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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 11, 2024

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Not directly, but usually parents go through suffering of their own when something bad happens to their children.

That's not the same thing.

And we give it to parents because we expect them to make the decision the child would have, if they were mature.

But often they don't make the same decision their child would have if mature. Many parents attempt to override their child's decisions even after their child is mature.

So in a case like this, if the parents managed to convince the child that this treatment will help, would you say the state has no right to intervene?

No, I think that clears the higher bar.

On the other hand, if a child, upon finding out that meat is made out of dead animals, desires to adopt a plant-only diet, and their parents approve, I would not override their decision, even though many non-Adventist-influenced experts doubt that it is wise.

personally I'd say they have that authority by default, and you need a strong positive argument if you want to take it away.

They said the same thing about kings once....

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all ... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights ... that to secure these rights, governments are instituted ... that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it....

As above, so below.

libertarian utopia where parents decide for themselves

But they aren't deciding for themselves! They are deciding for another person! In the purest form of libertarianism, the child would decide everything for themselves.

I am not advocating for pure libertarianism, but that is what I mean by 'your children aren't your property.' The base state isn't parents having absolute power over their children, it's them having no authority whatsoever. All power accorded to parents is a creation of society.

That's not the same thing.

Yeah, that's why I said "not directly". Point remains if a parent makes a mistake they'll usually by wrecked with guilt, for the doctor it's tuesday.

But often they don't make the same decision their child would have if mature. Many parents attempt to override their child's decisions even after their child is mature.

If you mean something more than disagreeing with them and putting some social pressure, than I agree it crosses a line. Luckily the law is on the adult child's side in such cases.

No, I think that clears the higher bar.

Cool. So it just so happens that this blog post was talking about the exact same drug - down to the brand name - that gender clinics sell as "puberty blockers", the first line of medical intervention that they recommend for the youngest children, and claim is completely reversible. Funnily enough data from UK's Tavistok indicates that as many as 48% of kids referred to a gender clinic are autistic, so this is giving the exact same drug to a largely the same cohort. The only difference is the disorder they aim to cure, but both disorders are wishy-washy and not objectively verifiable (I guess autism might be, in the more extreme cases, but that's a point against gender affirming care).

If there's an argument for the government forbidding the doctor to administer it in one case but not the other, I'm not seeing it.

They said the same thing about kings once....

What can I say? If you want to live in platonic / marxist utopia where all children belong to the state, you're free to want it. I even wish that you get to live in the society you desire, as long as you don't go full Jihadi, and claim that this is the one true way for all of the world to live. This is why asked how are your ideas not based on your non-universal ideology.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all ... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights

If you actually believed that this means parents have no authority over their children, you'd be quoting Rousseau, not the American founding fathers.

But they aren't deciding for themselves! They are deciding for another person! In the purest form of libertarianism, the child would decide everything for themselves.

I am not advocating for pure libertarianism, but that is what I mean by 'your children aren't your property.' The base state isn't parents having absolute power over their children, it's them having no authority whatsoever.

Yes, that's my point. If you were advocating pure libertarianism, I could consider your idea of removing all authority from parents, and ensuring the child's autonomy. But since you don't, the idea is completely absurd to me. If parents have no authority over their children, than an adult has even less authority over another unrelated adult.

Point remains if a parent makes a mistake they'll usually by wrecked with guilt

I'm not talking about mistakes but conflicts of interests; 'parent has ideology with which child does not agree, makes decision based on that ideology, causes suffering to child, refuses to consider that they may have been wrong.'

So it just so happens that this blog post was talking about the exact same drug

That'll larn me to skim the article -- I thought they were talking about surgery!

In the case of puberty blockers, I would only intervene insofar as to ensure that the child and parents had at least heard the counterargument to their proposal; I could see applying the same argument to gender transition.

If you want to live in platonic / marxist utopia where all children belong to the state

Again, children aren't property. Not belonging to their parents doesn't mean that they must belong to someone else, it means that they belong to themselves; whatever authority we give to parents starts from zero even if it doesn't stay there.

If you actually believed that this means parents have no authority over their children, you'd be quoting Rousseau, not the American founding fathers.

I was quoting the Declaration as opposition to the divine right of kings.

"As above, so below" was the extrapolation to the divine right of parents.

Yes, that's my point. If you were advocating pure libertarianism, I could consider your idea of removing all authority from parents, and ensuring the child's autonomy. But since you don't, the idea is completely absurd to me.

The idea of something between 'pure libertarianism' and 'status quo' is absurd to you?

If parents have no authority over their children, than an adult has even less authority over another unrelated adult.

A having authority over Bs personal decisions is not the same thing as A having authority over B's authority over C. A parent has every right to forbid their child from making unreasonable demands of their younger sibling.

In the purest form of libertarianism, the child would decide everything for himself.

I feel obligated to point out that, according to one prominent libertarian, under an ideal libertarian framework (1) the parent would have absolute authority over the child, but (2) the child would have the option to assert self-ownership and emancipate himself at any time by leaving the parent's household.