States against one of their own kind

(Previously posted to Patreon and shared with subscribers)

The problem other States have with the Islamic State isn't really the evil behavior its followers display. It's that they are breaking the rules of "civilized war" openly.

They have violated the rules the other massive murder engines called "nations" have agreed to follow when they participate in that State ritual called "war".

They openly use their superstitions as justification and motivation for killing, rather than hiding the superstitious nature of why they do what they do.

They murder their targets "hands on", up close in front of cameras, instead of at a distance, behind cover. It's not polite to display your murders so openly.

They behead and burn instead of bomb and shoot.

Evil is evil, and the Islamic State is evil because it is a State and also because it is Islamic. But to somehow conclude it is worse than other States, because it is open about what States are and what they do, is ridiculous.

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Whiny badgefluffers

Cops- they are just like any other thieves and molesters, except for how exceptionally whiny their fans are.

Don't let them occupy your life and mind any more than the other thieves and molesters do. They are out there. Try to avoid them when you can, but don't structure your life around their existence or avoiding them.

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Islam would only be an issue in one part of the globe....

I was waiting to see if anyone brought up a point I made in the most recent "Liberty Lines", but I guess no one will (unless someone does in the paper).

The part I'm talking about: "Islam wouldn't be spreading so much and wouldn't be an issue outside that one part of the globe."

What? Am I saying a problem doesn't matter if it only affects one place?

Not at all.

The people affected have every right to fight back. They have a right to ask for support. You have an individual right to go try to help. You don't have a right to force me or anyone else to pay your way. You don't have a right to kill non-aggressors based on where they live or what you believe they might be thinking or planning.

If you want to go there to defend the residents who are being violated by Islam and Muslims, go ahead. Pay your own way, don't say you are doing it on my behalf, and live with the consequences. If you get blown up, shot, beheaded, or burned to death it is a foreseeable outcome. You should recognize that when you go.

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Push through the pain for liberty

Push through the pain for liberty

(My Clovis News Journal column for January 9, 2015)

There is a balance to life. I love when my son comes to visit, even though it means I'll feel sadness when he has to head home again. The joy of his presence is worth the pain of his departure.

All of life is a trade-off like this. Don't allow your desire to avoid pain or sadness rob you of opportunities for joy.

A free society would also bring some pain, but just like a short visit from a loved one, the pain would be worth the gains. To enjoy the benefits of liberty you have to take the initiative to push through the pain. It won't be as bad as you have built it up to be in your imagination.

You might miss your secure government job, until you realize having more options brings more real security in the long run. And more wealth.

You might miss your entitlements and those government benefits you believe you have earned, until you realize how insignificant and inadequate those are compared to what you could provide for yourself without the barriers erected all around you "for your own good".

You might feel insecure without tax-financed protection rackets, until you discover how those actually propped up the very things you feared, and how much better you can provide for your own protection when self-defense is no longer criminalized. No one is as motivated to protect you and your property as you are; hired protection can always be bought off and will always have divided loyalties- at best. That's natural. It's a poor substitute for taking responsibility for your own safety.

Liberty would require some adjustments and they wouldn't be instant or without discomfort.

Any temporary discomfort caused by the loss of your chains would be quickly overshadowed by the opportunities liberty presents. Don't let the fear or pain hold you back. That's like refusing to let your son come visit because you don't want to be sad when the time comes for him to leave.

Thomas Jefferson observed: "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it." What has happened to 21st Century Americans to make us so frightened of "what ifs" and imagined inconveniences that we flee from precious liberty and trade it for false security? As Benjamin Franklin wrote: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." And, I'll add, they'll have neither.

Be up to the challenge. Push through any pain to get to the good things on the other side. Deserve liberty and take it. It's up to you.
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"Get a real job"

Government bureaucrats, puppeticians, and enforcers are happy to see people with a job- as long as they do it the government-approved way. Go to college, go in debt, get a job where taxes can be easily calculated and confiscated. Then get licensed, get your permits, pay your fees, obey the zoning "laws" and codes.

What those government goons don't like is if you make money some other way.

If you don't fit the mold you are marginalized. Suspected. You might just be thinking too much- or too well. You are not helping prop up the silly notion of how helpful and useful The State is. You might not be "contributing your fair share"- through "taxation"- to the selfless thugs in the "public sector".

I've witnessed this phenomenon my entire life- and it has only gotten worse over time.

So, if you want to be appreciated by society, do it the normal way. Even better, get a government "job".

But if you'd rather be an actual good and productive person, take the other path. Funny, either path can lead to you performing the same tasks for your money, but the second path will probably make an ethical person feel better about themselves than the other would.

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"Resisting arrest"

(Previously posted to Patreon)

The fake "crime" of "resisting arrest" is in the news because of the Don of Police in NYC wanting to make it a "felony" rather than a lesser "offense".

This is just one example why I don't want "laws" forbidding "felons" from owning guns. Too many silly "laws" have been dreamed up to make completely ethical acts "felonies".

Resisting arrest is your right. Even if you actually did something wrong. Nothing can change that.

The reality is that "resisting arrest" is usually used against people the molesting cop KNOWS didn't actually do anything wrong, to have an excuse to punish him anyway. To show him he should have simply complied with the evil (and illegal) demands of the cop.

Copsuckers normally claim you should just allow yourself to be kidnapped, and then sort it all out in court. That's as stupid as saying you should allow yourself to be raped and then take the rapist to court- a court run by rapists just like him, who are members of the same gang as your rapist.

You have an absolute human right to resist a kidnapping- even if it is called "arrest". You have the absolute human right to kill your kidnapper if he doesn't stop his attempt.

I admit, once the cop decides to molest you, you have lost. You are not coming out undamaged. No one can tell you how to act at that point. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to put yourself under the power of someone you know is a dangerous threat, so he can deliver you to his gang, or whether you want to get it over with and die on your feet while resisting his molestation.

Either way, I will remember that the cop is the true bad guy- the enemy of Rightful Liberty- even if you are also at fault.

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Is "society" a real thing?

I believe it is, but maybe not the way the term is often used.

I see "society" as a useful term for describing a large system made up of the aggregate action of many interacting, individual parts. An emergent property.

Sort of the way "weather" is. Or "The market".

If a raindrop hits you, you might not say it is "raining" if that was the only drop. And, even if it is raining, not every potential raindrop will fall.

A "society" isn't guilty just because one individual is guilty. If "everyone" is guilty, you can still find individuals who are not.

It's why I still use the word "society" in some contexts. It doesn't replace individuals, but it can describe the general weather. The "system" that results from the actions of each individual part.

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Abdul, the sniper

Things have gone badly for the people living in Alternate America.

The bombing of the Middle Eastern country's nuclear plant by rogue "democracy" extremists from Canada was blamed on America, or at least taken out on Americans because the US government "supports" Canada- by which I suppose they mean the two governments are not at war with each other.

Armies from several Middle East countries have invaded the cities and towns of America, destroying the infrastructure and fouling the water supply and electrical grid beyond repair.

The invaders show how compassionate they are by rescuing the orphans and injured their actions have created; treating them in hospitals, and giving them some bottled water and dolls. The people back home lap it up, but Americans see the propaganda for what it is.

Americans are fighting back in every way they can manage- sabotage, becoming more radical about their American beliefs, spying, and recruiting fighters... and for those willing to kill- personal firearms for most; garage-made bombs for the so-inclined. Everyone agrees: extreme threats require extreme measures.

A guy named Abdul is hiding on a roof top in Wichita, using a scoped rifle to shoot people he believes are intending to kill other members of his army of invaders. If the person in his scope looks American- in other words, if the person obviously isn't one of his guys- and is armed, he shoots. Man, woman, child- it makes no difference. After all, he tell himself, these dogs deserve it because they are all the same, and they want to kill him and his guys.

This goes on for years.

After a great many kills, but fewer than he'll claim, Abdul goes home.

Abdul is proud of his service, and brags that killing terrorists was the most fun he's ever had. He'd love to go back and do it again. He is praised as a hero, and the notion that he saved his country is pushed by all good patriots. If it weren't for him, they would all be speaking English and living under Christian Law, and "democracy". Shudder!!

Abdul is a serial murderer. Abdul claims he was killing terrorists, but he was the true terrorist. Sure, doing what he did took courage. Cowards don't go into someone else's house, knowing the resident is armed and willing to defend his life and property. But, bravery is irrelevant in this case. His actions were still evil.

Reversing the roles changes nothing.

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Added: Also published on LewRockwell.com, 2-10-2015

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Embrace the degradation?

I really pity anyone who could lower themselves enough to become a cop.

I have also observed that those who are the most degraded are often the most haughty. It doesn't make sense, but it is what it is.

Even more bizarre is how many rabid ("statid") supporters those degraded thugs have- and just how devoted they are to defending the indefensible actions of the cops they support.

The clear fact that there are no good cops, by definition, won't change their minds, because it isn't about facts. It is about feelings- a sort of religion.

Liberty Lines follow-up

Thinking about possible reactions and objections to my Liberty Lines column, which I wasn't able to address in the paper due to space limitations:

Maybe "convert or die" is a winning strategy. People could say that history shows the "convert or die" methods of the New World's newcomers was  pretty effective. The indigenous peoples did "convert or die"- and a lot died even after converting.

Perhaps Muslims could also defeat the rest of the world in the same way.

Indigenous Americans lost due to the invaders' superior weapons and because of imported disease. Both a result, in large part, of a lack of science in the New World culture.

Muslims attacking America is like what would have happened if indigenous Americans had tried to raid Spain. The results would have probably been much the same as happened.

Remember, Islam claims earthquakes are due to female immodesty. Not a culture with a firm grasp on how things actually are. Yes, there was a time long ago when Islam was the scientific leader of the world; when Muslims invented algebra and were the advocates of science.

That time is not now.

Imported diseases aren't going to be much of a threat- not an extinction-level threat by any means. We have modern medicine and understand basic hygiene. They don't have superior weapons or technology. All they have going for them is religious fervor and a willingness to kill and die. Yes, that can be very dangerous to individuals who get in the way, but not to the "culture" as a whole. Unless you would just roll over and submit. I won't do that, will you? I didn't think so.

Maybe you'd better get in the habit of refusing to submit to aggressive extremists now. For practice.

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Liberty Lines Feb 5, 2015

(Published in the Farwell TX/Texico NM, State Line Tribune- Feb. 5, 2015)

I have some good news that you may not like hearing: Islam won't take over the world. Its fanatical adherents would like to; they just can't. Not without some civilization-ending catastrophe to pave the way- such as a major asteroid strike, a plague wiping out most of humanity, or some other "science fiction" scenario. Sure, those things could happen, but they're not likely, and not something you can control, so you shouldn't obsess over it. Besides, at that point Islam would be the least of your worries.

Still, it is completely self-defeating to support policies which empower the fundamentalist Muslims- such as the modern secular Crusade led by the US government. This does nothing but recruit more to their cause, and give them more reasons to emigrate from the war-torn region.

It's like kicking a hornet nest and being surprised at the results. But these are humans we are talking about. You can't annihilate the entire nest without killing more innocent people than guilty ones. That would be just as evil as what the aggressive Muslim fundamentalists are doing.

If it weren't for the US government constantly going to the Middle East (with money stolen from you, to the cheers of fans of never-ending war) and repeatedly poking Islam with a sharp stick- giving it energy, motivation, and justification with each poke- Islam wouldn't be spreading so much and wouldn't be an issue outside that one part of the globe.

I realize Islam has a nasty "convert or die" outlook. This is the Islamic year 1436; their 15th Century. You wouldn't happen to remember what was happening in the New World beginning in the Christian 15th Century and beyond, would you? Does the word "Conquistador" ring any bells? How about Pizarro? "Manifest Destiny"?

"Convert or die" is always wrong, always barbaric, but it isn't exclusively Muslim.

The only real danger is the danger which always lies in politics. Until people get over the sick idea that it's OK to govern others, and that a majority can vote their will on a minority "for their own good", there is always a risk that someone will outvote you and impose their silly or destructive rules to govern you in a way which violates your Rightful Liberty, and which you object to. Nothing can make that right. It's long past time to stop repeating this destructive pattern.

(Also, check out the next post for a little follow-up I didn't have room to put in the paper.)

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She's growing

My daughter is beginning to understand the difference between "subjective" and "objective".

She will sometimes say "That color is ugly!" or something like that. I mentioned a few times that her opinion about that was subjective; that other people might think it was beautiful and neither person would be wrong.

Then I mention that things such as hitting someone who simply makes you mad, or taking something that belongs to someone else, isn't subjective- it's wrong. I have explained that's the difference between "subjective" and "objective". She does seem to be starting to catch on.

It would be (subjectively?) nice if more adults understood that difference.

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Control is in government’s nature

Control is in government’s nature

(My Clovis News Journal column for January 2, 2015)

“If men are good, you don’t need government; if men are evil or ambivalent, you don’t dare have one.”
— Robert LeFevre, libertarian businessman

One common argument for government is that people are evil, greedy, and cruel, so government is necessary to protect people from each other.

This seems to ignore the fact government is made up of those same people. How giving some of those evil, greedy, and cruel people authority over the rest is supposed to solve the problem has always mystified me, and asking how this is imagined to work goes unanswered. It's a justification devoid of reason.

Human qualities run the gamut. Humans are selfish and selfless. We are greedy and generous. We fight and we cooperate. We are cruel and we are loving. We like having leaders and we often fall for Rulers.

History shows the negatives tend to be much more additive than are the positives. It is easier to commit evil if you can spread the blame to a group, rather than doing it on your own.

I'm not saying groups can't do good things- they often do- but true evil on a monumental scale usually takes a political "movement". Leaders convince followers to do all sorts of things they'd never dare doing on their own. This can either mean reaching for greatness which otherwise would never have been accomplished, or it can mean participating in genocide or democide. Charismatic leaders can convince people to reject their own principles for "patriotism" and for "the common good". Since humans do have some negative qualities, the worst thing you can do is give them justifications for putting those qualities into practice.

Some of the negatives aren't really negative. Selfishness often causes people to do nice things, because it makes them feel good. There's nothing wrong with that. Greed inspires people to give customers what they want in order to gain more in the long run. At least it's how it works in the free market where truly harmful behavior has consequences.

It seems funny that those who distrust human nature the most are under the impression that giving those flawed humans power and authority over others, and shielding them from the consequences of their actions by allowing them to hide within a group, will make them turn from their negative nature and bring out the best in them. The very nature of political power selects for people who have a desire to control the lives of others- in other words, the very sort of person who should never be permitted to hold power.

Keep doing the same thing, expecting different results. I'm sure it will happen this time.

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Giving your attention to Washington state's most worthless parasites

About the liberty activists planning to go break some anti-gun "laws" in the state of Washington:

Go for it if that's what makes you happy, but think about this... by acting as though the "laws" have any legitimacy- especially enough legitimacy to motivate you to go into the hive- you just prop them up.

A better way to live- as I see it- is to simply ignore the fools who dream up "laws". Don't go protest, because that makes them think their opinions have weight. They only have weight if you give them weight. By protesting you make the law polluters feel important. You are giving them some of your life and energy. You are revolving around them and wasting time you could be spending on other things.

I know there are a lot of people who feel the need to do "political" things. I understand that desire to a point. I also hope your activism gets the result you want, and that no innocent people get hurt or killed.

But, seriously, do those clowns matter so much to you, personally, that you'll arrange your life around them? Why?

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"Former libertarian"?

Saying "former libertarian" is like saying "authentic replica". A "real counterfeit". A "genuine fake".

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Prepping- just do it.

It amazes me how people can ridicule those who prepare- coming up with justifications for not doing so themselves. It's always that someone else can help them, or that the store is just a block or two away, or "that will never happen".

Well, "that" can always happen, and does to someone every day.

Then when their lack of preps comes back to bite them, they still refuse to see how much better it would have been for them to have been ready. "Oh well, I survived and it's too late to worry about it now."

And they still never do anything about it to be ready for next time.

Next time may be worse.

I gain nothing by convincing you to prepare. I make no money from it. I probably don't even know you in person and might not notice if you were no longer there. I doubt you are close enough that I would feel guilty if I didn't share my preps with you- cutting into my own preparations- in case of disaster, and I wouldn't be at risk of you coming to take my preps if you were "that sort" of person, simply because of geography. But I try to get people to prepare because I care.

I can only tell you how important it is, and how many times my preps have helped me, even in the absence of any major disaster. Your decision at that point is yours alone. But, please, just do it. Do something. Today. Even if you don't have everything ready, anything you do is better than nothing.

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Cosmos and "Climate Change"

(Previously posted to Patreon and my subscribers)

Last night I watched the "Climate Change" episode of Cosmos.

It was heavy on ideology, and all the science in the show was presented to prop up that ideology- and there were holes. There always are. 

I have enjoyed the series, and I even enjoyed this episode. It was interesting and informative- and I think I am able to tell which is science and which is ideology. 

They probably could have kept the show more credible by leaving out the bit with Dr. Mole People, Dr. Frank Baxter- an English professor, not a scientist, by the way- warning his audience decades ago of human-induced climate change.

I still don't *know* if any change in the climate is due to human activity- and neither do the scientists who are so concerned. Show me a time in earth's history when climate wasn't changing, and I'll know you are cherry picking data to prove something that you and I both know isn't true. Even if the climate is changing, and it is due to fossil fuel use, we don't know it will be harmful on the whole. Yes, some species might have to migrate; some will die off. But some which would have otherwise gone extinct will probably survive due to any change. As we all find out through life- trying to avert one problem usually creates other problems. It's not something you can foresee or prevent, you just have to be ready for unintended consequences.

Much is made of the fact that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reaching levels not seen in 3 million years. So? Life was doing pretty well 3 million years ago. For a show which keeps presenting the long view, 3 million years is awfully narrow.

Don't get me wrong: I am all for solar power and wind power. But, there are downsides- environmental downsides- to both of these which will be used as an excuse to demonize them once enough people and industries are dependent on them. I am reminded of the campaign to promote fructose as a healthier alternative to sucrose/sugar- until fructose became ubiquitous, when the tide shifted and fructose syrup became Satan's ooze. It's all about demonizing things that taste sweet.

Solar cell production has toxic byproducts, and wind generators kill migrating birds- and that's just for starters.

There are probably even better solutions out there, but they will all have consequences, and none will make everyone happy.

Anthropogenic Global Climate Change (AGCC) pushers will become something else at that time. I don't think they will ever be against technology for themselves, but the rest of us need to accept that we harm Mother Earth too much when we have it. Just let them be the High Priests of Technology and dole out crumbs to the rest of us as they see fit. Just the way anti-gun bigots would like to do with guns.

The truth is that there are people out there who simply can't tolerate seeing people happy and comfortable, and they'll use any excuse to try to prevent it. And this is one example of how this mental problem manifests itself. Maybe it's because they feel bad because not everyone has access to the same things. The solution is to help those who want access, not to cut off access to those who already have it.

In the episode Tyson speaks of the risks of not changing how we live, but ignores the risks of changing. If AGCC is real, it still might not even kill as many people as immediately ditching fossil fuels would.

There are an awful lot of "ifs" in this campaign.

And, even if true, handing control to the various governments is the worst possible reaction. But it is what the AGCC promoters always advocate.

"Climate Change" has become a religion, and "Climate Change Denial" has become a competing religion. Like all religions, silly things are said and promoted and facts get pushed aside.

I don't advocate pooping in your own nest. I believe people should be responsible and clean up after themselves and not mess things up unnecessarily. But trying to force (by "law" and taxation) people back to pre-industrial lives is not the solution.

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Check out the WLGCLAJ

Hey, here's something that looks like it's worth a look! The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism.

And, the first post dovetails nicely with what I've been trying to say.

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Your flawed system may defeat your goal of gun liberty

Those who have conniptions about "illegal immigrants" ganging up with American anti-gun bigots to vote away my liberty are, again, missing a big part of the picture.

Just as their behavior is creating new "Democrats" (as if "Republicans" respect liberty any better), they are driving them to be anti-gun.

If you were to move into an area where people are gnashing their teeth about your presence, and you were given the (illegitimate) opportunity to vote to take those people's guns away from them, you'd need to have a very solid foundation in absolute human rights to pass up that chance.

I could do it- as my lack of support for "borders", anti-gun "laws", and assorted State actions that might "benefit" me in some way should demonstrate. But most people, especially coming from a place where government and freelance aggressors were constantly shooting the "legally" disarmed innocent, need some better experiences to learn from.

Hating them, telling them they must go through an illegal "legal" process to live where they want, and then acting like a threat to them, isn't going to accomplish what you claim to be your goal. You have adopted a really bad system to get where you claim to want to be, and the result will be inevitable if you don't change tactics.

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Shocked!

I'm shocked when I discover an otherwise intelligent person is "conservative" or "liberal".

That's like discovering an astronomer who believes in horoscopes.

Or a neurosurgeon who believes headaches can be relieved by letting the evil spirits out of the sufferer's skull by drilling holes in it.

Or a biologist who believes flies spontaneously spring from rotting meat.

Or an astronaut who believes the Earth is flat.

It simply makes no sense whatsoever.

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