Posted: 6/6/2006 11:37:54 AM EDT
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I was just wondering something. I notice that in many threads there are heated arguments that basically come down to a discussion of theory vs reality. That is, the way things are supposed to work in a perfect world vs the way things are in real life. This theme is repeated over and over again, usually with regard to the law and constitution, but sometimes other issues. That begs the question, how many here are still in school or recently graduated or perhaps a professor, vs people who have been out in the real world, living, producing and doing. This difference might well account for many of the arguments I see here. |
I reject your theory of reality|
I shall give a small example to help the confused. In theory, communism is a great idea. Each person contributes what they can and gets what they need. Sounds wonderful. In reality, the elite have vacation homes on the black sea and eat caviar, the peasents make gloves in siberia for a bread ration and have no chance for self improvement. They are however equal because they all call each other comrade. Even though the glove maker is scared shitless to look the head man in the eye. |
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I see what you mean. I'm one of the ones who thinks the "theory" of the Constitution should be adhered to, even though we live in the "reality" that it has been abused for years, with the abusers often using the early abuses as "precedents" to justify further abuse. "Reality", is often a term used to justify compromise, such as "Well we can't get what's right, so we'll accept a more palatable form of wrong". That doesn't go down to well for me. I realize that the "hard line" isn't always easy to get done, but in the case of the direction of the country, I am not really willing(myself) to sell it down the river for the sake of pragmatism. Maybe others are, and I'm sure that I look like a nut to them. |
Are you implying that I'm not currently, nor have ever been, living in the real world?  |
Its not to me, but sell it to the guy making gloves in Siberia and on the face of it,??? |
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The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is none and in practice there is If you go far enough left or right you will find ideologues who want to replace practice (Churchill's "worst possible system with the exception of all others") with their theoretical ideal. Neat theoretical ideal always looks good compared to messy reality. Essayons Recovering Libertarian |
I don't think you are the Ivory tower type of professor. Reality dictates that not everyone will conform to the norm. |
I'll give you another example. In theory Lassie Faire capitalism is a good idea. In reality, lack of regulation leads to abuses of power, colusion, monopolization and the eventual erradication of the free market. The little guy eventually cannot compete with the big guy and winds up being crushed under the boot of the powerful. |
some people tend to be of the opinion that whatever laws pass (regardless of their respective legality), and whatever actions are pursued by the government to enforce said laws, is now reality. any resistance to the legal framework in which you exist (regardless of the legality of said legal framework) or the government agents of enforcement shows your inability to deal with "the real world". after all, the paper that says what the government can do is just "theory", whereas what the government does (regardless of legality) is "reality". if you object to government actions you are just another "tin foil" type... |
Think about it. In theory, it's a great concept. Everyone works for the common good. Everybody (if they want) gets a chance to be in charge for a while, and then they step down (or get forced to). Everybody prospers equally, everybody works the same amount. True equality. But where the rubber meets the road, there are problems. Once in power, people don't want to give it up. Human nature sets in. Just like Libertarianism. It's a GREAT concept. It will fail just like Communism did if it's ever implemented in its past and current forms. Too many people want something for nothing for Libertarianism to ever truly work. |
I think in a picture-perfect Star-Trekky world where everyone honestly wants to better themselves and mankind and make sure that everyone is taken care of and all that, then it works. But in any real world, you're going to have power-grubbers, back-stabbers, leeches, moochers, and dirtbags who screw everything up for everyone else. It might actually work on the small scale like a small isolated village or large family, but given enough people, it always goes to crap. |
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I don't think that Communism is a good example, because the "theoretically perfect" form of Communism was never intended to be realized. Nor is it really possible. It is simply a ruse designed to make people give up their freedoms to a dictatorship, and then that's as far as it will go. It's a con game. |
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Another example: In theory, a person who is legally armed has nothing to fear from the law. If stopped, the police would politely ask him if he was a legally armed citizen before taking any action. The police would then shoot the shit about guns and stuff, then appologize for bothering him. In reality, the police will put him on the ground, disarm him, check him out, run the gun for stolen, then either charge him with what he allegedly did, or , let him be on his way if it turns out he did nothing wrong. In a very small percentage of cases, some cop somewhere will pull an obscure section of law to charge him with even if all else was fine. Given the number of self professed realists on this board, I'm actually quite surprised at the number of anti police responses generated to these incidents when we all know that such encounters are not going to go well in the real world. Not because the police officer is individually anti gun owner or anything like that, but simply because the particular area involved for whatever reason has anti gun ordinances on the books. |
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Theory vs. Reality explained: A young son asks his dad to explain the difference between theory and reality. So his dad says "follow me son, pay attention and you'll learn something." The dad asks the mom "Honey, would you fuck the neighbor for a million dollars" Wife replies "You damn right I would." The dad goes to the daughter "Sis, would you have sex with the neighbor for a million dollars" daughter says "Hmm, dad, a million dollars is a lot of money, so I guess I'll have to say yes" The dad goes to the older son and asks "Would you have sex with the neighbor for a million dollars" Older son answers " A million bucks is a lot of money, I'd do just about anything for a million bucks, including that" The dad turns to the younger son and says " You see son, in theory... We're millionaires, but in reality... we live with 2 whores and a homo." 
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