step to their thought process, they’ve bizarrely twisted themselves into knots trying to pretend that somehow only the state is responsible for protection rackets, and that 100% pure private enterprise will never have anything like that happen.
This reminds me of early American political discourse where dudes with syphilis would write an article entitled like the tyranny of the post office about how centralized mail would overthrow nature itself
This fuckface, what? Thinks the government can “protect your rights” with hovercraft that don’t need roads or bridges? Say me and the commies decide we’re going to steal your shit. You call the cops. Cops say “We would help protect your property, but unfortunately the commies bought all the roads around your property and they’re asking us to pay a 6 million dollar toll. Sorry, it would be unethical for us to spend that much of the taxpayers’ money to save your Ford F150.”
…because that’s exactly how this shit would play out if we lived in Galt’s Gulch.
There was a moment in “God Emperor of Dune” when Duncan Idaho was absolutely shocked that people even in Empire capital live on primitive subsistence and in complete ignorance. Leto explained to him that entire empire looks like that, it’s purposeful and it’s because it’s easier to control.
Incredible exchange.
I feel like my life would be better if any of these dorks could actually define the state, and the purpose of the state
They usually define the state in a similar way as us, actually. The entity that maintains a monopoly on political violence. The difference is that we think of the state as an instrument of the ruling class, while they’re idealists who think the state is its own independent entity that functions as a protection racket.
And an additional step to their thought process, they’ve bizarrely twisted themselves into knots trying to pretend that somehow only the state is responsible for protection rackets, and that 100% pure private enterprise will never have anything like that happen.
This reminds me of early American political discourse where dudes with syphilis would write an article entitled like the tyranny of the post office about how centralized mail would overthrow nature itself
This fuckface, what? Thinks the government can “protect your rights” with hovercraft that don’t need roads or bridges? Say me and the commies decide we’re going to steal your shit. You call the cops. Cops say “We would help protect your property, but unfortunately the commies bought all the roads around your property and they’re asking us to pay a 6 million dollar toll. Sorry, it would be unethical for us to spend that much of the taxpayers’ money to save your Ford F150.”
…because that’s exactly how this shit would play out if we lived in Galt’s Gulch.
I took from her infrastructure a single bridge, perhaps to cross it again.
-Commissioner Pravin Lal, “Time of Bridgement”
I’m looking for that line in the book, but I only have the abridged version
There was a moment in “God Emperor of Dune” when Duncan Idaho was absolutely shocked that people even in Empire capital live on primitive subsistence and in complete ignorance. Leto explained to him that entire empire looks like that, it’s purposeful and it’s because it’s easier to control.