How Should We Resolve Moral Disagreements?

Impact

I have a moral problem with the mass killing of innocent people; the casualties of the Iraq war being just one small portion of democide that has occurred throughout recorded history. So, the question remains as to what I should do about it.

Should I parade around in front of government office buildings with a peace sign? Should I write letters to my congressmen asking them to please stop killing people? Should I write news articles telling people that it is morally wrong to kill people? Should I donate my time and money to the political campaign of a politician that promises to end the wars?

I have a moral problem with the public indoctrination "education" system; the casualties of the U.S. education system being just one small portion of propagandized youth throughout recorded history.

Should I parade around in front of government office buildings with a sign that decries our public education system? Should I write letters to my congressmen asking them to support education reform? Should I write news articles telling people that it is morally wrong to support an education system with 50% graduation rates? Should I donate my time and money to the political campaign of a politician that promises to end the public education system?

As it turns out, I have moral problems with practically everything the state does. I morally disagree with conscription, drug laws, marriage licenses, permits to engage in commerce, wealth redistribution, fiat money, centrally planned interest rates, bank bailouts, cronyism, nepotism, etc.. etc.. etc..

I argue about these issues online. I run an editorial news web site. I submit articles to news websites. I donate money to political campaigns. I donate money to private organizations that promote libertarianism. I donate my time to various organizations that work to stop what I find to be morally repugnant. Yet nothing changes.

Nothing changes because I am prohibited from doing the ONE THING that will actually STOP morally repugnant behavior by the state.

You see, I can argue with a statist about the morality of war, public education, wealth redistribution, and all the rest; statists are perfectly fine and happy to argue with me about these issues. However, if I withdraw my funding from those things which I find to be morally repugnant, well that’s just going a bit too far. A statist will never really lose an argument to me, because in the end, they have a gun to my head.