{Duty and Responsibility}[2nd December 1970]

[Redbook1:189-190][19701202.0000]{Duty and Responsibility}[2nd December 1970]

Wed. 2nd December 1970.

            I may have said before that I believe that people should not be held to account for the actions of their governments -- even in democracies.

            I think this is a terribly important point.  Two things seem to follow from it.

            First, war is wrong on this count as well: nearly always it is the government that makes the war and the people that cops it.

            Secondly, it might seem that this excuses citizens from feeling a duty to influence their governments in some direction.  Of course it doesn't, by this analogy: if I am walking down the street and I see a father attacking his child with obviously murderous intent, I do not walk on – even though they are not of my family and in that sense it has nothing to do with me.  I shall try to save the child through some deeply-felt obligation to humanity in general.  Had I not done so I should have felt in part responsible for the child’s suffering.  The fact that the father is no relation of mine is irrelevant: I happened to be there.  The fact that I am not accountable for the actions of my government is irrelevant: I live here, and they are my government, so I may consider myself to have a duty to try and influence them.  No one else may hold me to blame for the government's actions.

            This is not to be confused with resistance to one’s own government in time of national defence, which is a degree of development away from nature (?) that we cannot yet afford.  Treachery towards one's own race or species must always seem among the greater crimes.

[PostedBlogger31052013]