Re: "Gentlemen do not read each other's mail"

["James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>]

[This discussion was originally about the "right" of governments
to read people mail.  As is natural and appropriate, it immediately
became necessary to discuss the general question of rights.]

>On Thu, 25 Jan 1996, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
>> I am a funny sort of person. I don't believe that governments should
>> be able to do anything that individuals cannot.

At 07:00 PM 1/25/96 -0500, Alan Horowitz wrote:
>   So violent criminals should never be jailed?

Probably he believes they should be shot instead.

The principle that governments have no special moral rights beyond
those of normal men leads logically to the conclusion that men
have a natural right to engage in just retribution, provided of
course that such retribution can be seen to be just.

John Locke has written at some length, attempting to justify limited
government on this principle.



>
>
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