"Terrorists": The Least of My Fears

"Terrorists": those who use violence against innocent non-governmental people in order to cause societal terror so that the government will change its official policy. Doesn't work if you don't fear the little vermin, now does it?

I have a hard time thinking of ANYTHING I fear less than "terrorists". In fact, since they cause absolutely no "terror" whatsoever in me, they don't even exist in my universe. How about you?

I am not now, nor have I ever been, afraid of "terrorists". Funny, but those who accept the responsibility of being armed and prepared to protect those around them are called "paranoid" by the very people too afraid to be free. Who's paranoid?

So, Mr. Presidolt, don't use an imaginary "problem" to excuse overrunning my home with your thuggish stormtroopers. Don't use them as an excuse for violating more of my rights. Don't turn this society into a police-state on account of me. If you do, you are lying and have become the very thing you pretend to hate. YOU are a TERRORIST. You'd better turn yourself into your "non-torturing" buddies at Guantanamo Bay so that they can help you see the error of your ways.

My Journey to Anarchism

I'm not perfect, and despite what some might think, I've never believed I am. This life is a journey, and I am not "there" by any stretch of the imagination.

I've always been what could be called "anti-government", but I used to make certain exceptions for things like the environment or "justice". That was because of holes in my thinking processes. I have since patched those holes. You can't fix problems with initiated force or theft. Even if you have the illusion of the problem being fixed, worse problems will be caused.

As a consequence, I try to understand those who still think coercion can be right under some circumstances. It can be bewildering to watch the mental gymnastics used to excuse such things. I guess I was never so sold on the idea that I expended much effort in trying to defend it. I abandoned any support for the state quite easily. So, while I still think supporters of the state are wrong, I try to remember that at one time, I might have been nodding my head in agreement with them. I keep believing that, given time, the intelligent ones will come around.

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

Making Assertions

I assert it is wrong to walk up to a stranger who has done you no harm and stab him. I assert it is wrong to take another person's property against her will.

If you need these things to be proven, you are out of luck. I can not "prove" these assertions in the same way a physicist can "prove" his hypothesis or a mathematician can "prove" his theorem. Now, that doesn't mean some philosopher hasn't formulated some incomprehensible mess that his followers hail as "proof", just that, even if he has, I don't feel like chasing it down. I don't need to.

I certainly don't depend upon consensus to show me that my assertions are correct. I know they are. Maybe it is encoded in my DNA. I suspect if it weren't, humans would have been extinct long ago. I also suspect that anyone who doubts these assertions does so for less than "nice" reasons.

----------------------------

Help Out an Ally

Following David Codrea's excellent Gun Rights Examiner column every day (just as you do, don't you?) led me to the Libertarian Examiner.

This guy needs some support from freedom lovers. It seems he gets buried under an avalanche of hatred from tyranny deniers with very little help from people dedicated to liberty. So, if you have the inclination and the time, lend a hand and help the voice of reason rise above the noise.

A Few "Good Apples"?

Whenever the latest murder-by-cop occurs, I hear the state's apologists say "yes, there are a few 'bad apples', but not all cops are bad". Hmmm. Interesting speculation. Care to try proving it?

I do believe there are good EX-cops; I have met them and they usually hate the new crop even more than I do. I think there may even be some new cops who have not been dragged down by the hubris and "us vs. them" inherent in the system, although I think police training weeds almost all of the good people out before they even start the job. I don't think it is possible to remain a good person, and have a career in "law enforcement". Not anymore.

It is my contention that if there were a significant number of "good cops" out there, they would be exposing and eliminating the rot that wears the badges in today's police state. And the disgusting tyrants who send them out into the world. Where are these mythical "good cops"? Why are they silent?

So, until I see evidence otherwise, I will continue to assume that LEOs are really "Liberty Eradication Operatives" who earn the eternal, justifiable, contempt of free good people with their every action.


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

Government Control

Government. There is no tool in existence that does more harm to the innocent when wielded by people with bad intentions (and I have my doubts that anyone who is successfully elected has anything but bad intentions of one type or another). Yet, its supporters claim that government is what can protect the weak and innocent from being harmed. Where does this disconnect with reality come from? Wishful thinking?

So, government and its most ardent supporters see nothing hypocritical about trying to regulate weapons in the hands of average people while doing nothing about the most powerful weapon in the world being in the hands of those very people least trustworthy with any sort of power whatsoever. Would you leave your 10 year old daughter in a room with any President, cop, or governor? Me neither. Unless she was armed to the teeth.

The world needs a lot less "gun control" and a whole lot more "state control". The irony is that one counters the other. That is why the villains of the state want everyone else to be either disarmed, or armed at the whim and permission of the state.


------------------------

Something For the Freedom-Fighter's Toolbox

Suppose there were "wanted posters" that displayed the worst of the enforcers for all the world to see. If a person, hypothetically speaking, wanted to know where to strike at those offenders in order to balance the scales of justice somewhat, they could check the posters to identify the enemies of freedom.

Well, such things do exist. They are even animated and have audio, and are broadcast for all the world to see. You can watch the rights violators at work, and see their attitudes clearly. You can see for yourself that the "bad apple" has no limits to his or her abusive nature and has no respect for either the Constitution or basic decency. You can see for yourself which ones are parasites without virtue. Right there on your TV screen.

Shows like COPS are a disgusting illustration, and in my opinion a partial cause, of the burgeoning police-state. They can also be a tool which can be put into the toolbox for future use. I even glimpsed a show about the parasites who put "boots" on cars in some big city. More identifiable thugs.

I can't bring myself to watch those types of shows. It would cause me to do things that would get me killed quickly. But for some others it might be something to think about and a tool to put aside for when it is needed.


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

Don't Forget TOLFA

I haven't mentioned this recently, but it is time to remind you, once again, to enroll in The On Line Freedom Academy (if you haven't already).

Jim Davies keeps developing new content, and is doing a great job to make this effective and interesting. If you really value liberty, please spend a little time attending The Academy. The time you spend will not be wasted.

This is a practical way to spread the desire for liberty to a lot of people who might not otherwise take the time to think about it. Other methods can help, but until people understand what freedom really is, and see it working in your life in the real world, they may not pay much attention to it. Remember that the most common stumbling block is "the bad guys won't cooperate" or "it won't work in the real world". Show them that the bad guys are irrelevant. Enroll in TOLFA and live its lessons daily in your regular life. Lead by example.

*******************************

The Easy Way Out

Why do some people cling to authoritarianism? Maybe they have no choice. Perhaps because it is more primal; the "reptilian brain" is all that is needed. Authoritarianism is so much simpler. It is a refuge for those afraid, or unable, to think.

I come to this conclusion from personal experience. The only times I am prone to take the easy way out and have authoritarian thoughts is when I am extremely tired or sick and my mental faculties are not up to speed. I am not a morning person. The thinking part of my brain doesn't wake up until around 10 AM. If the baby wakes me up too early it is so much easier to just bark orders instead of working to solve any conflicts.

I pity those who live in that mindset all the time, incapable of growing up and moving past that type of mentality. To them, the answer seems to always be in ordering others around and punishing those who have different opinions or cultures. Fear, control, and punishment: the three horseman of the weak-minded. The tools of the state.


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

Mass Transportation

If you want me to have any interest in "mass transportation" in any form, there are a few minimum requirements you need to meet. These are "needs", not "wishes", by the way.

1) Don't subject me or anyone else to any violations of our privacy. In other words, no metal detectors or "sniffers". No onerous ID requirements. No racial or psychological profiling. No baggage searches or cavity searches. No prohibition of personal weaponry of any sort. Period.

2) Fit my schedule and needs; don't expect me to go way out of my way to accommodate an inconvenient itinerary. I may be willing go be slightly inconvenienced once in a great while, but not everyday.

3) Don't try to turn me into a sardine. I am not averse to being near people, but I also have no desire to have jittery strangers sitting in my lap.

4) Don't develop a partnership with the Enforcers, encouraging them to be a menacing presence on your trips. I don't invite vermin into my house; I do not wish to be forced to share my commute with them.

In conclusion, private vehicles are the most convenient form of mass transit ever developed. To beat them, you will have to do a lot better. Passing "laws" that require me to use your transportation is not "doing it better". If you get your friends in government to do so "for the common good", and then make us run the disarmament gauntlet to get on board, I will personally do all I can to undermine you and your transportation monopoly. Consider that a promise; not that you care.

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

Our Consequence-Free Society

I think our society has become mostly free of consequences. Not for getting caught at big stuff (like murder) or at things that threaten the power of the state (like owning guns or avoiding taxes), but in everyday boorish behavior. Jerks feel safe acting like jerks because they know their victims are most likely disarmed and afraid to stand up for themselves due to "legal" restraints.

In a truly free society, cops (actually private security officers) would approach with their hats in their hands, their heads bowed, apologizing profusely for wasting your time. Behaving like the lowly servants they are.

People would NOT try driving down the center of the road just for the fun of watching others swerve out of the way.

People would not walk out in front of traffic simply for the amusement of forcing drivers to slam on their brakes to avoid the "crime" of hitting a pedestrian.

TSA goons would all be picking up trash on the side of the road. Just kidding. In reality, they would all have died long ago from trying to eat rocks and plastic fruit. Or from fighting their shadows and reflections to the death.

The point is, as Robert A. Heinlein said: "An armed society is a polite society". I am ready for a universally polite society again, where instant consequences remind the jerks among us to think about their actions.

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

Well-Intentioned Insanity

"I don't believe most statists (those who believe "government" is a legitimate human endeavor) are bad people. I believe they are mostly well-intentioned. I also think they are a bit insane. Or at least in serious denial."

This is the first paragraph of my newest article in The Libertarian Enterprise. Read the rest here.

Airports: Just Say "No!"

My daughter, who is 17, came to visit me for the holidays. Despite my misgivings, she insisted on flying. A trip of 700 miles, which she has made in around 12 hours by car several times, ended up taking 19 1/2 hours. She was jerked around by the incompetent airline employees (who no longer concern themselves with making the customer happy, but only with satisfying their federal masters), had some of her possessions stolen by the goons of the TSA, and ended up crying. This girl is tough and doesn't cry.

Needless to say, I needed a few days to calm down before I wrote about this incident. I long ago realized that flying is no longer an option for me. The last time I did it, back in 2000, I ended up getting to my destination and discovering a .22 round in my pocket. This was in spite of practically stripping off everything I wear in order to prevent such from happening. Now, if the TSA goons discovered something like that before I did, I would probably be raped by them or tasered to death.

There needs to be a real free-market airline. One that tells the feds where to stick their terroristic regulations. One where the pilots and attendants are armed, and where the passengers are assumed to be as well. I know this would mean that the liberty-free zones euphemistically called "airports" couldn't be used, since they have been stolen by the feds. I also know that the feds would fight any such attempt, claiming ownership of the sky or some such socialistic balderdash.

Still, it is time. Don't believe me? Watch this: TSA brutality.

--------------------------

Not My Choice to Make

I am absolutely unbending in my recognition of the right of everyone to own and to carry weapons everywhere, without permission. I stand up for this right almost everyday, in some way.

There are a lot of people who I feel are not responsible enough to own guns. Many of them work for government in some capacity, but that is a tangent for another day. The thing is, it doesn't matter what I think about anyone else owning a gun. It is not for me or anyone else to decide for them, unless or until they make it so by misusing the gun. That is the way it should be.

I might prefer that my "under aged" daughter not have sex. However, she is not my property and I know she is responsible enough to make her own decisions regardless of what "the state" dictates. I can offer advice, if asked, but can't make legitimate demands of someone who owns her own life and accepts the consequences of her actions. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am not free to run the lives of others, just as they are not free to run mine. This is why I would not make a good authoritarian: I understand where my boundaries lie.


*************************

A "New" Year

The logical place to divide the year is at the solstice, so I think this is a little arbitrary, but "Happy New Year" anyway.

Now, what will I do to make this coming year better than the previous one? I'm open to suggestions.

The Year in Review

Not really, but isn't that what we are supposed to say now?

All I want to really say is a big "thank you" to my loyal readers. I hope 2009 will be better for you than 2008 was. I hope you will make a commitment to be freer in your personal sphere this coming year.

I'll just leave you with this thought:

Liberty happens one person at a time, in spite of the claims to the contrary. Take charge of your own liberty. Don't worry about the moronic agents, enforcers, or bureaucrats of the state. They will bring about their own demise if we let them. So, let them.

Stay safe, but not too safe.


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

Consistency

The inconsistencies that make a person take on authoritarian attributes confuse me. I respect consistency. I may hate a person's stance on a particular issue, but if they are completely consistent, I can at least respect the fact that they are not a hypocrite.

Yet, while I have met people who seem consistently "libertarian" (something that can be done without much effort, as long as you overcome your brainwashing), I have yet to find anyone who seems consistently "authoritarian". They always make exceptions for themselves, and often for their friends. This is how you can tell that they are wrong.

This doesn't mean that everyone who claims the label "libertarian" is consistent, just that it is more obvious and glaringly ridiculous when they aren't. All rights for everyone, everywhere, for all times without exception. That's where "consistency" dwells. Any "but"s show the flaws that are still present in the person's thinking.



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

"Well, That's Different"

The government's "War on (some) Drugs" depends upon ignorance in order to retain popular support among the population. Unfortunately for rationality, ignorance is rampant.

As an illustration: Someone I know recently handed some prescription medications to another person who was in pain. I pointed out that, by DEA standards, the act made both people "drug criminals" and made the "supplier" (who, by the way, supports the stupid and evil "War on Drugs") hypocritical. The "supplier" said "Well, I think this is different." I said "That's why it is hypocritical."

I just wonder how many other things are "different" to the state-hypnotized mind.

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

People

On the whole, I like people. There are some whose actions I despise, and some people are so devoid of any redeeming characteristics that I just write them off and do my best to avoid them. Still, most people are not too bad, even if I don't agree with them.

On the other hand, most people who hold authoritarian ideology seem to hate and distrust everyone. This is how they justify trying to control every aspect of other people's lives. Even some people who dubiously claim the label "libertarian" seem to be this way, and it is probably what diverts them from the path to liberty.

Don't waste your time hating people or looking for ways to punish them. Most "offenses" should probably be ignored. Only respond with force when you are attacked.

That doesn't mean that I will let others, who say they only want to "help" me, have any authority or control over my life. Their right to tell me what to do ends where it runs up against my self ownership and my self determination. Live and let live, or there may be unpleasant consequences.


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

Hello, Everyone

After being without internet for a day and a half, I'm back, but I'm taking a couple of days off to spend time with family. Enjoy whichever variation of the winter solstice celebration you observe.

Merry Christmas!

**************************