>> But what can one expect in the long run of a government in which the highest moral authority is "we the people" and not the word of God?
> I expect less abuse of power than I see in states that exploit their "right"
> to do almost anything in the name of a privileged status relative to God or
> Allah.
Such expectation seems highly unrealistic in light of the behavior of governments that explicitly claim as highest authority "the proletariat" or "the master race."
It's probably a bit simplistic, but I think a general correlation exists between the assumptions made about human nature and the effects of the government. Assuming that a select group of people are good (true believers, the proletariat, the master race, the nobility, conservatives, liberals, etc.) and other people are bad tends to produce despotism. Assuming that everyone is good, but needs a little help, tends to produce a welfare state, with associated inefficiencies. Assuming that everyone is inclined to evil and needs checks, balances, protective (not protectionist) rules, etc. seems to work best. The latter could go with assorted systems. For example, the ideals for kingship described in Deuteronomy require the king to obey the law and serve the people, though this was rarely true of the kingd of Judah and Israel.
Dr. David Campbell
Old Seashells
University of Alabama
Biodiversity & Systematics
Dept. Biological Sciences
Box 870345
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
Received on Thu May 27 16:35:41 2004
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