'Gun control' keeps on killing and killing and killing

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: 'Gun control' keeps on killing and killing and killing

Principles must be universal or they are meaningless

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Principles must be universal or they are meaningless

Accepting your responsibilities willingly

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Accepting your responsibilities willingly

Is it time for a 'one-world currency'?

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Is it time for a 'one-world currency'?

Are libertarians weak on national defense?

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Are libertarians weak on national defense?

I Got Twitterpated

In an attempt to get more readers for my Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner column I am now on Twitter. My readership dropped through the floor over the past couple of days, so I am looking for ways to boost it a bit.

Twitter always seemed a little creepy to me. I'm sorry, but I refuse to post my every move on there, but I will let you know when a new ALE column is posted. Who knows, I may even post a few extra things from time to time. I suppose I am open to suggestions as to things you would like for me to post. Within reason.

The war on drugs is a war on us all

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: The war on drugs is a war on us all

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Dear Dull 'Hawk, #1

Dear Dull 'Hawk,

The government steals from us all the time. That seems to mean that government people are thieves. Thieves don't have any moral right to what they have stolen, as I understand it. If we steal (really: take back,or homestead) things from government or from government people, do we act morally? If so, what of the fact that what we liberate will be repurchased with funds that come from insurance pools that include non-state people who are guilty of nothing?

Anonymous

[First, here is advice from Mike:

Well, anonymous, Since it's "free market" advice, I'll take a shot.
I'd have to say first and foremost that the collective "we" is out of place
here, and it muddles things considerably. If you, or any other actual person
with a name, has had some specific piece of property taken from you, then, yes,
you have a moral right to it, no matter who took it. Of course, if you you try
to take it back from the government, expect to be jailed or killed for your
trouble. Morality and reality are not the same thing-ask Jesus.

But, when you say "we" and "us" you get into very dangerous territory,
since you have no claim on something stolen from someone else-only your own
stuff. That means that if you "liberate" something, be it money or other
property, that was stolen from me, or that someone else like an insurance co.
has a claim on, you are still a thief, but morally and legally. Since just
because it was once stolen, does not make it fair game for you to take as
well
This is part of why collectivism is so terrible, it confounds morality. But
that's just me. Can't wait to hear Kent's thoughts.]

Dear Anonymous,

If some of your property is in government possession, if you take it back you have acted morally. I will blog about the injustice of your arrest (kidnapping) or honor your memory. Since you know the government will continue to steal from others to replace your property if you take it back, the only permanent solution is to make certain the thief can't continue to steal.

Then Mike asks:

"Since at one point virtually all property was stolen, particularly land, is it really possible to have a claim to private property? In the strict principled sense, or is there a degree of pragmatism involved since true original ownership is impossible to determine?"

Dear Mike,

If the original owner of a piece of land, or specific descendants, can be identified, I think they should be reimbursed. If the real original owners are lost in the mists of time, then no living person was stolen from, and no one alive is guilty of theft. I don't hold people responsible for what their parents did, much less for the actions of their great-great grandparents. I can wring my hands over the injustices of the past, or I can focus on making sure no more injustices occur. Just my opinion.

End the government monopoly; give people a choice

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: End the government monopoly; give people a choice

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Dear Dull 'Hawk, .....

I would like to try something a little different. Just as an experiment. How about a "liberty advice column", right here on this blog? You can either pose your questions in the comments (avoid using the Haloscan comments for this) or email them to me at: dullhawk@hotmail.com (please reference this blog post in the subject line somehow) and then I will see if I can give you some advice on the blog the next day. Of course, unlike most advice columns, other commenters may disagree and give you competing advice. Free-market advice.

Make up a nice pseudonym and have at it. This is important- If you don't want the question and answer to be public, please tell me and I won't post it on the blog, otherwise....

PS: I am still looking for any "investors" who would like to help get the coins into production.

-----------------------

Different labels describe the same basic concept

This one is a mix and match of other blog posts and some new stuff mixed in.

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Different labels describe the same basic concept

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You asked; I deliver

OK. Here is the rough draft of my coin, the "Silver Dubloon".

Libertarians can afford to be bold

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Libertarians can afford to be bold

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A New Obsession - Can You Help?

I have gotten one of my obsessions again. Last time I had a "liberty related" obsession, I designed the "Time's Up" flag. This time it is a 1 oz silver coin which I have designed.

I lost money on the flags, which was OK with me. I'd like to hit on something that would make me financially comfortable, but that isn't the most important thing to me.

The thing is, I can't afford to lose money on another project, not right now, and I don't have the money to have to coins made.

The design I have created should appeal to libertarians, "Three-percenters", Free State Project participants, anarchists, pirate enthusiasts, my "fans and supporters", numismatists (since this will be the most wonderful coin ever designed), and more. And, because the coins would be one ounce of .999 fine silver, they would be a good investment. Since I am trying to protect my design, I won't release it to the public yet, but I like it.

So, if there is anyone out there who would like to commit to buying a certain number of coins, or who would just like to finance the whole venture, let me know and maybe we can reach an agreement. I'd really like to see these coins become a reality so I can get it out of my mind and move onto something else.


..........................................

Welfare has become a way of life

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Welfare has become a way of life

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New Mexico gets rid of death penalty

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: New Mexico gets rid of death penalty

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Light of liberty illuminates the failures of authoritarianism

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Light of liberty illuminates the failures of authoritarianism

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Libertarians defy the usual labels

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: Libertarians defy the usual labels

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What Will I Call Myself Today?

I think labels are over-rated. I started out calling myself "libertarian", then started using the term "freedom outlaw" and its related term "firefly". Then "anarchist". Now, for purposes of writing for Examiner.com, I am calling myself "libertarian" again, since they didn't want an "Anarchy Examiner". My attitudes haven't changed throughout all this shuffling of labels.

MamaLiberty says she calls herself a "individual sovereign". I have always liked that term, although I think it has as much baggage attached to it as "anarchist", at least to those who know what it means.

I still think all these terms are different ways of expressing the same thing. As MamaLiberty explains it: "I take personal responsibility for my life, my property, my safety and my future. I don't willingly allow anyone to interfere with that and I do not aggress against anyone else. " That's all we're saying.

ALE update

Just a little update on the Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner.

The first few days I was consistently the #1 Albuquerque Examiner. I supposed it was because I was new, and because of my attempt to get the word out. Since a couple of days ago, I have been pretty regularly #2 or #3, with occasional slips to #4. Still, I don't consider that too bad since I don't really have the time to push the project as hard as I should. Obviously I'm not even on the radar for the national Examiner stats. That will come a little later, right?

I really want to thank all of you who have been visiting faithfully everyday, even though I am kind of giving an elementary overview on the site right now.

Should you exercise every right you posess?

"The problem is that self-responsibility has atrophied from disuse. You have to give people a chance to make the wrong decisions and take responsibility for the outcome. If every action is either mandatory or prohibited where does judgment come into the picture? Children don't learn to walk if they are carried everywhere."

Read more.

............................

Resources for libertarians

What if you are new to libertarianism, or are simply interested in finding out more? Where, besides here, can you go for more information? You are in luck.

If you are looking for online news or commentary, you should check out The Libertarian Enterprise every Sunday when the new issue comes online. A variety of writers, from everywhere along the spectrum of "libertarianism", write on just about any imaginable topic. The Price Of Liberty has good, solid libertarian commentary on the news, and a lot of current "keep and bear arms" information. There is also Liberty for All, which often has some incredibly good articles. There are also hundreds of libertarian blogs; some better than others. Search engines can lead you to them. You will need to judge for yourself how "libertarian" the writers are.........

My new Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner column is up. Read the rest of it here.

Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner

Good news and bad news. I am now the Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner. That probably means most of my blogs will be written for that site, with only an introductory paragraph here. After all, even a libertarian anarchist likes a little money now and then.

Please continue to visit me there.

Thanks.

---------------------------

Dreaming

Last night I dreamed I was sitting in a bar. It was a comfortable place where I fit in and felt at home. As I sat there a crew of people swarmed in and started redecorating around me. The fixtures were swapped out and lots of chrome and "bling" were added. The walls were covered with huge photos of smiling "urban" celebrities and a motif of "PPP", which I understood to stand for "Pretty People Posse", was on everything. Suddenly the place was full of people dressed in expensive clothing who acted like I was covered in oozing sores. They all kept laughing at my hat as I sat there in my chair, where I had sat during the entire transformation. They seemed stupid and shallow; talking a lot without saying anything. At last a big bouncer type walked over and motioned for me to get out of the chair. I stood up and was escorted from the premises and was told I wouldn't be seeing the inside of this establishment again. I felt a bit lost, as I had not changed; only my surroundings had.

I am not one who worships "America", but once upon a time America was founded by people who weren't that different in philosophy from me. I probably would have fit in very well. Then the place was changed around me. I didn't change but became a pariah by standing for the things that at one time were common. I'll keep standing for Liberty for ALL - All rights for everyone, everywhere for all times.

Honesty

Most of us like to think of ourselves as fairly honest people. When we do lie, we excuse ourselves. I know I do.

Is it ever OK to lie? I really think it is, although I could be wrong. If I were hiding a person from state aggression; because of issues involving ANY counterfeit "law" for example, I wouldn't think twice about lying in order to protect them. Lying to a liar in order to protect the innocent is the right thing to do, in my opinion. I have no problem lying to anyone in government anyway, as the entire organization is built on a foundation of lies and theft. You don't owe the state the truth when that truth will be used to rob or otherwise harm you or other people.

I will also lie to protect my friends from harm. I don't lie in order to hurt people, nor would I go along with the lies of another that are hurting some innocent person. I once had a disagreement with some good friends because they lied to another person and hurt her, and when she asked me about it I told her the truth. On several occasions I have had problems that result from lies others have told about me; where a third party thought I was lying because of the lies they were told about me. Because I didn't go along with the original lie, I was accused of being the liar, and was never able to totally clear my name. But that is just how it goes.

The truth is probably easier in the long run, even when it hurts someone right now. Unless you are facing the thugs of the state. In that case, do what your conscience tells you is right.

..........................

Sorry, But The World Is NOT Flat....

I run into a lot of situations where someone I know is wrong; they hold an incorrect idea or belief, and insist on bringing it up at every opportunity. Many, but not all, of these beliefs concern the state in some way.

Just a few examples that come to mind:

"Illegal immigrants" are not destroying "our society" no matter how much "they are costing us". Welfare, in the form of food stamps, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, WIC, "public schools", and a multitude of other scams, is. Face the real issue here.

There is no excuse to "enforce the gun laws we already have" since every single one of them is illegal, immoral, and evil. "Conservatives" are just as wrong on the issue of guns as "liberals" are. Every gun "law" is wrong and should NEVER be enforced against ANYONE. Regardless of how much you dislike them, and no matter how much of a threat they pose to the state.

Taxation is theft and there is no excuse for it. None. It doesn't matter how important you think the government programs you happen to like are. No government program is important enough to steal in order to finance, and none is important enough to kill those who don't want to fork over their property. If you like the government program enough that you think it is OK to steal and kill to support it, then I suggest you try to do it on your own instead of sending badged and uniformed thugs to do your dirty work for you. I also suggest you try to develop some character so you can shed this immoral belief.

The War on some Drugs is completely evil. I see news reports of how many people are being killed in the drug trade and want to scream at the top of my lungs: "Prohibition will ALWAYS produce the same results!" It doesn't matter if you think it is wrong to use drugs or not. It is completely stupid to sacrifice so many lives for your delusions. If you support prohibition, the blood is on your hands.

There. I got some of those out.

I have been trying to learn to keep my mouth shut after my first run-in with these erroneous beliefs. After all, the person obviously knows I don't agree with them. Especially if they caught me off-guard when they mentioned or acted upon the belief in the first place. If they want to examine their belief more closely, I will help. It does no good to state why they are wrong every time the issue crops up. This will only make them cranky, and make me frustrated, and I would be a jerk for making it into an argument every time. Still, I consider it a little boorish of the other person to keep harping on things I know are wrong, and that they know I know are wrong.

......................................

Ruled by Emotions

It seems as if most people are ruled by their emotions. Whenever there is some "crime", everyone is out for blood, regardless if the accused actually did it or not, and regardless of whether the "crime" harmed any people or not.

One BIG point of evidence for this is that when I read of a "drug bust" on the local newspaper's website, a majority of the comments are cheering the bust, never even considering the truth behind the evil and stupid War on some Drugs. Never even considering if the arrestees are actually guilty of doing what the state says they did. Just celebrating their downfall.

It is also the same if someone is arrested on "child pornography" charges. It doesn't matter to them if the charges are true or not in the slightest degree. Or if a real attack occurred. Remember that cartoons; fictional, non-existent characters, who have no real "age" at all and therefore can't be "minors" no matter how they were drawn to appear, involved in imaginary acts that never occurred, can qualify as "child pornography" if the state decides it does (which it always will), and can be used by the state to destroy lives. Yet those who are ruled by emotion jeer and say they hope the accused suffers the most hideous assaults while kidnapped by the state.

It's as bad as the gun owners who say that gun owners like Wayne Fincher and David Olofson "got what they deserved" when they were arrested for having "illegal" machine guns, even though neither of them ever harmed or threatened anyone in any way. No government has the authority to regulate guns in any way, with or without the Second Amendment. Yet, emotions say to rip apart the victims while they are down; like a pack of wolves would do. It really makes me sick.

Stop acting out of emotion. Think. Reason. Grow up.


.......................................................

Criminals and Outlaws

Since it is absolutely impossible to live without breaking the "laws" the government has invented, that means that we are all "criminals" in the eyes of the state. There are two classes of "criminal": those who have actually initiated force (economic or physical) and those who are only guilty of violating some counterfeit "law" that has no foundation in reality.

Of those "criminals" who are only guilty of violating counterfeit "laws" there are two groups: those who are still under the delusion that they are "good, law-abiding citizens", and those who know the score, and accept their status as "outlaws".

These "Outlaws" are the only honest people left. I happily count myself among them.

---------------------

Blood Money

I don't want to "give" any of my money or other property to the government, and I don't want government to "give me back" any money taken from others. I am not "entitled" to stolen money, not even to "pay back" money that has been stolen from me. I'll get into why I believe this in a minute.

This is the fallacy behind "Social Security", tax refunds, stimulus checks, and anything else government "gives" the people. This money is either stolen, or it was printed up out of thin air. If you or I did this, the government would call us counterfeiters. And they would be right, although they would excuse their own actions in spite of there being no real difference. Even if it was stolen from you originally, it is still tainted by the time you get it back. It's a difficult moral dilemma. What was stolen from you 6 months ago is gone. Spent. What the government "gives" you back was stolen from someone else more recently. And since everything government does is backed up by a monopoly on force, and ultimately by threat of death, the money was stolen at gun-point. It is blood money.

The same goes for any wages paid by any government entity. That money was stolen from someone, somewhere. This is why I think it would be best, if you do choose to work for government in any capacity, that you do so on a volunteer basis. If it is really that important to do, it will be done by volunteers, right?

Now, would I scold you for accepting these "benefits"? No. Maybe your understanding of morality and ethics differs from mine. But as for me, no thanks. Keep your blood money.

.......................................

Inevitability

It seems that people expect things to always be like they are now. Maybe small changes here and there, more technology obviously, but basic institutions and such staying pretty much the same. That isn't going to happen no matter what.

Stasis is highly unlikely over the long-term. Changes WILL happen. It is inevitable. The question is, are you going to help the changes tip toward more freedom, or toward more tyranny? The steps you take in your daily life shift the balance more than you think. More than even actions the government takes. After all, they can do nothing if we stand against them.

Relying on cops tips us toward tyranny. "Rugged individualism" tips the scales towards freedom. Behaving like a jerk and not taking responsibility for your life and actions causes a shift towards tyranny. Accepting responsibility shifts the balance more towards liberty. Abusing the rights you have hurts freedom, while using your rights wisely strengthens freedom.

You and I, and everything we do, has a profound effect on liberty for all. Nothing any of us do is irrelevant. So, please, think before you act. Because change is coming. It is inevitable. The direction the change takes depends on what each and every one of us do.

..............................

The Story of My Run for President

It was suggested by Anne Cleveland of An Octogenarian's Blog that I write the story of my presidential campaign. Bits and pieces of the story are here in earlier posts, and I hope I don't forget or leave out important parts, but here it is.

I had given up on "politics", but liked L. Neil Smith enough that I was wanting him to run for the LP nomination for 2004. He decided against it, but endorsed Michael Badnarik. I read Mr. Badnarik's website and really liked what I saw, so I wrote him. He wrote back and eventually we spoke on the phone a couple of times. I really liked him and couldn't find any point where we disagreed, so I tried to help his campaign and encouraged my friends to look into his campaign and consider supporting him. Against the odds, he actually won the LP's nomination, but didn't do well in the election. The day after the election, I woke up thinking that if a libertarian wasn't going to win anyway, I could lose an election as nicely as anyone else could. So, I decided I might as well run for president; after all, I had 4 years to build momentum. Like a glacier.

That night, I sat down and made a Geocities page, detailing what I would do as president. The same campaign promises are still posted on my KentForLiberty site. Then I went on the Claire Files forum (now The Mental Militia Forums) and made my first public announcement.

I joked and discussed my campaign with a few people, not taking it very seriously. I did get a rubber stamp in order to put my Geocities website, shortened through notlong.com, on FRNs. If you run across any bills stamped "kent2008.notlong.com", that is my work.

Things went slowly for a year and a half, then things exploded. I'm not even certain what happened. People discovered my campaign somehow. I was in the middle of a strange 6 month-long vacation when I was contacted and "challenged" to start a blog to discuss my stand on the issues and allow people to ask me questions. I had never thought of blogging before, and was certain I would run out of things to talk about after a couple of weeks. After all, I had said all I needed to say on my campaign page, right?

Suddenly I had more people writing me than I knew what to do with, but I made sure to answer every single one. Even the ones who told me to perform physically impossible acts upon myself and then die. I started finding my campaign mentioned on different websites every day, often in less than complimentary ways. Although I had never mentioned seeking the nomination of any party, thinking I was too radical for any national party, I was finding myself listed as "Libertarian". Someone suggested I write Selectsmart.com about being included in their candidate selector, so I did and ended up being the only "Libertarian" in the quiz ..... until the last moment when the LINOs nominated by the LP were added.

Eventually I was contacted by the Libertarian Party and invited to seek their nomination. This thing was getting more serious than I had intended. I was interviewed by a few different internet "radio" shows, and invited to take part in different forums ("fora"?) to answer questions about my stand on important issues. I tried to accept every invitation, although I normally only participated until the original flurry of activity died down a bit. I took part in several conference calls between the LP candidates. This convinced me that I probably wasn't cut out for politics. I became somewhat disillusioned listening to the less-than-civil exchanges between certain people.

Then came the detractors who said I didn't look "professional" enough, had the audacity to run for president before I had been elected dog-catcher, refused to accept donations, and wouldn't remove the endorsement of "Breechcloth Day" from my web page. Hey, I thought this was supposed to be FUN!

My Geocities page was also said to be hideous, so I sought advice, and got a real website. The response was positive about that change, at least. Still, nothing was ever enough for those who just wanted something to whine or complain about, and I am stubborn enough to stand my ground instead of doing things just to make people happy.

There finally came a point where I needed to get serious, if I wanted to get serious (which had not originally been my plan). I looked into registering with the FEC so I would have a "real campaign". What I ran into there disgusted me. There was no provision for refusing donations, and the paperwork and reporting requirements went against everything I stood for. I now knew why the same type of people keep getting elected: the system is set up to disqualify anyone else. The game was more seriously rigged than I had previously suspected.

Added to some things that were going on personally, I decided I wouldn't continue to seek the LP nomination, and would stop campaigning. So I made the announcement that I was done. The reaction was immediate and upsetting. So many people wrote me, acting like I had let them down. Had I made a mistake?

After some soul-searching I decided that the best thing I could do was offer myself as a write-in candidate. I knew that without registering with the FEC any votes for me would not be counted, but being unwilling to submit to a government commission's illegal interference with the election process left me with few options. At least, few options that didn't compromise my principles.

I continued to answer questions, and to encourage those who still felt they needed to vote to vote for me. I feel that the best way to avoid "wasting your vote" is to refuse to spend it. No one is qualified to "run the country" or anything else other than his or her own life. Vote accordingly.

After the election, I was dismayed to see that everyone thinks someone else won, when obviously all those who refused to vote for any of the clowns on the ballot were clearly giving me a mandate. All the non-voters outnumber those who voted for the current president hundreds-to-one. I guess I don't want the job enough to get my hands dirty in court to challenge the usurper in the White House.

I have been asked by several people if I will run again next time. I have told them "no"; I can't imagine any circumstance arising that would cause me to do it again. The older I get, the more skeptical I become of any form of organized external "government". Self-government is the only kind that has ever worked, or ever will.


......................................................

"World 'Sexting' Day"

Observing "World 'Sexting' Day":

March 2, 2009 - Today is the day to offer your moral support
to the most recent victims of the government's blatant
violation of the First Amendment and Self-Determination: those teens who
have been persecuted or prosecuted for "victimizing" themselves by sending nude
photographs of themselves, by cell phone, to others. Also victimized
are the recipients of those pics who are targeted by prosecutors hungry for
"child pornography" convictions.

The point of this event is to send "sext messages", of only
yourself, obviously, to everyone you can, even random numbers and email
addresses. As many as possible should go to judges, prosecuting attorneys,
or any other public or private "do-gooders" who have been active in
the persecution of "sexting" teens. Flood them with so many that there is
no way to sift through them all, and even if they do, in order to be consistent they will be forced to arrest themselves.

So, start snapping those pics and sending them on their way. The
clock is ticking!