What is the source of authority?

[Azisien]

Hmm, so you're saying that people only have whatever rights are granted to them by their government? Or merely that these rebels forfeit the right to be protected by the law?

Certainly the latter, the former is a little touchy. I don't think governments give rights to their citizens so DIRECTLY. I don't believe in objective rights, as far as the word objective goes. But I do believe in human beings creating a fairly objective set of rights for human beings. Following that, the majority would agree with these rights and honor them. Since the government is more or less fuelled by its people, the majority in particular, I guess you might be able to relate that to the government 'granting' us rights. They are certainly take them away with their authority.

So by this logic, the American Revolution wasn't justified, correct?

Again, we haven't been dealing with numbers here, but now that I know the numbers regarding the American Revolution, I'm expected to make an assessment. I've been using the word majority, so in the strictest sense of my logic, yes, the American Revolution wasn't justified. There, I said it.

However, 33% of a population supported separation from Britain. That's a lot of people. Moreover, 33% were Loyalists. Since 33% were neutral or didn't care either way, let's just ignore them...that makes it 50% either way. Sounds like we've more than crossed the boundary for a "change" to occur. This is much different from the other example, where "one state" is revolting from "one country." I don't know my US geography, or population demographics, but that sounds more like...4% revolting, 96% neutral or loyal. Huge difference.

[Sir Pinkleton]

Hurray, this forum is making me think! I'll definately go here the next term paper I need to do.

Also, to make this post less spam (I'd post more, but all the points have been made), I'd like to ask where the name 'Aphaetonism' came from. dictionary.com has brought up nothing.

[Whale Biologist]

Originally Posted by fifthfiend

Well yeah.

But we're a bunch of know-it-alls who can't keep our overweening brilliance to ourselves, in any case.

So it's cool.

Hell if someone wants to harness our hot air for the purposes of grinding a term paper out of us, I say more power to him, and happy to see a discussion topic actually serve some kind of real-life purpose, somehow.

Here's something about the source of authority.

I don't talk about religion (anymore) on this forum because I fear the pain of being banned. I have absolutely NO moral or ethical qualms about it, so I am now safely in the Group 2 I mentioned. fifthfiend has the authority to ban my ass and not give me a reason (and truth be told, he's done it before). His authority stems from the fact that, although we outnumber him and may disagree, he still has the final say, and in the real world, that's fairly practical.

[Skyshot]

His authority stems from the fact that, although we outnumber him and may disagree, he still has the final say, and in the real world, that's fairly practical.

To an extent, though, what I said in my first post applies here too. If we don't like our moderators' conduct, we probably can't oust them (unless you count hacking), but we can move to another forum and thereby indirectly neutralize their power. See for comparison.

[Whale Biologist]

You could, but "I'm going to leave a place I like because I don't like the guy in charge" is sort of the opposite stance to most situations. You leave a place you DON'T like, not a place you DO like with people you DON'T like.

That's the fifteen year old storming off, shouting "I'm gonna start my OWN club, and YOU WONT BE INVITED! It'll have POOL, and WII, and HOOKERS... in fact, forget the pool and the hookers!"

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by Whale Biologist

fifthfiend has the authority to ban my ass and not give me a reason (and truth be told, he's done it before).

Without derailing this thread too much further into It's All About Me-land, I'm pretty sure everybody I've banned for a serious reason has received a fairly exhaustive explanation of why.

Also and as a general guideline, I would be somewhat careful about extrapolating any conclusions about authority on an internet message board, into any kind of judgement about actual, real-life, meaningful authority.

To an extent, though, what I said in my first post applies here too. If we don't like our moderators' conduct, we probably can't oust them (unless you count hacking), but we can move to another forum and thereby indirectly neutralize their power.

You could always write a three-page-long flame telling them how hard they suck, then leave fo-evas.

Not that I would know anything about that.

[Mesden]

Originally Posted by fifthfiend

Without derailing this thread too much further into It's All About Me-land, I'm pretty sure everybody I've banned for a serious reason has received a fairly exhaustive explanation of why.

Also and as a general guideline, I would be somewhat careful about extrapolating any conclusions about authority on an internet message board, into any kind of judgement about actual, real-life, meaningful authority.



You could always write a three-page-long flame telling them how hard they suck, then leave fo-evas.

Not that I would know anything about that.

You know, up until the "then leave fo-evas"...Ah, nevermind!

Also, as far as I can give my whole thought process into WHAT makes authority, I have to go with...

Money. Money=Authority. Money, wealth, stocks, land, WHATEVER! You've got wealth, you've got more authority WHEREVER you want it.

Money is the universal power.

Also: Connections to money. The more influence you have on its overabiding crippling hold on the world, the more authority you have.

Authority is more than instant power, but rather ability to influence things the way you want, how you want without much resistance.

[POS Industries]

I've always felt that the illusion of power is much more persuasive than actually having it. All the money, weapons, land, whatever in the world is useless if the people realize that they outnumber you by about a million to one. If the peasants become willing to put themselves against the tanks in the hopes of eventually overwhelming them, you're up shit creek and, uh-oh, where'd your paddle go?

Just about every revolution in history has involved the "weak" amassing to take down the "powerful", because the former realized that the latter's power was only a front. The French and Bolshevik revolutions are obvious examples of this.

You can only be controlled if you allow yourself to be. Don't forget that.

[Sesshoumaru]

At the risk of getting a warning. All authority comes from God, and is governed by absolute truth.

[Mesden]

Originally Posted by Sesshoumaru

At the risk of getting a warning. All authority comes from God, and is governed by absolute truth.

Oh my...dude. Please, no. Something so defiantly blatant and placing through as a fact/opinion (THAT very means is an endlessly dwindling argument) in discussion forum, a place of means and debate, is not a good thing at all.

Please, like, delete that post so I may this one. Lives are best left intact, and this is way too risky to be prodding.