In a world filled with states, officeholders and officials should view themselves as having political responsibility as analyzed by Weber, which is much like [David] Miller’s remedial responsibility. They wield power that is not morally legitimated by its origins; the power exists because of morally neutral historical and social accidents. What remains is moral responsibility for what is done with the power.
State officials then confront a world in which their authority gives them unusual power over outcomes. In a world full of drowning children, they are unusually likely to have access to life preservers.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Life Preservers
In a response to this stupid bullshit Jacob T. Levy quotes himself and I like it:
State provision of life preservers will merely encourage children to drown.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't the children have their own life-preserver stand? A nickel a life-preserver?
ReplyDeleteThat was funny, the hrs.of discourse & electrons wasted on the basis of an Onion item.
ReplyDeleteFunny, yet pathetic beyond rational belief.