Jealous of cops?

Some of my detractors are right: I'm jealous of cops. Yes, I am. I admit it.

I'm jealous of the wide-spread, unearned respect they get.
I'm jealous they get to ignore all anti-gun "laws", without being murdered (by cops) for doing so.
I'm jealous they make as much money as they do, and wish I could, too. Although I'd rather get money honestly.
I'm jealous because I can lose friends over words I have written, while cops don't seem to lose friends when they actually murder and rape. In fact, they seem to gain even more supporters in the face of accusations.

However, if you believe my dislike of cops is because of this jealousy, you would be wrong.

There are people I am jealous of, but whom I still like.
There are also people I don't like, but whom I am not jealous of in any way.
So, being jealous of someone and liking or not liking them are completely unrelated.

I have no desire to use violence against people who aren't archating, but there is still something thrilling about the thought that you could murder just about anyone and get away with it just because of your "job".

I wish that didn't seem exciting, but I do have personality flaws.

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Complaints and poor choices

I drew this on the school playground's basketball court several years ago

People who make the choice to be involved in government stuff, and then sit around complaining about it, seem to me like someone who sticks their foot in an ant bed and keeps complaining about being stung.

One example is those who choose to send their kids to kinderprison and then constantly complain about bad teachers, homework, bullying, and all the other things that would cease being a problem if you'd rescue your kids from that gulag. You know what that place is all about, so what else do you expect?

But that's not the only example. There are also those who complain about government corruption as if government could be honest. You may as well complain that snow is cold and expect it to change to suit your wishes.

If you're going to legitimize theft, aggression, and "authority" with your choices, you look silly complaining about the inevitable results.

Now, if you are an unwilling victim, then complain as much as you want. Or, better yet, defend yourself.

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Clovis, NM library murders- I understand the appeal of REVENGE

I don't believe revenge is right.

At this moment, I would do something I believe is wrong if I could get my hands on a particular murderous little loser. I don't care if he decided to murder random people because he has been bullied. Right now, I want blood. It's a good thing I know I'll calm down.

Today was my daughter Emily's 10th birthday. We had a pretty good day.

This afternoon we went to the mall so she could spend some of her birthday money. While there I got the report of an active shooter at the library. My daughter overheard, and was immediately concerned. Her first thought was for the safety of "Miss Krissie", the children's librarian.

She told me if Miss Krissie got shot, it would be the worst birthday ever.

This evening, although there hasn't been any confirmation, it looks like Miss Krissie, Kristina Carter, was one of the fatalities.

My daughter is devastated.

We started going to Toddler Story Time at the library when Emily was tiny. Emily kept going after she was too old to go, and not really interested in the toddler stories anymore, just because she loved Miss Krissie. She was so proud when she showed Miss Krissie that she had learned to write her name and could fill out her own name tag-- and Miss Krissie gushed over the accomplishment. 

Even after we stopped going to story time, we would always stop by to see Miss Krissie. Emily posed for several pics with her over the years, and we gave her copies. She always acted like those pictures were the most precious things she had ever received. When we'd run into her around town, she always remembered Emily's name and made her feel important.

I love libraries, and wish they were freed from government control. And, in a voluntaryist library, they couldn't do any better than hiring someone as caring as Miss Krissie. R.I.P.

(The other woman who was murdered was also very sweet to Emily. She was more of a grandmotherly type. Always behind the counter. Always cheerful, and getting my daughter to tell her about the book she was getting, or other small talk. Always acting like Emily was a VIP. The senselessness has left me hurt and angry. Very angry.)

--

(This was also the subject of an extra, Sunday edition, of my newspaper column.)

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What's wrong with ideology?

What is "ideology", why is it always assumed to be negative, and do I have one?

Well, let's go to the dictionary:

1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.

2. such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation.

I don't see anything particularly negative in that, other than the gratuitous mention of "fascism" in #2.

Picking apart #1-- You had better have some beliefs to guide you, if you don't want to end up where you don't want to be. It is better to have true beliefs than ones based on lies, but if you start going in bad directions, that should be a sign that your beliefs are wrong and need to be replaced.

And, in regard to #2, if you have beliefs which are guiding you, and you want to actually accomplish something, I think it would be best to have a plan and a way to follow that plan. (Unless your beliefs are fascist/socialist/statist, then I'd prefer you have no plan and just wing it 'til you fail,)

Another definition says:

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Again, no problem. Unless you violate others due to your "ideas and ideals". And, of course, politics in the real world is always a violation of others.

So, really, I see no problem in and of itself with having an ideology.
And yes, I have at least one ideology.

So why does "ideology" get such a bad reputation?

Because so many people start forming ideologies without the foundation of Zero Archation. If you start wrong, it's going to get worse. If you are guided by a doctrine, myth, belief, or whatever that doesn't inform you that you have no right to archate, then anything is permissible as you strive toward your goal. You'll end up eating babies and thinking nothing of it. Don't be like that.

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Is sacrifice of freedom worth it?

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 26, 2017)

The belief that good things can come through government is based in the superstitious belief that the wrong thing can be done in just the right way.

It's a Utopian dream.

Make no mistake, everything governments do is built upon a rotted foundation.

I'm not Utopian. I know people aren't angels, but I also know they aren't as bad as believers in government make them out to be. People usually do what they believe is in their best interest.

Belief in government makes stealing and attacking appear to be in a person's best interest, and of little risk, as long as they are done in the name of "the law".

If you steal just the right amount-- calling it "taxation"-- the stolen money may help people. Ignore the people harmed by having their money taken. Ignore those who can no longer afford things they need; pretend the common good outweighs the harm and put the victims on welfare.

Most harm caused by taxation is invisible. You can't know how much money will never be available to help those in need, or to start a business to meet needs and grow the economy-- all because you took money from its rightful owner.

Theft is only the tip of the iceberg.

Some people living among us are here without government permission, so believers in government support rounding them up, caging them like animals, and shipping them off. So what if it makes things cost more, or causes a business or two to fail, destroying jobs for "legal Americans"? Ignore the devastating domino effect on the local economy; laws are more important and must be enforced at any cost. It's a cost government supporters are willing for you to bear.

Government believers also crave safety. Their belief is that because tragedies happen, someone needs to make more rules to prevent tragedies. Ignore the fact that new rules always have unintended consequences guaranteeing other tragedies. Again, this cost is hidden because you can't map the path never taken.

Perhaps if you violate people just enough, they'll be better people; not hurting others as much. Free people sometimes make bad choices; government can destroy freedom to reduce the risks. Destroying freedom is the only thing government does well. Unfortunately, to truly help others in meaningful ways also requires freedom. Government's arbitrary rules only get in the way. Is it worth it?

In this incremental way civilization's future is sacrificed, one individual at a time, on the altar of government.

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Nice monsters

People really get confused over "nice" and "good".

"Nice" is just social adeptness. A way to act around people so they don't hate you automatically as you go about your daily routine. It includes politeness and generosity.

Most serial killers are probably very nice. It's how they gain the trust of their intended victims; getting them to let their guard down. If they weren't nice, they would find it hard to get close enough to kill their victims up close and personal.

But if you are being nice in order to facilitate violating people, you aren't good. No matter how many people like you for your niceness.

This explains why, no matter how nice some of the cops you know may be, none of them are good. They are like the sociopathic serial killer-- nice, with an agenda of violation.

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"Consent of the governed"?

Using statists' own reasoning, I doubt there can be any such thing as "consent of the governed".

What is the "age of consent" for being governed? Why wouldn't the statists insist on such with something as important as giving someone else total control over your body/life, liberty, and property? Governing someone has much more potential for grievous harm than mere sexual activity. Yet, they impose their own idea of an "age of consent" for that, and neglect making one up for being governed. They even insist on governing infants! What perverts they are!

Age and the ability to legitimately consent may have a loose correlation, but age doesn't magically mean someone is or is not able to give consent. For anything.

Rather than the number of years a person has lived, consent rests on the ability to understand what you are considering consenting to, and the emotional maturity to handle its consequences.

If there were going to be such a thing as "age of consent" where being governed is concerned, it would need to be about 150 years old. Governing anyone under that age would be Statutory Tyranny.

In fact, I would argue that consenting to be governed it is a sign you lack the understanding or emotional maturity to actually consent. It is self-disproving.

Of course, some people go out of their way begging to be governed. This shows they are mentally or emotionally too frail to consent to be governed. They are mental or emotional invalids, to be pitied and not trusted with important things.

I don't consent to be governed.

Statists might imagine that since I don't kill everyone who tries to govern me, this implies consent.

That's silly, and just how silly it is can be shown by imagining another non-consensual situation.

Unless you kill the rapist who is raping you, you obviously consent. Right? Or, you could choose an alternate rapist if you don't want to be raped by the one who is currently violating you. That you don't do either one implies consent. At least, when applied to governing.

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Gang members attract groupies

One day recently, at an event at the park, I was watching people gathering around a cop. Several seemed to be jostling for his attention. I couldn't help but wonder what the attraction is.

Then I remembered someone I know who idolizes the Mafia, and it clicked: Gang members attract groupies. Suddenly I started thinking of other examples of the same phenomenon.

Many people are attracted to those they see as "dangerous". Some of these groupies are "harmless" people (perhaps cowards) who hunger for an association with someone who has more of an edge. Someone who can help them feel less harmless by association.

Others are in denial that they idolize bad guys, and they want plausible deniability, so they gather around those who are dangerous, but are seen as somehow "legitimate", too. Someone who can kill with impunity, but only "those who deserve it". Anyone cops murder is generally considered, by the cop groupies at least, to have deserved it somehow. Cops are their natural aphrodisiac.

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Feel "protected"?

Living near an air farce base, I see a lot of military aircraft flying overhead. Usually big old prop-driven dinosaurs, but recently a couple of fighter jets zipped over the house.

It made me wonder if there's anyone still gullible enough to feel "protected" by this sight.

Probably the same people who breathe a sigh of relief when a cop pulls onto the highway behind them-- knowing they can now relax, since the cop will be selflessly watching out for their safety.

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Hire a professional, or not?

You and I are constantly told we should "leave it to the professionals". We are presumed too incompetent to do it ourselves, and are told we need to pay someone to do it for us, so we don't get hurt.

Except... there is one profession that if we choose to hire a professional practitioner, we could be "arrested". In this case, we are told we must only use amateurs and shouldn't hire a professional.

Where can you find this inconsistent government position? Prostitution.

And don't say it has to do with protecting "family values". Compulsory government schooling is as anti-family values as you can get, and they have no problem promoting this.

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Partial solar eclipse August 21, 2017

Crescent sun reflected on my shed.

Crescent sun reflected on the house.

Crescent sun reflected on a stop sign.

Peeking through a hole in the clouds.

Crescent sunbeams coming through leaves onto my patio.

Crescent sunbeams through holes in a canna leaf.

Crescent sunbeams through a colander.

I eclipsed the eclipse with my fingertip, trying to show how odd the clouds looked- probably due to the strange shadow effects of a partial eclipse..
It didn't work that well.

The videos were made by recording the eclipse's reflection in a puddle in my yard. Yes, there are actual puddles of water in my yard! That's almost as rare as an eclipse!








I spent more time just observing it in every way I could think of. Pics and videos were almost afterthoughts. I do enjoy this sort of thing.

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Police lead to police states

You can't have a police state without police. And, if you allow government to have police, you're probably going to find yourself in a police state sooner or later.

Unless you can find a real way to directly, and tightly, control (and "police") the police. (No one has ever managed to find that unicorn yet.)

Now, I suppose if you're a coward and you want to live in a police state, you're fine with that.

But if you don't want to live in a police state, but you still want cops around, for some incomprehensible reason, you are going to be disappointed. Eventually, if not sooner.

It's a path you are either choosing, or your family, friends, and neighbors are choosing for you. At least speak up in opposition.

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Get your own house in order first

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 19, 2017. This one apparently never made it to the website, so here's your first chance to read it.)

Before making a big deal of someone else's actions, it's a good idea to look in the mirror. You might be surprised by what you see.

The national media is currently obsessed with trying to prove the Russian government meddled in the most recent US presidential election. This after using every resource at their disposal to influence the election by mocking, ridiculing, and painting one of the candidates as a clown, before labeling him the next Hitler.

The media elites didn't hide their preference. Theirs was such a heavy-handed effort to manipulate the voters that it likely caused blow-back, resulting in the defeat of their darling. It's almost as if they now realize their clumsy attempt to steer the election drove American voters away from the anointed candidate, and they're desperate to shift the blame. The national media, including the entertainment industry, are more responsible for the election results than the Russian government could ever dream of being. Unless...

To find evidence of Russian meddling, I suggest investigating whether the Russian government tricked national media outlets into making fools of themselves in the lead-up to the election, and laughingstocks ever since.

If it's wrong for someone else to do something, you shouldn't do it either, whether you are an individual, an industry, or a government.

The media might care about electoral honesty, but why would politicians? The US government spends much time, effort, and your money trying to direct foreign governments to be obedient outposts of the US. If they can't get the results they want by influencing elections, they can exercise the option to send in their military. They'll free the foreign population from the troublesome ruler they have, and install a ruler more agreeable to the US government's agenda. Always in the name of democracy and human decency, of course, no matter how many innocent lives must be sacrificed in the process. Meddling in elections is almost honorable by comparison.

The hypocrisy isn't limited to elections. The US government constantly threatens other governments who try to develop nuclear weapons, while stockpiling planet-scouring numbers of the things for themselves. I wonder who is more dangerous; the government wanting what other governments have, or the only government to have actually used nuclear weapons against the civilian population of another country. Twice.

Wrong is wrong, no matter who you are or what excuses you make. Be honest, get your own house in order, then notice whether you do the same thing you're criticizing others for doing.

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Instant or nothing?

I know a free society isn't going to be instant.
"Taxation" isn't going to be abolished today.
All anti-gun "laws" aren't going to be eliminated today.
Violations of life, liberty, and property, committed by organized gangs of archators who call themselves "government" will continue.

But that realization is no reason to do things in support of these violations. It's not "pragmatic"; it's back-stabbing.

I really don't understand those willing to act as though these acts of statism are "legitimate" just because they aren't going away today. Cancer won't be cured today, either, but that's no reason to pretend it's good or necessary.

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Fellow travelers taking detours

A lot of people will never care about liberty. At all. They'll never value it. Forget them. They are like rocks and trees on the landscape. They are scenery. Learn to navigate around them. Don't go out of your way to kick them. That will only end up hurting you.

And some people once cared, but lost their way.

I know people who used to consider me (and those like me) to be fellow travelers on the path toward Rightful Liberty, but no longer do. I have some in mind, but I won't embarrass them by naming names.

It's not because my position changed in any meaningful way-- it's because they moved to the political "right" when it became "pragmatic" to do so.

In many cases they enthusiastically embraced the Borderist anti-property rights position, and in other cases they embraced other aspects of Trumpism. A few just went completely off the deep end into "alt-right" craziness-- those are thankfully rare. But all this is a matter of degree, not a difference of kind. (Others jumped into the Left end of the statism pool, but that's a different subject for another time.)

I could be sad about this. In fact, I often am.
Or I can hope this soon passes and they'll get back on course after it does. Being hopeful is what I choose to do.

I'll still be here when they get over it.

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OK. I'll bite

Fred asks a couple of questions about cops and violence, saying they won't be answered by folks of my sort, because they'll trigger cognitive dissonance.

Well, let's see...

The Police:  A cop sees a man strike a woman in the head with a piece of pipe and grab her purse. He tries to arrest the perp, who resists. The criminal is 19, muscular, and  weighs 220. What should the cop do?

Answer: He should do the same thing anyone else should do. He should defend the victim and himself. If necessary, he should fatally shoot the aggressor. "Arrest" (under the statist misunderstanding of the word) shouldn't be a goal, but that's a different subject.

Next...

Second question: The perp is big, stoked on PCP, has a length of pipe, and does not want to go to jail. He attacks the cop. What should the cop do when attacked with a deadly weapon?

Well, unless the guy was archating-- which if he's referring to the guy in the first question, he was-- the cop should have minded his own business and the pipe vs. cop attack wouldn't have happened. Being on drugs, having some pipe, and not wanting to be caged are not mala in se acts (wrong in and of themselves).

However, if he is referring to the guy in the first question (as I believe he is), the answer is the same as the answer to the first question: he should defend the victim and himself.

The right thing to do doesn't change depending on what your "job" is-- and that's the fatal error cop supporters always make. This really isn't that complicated, folks!

The rest of Fred's questions are either not directed toward me (being asked of archators of various sorts) and are thus irrelevant for this blog, or they are outside the scope of this blog. The answer to his religious question would make some of my readers mad, and the "question" has nothing to do with the proper way to live among other people. I'd rather unite people than divide them, so I won't answer that one here.

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Statists are crybabies

How many times have you been minding your own business, just talking to other liberty lovers, when some statist troll pops up and says: "Show me how your imaginary anarchist society will work!" or some other version of "It can't work!"

It happens to me all the time.

But, when I direct them to this blog, to my books, to my Dispatches from Libertopia blog, and to my website, they whine that they don't want to read all that stuff. They won't even bother to watch simple videos! It's "too much" or not what they wanted to hear.

They don't want links that would require them to lift a finger. Clicking is hard! And they might have to think!

Nope, they want to be spoonfed. They want everything to be written anew, just for them. And, of course, they won't listen anyway, because they really just want to whine.

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Pull down their statues?

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About those "bad apples"

Let's pretend that the problem with cops really is "just a few bad apples" like cop supporters continually insist.

What does an apple seller do with any bad apples he discovers in a barrel of apples?
Does the apple salesman make excuses for the bad apple and leave it in the barrel?
Does he remove it for a couple of weeks, then sneak it back in when no one is looking?
If he does toss it out, do other apple sellers enthusiastically come get it and put it in their barrel?
Do the other apples crowd around to protect the bad apple from being disposed of?
What happens if you leave bad apples in the barrel with the good apples?
Will the bad apples be made good again by exposure to the good apples, or will the bad apples ruin the whole barrel?

What are police departments doing with all the bad apples that keep turning up?
Are police departments disposing of the bad apples that expose themselves?

But, you might point out: people aren't fruit.
You're right. People aren't rotten fruit to be thrown in the compost heap. So why do cop supporters keep insisting on making that comparison?

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New videos

Here are my most recent videos. I don't feel like posting each one here individually, so maybe I'll do a post every week or so- depending on how many videos I make.

(These are the Youtube versions, but they are all available on Vidme, too! Just in case you want to reduce your usage of Google.)

Please subscribe to my channel to get all the videos before I get around to linking them here.

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Nuclear solar electric cars!

Fred, Fred, Fred... you ought to know better.

About electric cars, he says:

Liberals love them because they will prevent pollution, end global warming, and maybe stop hair loss. Libertarians hate them because they associate them with clean air, federal subsidies, and Al Gore. 

He might say it isn't possible, me being a libertarian and all, but my first car was an electric car. I love them. And I know their limitations. (Yes, that's actually me and my electric car in the picture above, in the spring of 1980.) I like clean air, I dislike government subsidies, and Al Gore is a big ol' hypocrite I can ignore. Next!

So where does the electricity come from? From all kinds of generating plants, I guess–now. But if it came from nuclear power plants, then you would have a nuclear-powered car. See? And you would have zero pollution of the air.

I guess it depends how you define "pollution of the air", but whatever. 

Back when I drove an electric car, the location where I lived got the majority of its electricity from a nuclear plant (at least when that plant wasn't shut down for one reason or another). I had a bumper sticker on my car saying something about how many barrels of oil one nuclear power plant saved. So my car was nuclear powered, and in fact, all my friends called it "The Nuke".

Then, of solar power he says:

Again, libertarians are against it, probably because Al Gore thinks it is a good idea.

Nope. I love solar power, but I know the environmental damage done by manufacturing the solar panels required for solar electricity. My problem with most people who advocate solar electricity is that they seem to be ignorant of the environmental costs (the same with large-scale wind-generators such as are sprouting up all around me). There is a cost to everything. Be aware of it, take it into account, then make your choice. Personally, I would love a solar roof.

Anyway, yeah, I know it's just humor on his part, but it is good to keep people honest. Right?

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Totally unrelated, other than it is about transportation (or rather, the prevention of transportation), I think I'll start calling the TSA the Terrorist Support Administration. More accurate.

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Don't believe in gender grab bag

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 12, 2017- I titled this one "Gender identity doesn't determine rights", which I still believe is better.)

Contrary to enlightened opinion, I believe there are only two genders, male and female-- with the occasional rare fluke of nature resulting in what used be to called a hermaphrodite.

I don't believe in the grab bag of genders which seems so trendy these days, nor do I believe in the validity of choosing non-binary gender identities, apart from those occasional rarities I mentioned above. I believe in biology.

Yes, it's a shameful confession, revealing one of my terrible shortcomings.

It is also a dangerous view, and a radical perspective, to admit publicly. It labels me, to those on the political Left, as a bigot. In some places, such as Canada, it could make me a criminal.

Yet, my beliefs are nothing but my opinion, and as such they are immaterial.

Because here's the thing which matters: Opinions don't dictate reality; reality is independent of mere opinion, and the reality is that your fundamental human rights don't depend on your gender. As a human you have the full complement of human rights--  life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness-- just because you are alive. End of story.

The outdated view, from back when people believed rights depended on who or what you were and could be added to or taken away, has run its course. It's out of steam. Time to discard that superstition and move on. It's why I see both sides of the argument over gender identities as socially destructive and a distraction.

Even if I think you are a little off-kilter, I will defend your rights, including your right to believe as you wish, up until the moment you try to violate the person or property of another. No one has a right to try to change your beliefs by force, including force of law, just as you have no right to dictate how others believe or speak. Anyone who tries to make up laws based on someone's gender, either to create rights which can't exist, or to take away rights which no one can take away, is wrong. It's simply not subject to legislation one way or the other.

The political Left is correct when it says no laws should be made to force people into gender boxes or punish those who don't fit, and the political Right is correct when it says no laws should force anyone to pretend, and speak as though they believe, someone's psychological issues reflect reality.

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Fearing "terrorism"

"Terrorism" has no grip on me. I'm not brave, though.

My biggest fear has already become reality: the loss of one of my kids. I won't say I exactly survived, because not all of me did. I'm somewhat changed. Maybe those around me see it; maybe it's all tucked inside and they don't. Either way, I'm still here.

And especially now, to me, "terrorism" is nothing but loserism. It can't scare me.

It really never has. Whether it comes from ISIS, ICEis, Washington DC, North Korea, or the local cops. They are all just gangs of bullies looking for people to intimidate. If you don't cower, they lose.

Although I will say that on September 11, 2001 I did a lot of looking up at the sky. On that day I had planes (or whatever-- depending on what you believe about that day's events) causing problems east, southeast, and west of me. I felt kind of surrounded.

That day, caught up in the viral stupidity, I flew a "Betsy Ross" flag from my deck (I will not have an official federal Holy Pole Quilt on my property). I'm ashamed of that knee-jerk reaction now.

Yet even then, I wasn't looking for government to "save" me. I knew the most likely result would be a further destruction of liberty from a government excited to have an excuse and a populace too scared to object to any new escalation of tyranny.

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Liberty experiment failed

(This is a guest post, written by someone who prefers to stay anonymous. I don't usually do this, but I made an exception in his case. All opinions expressed in the main body of the post are his.)

It is with much sadness, sorrow, and regrets that I realize that our great experiment has failed; Our fleeting Liberty has been forever lost.

It lasted a total of 6 Years, 6 Months, 16 Days.

Here are the facts that few Americans even know. (Quoted text from various American History websites which I won’t name. The interested reader will look them up for himself. I fully expect nobody will bother to do so.)

“The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781

“Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. The document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting as independent countries, and it quickly became clear to America’s leaders [politicians] that future stability [their power] required a stronger, more centralized government. New York’s Alexander Hamilton thus led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation’s governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from all 13 states were subsequently invited to convene in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787, to participate in the convention.

“The initial purpose of the Convention was for the delegates [a group of greedy, ungodly and powerful men] to amend the Articles of Confederation; however, the ultimate outcome was the proposal and creation of a completely new form of government. On September 17, 1787, the convention concluded with the signing (by 38 out of 41 delegates present) of the new U.S. Constitution. Under Article VII, it was agreed that the document would not be binding until its ratification by nine of the 13 existing states.

“Hamilton and James Madison [two of the worse enemies of Liberty this nation has yet seen] led the lobbying efforts for votes in favor of ratifying the Constitution. With assistance from [traitor to Liberty] John Jay, they produced the 85 essays known as “The Federalist Papers” that explained and defended how the proposed new government would function. The essays were published in newspapers nationwide and were pivotal to securing ratification.”

[The anti-federalist papers were ignored by most people because they didn’t understand they were being led astray. Even now that our Liberty is almost gone, still most people won’t even read them! Even now that these papers are digitized and made into audio files, few Americans bother to listen to them!]

It’s anyone’s guess if The Articles of Confederation would have secured Liberty on these shores. It’s impossible to know what could have been.
The exact dates of ratification of the new constitution are listed below, but they really don’t matter. My statement of “6 Years, 6 Months, 16 Days” above assumes the date when these evil men started us on our plunge to tyranny.

Once the enemies of Liberty set their jaws to destroy that great gift that 56 brave men gave and lost their “Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honors” to secure, all was lost. (The actual length of time from the Articles of Confederation’s ratification till the ratification of the new constitution was 8 Years, 3 Days if anyone cares.)

“After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place on Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789.”

History buffs (and those fearful of Liberty) would drag out the Connecticut Compromise, but it was all fluff to trick people to put into effect this new tyranny. The reasons the common man went along with this anti-liberty plan was mainly because the common man just wants to live free, mind his own business, to make a life for himself, to raise a healthy family, and to live his life in peace and prosperity if he can.

Fast forward to the 1930’s-1940’s…
“Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps said

First, they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

“The quotation stems from Niemöller's lectures during the early postwar period. Different versions of the quotation exist. These can be attributed to the fact that Niemöller spoke extemporaneously and in a number of settings. Much controversy surrounds the content of the poem as it has been printed in varying forms, referring to diverse groups such as Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Trade Unionists, or Communists depending upon the version. Nonetheless, his point was that Germans—in particular, he believed, the leaders of the Protestant churches—had been complicit through their silence in the Nazi imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people.”

One of the most important tenants of the new constitution, the prohibition of ex-post facto laws, is so important it is listed twice in this document.

“An ex-post facto law (corrupted from Latin: ex-post facto, lit. 'out of the aftermath') is a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions that were committed or relationships that existed, before the enactment of the law.”

This is an important law because… “It's a law that makes an act criminal, even though the act was lawful when it was committed or it can be a law that inflicts a harsher punishment than was permitted when the act was committed.

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

And this is as far as my guest poster, "TFF", got before losing interest and moving on to other things.
I agree with him that ex-post facto "laws" are utterly despicable.
He invited me to finish this essay for him, but I have a hard time expecting honestly or integrity from government. "What do you expect? It's government!" So I can't really work up the interest to put in an honest effort to do this justice.
But he asked if I would share this, so his effort would be recorded somewhere. I am pleased to do so.

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The (free) market and Capitalism

I don't usually write "free market" anymore, just "the market", because if it's not free, it's not the market.

"The market" just means voluntary trade without coercion. Government "laws" make a market impossible-- although you can still create a mostly-"free" market through the Black (or Gray) Market.

"Capitalism" is simply the market plus the act of re-investing some of the profits ("capital") back into the market. A true capitalism is impossible under a government (due to the impossibility of a real market coexisting with government), although approximations can exist.

It is possible to have a non-capitalist market if you make no profit, or put none of your profits back into the business (and don't use that money to start another business, either). This will probably be a short-lived dead end, though.

Capitalism is not about "hierarchies", although there is nothing wrong with voluntary hierarchies.

It has nothing to do with exploitation, even though exploitation can happen in any arrangement.

Anarchy isn't anti-capitalist, unless "capitalism" is misidentified and defined incorrectly. Socialism dishonestly posing as "anarchism" is anti-capitalism because socialism is anti-property rights, and you can't have a market if you aren't allowed to own and use property.

Here's an excellent essay about barter, trade, and capitalism and how it is all voluntary.


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Do "nice guys" rob people politely?

The idea behind the "good cop" delusion seems to run along these lines: If you are robbed by a gentlemanly robber, you weren't really robbed.

And yes, most cops have behaved nicely toward me, even while they robbed me. (Although they have all acted scared while committing their act of enforcement.) Does this excuse the theft? No. That's ridiculous.

A polite archator is still an archator, and is not a "good" person. Ever. Not even if you approve of what they do.

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Spoon-feeding statists

I need more patience with people who have just run across unfamiliar ideas relating to liberty.

Yes, I may have been explaining it for a decade.
Others may have been explaining it for millennia.
I may not feel like explaining it again, in detail, for the hundredth time.
But the new guy doesn't know this. It's brand new to him. He hasn't been along for the ride, but just now noticed the saddled horse waiting for him to hop on. And he's suspicious.

It's something hard to keep in mind, especially when the new guy comes at me with a hostile self-righteous attitude, and the assurance that no one has ever heard anything like his objections before.

I do try to explain. I try to be patient even though I've probably blogged about his precise point before. Maybe more than once. I can explain again, suited to his individual argument, punctuated by links that will help the explanation. Which he will studiously ignore.

When I provide explanatory links rather than typing the whole thing out again, it would be nice if he took the time to read them, instead of wanting it all spelled out and spoon-fed to him. But I've learned that's not how it works. He wants to be spoon-fed, and he wants it pre-digested. No effort.

And that gets old.

But maybe that's what I need to do anyway. If, that is, there is any point in trying to help people have better lives. And that is debatable.

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I am...

I am a libertarian because I believe in maximizing liberty and minimizing aggression.

I recognize the maximum amount of liberty requires there be no one who can violate liberty free of rightful consequences.

The minimum amount of aggression is zero.

Government is founded on aggression, violations of liberty, and theft.

Therefore I am opposed to any and all externally imposed government, which means I am an anarchist.

All externally imposed governments enslave. Slavery is something else I am vehemently against. This means I am an abolitionist.

Slavery is not voluntary. I believe every human interaction should be voluntary, and that when someone tries to force themselves on you, you have a fundamental human right to defend your life, liberty, and property from their advances. This is why I am a Voluntaryist.

I will embrace whichever of these labels for myself I want, for whatever purpose, whenever it suits me. They are interchangeable, unless you mis-define them.

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Derailed!

It's interesting, and not in a good way, how easy it seems for some people to veer Left or Right. Perhaps even for most people.

Some people who I used to believe had their heads on straight, got bogged down in the Social Justice Wanker agenda. So much for them.

Others went off on the alt-right crazy train with the election of Trump. Oops. Have fun with that.

Some have cobbled together some freakish Frankensteinian monster combining the worst of both! Yes, it's as scary as it sounds!

To resist going off-track must be harder than I thought. That makes me sad.

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Government never a friend to liberty

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 5, 2017)

Those who value liberty are often labeled "anti-government" by those who don't understand. It's easy to see how they make this mistake.

People have come to believe liberty-- or "freedom", as they usually call it-- requires government protection in order to exist. Because of this they'll cry out to government whenever they feel threatened or violated. This is a sign the indoctrination has succeeded. However, even when government claims to support liberty, it's harming it.

Government has made itself the enemy of liberty without people noticing. In fact government can't exist alongside liberty; the two are mutually exclusive. Pro-liberty people will appear to be anti-government to those who choose the other side.

I am in favor of legitimate government: self government. I am not in favor of any group, including one chosen by the voting majority, imposing restrictions on people to forbid them from doing what they have a natural human right to do.

What do you have a right to do? Anything and everything which doesn't violate anyone else's rights.

You have the right to keep and use your own property, defend yourself from attackers, smoke Cannabis, and engage in mutually agreeable trade with anyone anywhere, because none of these things violate anyone's rights.

You can't have the right to murder, rob, or enslave, nor to interfere with others doing anything they have the right to do, including things you don't like them doing. You have no right to govern others, and you can't delegate-- to anyone-- a right you don't have. A right which can't exist.

If you somehow create a government which protects property from thieves, but doesn't excuse theft by calling it "taxation", it won't qualify as "government" to most people. If you could create a government which protects everyone's rights, and never allows its employees to commit the very acts it is supposedly protecting people from, it would be different from any government in history. Again, so different no one would consider it government. This is how crooked government has been over the millennia-- it simply couldn't act ethically and be considered "government" by the majority. This is enlightening.

I am against anything most would call government. Not because it is government, but because I oppose theft, aggression, and coercion, no matter who does it; regardless of any justifications they dream up. I am not anti-government, but being pro-liberty looks the same to those who support the State, and place it and its employees beyond accountability.

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Known by those who consider you the enemy

It is said that if you are libertarian, and being consistent, those on the Right will call you a "Leftist" and those on the Left will claim you're part of the "Right".

It seems to me, in some cases at least, I must be doing things right.

On Facebook a while back I wrote "Neither Right nor Left, but the opposite of both those extremely wrong positions."

A guy who is infamous on Facebook for calling libertarians (or anyone who isn't his brand of alt-right) rude names commented "So... far left".

I replied with a link to a page with tips for improving reading comprehension, but it seems my help wasn't appreciated.

Anyway, he went on about how "middle of the road" is always leftist (Mises says so!), and called me a "crypto-commie". I never said I was "middle of the road"-- why would I be standing stupidly in the road at all? I'm not a cow. Standing between two positions (pretending those positions actually differ) is not the opposite of both.

It reminds me of the poor guy who, back in 2010, called me a "COMMUNOFASCISTIC STATIST", and said "Having a discussion with you is akin to touching the 'tar baby'" when I wouldn't buy into the flawed argument he was trying to trap me into agreeing with him on. Nope, I kept countering his every point rather easily (because it was a subject I've studied a lot), and he didn't like it. So he snapped on me.

Somehow, being called mean names by people who believe theft, aggression, superstition, and slavery can somehow be "better" than NOT committing theft and aggression seems like a compliment to me. I'll survive it.

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Food costs

Worth it, but not free

Have you ever seen the silly meme saying something like: "If we all gardened and traded our surplus with each other, we could eat for free!"?

When I see that I wonder what the person's definition of "free" is.

I think of "free" as meaning "without cost"; something for nothing.

Even when I pick Rocket Mustard, purslane, or prickly pear out of the yard to eat, there is a cost. It takes labor. Both for harvesting and for preparing.

If I were to garden, the cost would be even greater. There's labor, supplies, and (around here, anyway) water. TANSTAAFL, you know. Maybe you can avoid a bit of "taxation" this way, though.

Anyone who thinks only in terms of money traded for the food is missing almost everything related to cost.

This doesn't mean I am opposed to growing your own and trading the surplus. I'm not. I think it's a great thing to do and I encourage everyone to try it. But let's not fool ourselves that the food produced is in any way "free".

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"Filthy parasites"

A while back, someone got upset because I called cops "filthy parasites" and said I was just "name calling".

Well, let's see...

Parasite
par·a·siteˈperəˌsīt/ noun

• an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. 
• (derogatory)
• a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.

Let's look at this one part at a time.

Cops are organisms. I don't believe anyone disputes that fact.

Cops live on other organisms, perhaps not physically but certainly at their expense.

Cops benefit by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. When a cop buys food with his paycheck, he is getting nutrients at his host's expense, since the money used to buy the food was stolen from the hosts (you and me). His food purchase (and every other purchase he makes) reduces the amount of resources you have with which to benefit yourself. His existence costs you.

So, yes, a cop satisfies the first definition to a T.

What about the second part?

A cop is a person.

They rely on other people for their existence as a cop. Without other people believing cops are "necessary", the "job" wouldn't exist.

Cops exploit others. They "make full use of and derive benefit from" other people. This goes back to the first definition.

They do so habitually-- on a daily basis as a condition of holding that "job". If they stop exploiting people, they lose the "job".

Now, do they give "nothing in return"?

That depends. A rapist gives "something", but it is something unwanted and harmful. Of course, the same could be said of a tapeworm.

The lack of consent makes the difference. I don't consent to rape, nor do I consent to being policed.

In spite of objections to the contrary, the reality, by definition, is that cops ARE parasites.

I consider all parasites to be "filthy". If you don't, that's fine with me.

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