The Best Introduction To The Mountains

Andy Robertson · 07 Jan 2002, 11:39 · from urth-v0031.mbox · original

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From: "Andy Robertson" <andywrobertson at clara.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: The Best Introduction To The Mountains
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 11:39:01 -0000
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Adam Stephanides" <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
>
> In other works Wolfe approves not just of civil disobedience but of
> revolution: Silkhorn leads a revolution in Dorp, and Wolfe endorses the
> revolution that is gathering at the end of "Bluesberry Jam" (perhaps his
> silliest story).

"Hour of Trust" is the obvious one here.

> I can't put my hands on my copy of FREE LIVE FREE at the
> moment, and don't remember whether the Quadrumvirate were to have been
> revolutionaries.)  Which raises the question, of course, of how one knows
> when rebellion is allowable.

The crucial point here is that the criterion of whether revolution is
allowable is not the form of government that is being rebelled against, but
the character of those in control.    Rebellion against evil rulers is
permitted.

This is for various reasons a very difficult thing to explain to most
contemporary liberals.

Marxism designates all non-Communist forms of government as "immoral" by
their *form*, not by their actions: the function being, of course, to
validate the left's eternal quest for power, domination and control, by
validating an eternal attack on culture, customs, and morals .

The Catholic (I should say "typical human") view is slightly different.  A
society is likely to be well ruled if good people are in control.  The form
of government is not unimportant, but it is not of primary importance, since
no form of government can by itself guarantee virtuous behaviour by the
rulers.

    Andy R

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