Quote:
Originally Posted by Daithi
I also see a conflict that never seems to be resolved -- should the rights of the individual be respected and protected, or is society better off when the needs of the group as a whole takes priority? This one question seems to pendulum back and forth.
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That question in one form or another, goes back at least to the battle of Salamis: Do citizens belong to the government or does government belong to the citizens? Who owns your labors and dreams?
Whether it be couched in terms of democracy vs autocracy, group rights vs personal accountability, big government vs small government, or any of a hundred permutations, that question is one every society in every age has to answer for itself.
John F. Kennedy had one answer, Stalin another, Margaret Thatcher still another.
Answers abound, none final; the question is a test every generation of human must face.