送交者: steven 于 2006-2-02, 14:25:25:
回答: You mean individuals' opinion will not affect the state 由 AQuestion 于 2006-2-02, 02:33:51:
they think? Action does. That is why there are laws. Restricting freedom of people is an institutionalized act, not an individual behavior.
Taking your example: An employer discriminates people in his organisation, including bias in hiring process, promption, or creating difficult environment targeting particular group of people either because of their races or sexual orientation and there are actual damages being done, is an individual behavior. If the state does not discourage this kind of behavior, or even encourage it, it is an intitutional discrimination and striping the right of minorities, and that is the behavior of a state.
Majority people believe tolerence is a virtue, however, no tolerating others isn't necessary a crime, if it is an individual behavior and no harm done.
The critizism against China is because of its institutionally stripping the rights of Chinese. Itr is not about the nature of human kind, such as everyone has perference, and we should not deny that. If I am in power, I may do the very same thing I am strongly critical today. However, you cannot ask people to be saints, and they do things out of their good heart especially when they are in position.
Power tends to corrupts, absolut power corrupts absolutly. A terrible state is a state embraces absolute power. A society which would sacrifice liberty for security deserves neither.