US has its own political prisoners

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 25, 2024)

Much of the American public is understandably stirred up over the suspicious prison death of Putin's critic, Alexei Navalny. Yet America's anti-American prison industry is also filled with political prisoners. More than anywhere else in the world, by a wide margin. Including political prisoners like Ross Ulbricht.

This doesn't even count heroes like Julian Assange, held by other governments to appease the US government. Or those heroes living under asylum in other countries, like Edward Snowden, to avoid sure imprisonment, and probable suspicious death, in America. Heroes who are more American, by their dedication to truth and liberty, than the political criminals in the US government who want to cage and punish them.

You might say heroes like this are too rare to inflate America's political prisoner numbers by much. You're right, if these are the only people you count.

Everyone held in a government cage because of convictions for drugs, guns, acts of consensual trade, or taxes (just to name a few "offenses" used to cage people) is a political prisoner. You might complain that these prisoners probably did other things-- actual crimes with an individual victim who was objectively harmed-- but it was just easier to get a conviction or a plea bargain on the charges they were ultimately imprisoned under. In this case government should have focused on the real crime, not the paperwork violation of arbitrary legislation. Legislation which would never be tolerated in a free country.

Looked at another way, everyone in any place ruled by a political government is a political prisoner. We just don't realize it as long as the jailers let us have entertainment and say we are free. Even though there's no human activity untouched by a number of nonsensical rules, the violation of any of which can result in us being sent to a physical prison. Or death at the hands of legislation enforcers.

Every political prisoner in American jails and prisons should be immediately released if only to void the crooked decision by government prosecutors to prosecute illegitimate, victimless "crimes". It would be a way to force the prosecutors to clean up their act and do better from now on.

As soon as Americans force local and federal governments to release American political prisoners, we can focus, without hypocrisy, on those held by other governments. Free every political prisoner! No more political prisoners. Not in Russia, and not in America.

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Fixing the unfixable

Trying to fix government is a waste of time and effort. Trying to end government corruption, attempting to make elections fair (or legitimate), or getting government to "follow the Constitution" isn't going to work. 

At best, they give false hope and a reason to keep following the cult.

This isn't as defeatist as you might believe. It means you can do useful things instead of frustrating things that waste your time.

Don't waste time suggesting legislative "solutions", or fawning over government's hired goons.

Do things to increase your own liberty. Encourage others to do the same. Even if no one listens, this isn't as wasteful of time and effort as trying to fix something that is working exactly as it was designed to work. Something no one with any control has any interest in allowing anyone to fix.

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The "reason" is a lie

If crime didn’t exist, or if criminals never used guns, the anti-gun bigots would still want to take away your guns. They’d find some other excuse. 

Because government and its fawning allies can’t do everything they want to do when the people are sufficiently armed.

This is why, in places where guns are banned for everyone except criminals (including police, military, and other government thugs), the authoriturds have to ban knives. Then sticks. Then the very notion of defense.

It's not about making you safer; it's about making them safer while they violate you. It's about ensuring their power won't be resisted in any meaningful way. It's about government supremacy.

Refuse to comply. Resist. Fight back.

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Forced association

One of the worst things government does is force people to be around, and deal with, those they'd rather not associate with.

It doesn't matter if their reasons are often stupid.

One of the most fundamental human rights is the right of association. If you don't want to be around certain people, for any reason, no one should force you to.

Apparently, many people don't want to be around others based on some accident of birth-- skin color, language spoken, or whether that person is Jewish. Other people-- smart people-- only discriminate based on what someone chooses to do.

I don't want to have any interactions with cops, tax collectors, government bureaucrats, or other career criminals. I don't care about any random factor about people that no one had any choice about. I shouldn't be forced to interact with those who choose archation, yet it's "illegal" for me to refuse their advances.

That's evil. Government did that.

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That's the nature of the Beast

It astounds me how many people are clueless as to what government, by its very nature, is.

They'll often believe that a government that violates your rights, imports migrants, encourages crime, punishes defense, and steals your property is somehow doing something backward. Scott Adams was referring to this as "reverse government".

What a buffoon!

Anyone who can think rationally will see that government acts this way because that's its nature. It's how it is designed to function.

Only if you've been brainwashed otherwise could you possibly believe these are signs a government is operating in reverse. In which case, there may be no hope for you.

Or, maybe it will gradually dawn on you, one atrocity at a time. Political government is evil.

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Government or "the" government

Usually, when I say or write the word "government", there is no "the" preceding it. That's because normally, I am referring to the entire cult-- the general mindset that leads to governing other people. 

Only if I'm referring to one specific example do I say "the government".

It amazes me how many people don't get the distinction.

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A tale of two murders

Last week a NM state police officer in this area was shot and killed after stopping to help a guy with a flat tire. It was a clear case of murder. 

However, the bootlickers are out in force over it in such a way that my sympathies have been negated.

It's not as bad, to me, when a cop is murdered "in the line of duty" as it is when a regular person is murdered while minding his own business. Yet, we are trained and encouraged to treat this as worse than when a regular person is murdered. That's upside down.

Good people wouldn't accept a "job" requiring them to place themselves in contact with people who have good reason to believe this contact might be a credible threat to their life, liberty, and property-- even if that's not the cop's intention at the moment.

That is what a cop's illegitimate "job" revolves around. Because of the nature of their "job", encountering people who feel justifiably threatened by their approach is something they either need to accept, or they need to quit and find an honest job.

I'm much more bothered by the innocent man brutally murdered in Little Rock, Arkansas by local cops and BATFEces thugs for doing things he had a natural human right to do, in spite of government's illegal "rules" regulating it. That's where my sympathy lies, not with a state employee who, even though he probably didn't do anything in the moment to deserve to be shot, was still part of the problem.

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Can't live someone's life for them

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 18, 2024)

People don't always do what you want.

I'm not even talking about those who decide to rob others at knifepoint, which I'm sure you don't want them to do. I'm talking about when someone chooses to do their own thing based on different values, preferences, and information. When they make a choice you wouldn't have made. A choice you might think is a mistake, based on your values, preferences, and information.

How we handle these situations says a lot about who we are.

Some choose to use violence to stop others from doing things they'd rather they not do. This violence can be in person, but it's more often in the form of encouraging government violence through legislation and enforcement. If you're talking about those who choose to rob people, violence is justified, although using government is never the best way to do anything.

When you're talking about using violence against someone who is simply choosing a peaceful path you wouldn't have chosen, using violence to stop them is always the wrong thing to do. It makes you the problem; the one who needs to be stopped.

Other people reject violence, but will try to convince the person to change their mind; to act in a way they believe is better. Sometimes this may even work. Usually, it doesn't. What then?

A common response is to start nagging. Never let it go. Constantly remind the other person of what we wish they'd do instead. Become an annoyance. This might work but it's more likely to make them resent you and dread seeing your face. It may make them dig in their heels and continue doing something they've come to realize-- without your input-- doesn't work for them. They can't change now since it would look like letting you win. By nagging, you've guaranteed more of what you don't want. Good job!

I suppose we are all guilty of doing this, though. It's a hard thing to avoid, since you're certain if they just understood how you saw it they would change their mind and do what you think they should do.

A better way is to let them know why you'd like to see them do something different, and then accept their decision. You've done your part. You may even be right, but you can't live someone else's life for them. People learn from mistakes. You and I did, and so will they.

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"Tread on me harder, Master!"

Whenever I see a Trump supporter or a copsucker flying a Gadsden flag, I almost feel I can read the disclaimer along the bottom edge. 

And, I see it a lot. It's vile.

They just don't understand the message.

The only thing more stupid and offensive would be if Biden supporters started flying the Gadsden. But that's not going to happen in this simulation.

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The next anti-gun lie just dropped

Anti-gun bigots with political power have made up a new lie to sell to the gullible cowards: "Zombie guns". 

From what I understand, this doesn't refer to zombie-themed decorated guns or guns used to kill zombies, but refers to gun parts (and the guns they go into?) that were salvaged from gun "buybacks" [sic]. The guns were destroyed, but the anti-gun bigots are upset that every bit wasn't melted down, I guess. Because they are idiots.

I suppose I have several "zombie guns" since I have used parts I bought from a well-known parts supplier to repair old guns. I don't know where those parts originated. They might be infected with "gun violence" from their dark past! Oh no!

Will these anti-gun bigot idiots ever stop? Nope. That's why we need to laugh them back into the fetid crevices from whence they spawned.

The only guns that are a problem are those carried by government employees, and this problem is solved as soon as those guns are returned to the people whose stolen money paid for them. Government is the problem, not a solution.

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People choosing to be part of the problem

Over and over I see evidence that the biggest problem most people have with human rights is that they don't stop at "borders". And they really want them to!

Humans all share the exact same rights. It doesn't matter if you call the person "illegal"-- which is an absurd thing to do anyway.

The feral US government is prohibited from violating human rights-- it doesn't matter whose rights it is scheming to violate. Yes, the feral government ignores this prohibition every chance it gets, but that's because it is a criminal gang, not because it has a "right" to violate rights.

But a lot of people get hung up on that fact. They want rights to stop at "borders". They want government to violate the rights of people they don't like. And they'll call you names for pointing out that they are advocating evil. This is my biggest problem with most "pro-gun" people.

Until normal people understand rights it will keep getting easier and easier for criminals to violate those rights. Real criminals, like politicians and legislation enforcers, not fake "criminals" like people who simply walked somewhere without asking a criminal gang for permission.

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X

Yes, the rumors are true. I'm on TwiXXer, or "The X Platform" as it is commonly known these days. I've been on it for a while now, not terribly active but present.

But... and this is the tricky part... I'm probably not supposed to be there. So. I'm trying to be fairly quiet, beyond posting my blogs. 

I'm not planning to engage any anti-gun bigots, copsuckers, or political criminals like I did before. Sometimes, the temptation may get the better of me, though.

I went back into my original account that had been locked down because some pre-Musk pinhead said I was doing a hate speech or something (I forget what, and I don't really care). I haven't tried getting into the account I was using when some early Musk-era pinhead banned me "for life" for saying people have a right to defend themselves from people who are blocking their path to emergency medical care. By running over them with their car if that's what it takes. I won't apologize for speaking the truth, even if w0kesters don't like it. 

Yes, I'm so unreasonably violent!

I don't think the ban would have survived personal scrutiny by Musk, had I been a big enough account to get his attention, but I could be wrong. I'm just going by what I see Elon himself posting. I think he would personally agree with everything I wrote in that tweet.

X isn't some bastion of free speech. It's undoubtedly better now than when the US feral gooberment was telling the pinheads in charge of banning whom to ban. It's probably still the best one out there-- although Gab lets users post the most disgusting racist crap I've ever seen online. (But, hey, I appreciate knowing who the bigots are, so I'm all for letting them speak!)

X lost most of my respect (and trust) when I got banned. I still find it useful for giving me ideas to write about. And, I may inevitably test the waters and see what happens.

If you're on X and don't follow this account, please do. If you only follow the banned account, keep following it-- I may use it as a backup when/if I get banned again sometime in the future. Although that might not work next time.

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Panic at the Eclipse

I recently found out that there are people who think the upcoming total solar eclipse will cause some sort of collapse. Technological or societal? Or first one, then the other? I'm not sure, and I haven't gotten a sane answer.* 

Specifically, I've seen warnings that credit/debit cards might not work during or after the eclipse, so have cash on hand.

My first thought was that they were confusing an eclipse with a solar storm or a solar coronal mass ejection. I don't think that's the case anymore.

I now think they heard that some places along the path of totality are declaring states of emergency in anticipation of overwhelming crowds stressing the infrastructure, and mistook this for something else.

I'm planning to be part of those crowds, if I can manage it, and if The Universe doesn't jinx me.

In which case, I'll be as prepared as I always am-- as prepared as I can be under the circumstances. It doesn't thrill me that if something does happen, I'll be away from home. But, I'll not stay a prisoner of my fears or unknowns.

An eclipse can't cause anything other than short-lived darkness. Superstition, fear, and ignorance can cause a lot of trouble, though. And it doesn't take an eclipse to trigger it-- just look at elections!

*If you've heard something I'm missing, please let the rest of us know in the comments.

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Special kind of stupid, or clever troll?

What?

I keep saying that anti-gun bigots are stupid, but according to this meme I found on X, they apparently keep trying to show that they are even more stupid than I had believed possible.

The premise is a lie- there's no such thing as "gun violence".
The grammar is pitiful and nearly incomprehensible.
Their math/physics is impossibly ignorant.
The "solution" they seem to be promoting would make things worse by empowering people who already don't mind murdering innocent people.

If that's their "voice" they should be humiliated that it was made public!

Unless this is a trick by trolls to make anti-gun bigots look even more stupid than they are. If so, Bravo! (And I can't help suspecting this is the case, because I have a hard time comprehending that this level of stupidity isn't immediately fatal.)

If this is "for real", this is pathetic. They are simply too stupid to be listened to by anyone with an IQ above that of a politician.

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Some contests not safe to ignore

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 11, 2024)

I'm not watching television today. It's impossible for me to care less about a sporting event-- a game-- than I do

A good thing about sports contests: it's safe to not care. The outcome doesn't grant the winning team power to threaten my life, steal my property, or violate my liberty. The winners will not inherit an army of career rights violators who imagine their job is to control how the rest of us live. I can ignore the event without danger.

I wish all silly contests were as safe to ignore.

Unfortunately, this November the winning team in Stupid Bowl LX (that's "60" for non-Romans)-- you might call it the presidential election of 2024-- will get such power.

In this case, I care a little. By "care" I mean I actively dislike the teams and I'm not thrilled with the fans. The outcome is guaranteed to be harmful to life, liberty, and property. The best argument for either side is that a victory by their side will be less harmful than a win by the opposing team. Both are probably lying.

I'd like to cancel the contest and disband the league. For all his faults. Joe Biden has done one magnificent thing. His presidency proves presidents are mere figureheads.

At the bare minimum, I would like to make it safe to ignore their games. The way to do this is to make sure they can't threaten life, can't steal property, and can't violate liberty without facing the same consequences as any other criminal.

Since they are allowed to write the rules, this won't happen.

Those who would be out of a job want you to believe they are necessary for the functioning of society. They may even try to convince you they are society rather than the worms feeding on it. What a strange notion.

Over the years there have been many worthy suggestions for fixing things, but little interest in pursuing the solutions. It's hard to get anyone interested when the information is suppressed. It's even harder because these solutions must be written in legalese for the best shot at squeezing out all wiggle room.

The simplest solution remains to make everything in the Bill of Rights, after the first five words, redundant: "Congress shall make no law". This would also need to be retroactive. It would once again be safe to ignore the political games and stop worrying about the outcome of Stupid Bowl LX.

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Spoiled toddlers and their imaginary legitimacy

Authoritarians commonly try to portray those who value liberty as childish. Wanting to control your own life— childish? Really?

Which is more childish: wanting to control your own life or demanding the power— they claim it’s their right— to control the lives of everyone else? It should be obvious to anyone not brainwashed.

How many times have you seen spoiled toddlers screaming and throwing a fit to gain control over the adults around them? This is authoritarians to a T.

When I hear some statist strutting around claiming to be "the adult in the room" or the one having "the hard adult conversation", I picture a spoiled toddler pretending to be the parent. I picture a caricature. A foolish person, being evil while trying to hide behind a fiction. Even if they are unaware of the true nature of what they are doing. This isn't the way of the responsible adult.

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Thankful for government?

What am I glad that government does?

Well, I like museums and libraries, but I’d rather see them freed from government chains. So those can’t count.

In the spirit of acceptance, below is a comprehensive list of all the things I’m glad government does:

Not wrong, just "illegal" according to rules which are themselves illegal

Science popularizers cause me to lose respect for them by "thinking past the sale" on "climate change" and gun content creators make me lose respect for them by "thinking past the sale" on gun "laws".

Yes, I understand they'll be punished if they tell people to do something the authoritarian overlords forbid. But they lose credibility when they speak of these illegitimate rules as though they are legitimate. They'd do better to just skip that part entirely, or say that government rules, being arbitrary and evil, will vary according to location-- so watch out.

I saw a video where the supposedly pro-gun person was ranting about "straw purchases". Also known as "buying a gift for someone". They spoke as though the person committing his heinous act was the bad guy, rather than acknowledging that the true bad guy is the one who makes or enforces such a stupid rule.

Ethically, it's no different to buy a gun for another person than it is to buy someone a pair of shoes. It's only different "legally" because government is organized crime. Government makes up rules on matters it is forbidden to make up rules about, then pretends those who ignore those fake rules are the problem. Not even close!

If you speak about government's counterfeit rules as though they are legitimate, you are doing everyone a disservice. You can still warn people without appearing to agree with the ridiculous rules.

This would go a long way toward bolstering credibility. If it's too dangerous to do this, simply don't talk about the topic at all.

Authoritarianism is absurd. It is unethical and has no "right" to be imposed on anyone. Keep this in mind, even as you warn someone of the danger of doing things they have a right to do when the political creeps say otherwise.

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Show me you don't understand what a "right" is...

This is why we have trouble with authoritarian control freaks trying to violate natural human rights.

This was a YouTube channel's poll that popped up on my phone. 

At first, I was bothered by the way the question was worded, then I started reading the comments. It got much worse. 

These are screenshots of the top of the comment thread-- nothing got skipped. And it went on and on like this. I probably won't bother reading the replies to my comment, just to avoid thinking the worst of "conservatives" who only want to conserve government supremacy. 

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Crenshaw is right, but not like he believes

Regarding the political scheme to ban TikTok in America, reprehensible government supremacist Dan Crenshaw says, to those who point out that he's on the wrong side, "You’re not defending the First Amendment. Our First Amendment doesn’t apply to the CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY."

You're right, Dan. The First Amendment strictly applies to the US feral government, making it illegal for you and your gang of political vermin to ban Tik Tok. As much as I personally dislike TikTok, it doesn't change facts.

The first clue that he's wrong is his use of the word "our" in his post. The next clue is everything else he wrote.

His brain is crippled with government supremacy, so his wrongness isn't surprising. It's still a little sick when exposed for all the world to see like that.

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Magical non-magic evil individuals

I don't like government, but I don't think I have any delusions about it. 

A few weeks ago on my walk, I ran into a woman I've seen walking to the post office and the store on multiple occasions, and who I frequently see out in her yard raking the dirt around. She's positively ancient and walks extremely slowly-- with a walker-- but at least she's out there.

She is always cheerful when I say "hi", and on that day as I was passing her going into the post office, she started a conversation with me. 

It turns out she has interesting ideas. Such as... she thinks young people are getting all the "government money" that should be going to old people.

Another of those ideas was something she quickly got into discussing with me. She is convinced the town government is run by Satanic individuals (I can't argue against that), and that they are causing clay and sand to "come up" in her yard. From beneath the surface. Raising her ground level several inches over the years. She said the Bible predicts it.  

I asked if she was sure this extra dirt wasn't just blown there by the wind (we have a lot of blowing dirt and sand here, especially during the spring). Most older yards in town now have a ground level 4 to 6 inches higher than the curb-- some yards on the southwest corner of town have gained about a foot of elevation since they were built due to blowing dirt getting trapped in their grass, When I moved into my house 14 years ago, the front sidewalk and much of my curb were completely buried and it took months to dig everything out. My "yard" even extended a few feet out into the street due to blown-in dirt that had grown grass and weeds. I expressed my opinion that this might be what has happened to her.

Nope. She said she has seen it coming into her yard, hovering just a foot or two off the ground as it "moved" from the alley (which is coincidentally upwind of her house) into her yard. This sounds suspiciously like what I see on windy days when the dirt and sand are on the move, but no, she says the government officials are doing it to her on purpose. They have targeted her and this is how they intend to steal her house. "It isn't magic, it's just evil people", she told me.

I listened to her tell me all about this evil plot for 20 minutes or so. After my initial suggestion that it might just be the wind, I didn't give any more opinions; I only listened to her concerns. I've learned my lesson about saying too much in the wrong situation.

I consider government-- ALL government-- to be evil. I don't think any government has the power to do things like she believes this one is doing. Even if I could have figured out how all the dots were supposed to connect. I think dislike and distrust are the most rational, consistent ways to view political government. 

No magic-looking, non-magical, evil individuals necessary.

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Our rights are imaginary? Don't be barbaric

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 4, 2024)

It is often said there are two kinds of people. What kinds? It depends on the point being made. Yet, it's usually true, if incomplete.

In this case, I'm talking about two kinds of people where liberty is concerned. There are people who are authoritarian and people who are libertarian; those who want everyone else controlled and those who don't feel any such need.

Politics boils down to controlling someone in some way, so most politics is authoritarian. Maybe all politics. Both major parties and most, if not all, minor parties are included. Controlling other people is politically popular.

The only type of legitimate control is when someone is stopped in the act of violating another-- including violating them with political control.

Any legislation which seeks to control behavior which doesn't violate life, liberty, or property is itself a violation. It is illegitimate control. Anyone who seeks to pass or enforce any such legislation is a violator. They are fundamentally the same as any mugger, attacker, kidnapper, or murderer. They are doing something they have no right to do.

No one has the right to violate anyone's right to exercise their liberty. Not for any reason.

Having the power isn't the same as having the right, but most people, as long as politics or government are involved, won't understand the distinction.

I've heard people say rights are imaginary; all that matters is whether someone has the power to do something. This is both ridiculous and barbaric. The whole reason crime happens is because someone has the power to violate someone else. Their power doesn't excuse them from doing wrong.

As I've pointed out in the past, if rights are imaginary, then no one can claim the right to govern others. I'm fine with this outcome. For some reason, this obvious conclusion makes those who want to rule people or be ruled change the subject.

It wouldn't even be a problem if the authoritarian people could keep it between themselves and leave the rest of us out of it. Rule each other all they want, but don't try to spread their toxicity beyond their ranks. Sadly, part of being authoritarian is the antisocial inability to live with that boundary.

This means the rest of us, those who understand and value liberty, must continually find ways to drive around avoiding the debris and potholes of authoritarianism on the road of life. It keeps us on our toes.

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Government Wrong Time starts tomorrow

Don’t forget to mis-set your clocks tonight, to appease the control-freak morning people who can’t just go to work an hour earlier, but believe they are entitled to force their preferences on everyone else. No matter the cost in lives.

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From the frying pan into the fire?

About a month ago, my 16-year-old daughter decided to re-enroll herself in govschool. I was disappointed, but I believe in letting her make some of her own decisions/mistakes. Maybe it won't be as much of a mistake as I feel like it will be.

She disliked homeschooling and unschooling. She doesn't like having me help her in any way, even though I (believe I) can be very unintrusive. She won't ask a question if she doesn't understand something, and she doesn't want me to offer unsolicited help. This makes it difficult for me to really help.

Plus, she wanted to be able to go to the prom in a year or so, and she wanted to know the people she'd be going with. She realizes she can't seem to be social without having it forced on her, which is an admirable level of self-awareness. This is why she decided to go back.

I understand her reasons, even if I disagree with them. I told her the responsibility is on her to get up and get to school on time, to do her school work, and do it well. So far, that has gone OK.

I'm still disappointed. This has taken some enthusiasm out of me recently.

At least the school seems to take safety seriously, according to the signage. I'm hoping they deal with the bullying better this time. Or, that there isn't any bullying this time.

We'll see how it goes. Wish us luck.

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Nice, and slightly disturbing

On Monday of this week, on my daily walk around town (I'm lying, my walk only encompasses half of the town) a town employee called me over to his pickup. He handed me a walking stick saying he'd gotten it "somewhere" and thought of me.

A brand new walking stick, with the tag still on it. It was a nice gift. I have a glut of walking sticks but I switch them up depending on my mood. And this one has a metal defensive spike under the rubber tip! So I do appreciate it.

I thanked him and continued on my way.

But I must admit, I'm a little uncomfortable with government employees thinking of me in any context. 

I know I'm a bit of an oddity, and I stand out. I'm going to get noticed. I'm friendly with everyone I encounter on my walks, which sometimes leads to pauses of a half hour or more as I talk to someone who just needs someone to listen. But I don't know this guy. I was totally caught by surprise. At least he isn't a cop.

My walks bring a lot of interesting things into my life. You ought to try it if you don't already.

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Making happy, loyal customers

In the past few days, I've had to deal with customer service/tech support on three separate, unrelated occasions.

Two times it was stuff that just went wrong, at no fault of theirs, that I needed help with. Both of those people were excellent. They were helpful and sounded thrilled to be helping me. One (at the local internet provider) actually sounded like I had rescued her from boredom.

Both of these customer service/tech support people solved my problems and then actually offered to go above and beyond their jobs with extra assistance. If every customer support experience were like this I wouldn't dread calling them.

The third experience was a little different. 

I was calling their attention, by email, to an expensive mistake they'd made. A mistake in my favor. They acted as though I was to blame, and I had to ask to be reimbursed for the direct expense their mistake had cost me. They tried to weasel out of reimbursing me, saying they had "no way to do that". They punished me for their mistake. I wasn't impressed.

How you interact with customers makes a huge difference in how customers feel about the business you work for. The business you represent. I now have good feelings about two businesses, and a bad feeling about another.

I'm not going to put the companies' names out there, but if anyone asks me specifically about my opinion of any of those companies, any time in the future, you know which ones I'll say good things about and which one I won't.

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Whee!

I think my new favorite spectator sport is watching the price of Bitcoin when it's going up. And Dogecoin, too. At least it has been for the past few days. I try to ignore it when it's going down.

I'll never be rich in Bitcoin (or anything else), but it's fun to dream. That's why people buy lottery tickets. 

At least this way doesn't fund The State like lottery tickets do. I don't want to help fund the Ancestral Enemy any more than is necessary.

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How open American "borders" could save the world

If having open "borders" is a magnet for criminals, as the borderists like to claim. that could work to the advantage of all decent people, all over the world. If it is allowed to. 

All it would take is to turn America into a meat grinder for criminals. 

Let everyone in-- as is ethical-- then respect the natural human right to own and to carry weapons everywhere we go, and the concurrent fundamental human right to use those weapons in defense of life, liberty, and property against ALL violators. 

If criminal migrants are a real issue, this would solve it almost immediately. With the bonus of solving the problem of home-made criminals at the same time. All it requires is for government to stop being criminal.

That's because the real issue is people who archate, not where those archators were born or which government pretends to own them.

Eliminating the bad guys at scale will benefit the entire human race. The countries of origin will be better off. The people in America will be better off. Everyone wins! Well, everyone except for criminals (including politicians).

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Liberty dangerous, but essential to life

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for January 28, 2024)

Like Thomas Jefferson, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it."

I also know there can be no such thing as "too much liberty" since liberty-- freedom tempered with responsibility-- is self-regulating. Jefferson knew this, too, since he was smarter than me, but he may have been trying to get his point across to someone less aware.

There are also people who are scared of liberty.

Liberty is messy. It’s not as tightly structured as authoritarianism. Liberty is water; authoritarianism is a  crystal of potassium cyanide. Both can be dangerous, but only one is essential for life.

I'm a libertarian; I recognize that no human being has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human, nor to advocate or delegate its initiation..What does this mean?

"Initiate force" means to throw the first punch; to attack someone who isn't harming your life, liberty, or property. Nor does anyone have the right to hire someone, such as a politician or a legislation enforcer, to do this on their behalf. This is 'delegating" the initiation of force.

This is what "libertarian" means when stripped of all the political frippery.  It's an easy concept; even most children get it.

It is also a promise of what to expect from me. In the unlikely event I violate my principles and throw the first punch in the absence of a credible threat, it's with the realization that I am doing something I have no right to do; something wrong. I would owe restitution.

I have difficulty imagining such a situation, but I suppose anything is possible.

My view comes down to this: I believe in maximum liberty. Since there is no "but" qualifying my stance, this means I am also an anarchist. I do not believe in the legitimacy of any form of government which is imposed on anyone. You have a right to govern yourself, but no one else. Not as an individual, not as part of the majority, and not by delegating someone else. You can't establish or support a government without initiating force.

This puts me at odds with political Libertarians who have a big "But". I've heard from plenty of them about this exact issue. They can do what they want, but they have more in common with Democrats and Republicans than with me.

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Liberty is the greater good!

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Thank you.

Also this or this

If someone isn't an anarchist

If someone isn't an anarchist it tells me one of three things is probably true about them.

They don't know what anarchism is, having fallen for the statist lie crafted to fool people into hating or fearing anarchism...

They want to continue having power over you, to control what they'll allow you to do...

Or, they hope to have power over you when the tables turn.

So, it's a sign they are either ignorant or evil.

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Statists are experts

One thing statists are really good at, I have noticed, is justifying evil. They'll usually say they are being pragmatic or "realistic".

You need to murder a million people in some country that you don't care about, to maybe save a government you work for? Tell people there's no other way. Tell them it actually saves lives in the long run. Tell them it's the only way to save their life and the lives of those they care about. 

Divert that trolley into the people you are willing to sacrifice for the "greater good". A "greater good" which isn't good, and isn't great, unless you mean in size. A gigantic evil.

Statists are experts at justifying evil because they get so much practice. It's the only way to justify political government, so it's something they must do all the time.

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