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December 26, 2006
Heinlein’s Troopers:
With respect to Professor De Long, he’s wrong about both Heinlein and Jefferson when he says
Consider the invented historical background of the novel, in which the twentieth-century United States collapsed because of its excessive solicitude for individual rights and its worship of the words of Thomas Jefferson and was replaced by the "veterans' government" that made no claim to derive its powers from the consent of the governed.
He’s wrong about Jefferson (Locke, actually; but no matter) in a rather subtle way. What Jefferson actually meant was that the governed always give their consent to the government unless they explicitly remove it by changing their government. This change can either be peaceful (elections) or not (revolution). Heinlein does not disagree, and is quite explicit about it in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress...
In Starship Troopers, Heinlein making narrower points. Rather than "fascism = good" he is saying that the best decisions are made by those who are able put aside their own interests when making society-wide decisions. He is, in other words, attempting to solve the agent/principle problem which has plagued constitution makers from time immemorial. You may disagree with his solution, but don’t misunderstand his point...
Posted by Andrew at December 26, 2006 10:25 AM
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