223 The Deal

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What gives you or anyone the right to have anything? Force. That's all, force. If you have something I want, I'll take it unless you can stop me with more force. But we can make a deal: you work with me & I'll work with you to our mutual benefit. In the liberty sense, I'll leave you alone, watch your back in a fight against a common enemy, take care of you if you're ill & in your old age, and you do the same for me. We also tacitly agree to follow a common set of rules. We are allies. Not said, but definitely implied, is my need for dignity & respect, and because envy & resentment play a huge role in any human interaction, I must feel I have the same opportunity for success as you do.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Deal will continue until one side or the other thinks they can do better without it. For example, the power of one side may become so lopsided that it simply becomes a dictator, or the other side recognizes it can gain more through violence, or use the cudgel of democracy to take what they want. That's why both sides need to first be taking care of their own needs, but always glancing into the camp of the other for signs of dissatisfaction or complacency. I can only be free to do as I want if other people feel the same way. The Deal is the philosophy formulated during The Enlightenment, and the foundation of liberty.</p>