On the Bodily Functions Politic

10/08/2007 8:34 AM – 8:54 AM

What then are the rights of the governors? The same as that of the governed, but the office has no rights at all. And maybe you can skip this one, because it’s just politics which is a tiresome sport, fit only for the lazy or belligerent. Life, liberty, and property – the original self-evident rights. The last struck from the list because of the controversial definition of “property” – i.e. does that include another man?

Disagreeing with “self-evident” by reason of an attempt at logical voracity, we still must regard them as necessary, though not, perhaps sufficient. Thou shalt not deprive another of life, save to prevent the taking of life. Thou shalt not deprive another of liberty by enslavement nor imprisonment save to prevent enslavery or imprisonment or the taking of life. Thou shalt not, by force nor fraud, take the property of another, save to reimburse the taking of property by force or fraud. Nor shall you by false witness, in act of omission or commission, allow these rights to be infringed.

It is not self-evident because it is not evident to all. It is not God-given because it is not given to all. It is merely the necessary starting point for a working society. What holiday is it? I don’t even know. Something granted to us by a government that takes itself very seriously because its governed takes it very seriously. Pssht. Politics: the messy bowel movements of human interaction. The duty of a contentious citizen is to work subtly to undermine it the power of its government. The power of a True Believer is to have no conscience. Do your best to fly under the radar of the government and its True Believers. Do your best to pursue life, liberty and property with unpatriotic aforethought. Serve God, love me, and oh, the happier we will be.