Great lecture. = ) Just finished On Liberty and what a mind bender. I have always fashioned myself as a libertarian. Do what you want as long as you don't involve someone else. I enjoy Penn Jillete's opinion that I'll paraphrase: I barely know or want to make the decisions for my own family; I have no right or interest advising other people's families. This topic seems pervasive throughout many centuries. If I have a "right" to smoke cigarettes I also have a duty for it to not affect others. Airplane smoking was always a bad idea; now we understand why. Criminals of yesterday are free acting agents today. Law abiding citizens today will beg the court's mercy tomorrow. Ebb & flow of human development has created much unnecessary mental anguish. What is a thinking individual to do? The freer we are to express disent, the feer society is as a whole to reap the benefits of individuality. I think, therfore I am. Well maybe. Freedom of thought & action is not obligatory. Last night I watched THX 1138. More thought provoking than any Star Wars movie Lucas does. 1971 was a great year. Or maybe it was hell on earth to some. I can't determine whether it was better or worse or the same. I wasn't issued except seven years later. In my modesty opinion; ages, times, eras all have generally the same two opposing forces: individuals & the collective society. Things are no more bad than good & vice versa. Relatively speaking we have it better and worse than any other period of time. To end on a cliche . . . (of quoting others since someone else has always said it better) "He who only knows his side of the case, knows very little of that." JSM Thank you for wasting your time & providing dozens of people the outlet SO very needed. JMP
