"Liberty is..."

Just wanted to say I am very proud of this design I just made and added to TeeSpring:

Liberty is...

Libertarians criticizing libertarians

I've seen a lot of online libertarians criticized for things that have nothing to do with being libertarian.

It's not hard to be libertarian.
All you have to do is recognize you have no right to violate anyone's life, liberty, or property. This is what the ZAP puts into words.

Then it's up to you to keep the promise.

As long as someone makes the effort, whatever else they do is none of my business.

Some people are going to make different choices than those I would make. Often some of these choices are just for fun or are tied to attempts to make extra money. 

You might think they are showing libertarians in a bad light, or being frivolous, or even immoral by your standards. You are free to think that, but as long as their actions don't violate anyone you have no right to stop them. You can criticize all you want, but remember you may drive someone away from liberty just as easily with your criticisms as the behaviors you criticize can.

Plus, as has been said, a revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. Life needs joy. No one can survive emotionally being serious all the time. I'll defend people just trying to have fun or make honest money, as long as they aren't violating anyone. Even if their choices differ from mine.

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Gridlock best election outcome

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 28, 2020)

What do you expect to happen after Donald Trump's election victory? I expect outrage, shock, and denial from the national mainstream media and others who pretended Joe Biden was a credible candidate.

I expect more accusations of Russian interference in the election as an excuse to consider the result illegitimate. Until "None of the above-- leave the office vacant" is on the ballot, no election looks legitimate to me.

I expect violence from those who will use the election as justification for violence no matter how things turn out. Just as certain people riot and destroy their own city after a major sports victory, the chaos lovers aren't going to be cheated out of their riot whatever happens. They'll just change their excuse to fit the outcome.

I expect more impeachment attempts from sore losers.

I expect liberty to be incrementally outlawed even more, although more slowly than the opposing team would have done had they gained the power to do so.

I expect-- I hope-- gridlock will protect the remaining shreds of liberty. The worst possible result is for bipartisanship to break out in Washington DC.

I believe the founders of the United States built gridlock into the system on purpose. The last thing they wanted was for the federal government to do things to Americans. If this weren't the case, they could have simply placed all political power into one office. Instead, they divided it to keep government from having that much power. For various reasons, it didn't work.

For one thing, they never intended for the Supreme Court to do what it does: interpreting and having the "final word" on the Constitution. They stole that power for themselves, in what should be seen as a coup, all the way back in 1803. They've been a serious danger to American liberty ever since.

It's good when Congress is gridlocked, but still able to block everything the president does. It would be good if the Supreme Court never got to consider a case, or was evenly divided and couldn't make a decision-- it's a shame there are an odd number of Supreme Courtjesters. It's good if the president doesn't take Congress or the Supreme Court too seriously.

Gridlock is why Donald Trump may be the best outcome for a less than optimal situation. Unless voters choose the smarter path and vote for Libertarian candidate, Jo Jorgensen, instead. I wish I expected that to happen.

(I missed this prediction, so here's the follow-up: link)

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Kent vs Bad Dogs

The dog that made friends over treats, "Snacky"

I'm not a dog person. I don't automatically like every dog I meet; they have to win me over. And many have done so over the years. But some of them don't even try.

I walk around town for a half-hour or more every day, unless the weather is bad enough that I use the Gazelle machine (but I find that even more boring than walking in town). 

No matter the path I take, I encounter aggressive dogs who don't stay in their yard. Most are either some chihuahua mix or a pit bull (or pit bull mix). I hate the dogs that come after me.

Long ago I started carrying dog treats; to either make friends or at least to buy me time. There was one dog who quickly learned I wasn't someone to attack, but that I offered treats to friends. Until he disappeared a few weeks ago he was always watching for me to pass.

I also carry a big stick in case treats don't work. I have had to use it a couple of times.

There is a yard I sometimes pass where two pit bulls live. One of them was a puppy this summer. I was nice to the puppy every time I went by, trying to avoid future trouble. The grown dog usually stayed inside the fence (the gate is often open) and glared or barked. As the puppy has grown it has gotten more aggressive. I have tried offering treats but neither of them was smart enough to ever notice the treats. (I have a very low opinion of pit bull intelligence based on every pit bull I've ever met.)

A couple of months ago the two of them charged my daughter and me as we walked by and I whacked the puppy on the head with my stick. He yelped and ran back to the yard. For weeks afterward, he would bark from his yard but didn't come after us. Sometimes he would actually run back inside the fence before starting to bark. 

Then a few weeks ago he decided to go for it again-- it's always when the grown dog is with him. That time I held my stick out to hold them off, and a passing motorist charged his pickup at the dogs and they ran home. The motorist had some unkind things to say about dog owners who let their aggressive dogs roam, and I agreed.

Yesterday, they came at me again-- it was as though they were waiting to ambush me. It's a good thing I'm alert! I held them off with the stick and told them "No! Go home!" They turned and ran but as soon as I tried to walk they came at me again so I went at them swinging. A motorist who was sitting at the stop sign put his car in reverse and distracted the dogs by driving backwards at them as soon as he saw the situation. I was glad my daughter wasn't with me this time.

The people who own the dogs are sometimes in the yard. I wave at them. I suspect they don't speak English but they wave back. I don't want to dislike them, but they aren't making that easy.

Once they had a dead rabbit hanging by a rope in the yard, high enough the puppy could barely nip at its feet if he jumped high enough. I wondered if this was some sort of training, but I don't know.

I've tried other routes, but as I say there are other dogs who do the same sort of thing. A huge bulldog came at me one day and almost got me even while his owner yelled at him. And I almost kicked a tiny terror back into his yard a couple of times. I've made a crazy winding route around town trying to avoid the aggressive dogs and have realized it simply isn't possible. I'm going to walk my preferred route and the bad dogs along the way are just going to have to learn to leave me alone.

I don't want to get into trouble for shooting a dog-- I don't have a license to kill like the Blue Line Gang does. If I get arrested for shooting a dog, you'll know why.

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A politics-free holiday

Amazing! No one brought up politics in any confrontational way over Thanksgiving.

My family is made up of Right-Statists, Left-Statists, virtual world dwellers, and me. The Right-Statists and Left-Statists never mentioned politics to each other in my presence. Neither side tried to get me to take a side because they didn't talk politics.

The biggest surprise is that for the first time in years, I didn't hear the Left-Statists insert snide comments about Trump into every conversation, even those which had nothing whatsoever to do with him. That's a miracle. And a welcome change.

Maybe it is better to just give the loudest complainers what they want.

From now on, instead of the election automatically going to whoever cheats the hardest, it will go to whoever makes the biggest threats of what they'll do if they don't get what they want.

The LP is still out of luck in this new paradigm as long as they embrace non-aggression. You can't threaten the courts into giving you the office if you won't hold society hostage (whether or not you manufacture v*tes). But the other parties still have an almost even chance (I still believe the Left-Statists have a bit of an advantage).

Politics may have fundamentally changed this year. I wonder where that will lead.

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Happy Th... well, you know.

 

"Listen to the science"

This is what we are told, and I agree.

But, those who say this usually believe "the science" is defined as that which agrees with their Left-Statist government-supremacist opinions. When there are two scientific trains of thought (as there often are), they only want you to listen to the one they agree with. Ignore the other.

And sometimes "the science" isn't even the right factor to consider.

Do masks work? Do lockdowns work? I don't know and I don't really care. It's entirely the wrong question. The right question would be "Who has the right to order you to do either of these things?" The answer is "No one".

I recently went with the family to Mexican food restaurant. No one was requested to wear masks to walk through the door. (Some people did anyway.) No one was scolding anyone for not wearing a mask. People were friendly and relaxed. It was almost just like a normal pre-panicdemic evening out.

The next day I went to PlastiCrap world. They were only letting 75 shoppers at a time in the store. It was cold, breezy, and misty and I waited in line for over half an hour to be allowed into the store. In this line, I was the only person-- outdoors, standing at least 6 feet apart-- who wasn't wearing a mask the whole time. I did pull up my bandana to enter the store (without being asked).

Why such stark differences? Because the restaurant was in Texas and the store was in New Mexico. Texas politicians aren't going insane about this cold virus, while New Mexico politicians seem to be competing to see how insane they can be. 

Pretending that the virus is an actual risk, I am willing to put up with some added risk for a little more liberty. I don't demand you do the same, but stay out of my way.

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Dishonest disagreements

I'm not afraid of people with opinions that are contrary to mine. I don't mind hearing them out. I don't mind too much when they aggressively tell me I'm wrong.

I notice when they "go strawman" on me.
I notice when they are dishonest.
I notice their inconsistencies even if they don't.

I do find it amusing to watch a government-supremacist paint himself into a corner with inconsistencies and double-standards, and then slowly realize what he's done to himself. You can see it dawning on him in real time as he suddenly starts trying to change the subject, starts leaning heavily on projection, and tries to make it about you and perhaps even blocks you.

But, no matter how strongly someone disagrees, and no matter what arguments they try to make, "taxation" is still theft and there can never be such a thing as a "good cop".

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Costs are worth living in liberty

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 21, 2020)

The continuing hysteria over Covid-19 reminds me of the website warning of the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO). The website correctly points out that DHMO is found in all our food, sometimes as an additive; we've all been exposed. It's found in many dangerous compounds and in cancerous tumors. It kills thousands yearly.

This is all completely true. In fact, Nazis used DHMO in their concentration camps and the Soviets used it in their gulags.

Petitions calling for a ban on this dangerous substance have circulated, and thousands of people have signed.

Dihydrogen Monoxide is a way to describe water. If you want a good laugh, visit the website at DHMO.org.

In the same way, Covid-19 seems to be everywhere. It may be spreading like wildfire through the population as testing seems to confirm. Under some circumstances, it can kill!

Yet, so can any respiratory infection. So can water. So can economic shutdowns.

To remain hysterical over a common, although new, virus doesn't make sense anymore. It goes against science and reason. It's purely political.

Those who continue to take the governor's fearmongering seriously are no different than those eager to sign a petition to ban Dihydrogen Monoxide. Good intentions or not, their ignorance could end up harming individuals and being dangerous to society.

Few emotions are as motivating as fear, but fear is not reasonable in this case.

Political power relies on keeping people scared and wanting to be rescued by a parental government. Few politicians are strong enough to resist this opportunity to increase their power. This weakness should permanently disqualify anyone from holding elected office.

It's long past time to acknowledge there is a virus and to get on with life, anyway. It's past time to end the shutdowns and ignore the will of politicians who refuse to loosen their grip. It's time to stop cowering and to start acting like the Americans we can be-- like the resilient humans we are. Our species didn't get this far by being weak and scared. Responsible people accept that life isn't safe, but we live it anyway, facing the dangers like sensible adults rather than like scared children. Or like panicking pets.

Sure, there will be costs. Only the ignorant expect otherwise. Living in liberty is worth it. The alternative is worse than you're being told. Politicians and politicized medical experts are manipulating your emotions to keep you afraid. Politicians have had their time. Time's up.

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Someone is causing strife. Is it me?

I seem to be the cause of great distress among my family. I'm stubborn and pig-headed.

A niece of mine is expecting a baby in early December. Her doctor told her to make sure anyone she brings the baby into contact with over the holidays has been vaccinated with both a flu shot and a "Tdap" shot. I suspect if the Covid-19 vaccine were available, that would have been included.

I politely told my parents I wouldn't do that, and I wouldn't force my daughter to get those shots, either. (I did give my daughter the choice; she declined.) I would just stay home while my niece and the baby were there. No hard feelings on my part. Ground rules were laid out and I made my choice. Simple solution, right?

Apparently not.

I'm now the bad guy. I'm told I'm making a big deal out of this. How am I making a big deal? I informed them of my decision and as far as I was concerned that was the end of it. But others aren't willing to let it go.

Notice, I didn't say I didn't want her to come for Christmas and bring the baby. I didn't criticize anyone else for agreeing to the conditions. All I said was that I wasn't willing to do that. nor was I willing to force my daughter to do it.

They actually said if the roles were reversed I would want everyone to get the vaccinations. Do they know me at all? Maybe I'm too quiet around them and need to start speaking my mind a little more. I try to not be "that guy" who harps on one subject and tries to turn every conversation toward that. But... maybe I need to speak up a little more.

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Election nonsense

 

Recounts are a distraction and a lie.

It doesn't matter how many times I recount the money under my mattress if I keep counting the counterfeit bills along with the "official" bills with each new count, I'll get the same false accounting every time.

Moving on...

The picture above the post shows a major problem even if you imagine an election can be legitimate.

I don't want my life to be run by people in big cities. Even if I lived in one of those big cities, I wouldn't want my government-supremacist neighbors to gang up and run my life. Even though I live far from any of those big cities, I don't want my neighbors to gang up and run my life.

Otherwise, I'd say let the big cities have the Biden/Harris dictatorship they so clearly crave (assuming the election fraud still represents the basic leanings of the cities), and let the rest of the country continue under a Trump dictatorship. Just split it up already!

No side supporting the other side. No side obligated to obey the rules the other side wants to impose on themselves. Neither side responsible for paying Congress' debts.

Imagining that the country has to stay together is delusional. It's past time for a divorce... but how, since there are no easy lines to split it along? You'd have to excise the big cities from the matrix in which they sit. Yes, it could be done-- and probably easily these days with the internet-- but it doesn't make a good map, and most people would probably reject it on that basis.

It could all be done away with if people would just grow up. Drop the politics.

I have a difficult time imagining what would cause a person to believe they need a president-- I know I don't need one. I've never seen anyone and thought to myself "Now, that person needs a president!"

I was saying before the election that there has never been a legitimate election and this wouldn't magically be the first. I did think they'd try a lot harder to make it look legitimate-ish, though. They aren't even trying anymore. I guess that means they don't believe they have to. The people will just accept whatever they tell us to accept. They are probably right. Which is why democracy-- even if you say it's a republic and pretend that makes a real difference-- is illegitimate mob rule.

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Mask mandates and shutdowns are not science

I just can't believe that people who claim to be "listening to the science" or "trusting science" are still supporting shutdowns and mask mandates. That's the opposite of trusting or doing science. It shows a lack of understanding of what science is and how it works.

Sure, some people who really do use science are then advising shutdowns and masks based on what their observations are telling them. Observations which are never the complete picture, and which are always biased. Science is always provisional, waiting to be changed by better information. There is no "the science"; it's part of the scientific method. 

If someone says "the science is settled", they aren't talking about actual science, but about rigid groupthink-- a religious belief based, at best, on partial information.

People who trust science-- as a method and not as a religion-- understand this limitation. It's why they don't demand political action based on their observations. They might give you advice they believe to be important, but they won't suggest using the violence of the state against you if you don't take that advice.

Real science is a method of finding information. It looks at both the pros and cons-- and every action will have both. It doesn't dictate or mandate. It gives information-- provisional information-- and then people decide for themselves how to act based on that. It doesn't involve politics.

"The science" doesn't ignore the social costs. It weighs them against the benefits.

Science understands that new data can change the conclusions.

Dr. Fauci isn't doing science. He's doing politics. He can be safely ignored-- and despised-- by people who understand science.

And no matter what science says, it doesn't give anyone the right to violate your liberty for the good of society. Nothing can do that.

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TeeSpring links

Here are all my TeeSpring store designs separated for ease of finding the one you want.

Dull'Hawk Flag (Time's Up Flag)

Dull'Hawk (Time's Up) Flag, rainbow version

Anarchy is balance (also with white lettering)

Anarchy: No rulers, No bombs.

AR-15 doesn't mean "Assault Rifle 15"

Democracy is mob rule

Green Nude Eel

Hoist the Black Flag (and begin slitting throats)

I AM wearing a mask

I survived! (Covid)

Liberty is...

Liberty is not subject to a vote (Yes, I spelled out the bad word!)

Liberty Strikes Back Flag

Line on a map

No guns

Politics makes people stupid

Second Amendment

Socialism

Take me to your leader

Taxation is theft

You were warned

"You were warned" flag

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Contrarian tendencies

I don't intend to be a contrarian. But when society goes insane, I can't help it. I have never been able to "go along to get along"-- I've been scolded for this my whole life.

I understand the "why" behind face masks. I'm not even against wearing them (I'm agnostic). But I'm completely against having bullies order me to wear one "or else".

It's the same with everything else. 

You tell me I'm not allowed to do X or Y, when X or Y don't violate any other human in any way? Guess what I'm probably going to do if I have the slightest desire to do it. You guessed it.

I have to be careful to not do things I don't want to do just because some bully told me I'm not allowed to do it. Sometimes I almost can't stop myself. Contrarian tendencies.

Political bullies bring that out in me.

I don't have a lot of patience with stupidity, and I've seen very few things that cause as much stupidity as politics. (As soon as I can come up with a design, I'm adding "Politics makes people stupid" to my TeeSpring shop.)

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New original designs from KentForLiberty

I've launched my TeeSpring shop. 

You'll find some new original designs there, plus an old familiar with a new caption.

Bookmark it and keep checking back.

I hope the designs aren't too scary for them-- order quick, just in case.

Added: I have added a link to all my products up at the top of my blog page (unless you are using a mobile device).

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"Wolf! Help! Wolf!"

Government "cried wolf" over this pandemic. In fact, it keeps doing so. Gotta keep the people riled up and panicked. 

But the effect has largely worn off-- the only ones still falling for it are the super-gullible government-supremacists who will always believe "authorities". Of course, there are still way too many of those people among us.

But, even people on the fence are falling off, and more of those are falling toward the "knock it off!" side. At least around here.

I don't even know what the Texas politicians are doing these days.

But, on the New Mexico side of this area, the petty tyrant has declared a new round of lockdowns. She apparently just loves power!

I hope it backfires. Crying "wolf" yet again is going to show even more people that you're a liar who can't be trusted. This is the effect "crying wolf" has, and is the point of the children's tale. I guess she didn't pay attention.

I don't see an end to this if they can keep getting away with it. Fewer will believe them each time, though. Another overreaction, and just about no one with any sense will listen the next time. Hopefully, there won't be a time when there really is a wolf and we ignore the real warning. But it's a price each of us must decide whether we are willing to pay.

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Every four years, the same old thing

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 14, 2020)

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in an infinite Presidential time loop? Every four years I watch it repeat, but no one else seems to notice.

Like the movie Groundhog Day, where the protagonist relives the same exact day with only his own behavior and choices changing, I see the repeating patterns in every presidential election.

Opposition party loyalists with a special dislike of the current president-- whoever it may be-- are certain the president will declare himself dictator to stay in power. Doesn't this fearmongering ever get old? Doesn't anyone notice this is always the claim yet it never happens?

Most politicians want to keep the system's appearance of legitimacy intact above all else. Staying in office beyond their term might cause the rest of you to immediately stop believing the system is legitimate. Politicians need the illusion of legitimacy and can't afford to let this happen.

Then there are the recycled claims of this being "The most important election of our lifetime."

Sure it is. And I have oceanfront property in Arizona I'd sell cheap. I'm not saying there won't be bad consequences due to the election-- there will be-- but it has never been the case that "Every vote counts", and this won't be the first time. "Every vote" has never been counted in any election.

Maybe it's worse than a simple time loop.

As long as you are forced to choose between government-supremacist candidates who have been selected by the major parties you can be sure nothing will change for the better. The parties have made certain of this; it's how they retain power. As has been pointed out, if voting could change anything, it would be illegal.

You may believe elections are "Democrat vs Republican" (or even Libertarian) but they are actually The State vs you. Elections are set up to make certain The State wins and you lose no matter who is elected to office.

I am not a Trump fan, but I certainly don't see him as unusually dangerous, nor do I prefer Biden or Harris. They are all cut from the same cloth. It takes a particular type of person to gain national political prominence, and it's not a type you should trust with power over your life.

Again, it's just the same old thing, time after time. There's one thing I'm glad will never change, though: my liberty will never be subject to a vote.

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Wilson's loss

It's been a while since I shared a Wilson tale. I thought of one while writing my latest post on my prepping blog.

It's possible I have written about this before, but I didn't find it.

Years after Wilson disappeared I happened to run into him in another tourist town. He was living in the area and working at a hotel.

Things hadn't gone his way since the last time I had seen him.

Back when he lived across the river from me, he was an ammunition hoarder. When we went out to shoot, he took 3 or 5 cartridges for each of his two firearms. That was it. He bought ammo with each paycheck, but he wouldn't use it. He just stacked it into a nice wall of ammo in his house unheated shack. He said he didn't want to use what he might someday need.

But, after he left the area, things went south-- according to what he told me. 

As many of us tend to do, he got into a relationship with the wrong woman. She got angry at him and called the police to report him as a danger. Keep in mind this was well before "red flag laws" were all the rage with antigun bigots, so I guess they aren't "necessary" after all.

But the cops did what cops do: kicked in his door, tackled him to the ground, cuffed and kidnapped him... and stole all his guns and ammo. Back to square one. But he didn't end up in prison.

I didn't ask if he'd yet managed to rebuild his collections. I knew not to pry too much.

I guess it's a good idea to have a secondary stash, in case the Blue Line Gang steals your primary one.

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The Great (business) Extinction

The government's "pandemic" shut-downs are causing a Great Extinction-- for businesses.

It's like an asteroid strike, a supervolcano caldera explosion, or a new ice age. But political rather than physical.

Many businesses won't survive-- it will probably end up killing off more than even I suspect. The survivors will have to evolve to the new ecosystem.

It's not the pandemic that did this-- it is the misguided overreactions of political bullies, and the people who complied with their unreasonable demands. I don't blame those who complied-- it is always a hard choice. Comply and make the overall situation worse, or refuse to comply and make your individual situation worse.

Whatever caused the problem, it is done now. What will remain?

There will be lots of opportunities for those who survive and can adapt. After big extinction events, there are lots of niches to be filled. I hope all of us can take advantage of them.

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"Discrimination!"

It's easy to feel discriminated against-- to feel like a victim-- when you make unreasonable demands that other people aren't willing to meet.

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Angry 'Crats

Among my own family members, I'm seeing seething Democrat anger over the election; a continuation of the anger they expressed (and probably felt) for the past 4 years. 

I've never seen the same from the Republican family members when their side lost. I mean, won. Or whatever. You know what I mean.

I realize the Democrats may be extra angry because they believe the Republicans are trying to steal the election. But the Republicans believe the election was stolen through fraud and they aren't acting angry about the results-- even as they try to expose the fraud in a way that makes a difference.

Also, while the Republicans in the family don't generally obsess over politics and don't try to make everything political (or even bring up politics very often), the same can't be said for the Democrats. If they get a splinter, it's Trump's fault somehow, and by extension, the fault of all Republicans. And they feel the need to say so, no matter how off-topic it seems to be. "Republican" is basically a stand-in for "demon".

Don't misunderstand, I love the people on both sides. But the more they focus on politics, the dumber they look. Politics makes people stupid.

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Glub, glub, glub...

The Titanic has already hit the iceberg. Its fate is sealed. It is going down, even if most passengers have no clue about the rising water levels in the lower decks. Those shoveling the coal know the truth.

Who do you want conducting the orchestra as it sinks beneath the waves? Who do you want to have this legacy attached to their name?

The specific politician finally allowed to head the US feral government as "The Union" breaks up isn't going to make that much difference. The united States is untied. It has been for a long time, but it is getting more obvious.

Texas and (for a random example) New Jersey are not parts of the same country, and they haven't been in ages. Only the desperate feral government (along with some constitutionalists, I suppose) imagines otherwise. It's not as much fun asserting control over even Texas or California as it is claiming to govern the whole of America by way of the (former) united States feral government. Breaking it up is only a formality at this point.

Trump is the devil we know. He's terrible, but not uniquely terrible (unless you listen to the national mainstream media's spin). He won't save the Titanic.

Biden has a long history as an evil politician we can clearly examine, but this doesn't exactly show what he will do as president-- if he lives long enough to actually do anything. As his mental deterioration accelerates there could be some big surprises. Biden (or Harris) may vary somewhat from the "rotting of the presidency" curve, or he may stick right to the schedule established by long precedent. He won't save the Titanic.

The most interesting result might occur if the selection is found to be so fraudulent that it gets tossed aside-- after the anti-Trumpers have already been celebrating their victory and threatening to make lists of, and "reeducate", those not sufficiently on their side. This would set off some depth-charges right against the crumpled hull. I can see why dedicated government-supremacists might not follow this path even if shown to be completely true, just to protect their "system" (and their scabby hides) for a little while longer.

Truthfully, I'm kind of excited to see what the coming disaster will be like, however it goes. I guess I'm sort of in a "watch the world burn" (or "watch the Titanic sink") mood recently. I don't recommend you be like me.

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A new holster review: Craft Holsters 20S for a revolver

Craft Holsters asked to send me another holster to review. I like the one they sent for my 1911 so much that I eagerly agreed.

This time I got a holster for my Smith & Wesson Model 37. I got the same model holster as last time: the 20S leather IWB holster with steel clip, but for my revolver. I had to ask for it to be modified to fit my 3" barrel.

I received the holster on October 28 and have been using it daily since then.

The box arrived in great shape.

Everything was packed neatly.

Here's the holster in its bag. I was so anxious to get it out that it was hard to slow down and take the picture.

I couldn't wait to try it out. I love the look and feel of good leather. Isn't that pretty?

The S&W fits perfectly. Just tight enough that it feels secure. They got the length right for my barrel, too. So they can customize.

I did use the break-in kit that came with the 1911's holster this time. The strap needed to be stretched a bit-- it did reach, but it was really tight. That seemed to work. The snap is still a little hard to snap. I put a small amount of bar soap on it to lubricate it, which helped, but it is a bit of a struggle to get it to snap. It releases easily enough when you want it to, and never has when I didn't want it to, and that's the more important part by far. I'd much prefer a tight snap to a loose one that fails to hold.

I suspect the snap will become easier to snap over time, and as the strap stretches a little more. Really, though, I don't snap and unsnap it very often. I hadn't even thought of the snap recently until I started writing the review and was trying to think of pros and cons. (Update: 11-15-- the snap has loosened up just the right amount now. No more issue at all.)

Once again, the steel clip is great. It's not coming off the pants unless I pull it off. It's smooth enough that I don't expect unusual wear on my waistband like I get from my homemade holsters. Only time will tell, though. 

I just really love this holster. Just like the other one. I tried to think of something I wish they did differently and can't think of a single thing. And I can almost always think of a way to improve something-- even if it isn't realistic. I'm impressed!

After almost 2 weeks of wearing this all day, it works perfectly. And a S&W Model 37 is much more comfortable than a full-size 1911. I can bend and sit without crushing my "junk". I hate to say it but I probably just changed my EDC.

Thank you again, Craft Holsters!

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Extremists should keep politics to selves

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 7, 2020)

Of all the political ideas I'm puzzled by-- which is all of them-- the ideas of White Supremacy and White Nationalism are among the most bizarre.

To imagine you're better than others because of your race rather than for your achievements is foolish. For that matter, anyone who feels they are owed something beyond the respect for life, liberty, and property every human is entitled to is mistaken.

To use government and its legislation to force your superiority on others is to admit you're inferior.

I'm in favor of you creating your own nation somewhere, though-- with whatever values you hold dear. If you want to surround yourself with other insecure people to shield yourself from those who would point out your weaknesses, it's your right.

You're still obligated to establish your nation without violating anyone's life, liberty, or property. If anyone already lives where you want to create your nation, you have no right to kick them out. Either buy their property at a consensual price or allow them to stay. You must respect their rights. If this is a deal-breaker, you can find empty land on the Moon and set up your superior nation there.

Why anyone would want to pollute other worlds with politics is beyond me, but this is already a subject of serious discussion by serious people.

Few things are as toxic as politics. It's antisocial to use government to force others to live as you want them to live.

It's always important to know who conspires to use politics against you, and how they plan to do so if they get the chance. Your awareness allows you to stay ready to defend yourself from politics of any sort, extremist or mainstream, race-based or something else.

I'm sure White Supremacists and White Nationalists exist, although I've never met anyone who claims to be one. There are other kinds of nationalists and supremacists out there, too.

Of all the supremacists you might face, the ones most often encountered are the government-supremacists. These extremists believe government interests trump individual rights. Many of them mix in other kinds of supremacism or nationalism too, but as with all extremists, it's the political aspect rather than the petty details which makes them dangerous.

If these extremist groups would keep their politics to themselves, so as to not violate others, I wouldn't care what they believe.

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Out of the frying pan...

I hope this recent presidential selection would show people that the whole process-- the whole system-- is a fraud. That it has come down to which side is better at cheating.

But, no. This hope of mine will be in vain.

People will still imagine that v*ting matters, when it only matters who gets to count and tally those v*tes in political selections.

For the next period of time-- months, years, decades-- the side that screamed at the sky over Trump will smugly threaten to re-educate and compile "lists" of Trump supporters. And, I suspect, anyone who wasn't sufficiently anti-Trump or pro-Left-Statist.

Trump supporters will criticize the new president/s, but will continue to act as though the system is legitimate, even if it doesn't work exactly as advertised. This means they are as much to blame as their opponents. It's time for them to join the "watch it burn" side.

Until Harris takes over, it appears America will be saddled with the first-ever media selected zombie president (if the old guy makes it to inauguration day). After Harris takes the reins an evil legislation enforcer who lies to keep people caged will be the supreme vermin (not to be confused with Vermin Supreme). With a cop as president, how could anything other than a police state be in store?

Who said 2020 couldn't get more interesting? What else could be waiting in the wings, and does anyone believe 2021 will be less interesting?

(I apologize for any remaining formatting issues-- I'm still fighting with a semi-crippled blog interface.)

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Blog fixed! (I hope)

I was able to use my phone to solve the problem with posting on this blog! Or at least fix it temporarily. We'll see how long it lasts.

I will now go back and update the previous trainwrecks.

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When cheating is the point

 

When I was about 10 years old, my best friend and I liked to play cards with each other. But the entire point of our game was to cheat. It didn’t even matter that the other person saw you doing it.

We would deal from the bottom of the deck, stick cards up our sleeves, drop a card on the floor and have it “magically” change into something better. We would score wrong, claim we had different cards than we did after we tossed them back into the deck, whatever we thought of.

We had a great time and would laugh ourselves silly.

I didn’t realize at the time we were inventing modern electoral politics.

I should be getting royalty payments or something from the DemoCRAPublicans.

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Blogging update

 (Note: Issue fixed-- maybe.)

I don’t know what’s going on with my main blog site over at Blogger. It isn’t letting me write anything. Well, anything other than a post title.

I haven’t gotten any warnings, so I don’t think it’s Google punishing wrong-think.

I’ve tried and tried to post something, but nothing is working. I sent a question to “the community”, but past experiences don’t make me hopeful for a helpful answer.

I’m still completely frustrated and discouraged over my financial situation, but that’s not the main reason I hadn’t posted.

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Thinking...

I'm going to have to re-evaluate some things.

In one swoop I just lost well over half my income. It's no one's fault; it's just the economy. I was already not making ends meet-- this has been a discouraging trend that began before 2020.

Maybe writing just isn't valuable. Maybe it's just my writing.

Not invested in the outcome

I don't care for or about Donald Trump. Yet, I do hope he wins re-election. But the only real reason is that I so strongly dislike the "Trump Derangement Syndrome" I've been seeing in his opposition since he began his campaign of 2016. It never made me join his side, but it certainly made me dislike the "other side" more than I otherwise would have.

I'm quite sure it did drive some people to Trump's side who wouldn't have supported him without the "encouragement". If they wanted people on their side, that wasn't the way to attract support.

Honestly, I don't want the rioters and those who scream at the sky over dead Supreme Courtjesters to get what they want. And it's simply because I find their behavior so reprehensible and childish. If you give in to the tantrums of toddlers, you get more tantrums. And over time, worse tantrums with bigger stakes. I'd rather nip that in the bud.

Donald Trump is not uniquely horrible. He's horrible, yes, but not uniquely so. Biden (Harris) isn't better in any real way-- to prefer him (her) simply because he (she) isn't Trump isn't my style. And again, I don't want to give the screaming toddlers what they want.

Even if some of Trump's supporters are screaming toddlers, too, they aren't as obnoxious about it. At least not in my personal experience.

I'm not going to be upset if Trump loses, though. I'm just not that invested in the outcome.

I think America is doomed either way. Past doomed, really. I think its fate was sealed when the Constitution was written. It's been a downhill slide at variable speed since then. This isn't going to end well, I just don't know when it will end.

Maybe one candidate would accelerate the destruction a bit. I don't know which one that would be, and I don't really care much at this point. Since I think the collapse will be more painful the longer it is delayed, I think it might be better for it to happen sooner rather than later. That might mean Biden would be the preferable "winner" after all. 

Either way, I don't need a president, and neither do you. Don't let yourself get too wrapped up in the middle school drama of elections.

Whatever happens, the immortal words of Robert A. Heinlein keep ringing in my ears: “I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

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Tolerance, approval different things

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 30, 2020)

Few people understand the difference between tolerating a behavior and endorsing or approving of it.

There are things I don't approve of but don't have the right to stop others from doing. I may tolerate these behaviors for my own peace of mind while doing what I can to protect myself; including self-defense when necessary.

Even if I try to stop others from doing things I believe are harmful, my effect on the world is vanishingly tiny. It's probably wasted effort.

I have no right to control what you do as long as you aren't violating anyone's life, liberty, or property. My right to control what you do when you are threatening to violate me-- or someone else-- is limited to taking defensive actions. I can also cooperate with others for mutual defense.

Cooperation is useful, as long as you don't become an aggressive gang. A gang is more likely to violate rights than to defend them. It's too easy to pretend your collective power-- might through superior numbers-- makes right. This is mob rule, and is the foundation of democracy. Speaking of democracy...

I tolerate the act of voting, but I don't support it. It's similar to drug abuse in more ways than one.

Both can make a person feel unrealistically important, yet the high quickly wears off and the consequences stack up.

Drug abuse and voting could be seen as similar victimless acts if they were judged on their actual effects rather than by what you've been taught to believe about them.

In the real world, a drug abuser doesn't always stay on the couch but may get behind the wheel.

Just as a drug abuser can hurt an innocent person in an accident, a voter can accidentally harm the innocent by voting in an election. In the real world, a voter will vote for a politician who will use legislation and taxes to damage liberty a little more and take away more of your property. A politician is like the drug abuser's car-- the vehicle becomes a weapon.

I tolerate voting for the same reason I tolerate drug abuse. I know I have no right to stop it, but I must stay alert for anyone whose mind is under the influence of the drug of politics. Maybe I can help them when they sober up and nurse them through their withdrawal pains. Perhaps, through tolerance, I can even help them find strategies to avoid the pushers the next time.

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