[Skybird]

Originally Posted by JU_88

Unfortunatley for a western Goverment, its supposed to be their job to cater for more than one set of mainstream beliefs, not just bulldoze though what they believe in, in its entirety.
Maybe people with extreme views or uncompromising beliefs should stay out of democratic governments that rule free nations. (and move to a county that is run by a dictatorship)

And who defines what "extreme views" are that disqualify somebody from offices? Just think of the different ideas of freedom of speech. Is freedom of speech covering the intentional personal hurting of the other? Is criticism of Islam an offence that must be exclusded from free speech, like it is being claimed time and again? Political correctness, anonymous pressure from public climate to supress unwanted opinions, what about that? If somebody states he is motivated by religion, does this deserve respect that he claims for himself, or exactly the opposite, as I claim? Has the minority in a democratic system the right to prevent the majorty from forming a majority decision, like filibustering implies? Individual rights versuus communal rights, freedom to make individual profits at the cost of communal losses - what about that?

Is freedom regulated to some degree by generally enforced rules still freedom, or is even the taking away of the smallest jota the total loss of freedom alltogether? Is freedom only where anarchy is, is any setting of rules, law and order thus the absence of freedom? Is freedom the law of the jungle, the law of the strongest?

Or are rules needed to even allow a window of opportunity for freedom to unfold? Where does responsibility fall into it all? Is there responsibility at all? Is all rules proclaimed by ethical systems, just arbitary and worthless?

You see, its not that obvious an issue. And imho: it is impossible to find a satisfying solution. Thus there will be always cheating, conflict, and the attempt to rule by the argument of having the longer teeth and the louder voice.

There are principles that for me are non-negotiable. I would wish they would be shared by the society I live in. But it is not like that, it is exactly the opposite. that is what brings me into such an unsolvable comflict with the society I live in. We are at odds, them and me. I cannot help it, the only thing I can do is to stick to these my principles nevertheless, no matter what.

And maybe that is what principles really are about: Not collective efforts, but individual ones.

In a book series that influenced me quite a lot when I was a teen, a science fiction series for young readers, the protagonist got told by his wife this: "What you believe in, you should be willing to live and to die for."

I think that is what it's about.