Sunday, February 17, 2019

Time to break government addiction

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for January 16, 2019)




When an addict's supply is cut off, it's usually an agonizing journey through withdrawal to the other side of the addiction; where the poison finally loosens its grip on the person, giving him a new chance at life. I'm not talking about a chemical dependency this time, but a far more deadly condition: government addiction.

If you are feeling effects from this imaginary government "shutdown", even as simple as having noticed it, you are most likely somewhat addicted to government.

Do you feel as though you are suffering because you don't have enough government? Are you buying into the hysterics coming from the government extremists wanting the shutdown to end? 

Other signs of addiction can include a desire to see taxes increased, a call to build border walls, the obsession to outlaw tools of self-defense while saying that's what police are for, and many other things.

Those aren't the cravings of a healthy mind or spirit.

If you've ever wanted more government than you currently have, you are addicted and on a self-destructive path. Are you suffering any discomfort or emotional distress at all? If so, you are feeling the effects of withdrawal caused by your government addiction.

I'd love to help you kick your habit. You may think I'm joking; I'm not.

Like all addictions, breaking the addiction to government is going to hurt. Withdrawal is never fun. It is so much easier to chase after one more hit; one more law to ease the pain for the moment. If someone offers you a hit of government, and you take it, you've fed your addiction. You've kicked the can down the road. You've delayed healing rather than facing the problem and dealing with it in a responsible manner. It's your choice.

Addicts are responsible for their choices. No one is obligated to bail them out or save them from themselves. Yes, it is hard to watch someone hurt themselves. Worse, irresponsible behavior always has innocent victims; those who never asked to be a part of the sickness, but who get dragged down with the junkie.

This unique chance to break your addiction won't last forever. When it ends, and someone offers you a hit of your old vice, I hope you'll be strong enough to say "no". To say you don't need the poison anymore. If you need someone to talk to, to help you through the pain of withdrawal, I'm here for you. I'm completely serious.

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Hierarchy



Hierarchy is one of those concepts I see underinformed people bash pretty often.

A politicized hierarchy is bad, not because of the hierarchy, but because of the politics.

Hierarchy is the recognition that some people are better at some things than I am. I learned to make fire with the bow drill from Burnt Spoon because he knew more and had more experience than I did. Larken Rose is better at explaining liberty than I am. To deny those facts, just because I don't want anyone in the hierarchy "above" me, would be insane and unhelpful.

If an employee doesn't listen to a supervisor just because he doesn't want to be "lower" on the hierarchy than the boss, he may mess up. The employee may lose his job. Yes, he might be right, and it might be worth it to defy the boss, but it's not automatically oppression to defer to someone else who knows more about something than you do. Any legitimate hierarchy is a hierarchy of competence.

But, as with anything else, once you add politics to the mix your hierarchy is probably no longer based on competence, but on power and imaginary "authority". This kind of hierarchy is illegitimate and you have no obligation to submit to it.

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