Calladan wrote:The key word in my sentence being ALMOST.
"I would not say the state has a compelling reason in even half of everything, let alone almost everything."
Since the resolution is titled "Military Conscription something something", and I am a civilian ambassador, I understand the point you are making but at the same time refute the fact that - in general - the state can apply that power to the vast majority of its citizens (with the exception of a state where EVERY job is in the military, which is not impossible but must be fairly rare).
"It is titled Military Freedom Act, and the power I described can indeed be applied to the vast majority of citizens in many states. Just because it may not be applied to the majority, does not negate that it can be applied to any one of the majority. Most states which use conscription apply drafts randomly to the male population. This is nearly half of all adults of military age that the state can force into service. For nations such as ours which compel female citizens to serve as well, nearly all citizens of military age can potentially be forced to serve in the military if necessary."
And even then - and I do not mean to make light of this, given the subject - even if you can compel someone to stay in a job, you can not stop them from killing themselves, should they decide to. Even if it is illegal, even if it is forbidden. It will be THEIR choice and the state will be unable to stop it should they decide to do it.
And - to further expand on that - should someone decide to help them, the state will be able to do very little to stop that as well.
(Especially if these people are in the military where guns and other such things abound).
"If your argument is that because suicide cannot be prevented, it should be assisted, then we may as well require member nations to assist in murder and theft. After all, you cannot stop murderers from killing others, or thieves from stealing, should they decide to. Even if it is illegal, even if it is forbidden. It will be their choice and the state will be unable to stop it should they decide to do it. And, to further expand on that, should someone decide to help them commit murder or theft, the state will be able to do very little to stop that as well.
"This is especially true if these people are in the military where guns and other such things available to steal abound. Even in states such as yours, which outlaw private gun ownership, murder can be committed with kitchen knives, pool cues, or one's own hands. One can kill their own infant especially easily, with a pillow. The state, without prior knowledge, is powerless to prevent this, and indeed fails all the time to stop such acts from occurring. As such, since clearly the state cannot prevent theft and murder in all situations, the state should, by your argument, actively assist in such actions rather than trying to prevent them where possible.
"Instead of taking those who attempt suicide and consigning them to psychiatric wards for therapy, we should just euthanize them, and instead of taking those who attempt theft to prison, we should aid them in their crimes."
Actually - it can't. It can require me to pay taxes, and throw me in jail if I don't.
"It can automatically deduct taxes from your pay check if you don't, actually, and thus you are still paying taxes."
And it can throw me in jail for disobeying vagrancy laws.
"And then you are no longer a vagrant, are you? And thus we have forced you to give up vagrancy."
And even if I am required to vote by law, I can either ignore that (and be prepared to chance the consequences) or I can write "democracy sucks" on my ballot paper which would render my vote null and vote, thus subverting the system.
"Should you choose not to vote, the state can cast your vote on your behalf, and a vote for Democracy Sucks is still a vote. If Democracy Sucks wins, Counselor Sucks will become part of our government."
There are very few ways to force someone to do something they do not wish to do, short of hypnosis or the imperius curse. And then - are you really forcing them, because is it really them?
"Well, in that case, by putting them in psychiatric wards, we aren't forcing people to remain alive. They are choosing to do so.
"This idea of force is ridiculous. Forcing someone to do something does not mean they will succeed at doing so, it means that you are using force to back your commands to do something."
Yeah - I have no clue what that means. Sorry.
"If you have no idea what an exception is, I do not believe your earlier claim that you are a very well trained diplomat is correct. If the state has a compelling interest to restrict the freedom to work, the freedom to move, and other personal freedoms, the freedom to end your own life does not merit an exception."