Politics divides

There's a primary election coming up locally. So, there are yard signs popping up like statist toadstools.

This time, there's a twist. You can tell the ethnicity of the political addicts with yard signs by which of the two candidates they are supporting. I also heard someone refer to one of the candidates as "that Mexican". So politics magnifies the problems that already exist-- and how could they not, considering the coercive nature of the ritual?

Politics is just sick. I don't need either of those political criminals to have any power over me.

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Can't call myself a political liberal

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 29, 2021)

Once upon a time, the word "liberal" was used to describe people who were "generous", "open-minded", and "accepting of other opinions". It was closely related to the word "liberty". This description no longer applies to political liberals. Describing their backward-thinking as "progressive" or their nightmarish denial of reality as "woke" is equally ridiculous.

This doesn't mean they are always wrong. I agree that everyone has value, but their value has nothing to do with superficial features like sex, race, or ethnicity. They have value because they are human.

I don't agree that historical wrongdoing justifies punishment today. Slavery in our ancestors' day doesn't justify slavery today; calling it "reparations" or "social justice" doesn't change anything.

I agree that drug prohibition is wrong. Drug abuse is stupid, but prohibition is evil. This doesn't mean I am responsible for protecting drug abusers from the consequences of their actions. I am not obligated to pay for their drugs, their needles, their healthcare, or the basic needs they can no longer provide for themselves because of their drug abuse. Nor am I obligated to tolerate my rights being violated because of their choices.

Political liberals seem to not understand: if you shelter people from the consequences of their mistakes they won't learn to avoid mistakes. You get more of anything you encourage.

If you prohibit people from defending themselves with effective tools, you'll encourage more people to commit crimes. Defunding the police wouldn't be a problem if people weren't forbidden to defend themselves (and others). It's not about police, it's about all consequences.

Political liberals today are very defensive of democracy. Yet, democracy is nothing more than mob rule; might (through superior numbers) makes right. The mob gets to decide what rights you are allowed to exercise. This isn't a workable system.

This is why I can't be what is called a "classical liberal" either; I can't believe in the right, or political authority, to govern others. Even if the governing is done lightly, it's still beyond what anyone has a right to do. You have the right to govern yourself, but no one else. Democracy or a constitutional republic can't create this right out of thin air.

So, while I am generous, open-minded, and accepting, and I value liberty above everything, I can't be politically liberal; I understand people too well. Maybe someday liberals will become truly liberal and we can then be on the same side.

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No need to believe in it

I don't "believe in" liberty. 

Like gravity, it just is; there's no need to believe in it. It also-- like gravity-- won't stop being true if you deny it.

That's how reality works.

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They are out there. Somewhere.

Just when I was starting to wonder whether it was worth the effort to keep writing the weekly newspaper column, I got a lot of positive feedback this week. The timing was good.

One was about an apparent reprint of last week's column in the Roswell Daily Record, which I wasn't aware ever printed my columns, and which I can't find in a search. But I got a supportive note from a reader there who said that's where they read it, so it seems it was in there somewhere.

I even got a nice note from someone who was just passing through the area on their way back to Minnesota when they encountered my column-- so that was kind of cool.

Sometimes it seems so pointless to keep writing about liberty as authoritarianism and tyranny rage out of control in this country. Seeing the criminal acts being committed right now by the BATFEces thugs who just make up rules as they see fit while pretending their victims are the criminals has just about pushed me over the edge. So, it's good to see that not everyone is a cowardly government-supremacist. There are still some people out in the wild who "get it". Let's help them spread and multiply.

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Give 'em a canteen of air... maybe

Governments are a threat to life, liberty, and property. But especially to life.

Now governments on the other side of the world are posturing to fight, and the criminal government closer to home feels the need to get involved. To make me less safe, and poorer, just so it can assert its dominance.

I would put all these political jerks in a rocket and strand them on the moon to fight it out. I might even let them have a canteen of air if they begged.

I hate every political criminal on the planet. I hate that they exist, that they continue to live at our expense, and that they feel entitled to rule the rest of us. I really, honestly, without reservation, wish death on every single one of them. From presidents and prime ministers to lowly bureaucrats, tax agents, and ATF thugs. And the FAA.

The world would be better off without them taking up space and molesting the rest of us.

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A New York liar lies.

No, you authoritarian scumsucker, there is no such thing as an "illegal gun"-- there is illegal gun legislation. ALL of it, in fact.

That makes those enforcing it or invoking it-- like YOU did-- the real criminals. Anti-gun bigots are exactly as evil as bad guys who shoot people who aren't currently violating anyone.

It irritates me when liars call any object-- or person-- "illegal". Calling an object or a person "illegal" doesn't magically make it true. Objects can be used to do crime. People can do crime. But the object or person can't be "illegal", and any "laws" declaring them so are, themselves, the real crime.

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If I could clone a dinosaur, I would clone a Tyrannosaurus rex, but engineer it to have big, muscular front legs just to see if that makes it the supreme creature on Earth. Maybe those tiny arms were holding it back. I'd release it in one of those authoritarian stinkpits-- Washington DC, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Austin, etc. so as to minimize any damage to society.

The military is not liberty's friend

The military is not on your side. It is there to protect your Ancestral Enemy, the state. It will defend them from foreign threats, but also from you.

The military doesn't defend your freedom. The only freedom it defends is the freedom of political criminals to continue violating you.

Every time the state's interests and your rights clash, the military will take the side of the state-- that's who controls it and signs its checks.

People who were once in the military, but who have escaped the brainwashing, may be on your side. They aren't going to be defending the military.

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If you can and if you want to

I've tried to avoid rattling the tin cup, but it's necessary.

If you can and if you want to, please consider tossing something in. Thanks.

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US's Constitution was a mistake (Or, Why I can't be a conservative)

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 22, 2021)

There can be a difference between what a person likes and what they are willing to force on others.

Most of my preferences lean conservative: liberty, family, and keeping government out of my life.

The difference between me and political conservatives is that I don't believe it's ever ethical to use government or legislation to force my preferences on others. Therefore, I can't be politically conservative.

Another difference is I'm no fan of the Constitution. A fatal mistake was made when the founders established a political government where liberty had existed before.

For many years I was desperate to believe in and support the Constitution, and saw it as the greatest achievement in human government. Only after I stopped believing in political government of any sort could I see the Constitution clearly.

The Constitution was presented as a gift, but once unwrapped turned out to be worse than a lump of coal. It may have been the sneakiest Trojan horse in history.

I won't criticize you if you still believe in Santa or the Constitution, though.

The Constitution utterly failed to protect liberty from government; it is useful only as a measure of how deeply criminal the federal government has become.

Even conservatives seem to like the Constitution only when it aligns with their cause, ignoring it when it doesn't. Most of them happily sidestep the Constitution for their political preferences, which they want imposed by government.

They generally want immigration control, drug prohibition, federal law enforcement, an abortion ban, a permanent military, and other things which are not permitted under the Constitution. Those Big Government programs are as far from "conservative" as you can possibly get, yet they see no conflict and throw the Constitution under the bus when it gets in the way of what they want. How can they criticize the other side for doing the same thing?

The only justification for government is to protect the rights of people. Yet government is the only real threat to our rights in normal life. When something doesn't work as advertised, dump it, and learn from the mistake.

At least I'm honest when I call the Constitution a mistake and point out it's a dead issue since the federal government refuses to be constrained by it.

I'm often harder on political conservatives than I am on the statist Left. I believe conservatives ought to know better and I'm disappointed when they don't.

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No more nonsense!

Now that I've caught Covid, I can say without hesitation I would not support even the "smallest" violation of your liberty to protect me from catching this virus. Not even if those violations could have worked. 

Your liberty matters to me more than that. 

No mandates. No shutdowns. No lockdowns. No forcible quarantines. I don't support any of that authoritarian nonsense.

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The progression of my symptoms

Just in case anyone is curious, here is how my symptoms progressed over the course of this illness:

The first 28 or so hours after I knew I was getting sick (beginning Saturday mid-afternoon), I just felt a general lack of energy and increasing muscle aches. 

A little over a day later (Sunday evening), the fever hit (somewhere just above 101° F, according to a crappy digital thermometer). I got a terrible headache and chills. I was shaking so hard from the chills I thought I was going to throw up. I wasn't nauseated; my abdominal muscles were just shaking so hard I thought it was going to force everything out of my stomach. I had a hard time even walking. I went to bed.

The next morning (Monday) I was back to feeling like I had before the fever hit, which I considered a huge improvement. I never took my temperature again, but if I had a fever after that, it wasn't high enough to really notice. 

The next couple of days I had headaches, coughing (with mucus), sharp little muscle pains (like being poked with pins, mostly in my thighs), transient stabbing stomach pains, mild dizziness, and lack of energy. 

Every morning since Tuesday I have pain in my lungs that fades after I get moving. It feels as though my lungs are sticking to the inside of my ribs. That's an odd symptom I've never had from anything else before.

The only loss of taste I have experienced has been similar to how nothing tastes good any time I'm sick, so that's not important. 

I never had any nasal problems like a runny nose, stuffy nose, or sneezing, which to me is the worst part of a cold.

I now feel mostly OK. Just mild tiredness and a very mild headache. The cough is still there, but getting less annoying. I doubt I would let this keep me from doing anything I was planning to do at this point.

UPDATE 1-30-2022: I still feel fine, other than the cough that just won't go away.

UPDATE 2-7-2022: The cough is slowly fading with time. It isn't really bothering me anymore, though. I consider it finished.

And, that's the symptom report. Just the facts, no speculation. If you have a question I didn't answer, ask in a comment and I'll answer it above.

I make no claim that I know it is Covid, or that Covid exists, or whether, if it exists, it is natural or synthetic or where it came from. 

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Has the definition of "vaccine" changed?

It has certainly expanded. Which is to be expected as new technology is developed.

The current Merriam-Webster definition of "vaccine" is too long to take a screenshot of every detail and example. The screenshot at the top of this post is just the highlights, cropped.

I have a few physical dictionaries, too, so I consulted them as well.

First is the 1994 Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition (I think you can click on the pictures to make them bigger):

Next is from the 1979 Webster's New World Dictionary:

And finally, from the 1951 Funk and Wagnalls New Practical Standard Dictionary (sorry it's a little blurry):

One change that seems significant to me is that the newer definition doesn't mention "immunity", but "immune response". That's a fairly big difference.

Immunity, in those dictionaries, newer to older, is defined like this:

But "immune response", which doesn't appear in the older dictionaries, is defined this way:

So, yes, the definition of "vaccine" has been changed in ways that reflect advances in medicine, but also in ways that weaken the usefulness of things that would now be defined as vaccines to the benefit of pharmaceutical companies. 

You are free to draw your own conclusions from this information.

Some people say words don't matter and shouldn't be part of the argument-- but when you use the whole definition rather than the shorthand of using the word, they don't like that, either. I always wonder why.

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The Omicronians got me

The Omicronians got me. (Well, I'm assuming that's the specific variant.)

The one person in the house who got a Covid test has tested positive, so I'm sure that's what we all have. We all got sick within 24 hours, with the same symptoms. 

I'm not upset about it.

Since I only had around 36 hours of feeling like I had a fairly bad cold, and only 6 hours of feeling like I had the flu, I call that a "win".

Plus, the worst part of a cold-- for me-- is the snuffy, runny nose, and this didn't come with that affliction, so I'm even happier with it.

Right around Christmas, I had thought-- and told some people-- that by the middle of January, I would either catch the Omicron Covid, or I wasn't going to catch Covid at all. So I was exactly on schedule, coming down with it on the 15th. Some people might not be as thrilled with this development as I am.

I still feel kind of "blah"-- worse in the mornings, better every evening, but that's sort of normal for me anyway. Mornings have never felt like "happy, healthy time" for me. I've still got various aches and pains and a cough. But I've kept going for my daily walk (or Gazelle session if it's cold outside), and I keep taking D3 and zinc. I expect to be back to normal soon. As normal as I ever am.

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Recovering, but not as quickly as I'd like

I've been sick for the past two days with cold/flu symptoms. Haven't really moved out of a chair today. But I don't feel as bad now as I did last night, so I'll be back-- but maybe not before Wednesday's newspaper column.

Be strong. Exercise your liberty.

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Predictions take paying attention

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 15, 2021)

This past spring I noticed a bigger than usual crop of the plant that becomes tumbleweeds when it dies and the wind blows. I told a few people to be ready for an epic tumbleweed season this year. Then, I failed to see many tumbleweeds last month and wondered what had happened to them all.

It turns out they had all gone to Oasis State Park to plot their attack.

So, I was right about the bumper crop, but I missed where they were going. I can't win 'em all.

Some things are easy to predict based on what you see happening in the world around you, but you have to pay attention to your surroundings.

When you watch government counterfeiting trillions of dollars and calling it a stimulus, you can predict Inflation. I predicted it early in the pandemic overreaction and got scolded mightily for doing so, but it's happening. No one who took me to task for warning of inflation on the horizon has apologized. I won't hold my breath.

When governments get away with telling people what to wear, ordering them to inject sketchy substances into their bodies, and dictating whether they can open their business, go to work, or even leave the house, you can predict authoritarianism is on the rise. It's being scaled back in some places but is still getting worse in others. The people have the choice as to whether it continues or gets stamped out. I have no prediction for how that will play out.

You could have also predicted shortages of goods based on a combination of the authoritarians' central planning schemes and too much efficiency. Central planning never worked in the Soviet Union and it won't work in America. It seems as though the market is routing around the damage caused by government interference and, at least for now, the shortages aren't as bad as they could be. It's an ongoing battle and I predict if the market doesn't win, there will be rough times ahead.

If you understand how viruses evolve, you could have easily predicted the end of Covid as a real threat. If you understand how government works, you could also have predicted Covid's continued usefulness as a political ploy.

The best predictions happen when you notice what's going on around you and view things realistically based on how the Universe works. You do have to be paying attention, though.

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How much would you bet that all cold viruses started, once upon a time, much more serious than they are now and turned into a minor annoyance over time? Just as Covid seems to be doing. Imagine if we allowed the political criminals-- our Ancestral Enemies-- to molest us using every one of those cold viruses as justification.

Defending the right to steal

Imagine if the Ancestral Enemies spent much of their time and effort defending the "right to steal". In places other than Seattle and San Francisco, I mean.

And imagine if even those who opposed a blanket "right to steal" were OK with theft as long as the thieves had government-approved papers showing they were citizens. 

Even if you had a private club where the members were permitted to steal from each other-- it was a condition of membership to agree to it-- this would describe a privilege, not a right.

The same applies to any imaginary "right to murder", "right to rape", or whatever. The very idea is ridiculous.

The "right to v*te" is equally ridiculous. You can't have any "right" to impose political criminals or their legislation on anyone but yourself. Being in the majority and fetishizing the process doesn't change this.

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The benefit of the Covid shot will drop over time, especially with Omicron (and future even weaker variants).
The risk of the Covid shot will likely remain stable unless the shot's ingredients are changed, even if that risk is never known. At some point, those non-parallel lines have to cross, if they haven't already, and the risks will outweigh the benefits.

Time's Up flags on Zazzle

At the suggestion of a reader, I tried Zazzle for the flags. That will probably work for now.

Time's Up flag
by KentForLiberty

The flags aren't regular flags, but are "house flags". They are more expensive, since I'm not subsidizing them this way. Still, it's better than nothing, and even though I won't make much from them, I won't be losing money by simply offering them for sale. It's a net win.

I was also able to add car flags.

Time's Up car flag
by KentForLiberty

So, there they are. Feel free to buy as many as you want.

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Play with fire and you'll get burned

I knew Stewart Rhodes-- online-- back before he started Oathkeepers. I've been critical of the group because I don't think the kind of people he tried to influence to not be criminal scum are redeemable. But I don't blame him for trying. It's good to do your best before writing off an entire category of people as tools of the Ancestral Enemies.

I also criticized the group because, obviously, they ignored the numerous violations committed just by joining the legislation enforcement gang or the government's military-- before any other crimes were committed.

But, Stewart always seemed sincere and optimistic. And peaceful and liberty-loving. If he became "far-right", he changed since I knew him-- but why would I believe anything the fake news says about him? That would be stupid. His only flaws were that he believed in the Constitution and wanted to work within the rigged system, playing by its rules. He wanted to effect a positive change and avoid war. And he got screwed.

Those who arrested him-- kidnapped him at gunpoint-- violated their oaths by doing so. Where were those who were keeping their oaths by defending him from the violators?

Rhodes' arrest is a warning to not get involved in politics. Don't try to play the rigged game by their rules. They are the enemy and they will use your friendliness against you. 

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Extra strong marijuana = Stumbleweed.

Time's Up for the flags

Last call for Time's Up flags. I'm closing the Shopify store sometime next week regardless of whether any sell between now and then. I've been losing money on them, so it's time to pack it in.

I may consider trying it again if people start asking for them in the future, but I have to sell at least 3 or 4 per month to break even, and that number may get higher in the future. I still have a couple I can sell myself (through eBay), but the price is going way up on those right now.

I'm glad I was able to help some people get them after several years of none being available. 

UPDATE: I took the suggestion to try Zazzle, and here is what I came up with: link and link. I'll post a new blog about it, too.

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Anasazi

Government-- political government-- is the Ancestral Enemy of humanity. It's our Anasazi.

Can't put liberty in a jar

It's tough to accept that my contribution to the world has less market value than jars of bad air. But apparently, that's the case. It can be discouraging.

I know liberty isn't particularly popular, but sometimes events demonstrate just how unpopular it really is, compared to other things. 

But the market will do what the market will do. The marketplace of ideas might just squeeze out some things in favor of others. If so, that's just how it is.

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Authoritarianism is unacceptable

There is no justification for authoritarianism that is good enough to convince me. None.

Authoritarianism is a violation of liberty and fundamental individual rights. That's the end of the discussion for me.

I don't care if they say it will save lives-- even if it's true.
I don't care if they are scared to lose their culture-- any culture that makes room for authoritarianism isn't worth saving. I don't care if they are scared of other things, real or hypothetical.
Nasty excuses like equity and "social justice" won't sway me. 

Either they find a voluntary way-- a win/win-- to get what they want through unanimous consent or they accept the loss and move on. I will not bend on this.

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Just give me a shady vine and a good view

There may be a prepper tendency to want to watch the world burn. At least, I am susceptible to that tendency.

I know it wouldn't be good for anyone, including me, but sometimes you just get tired of watching morons and political criminals destroying stuff and you just get to the point where you say "Screw it all. Let them have the destruction they've been trying so hard to get."

They've earned it.

I get to that point a couple of times per year. I'm teetering on the brink of that right now.

Just let them deny reality-- but stay out of the way. Reality isn't going to be forgiving.
Let them try to destroy liberty. Liberty always strikes back.

I've even seen government-supremacists showing doubt in their beloved institution recently. They want to believe government is legitimate, but government is working hard to poke holes in that delusion. 

You should have seen the reaction I got from one the other day when they were complaining about the most recent fraudulent election, but then pivoted to complaining about "illegal aliens" and I mentioned that the Constitution doesn't allow government to control "immigration". After a brief pause followed by a short explanation, I got a "Huh" and they moved on without objection. They seem ready to accept some truth they weren't ready for before. And I think it's all thanks to government behavior and overreach. When something puts in the extra work to prove itself illegitimate, you might as well accept it.

Either enough people will start getting a clue that disaster will be avoided, or they won't. I'm kind of past caring which way it goes... at least for now.

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If not, tell me how I can.

Best to let people make own choices

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 8, 2021)

I love people. I also know that humans are deeply flawed. This combination explains why I'm a libertarian.

Every other position insists that no one is smart enough to run their own life while also believing most people are smart enough to run the lives of people they've never met. This running of strangers' lives is carried out through voting and wielding political power. It's not a realistic position.

The libertarian position recognizes that most people are better at running their own lives than others would be and no one is qualified to run the lives of other people, not by a vote nor by having political power. Plus, no one has the right to run anyone else's life.

This doesn't mean everyone will be successful at running their own life.

Those few who can't are free to ask for help from those who are equally free to help or not, or they can choose to do things-- commit crimes-- which may result in suffering acts of self-defense directed against them. They are free to choose their path, but complaining about where the path leads won't change things.

Even those who can't run their own lives have the right to try, and no one has the right or the imaginary political authority to forbid them from trying. Letting them do it wrong is the right thing to do if they won't listen to your advice.

The person who tries to control others is worse than the person who won't control himself, regardless of how things turn out. I speak as someone who has suffered from the bad choices of people who didn't control themselves, so don't imagine I have some rosy picture of everything being butterflies and rainbows if people are left to make their own choices.

Some of those you think can't run their own lives have simply never been given the chance. Either they've been coddled like children and told others are doing what's best for them, or they have been punished for making choices others don't like.

The loving thing to do is to give them the chance and let them live with the consequences of their choices. This includes being held accountable and owing restitution for any actual harm they cause. How can they ever be functional members of society otherwise? Most people live up, or down, to your expectations. Keep your hands off and give them the chance.

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Suspender holster

I've shared my journey to find a good EDC holster, but I haven't shown (or I don't think I have) my backup.

This is a holster I made for my little NAA mini-revolver. It attaches to my suspenders, and is worn under my vest. Cute, ain't it? I guess it could be called a "susPEWnder holster".

I made this one with some salvaged leather, from a paper pattern I created. I think I could now make an even better model since I've worked out the kinks, but I haven't bothered yet. It'll happen when it's time.

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A resolution?

Yeah, it's a week late, but I didn't resolve to be punctual.

I don't really make New Year's resolutions. I did when I was young. They usually lasted a few days.

Several years ago I made a New Year's decision-- to completely stop sitting at the computer and to only use a standing desk. That one was easy to commit to-- I got rid of the chair, built a shelf for the computer, and didn't really give myself a choice. It's handier, since I don't feel anchored down and can dash off to deal with crises (daughter, cats, etc.) much faster. It has also made me feel so much better; less "blah". I still haven't broken that one, although I have allowed myself to work from the couch a few times when I was sick.

Anyway, I saw a friend post the above Malcolm Reynolds picture and I loved it. 

Yeah, if I were to make a resolution, that would be it. I resolve to not be compliant or obedient when it comes to authoritarian demands-- no matter who is making them or how they justify them, whether they are in the name of w0keness or nationalism or whatever-- unless it is to simply avoid being shot right now. Political criminals will always be political criminals and it's sometimes useful to live to misbehave another day when they have the drop on you. Martyrdom is overrated.

Of course, that's not really much of a resolution since it's no different than last year or any year in the past few decades.

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I guess it's good news for the LP

I had supposed my recent newspaper column about why I can't be a conservative would draw fire, especially considering the local audience. I got nothing but silence. 

I didn't think any liberals would even see the next column about why I can't be a liberal, so it was no surprise that I got zero reaction to that one. 

For a reaction, I had to wait for my column about why I can't be a Libertarian. That one was specifically about the Libertarian Party (LP). I'm not even saying I hate them or would fight against them-- just that I can't support them. Because I don't consider them particularly libertarian. 

People are very defensive of the LP. That must be good news to them. If that passion translated into v*tes they'd be sure to win at the political power game. That they don't must be (additional) evidence that the game is rigged.

I actually started getting the latest batch of emails in defense of the LP several weeks ago when a "Big L" Libertarian reader of my newspaper column was confused that I was using the word "libertarian" while not endorsing the "libertarianism" of the LP. My first clue that we were discussing completely different topics was that he always capitalized the word "Libertarian". He was especially upset that I spoke out against the mask (and "vaccine") dictates, insisting that Libertarians would see that not wearing masks during a pandemic is aggression, and that people can't be trusted to do "the right thing", so they need to be controlled by The State. 

So, this isn't exactly new.

About this latest column, another respondent was also confused over capitalization; about why I capitalized "Libertarian" when discussing the Libertarian Party, but not "conservative" or "liberal" (when NOT discussing a "Conservative Party" or "Liberal Party"), apparently missing all the times I wrote "libertarian" in my column and in my replies to them. And this was happening in a conversation in response to a column about the LP vs libertarianism where I carefully spelled out the difference in capitalization due to the other guy's confusion.

Others had other objections, with one thread running through them all: people seem to feel trapped. In various ways, they told me (or hinted) that they feel they are left with no choice but to engage in politics because everyone else is doing it, thus the LP. 

One told me that withdrawing consent will not work in our current world, so you have to use the political means. 

This was in response to my quoting of Étienne de La Boétie: “Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break in pieces.”

If you imagine Colossus is a specific political criminal you might see v*ting for his opponent as "supporting him no longer". If, however, you realize that Colossus is the entire idea of political government, no matter who makes it up, you'll have a different response.

Something I wish the LP supporters understood is pointed out in this quote from Bill St. Clair: "Many complain that in anarchy, warlords will take over. I've got news for them. We already live in anarchy. It's been that way since God gave free will to Adam. And warlords have already taken over. They run for election, and wear badges. The secret is realizing this truth, so that, even though you obey when you must, to avoid being kidnapped or killed by the warlords, you know what they are. They rely on the fact that most people think their authority is valid. Once that stops, and people stop obeying them en masse, there will be nothing they can do about it." 

No one is ever going to v*te their way out of this mess. Hating on those who know this fact won't make it any less true.

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Working with your enemy

Are business owners actually unaware of the nature of government, or do they really embrace it, or are they afraid to speak the truth?

A couple of examples I've seen (on video) recently: SpaceX feeling the need to thank the FAA for allowing them to launch, and gun stores not pointing out that the FBI and BATFEces thugs are criminals for the illegal things they do regarding guns. 

Why?

Is it Stockholm syndrome? Or does it come down to just pragmatically trying to not anger the thugs who can ruin your day? Or, do these businesses honestly not see that government is their enemy?

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Beware counterfeits

I have a counterfeit Morgan silver dollar that I bought from eBay years ago. I didn't even realize it was counterfeit until years later, after I'd learned a little more and was examining my silver. Now I keep it as a reminder that I can be fooled, I'd probably sell it if someone wanted a counterfeit Morgan, though.

I'm sure I even gave the scammer good feedback at the time. 

The US Constitution is another counterfeit that once fooled me. I once thought it protected individual liberty. Then I encountered Hologram of Liberty by Kenneth W. Royce. But I was already almost there anyway because of Lysander Spooner and others-- as well as because of my own observations over the years. So it told me what I already believed.

More recently the Covid pandemic almost pulled me in. I was ready to panic-- not to impose anything on anyone else of course, just personally, as an individual. Fortunately, I recognized it as a counterfeit existential threat before I had given up my sovereignty or betrayed my principles. You can watch my thoughts about it progress over time by checking out, in chronological order, all the posts tagged "coronavirus". 

You are surrounded by counterfeits that you are supposed to accept as the real deal. The corporate media is counterfeit "news". Politicized doctors are counterfeit experts. Politicians are counterfeit leaders. Corporations are counterfeit "persons" with counterfeit rights. There are even people demanding you allow them (or someone on their behalf) to violate your real rights in favor of their counterfeit "rights". Don't be taken.

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Are you scared of the future?

Do things you read or hear scare you about the future? Or do you take note and go on with life?

I've discovered that some of the preppers' videos I watch are scaring others in the household. Those videos don't scare me at all. Instead of fear, I feel better informed and more prepared. And I get valuable ideas.

I don't think there's any reason to be scared if there's something you can do about a situation.

There may be a reason to be scared if there's nothing you can do about it, but fear is still probably pointless. If a planet-killer asteroid is heading toward us, fear seems like an understandable reaction, even if it's not productive since there's nothing you can do about it.

But nothing I've heard from any preppers is reason to be scared. They are reasons to prepare. 

I'm not scared of Mad Max world-- I don't want it, but I'm not scared. I don't want my daughter to feel hunger when there's nothing I can do about it. That's why I prep. She might be more concerned about a world without "social" media, but that seems like a beneficial development to me. We'd push through that "crisis".

For most of the situations preppers discuss, I feel I could navigate my way through them. Maybe that's false confidence. I've made it through a lot of things that could have killed me. Looking back they don't seem nearly as difficult as they did at the time, and most of them taught me things to avoid.

I don't think there's anything to be scared of-- no, not even authoritarianism. Just keep learning and be open to better ideas. And try to help calm down anyone around you who is afraid of the future. Panicky people around you isn't going to be helpful.

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Real world better than metaverse

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for December 1, 2021)

Have you been hearing about the metaverse? What is the metaverse? It's "virtual reality" taken to another level. Like experiencing the internet as though it's the world you live in-- to see and hear it all around you as if it's physically real. Imagine the best video game you've ever seen, but so much better you have a hard time believing your character isn't actually you, doing all the things your character is doing, surrounded by other people's characters experiencing the same.

It's not just about playing games, though. Business, social groups, education, and other features of the real world would be there, too. Anything from the real world, or anything someone can imagine, could be present in the metaverse.

I can see limitless benefits... and limitless downsides.

Some think it may replace reality for most people when the technology gets good enough. People might choose to spend all their time in the metaverse instead of the real world. When I see those obsessed with online gaming or other escapism, I think it's possible.

I see the attraction. You could avoid your boring, unpleasant reality. You could be the superhero. You could experience things and places you could never experience in real life. You could form relationships and even make money. Yes, you'll still need money to keep your meatbody alive and your internet bill paid or you'll lose your connection to the metaverse, which would probably feel like death.

Will this just be another thing people become addicted to? Yes.

Anything enjoyable is addictive, and things which can be specifically tailored to be addictive, such as the metaverse, will be especially addictive to those who are vulnerable to addiction. I'm guessing that's somewhere between 10% and 40% of people when you include everything people already get addicted to. For something like the metaverse, the percentage might be higher.

I prefer the real world-- with all its warts and scars-- because it is real. Unless we already exist in a simulated reality, which doesn't really change anything important to this discussion. I can imagine how age or disability might make me reconsider, though.

If you don't get pulled in, will the metaverse remove a lot of excess people from your daily life? It might feel like the population of the world has plummetted when so many people are staying plugged in all day. Maybe the person who avoids the metaverse will end up King of the (real) World.

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Don't fall for the brainwashing

Can you tell when someone is trying to brainwash you? 

Well, one way to know is to watch out for revealing words. Such as when they say "our government" or "your government". That's a lie, but it's one most people won't catch. That also applies to "our president" or other politicians.

Another red flag is when they speak of "leaders" when talking about rulers or politicians. Another sneaky lie.

A newer trick that emerged with AGCC ("climate change") but went viral (how punny) during the Covid overreaction is to speak of "the science" when spreading the opinions of politicized "experts". Science is a process, not a proclamation. "The science" is a lie.

If they can make you accept their deceptive words without hesitation, they can fool you into believing the world is as they would prefer you believe. Often, they are trying to make you accept the legitimacy of political government-- something which can never be legitimate.

Brainwashing doesn't have to be a complete lie but could be a half-truth presented in an untruthful way. Such as what often happens with corporate "news". In fact, it's their only gimmick.

Don't let the bullies brainwash you into giving up your individual liberty. It's never worth it.

Any comfort you get from embracing the brainwashing is fleeting. The pain could last the rest of your life.

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Happy New Year!

I still think "New Year" is an odd concept. Especially at this arbitrary date. But whatever. It's "accepted" by almost everyone and it doesn't matter to anything real. So, happy New Year!

I'm hoping authoritarianism meets a painful death in the coming year. It has earned this much. I'll do my best to not do anything to prop it up with cowardly compliance and disgusting obedience.

I'm also hoping this will be the final nail in the Covid overreaction coffin. It's gone on way too long, and for nothing. 

I heard someone say something about a 2021 "year in review", but my brain heard "urine review". That would probably be just as interesting. I mean you were there so you know what happened. You don't need anyone to remind you. 

So here we are. Let's make the best of it. Keep prepping, go through tolfa.us again (or for the first time if you have neglected to do so until now), and keep exercising your liberty to the fullest. Don't let this be "2020 too".

Let's go Brandon and all other politicians as well. Into the dustbin of bad mistakes with you all.

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