This was Jefferson’s biggest mistake – modifying Life, Liberty and Property to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The former was universally understood by English-speaking peoples – the latter was an aspirational addition, which, 130 years later enabled the leftist revolution.

Ask Pope Santorum why the Ten Commandments were given to everyone as individuals instead of just to “families” (e.g. Honor THY mother and father, THOU shalt not steal). Did Santorum’s father select his bride for him?

As Bugs Bunny might have observed about Pope Rick I: “what a maroon”!

Keep in mind that this model assumed rational actors because every individual gets something material out of the arrangement. It’s just like Boss > Worker, where the hierarchy exists to benefit both actors. This is why Aristotelian conservatism is generally compatible with libertarianism.

Parents keep their children alive and raise them properly so that they will have someone to look after them in their old age, as well as providing them with grandchildren. Children submit to their parents so they won’t get kicked out of the house and starve in the streets.

Note that any party can take the rational course of action when the other party becomes overbearing; they can cancel the contract.

(This hierarchy gets a little shaky and ambiguous as the male children approach adulthood, which is why smart societies get them out of the house distracted by learning to hunt/farm/work/etc.)

[Provide email address, next time. See Posting policy.]

The term property however didn’t come up in that discussion because it was about group vs. individual. Had it been about Kelo, or some such, RP would have painted a much different picture.

In terms of protests, people should obviously only be allowed to protest on public land or private land where they have permission.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1011/napolitano.php3

…and I hope he will eventually be appointed to the SCOTUS.

“Although it all begins with the individual, the preeminence of the individual in no way negates the vitality of the family.”

I believe Ron Paul has it correct: an individual precedes a family. I also believe that Rick Santorum is correct: the family is the basic building block of society.

And, Ilana is correct: Although it all begins with the individual, the preeminence of the individual in no way negates the vitality of the family.

Way back in the “old days”, the Traditional Family was considered the Basic Block and that is what was taught in the schools I attended. I also understood that the Basic Block facilitated the legal transfer of property to the “legitimate heirs”. Well, someone with more historical information that I have can further explain.

Yes, Ilana, as someone who lived in Detroit during the 1967 riots, Real Property as well as Personal Property was destroyed on a massive scale. At this point, the OCCUPIERS are rank amateurs. But, will these people play-out their resentments, anger, jealousy, entitlement attitudes a la Greece?

I hope they are not that stupid.