Comments on: Can America Still Bar Polygamy?

By: Dean Esmay

Dean Esmay — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:26:40 +0000

Out of curiosity, will those who say that we can’t ban things simply because people find them icky suggest that public masturbation should be allowed?

By: The Bad Idea Blog

The Bad Idea Blog — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:28:14 +0000

Gay Marriage Today: Why Not Polygamy Tommorow? …Here’s Why

Advocates of gay marriage are often far too glib about their institutional goals. Myself included. We dismiss all sorts of slippery-slope and social fears as simply being based on bigotry (and perhaps we luck out there, because we often turn out to b…

By: detroitVB

detroitVB — Sun, 25 May 2008 06:00:57 +0000

There is no need to outright bar polygamy.Â In a decent polygomous relationship, 1 man cares for mutliple wives and sets of children.Â This is very very expensive.Â Very few can afford this.Â Just structure things so that the state doesn’t subsidize such relathionships.Â e.g. stop all welfare to signle mothers who have children from a man who some other women is also getting welfare from – and such like.Â The market should take care of the rest.

By: Jerry Kindall

Jerry Kindall — Sun, 25 May 2008 04:17:10 +0000

Saying that "the strongest argument against polygamy is the argument from moral repugnance" is roughly equivalent to admitting that there are no strong arguments against polygamy, because outlawing something just because it squicks you is pretty damn weak. (Notwithstanding Scott’s argument, which is more compelling.)

By: teqjack

teqjack — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:14:29 +0000

Well, the US can still ban it. For hwo long, though, ranges from "next lawsuit" to "as long as there is a US."
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"some form of it has always been tolerated among the wealthy and powerful elite as long as they were fairly discreet about it." Solomon was discreet about it?
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Polygany. Hmm. My mother used to talk about a couple of "maiden" aunts who had a male "roomer" – who did not have his own room -Â Â for over forty years. The rest of the family, after a year or so, decided to find it amusing. As nearly as I can reason, itÂ probably started some time in the Twenties but may have been a bit earlier.

By: ArnoldHarris

ArnoldHarris — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:47:25 +0000

It has been a while since IÂ have felt offended by anything that anyÂ two consenting adults do with eachÂ others’ bodies, or what kind of marital relationships they enter into.

In any case polygamyÂ without benefit of marriage is the typical state of male-female relationship in just about every ghetto and trailer park in the country. The men simply impregnate whatever women they can get into, leave, and find another companion.

My wife and I have had a stable monogamous relationship for many decades. Speaking for myself, I don’t basically care what the rest of American does.

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

By: John_B

John_B — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:15:56 +0000

Well, then, why aren’t we pushing for polyandry? A little of that would offset any imbalances stemming from polygamy, right?

By: Dean Esmay

Dean Esmay — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:04:49 +0000

Yes. Which is why, typically, in societies where it is tolerated, it’s usually seen only among the quite wealthy and powerful, and/or in situations where, for example, a widow needs a husband and so she’s taken as a second wife (i.e. more an obligation and burden on the husband than anything else).

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:57:29 +0000

I think the strongest argument against polygamy, though not a visceral one, is the imbalance it creates in society’s male-female ratio and the problems that causes.