What is the objective basis for holding a political view? It seems foolhardy to hold any tenets (e.g., the Constitution) sacred unless there is a good reason to do so. The only one I find compelling currently is to perceive law and morality through the lens of societal chance of survival (and secondarily, happiness, although such a secondary criterion complicates matters significantly). Nothing else is firmly grounded in reality.
Fortunately, several consequences can be inferred from a basis of social survival. In this day and age, survival requires technological advancement. (It also requires responsible use and regulation of such technology in a global political context, but that is outside the scope of today’s ramblings.) So, for example, when attempting to analyze the correctness and/or feasibility of an intellectual property infrastructure for digital information, we must first examine the consequences of such an infrastructure (or lack thereof) on society’s potential for advancement, and more basically, survival.
This analysis strikes me as complex and difficult. Opponents of copyright cite that great scientific progress was made in the past without an IP system in place to reward such endeavors, but the truth is, some of the most amazing progress the human race has made technologically has been occurring during the last 150 years, since copyright and patents became en vogue. It is reasonable to assume that as unauthorized copying of digital information increases, the financial incentive to construct such media decreases, and thus in our free market system, less is created.
Can we fill the gap, as Star Trek would suggest, with people continuing to contribute to the global digital pool of their own accord? To some extent, it would happen. But I’m guessing it would decrease the rate of production, slowing technological advancement and thus hurting society’s chances of long-term survival.
On the other hand, a society that limits personal freedoms to an undesirable extent tempts constituents to jump ship, thus killing that society. Another more practical issue is that patent and copyright law now grant exclusive licenses to single entities for much too long, such that technological innovation is actually stifled.
Different perspectives keep flooding into my brain. I see these questions from many contradictory angles, each one seeming logical on its own, but taken together I’m overwhelmed by this magnificent mess. And I’m only using IP issues as an example. With nothing to ground me, issues such as abortion, gun control and animal rights leave me paralyzed. As Egon says, I’m terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.