Adversarial Relationship

[Martin Hash]

Liberty requires an adversarial relationship - diametrically opposed sides trying to maximize their positions. This term sometimes sounds scary to people who avoid conflict but it's more terminology than practice, as well as being predictably predictable. This is how “adversarial relationship” was defined to me: “Mom lets one child cut the slices from a cake and the other child pick.” Alternatively, the experiment called “Prisoners Dilemma” typifies the socialist approach – each side working in collusion to maximum their mutual benefit. The idea sounds good but the practice is unpredictable at best, and certainly leads to hard feelings, quickly maturing into controversy, betrayal, and mistrust. Socialism also relies on the ability to tell the future, and for some overarching power to determine what is “best” for everyone. Obviously, neither of these things are possible which makes Socialism distinctly untrustworthy, and requiring intense oversight.

Always be suspicious of any negotiations that are not subject to an adversarial relationship. So-called "public/private partnerships" being at the top of the list, followed closely by "tax incentives," and "affirmative action." Government's job is by definition Socialist because it must look out for the best interests of everyone, therefore government must be highly scruntized, and not allowed to expand into areas that could be performed by the private sector. And since the private sector's focus is the wants of the few while government's job is the needs of the many, an adversarial relationship applies there too.