Careful who you believe

If a person does a good job of fixing my car, but believes disease is caused by evil spirits, I may still trust his automotive expertise, but I'm not going to take his health advice.

And why would I? Why expect him to be an expert in everything just because he's an expert in one area?

Of course, if this mechanic believes cars work because they are moved down the road by evil spirits, I'm not going to trust him to touch my car with a tool.

In the same way, no matter how smart someone may otherwise be, if they believe it's OK (or even "necessary") to archate, I'm not going to take their political or ethical opinions seriously. They have proved to me that they simply don't know what they are talking about on this subject. At all. Utterly clueless.

I think the olden term for this was "he's talking through his hat".

I love this hat for some reason.

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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported. Recent medical bills have hit me hard, cleaning me out in the midst of December birthdays and Christmas, so any donations or subscriptions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.

(Steemit link)

Cheap, worthless "peace"

Does punishing someone-- guilty or not-- provide peace? Is peace only to be found through the government's courts and prisons?

If so, your "peace" is worse than stupid.

There was a murder in the vicinity a couple of years ago. After some astonishingly incompetent bungling by the cops*, and some false starts, they finally arrested the person they claim did it.

Due to various procedural legal things, the trial keeps getting delayed. A sister of the victim was quoted as saying "I guess we'll never have peace." She added that her family can only start healing after the trial.

What absolute pathetic garbage.

If your "peace" depends on finding someone, anyone, to punish, I would never want your brand of "peace".

*The presumed murder weapon, a bloody knife, was found by the dead woman's family the next day, stuck in the ground at the scene of the crime. After being missed by all the crime scene investigators for over 24 hours. Yeah, "we need cops".

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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported. Recent medical bills have hit me hard, cleaning me out in the midst of December birthdays and Christmas, so any donations or subscriptions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.


(The pointless Steemit link)

When tolerance is stretched too thin

Some days I just don't have the strength to tolerate statists. Their stubborn denial of reality. Their love of aggression and theft. It just becomes more than I can take.

I get worn down and tired and have to just ignore them for a while. Or avoid them, if possible.

Expecting rationality and consistency from them is like expecting algebra from a goldfish. Ain't gonna happen. Sometimes I fool myself into expecting too much.

However, I will admit, if I can stay aloof from their silliness, they can be quite entertaining in their absurdity.

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(Steemit link)

Playing an aggressive game by aggressive rules

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Evil people exist. That's just reality. And if you are torturing one of them you are just as evil as they are, no matter your justification.

This is something it seems many people can't quite grasp- that if you archate you are the bad guy, even if the person you are archating against has archated in the past.

Torture is never in self defense, just as mass murder is never self defense.

Self defense occurs at the time and place of the violation.

If you are in the position to be the torturer, you are obviously not being violated anymore. Nor, is the person you are in a position to torture capable of violating anyone. You can claim he may have information to stop the violation of someone else, but you never know that for certain, and even if true, how do you know violating him will result in accurate information you can use to defend someone else? And, overwhelmingly, torture is used to prevent people from striking back at people who are violating them ("troops" invading someone's territory, for example).

As with all acts of this sort, my opinion isn't going to change your behavior, but I will make judgments as to your trustworthiness and ethical makeup based on your actions. If I see you doing things you have no right to do, I will not trust you or think you are a good person in general. In that case, I won't risk as much to come to your defense when I see someone violating you. I'll just think you are experiencing the consequences of the way you think the world should work.

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The Trump future

(Previously posted to Patreon)

I hate to admit it, because it won't win me any friends among my fellow libertarians, but I don't see Trump as Hitler. Not even as a lesser Nazi.

Hillary Clinton on the other hand, I saw as Hitler... only with less charisma and a nastier demeanor.

It's not that I think Trump is one of the good guys. He sought and gained political power- so even if he had been good (which he wasn't), he would cease to be the moment he takes the oath of office. Those who v*ted for him doomed him to become evil. Or, evil-er.

I oppose Trump's police state desires. His "stop and frisk and take away their guns"; his border wall. His protectionism. His nationalism. All of it is wrongheaded and harmful to Rightful Liberty.

But I don't think he could become a Hitler, even if he tried.

Too many people are too suspicious of him, and the self-anointed "elites" are watching him too closely. Hillary would have been able to get away with becoming an actual Hitler; too many were willing to excuse every evil thing she did- for decades. Not so with Trump.

Sure, there is a core of Trump supporters who will excuse (or enthusiastically support) anything he does, but it isn't large enough for him to get away with evolving into Hitler.

No matter who the politician is, I oppose their opinions and actions when they whittle away at, or move away from, Rightful Liberty. Just as I approve of their opinions and actions which strengthen it- without approving of the politician. The person doesn't matter- what they believe and do does. Politician or not.

Having a president is a really bad idea. But I feel we dodged a Hillary nuclear missile and caught a Trump bullet. I just hope it passes clean through without hitting anything critical. There will be pain and blood, but perhaps it will shock some people into action.

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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported... but I sure could use a bit more support about now. Thank you.

The true risks

Of all the dangers in the world, and all the possible ways to be violated, the risks coming from anarchists are so minuscule as to be nonexistent. As far as I can tell, I have never been violated by an anarchist.

No, all the dangers I face out there come from archators, looking to take my stuff and violate my person. And the vast majority of them archate through The State. They are statists- the largest segment of the archator population.

When I look around and realize that almost everyone I encounter supports bullying and theft, it can be a little scary. Sure, most of them "only" support evil within certain parameters- as long as the bad guys call themselves government and only violate me as much as their "job" allows- or as much as they can get away with.

No one has a right to be a statist who puts their belief into action. That's because human rights and statism are incompatible. Archators- particularly the variety known as statists- are the real risk, but they want you to worry about those who are no risk to you, so they can promise to protect you from them.

Don't fall for it.

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(Steemit link)

Elections result in America losing

(My Clovis News Journal column for November 9, 2016)

 Presidents don't really matter (my chosen headline)

By the time you are reading this, the presidential election will be history. Which I suppose is better than hysteria, which is what it has been for well over a year.

Perhaps there are some "electronic voting irregularities"-- this year's equivalent of "hanging chads"-- casting a shadow over the results. Many will doubt the legitimacy of the results, suspecting the election was rigged. Actually, I can guarantee it's rigged, because "abolish the office" and "keep your filthy government off my life" are never among the options offered.

Be that as it may, I already know the results of the election, because they never change: America lost; politics won.

Yet, politics only matters to the extent you believe it matters.

Presidents have never been leaders. If you believe a president is leading you, look around. A leader strikes off on a path, right into danger if necessary. You either follow of your own free will, or not. If you don't follow, there is no punishment.

Presidents are rulers who sit in safety, sending others into harm's way. Either talking them into it, or having hired goons "encourage" them to go. At gun point, if necessary. Most rulers wish to be seen as leaders.

Live your life, taking responsibility for yourself and those around you who accept your help, and you'll be fine regardless of which tyrant sits on the throne.

You can keep shopping at the same stores, pursue the same hobbies, and keep the same friends-- if you didn't let the absurdity of electoral politics drive you apart. The fact is, government will keep dreaming up new "laws" to try to limit all your choices and liberties. How much you allow their legislated opinions to affect you is totally up to you. I suggest: little to none.

Don't stress over politicians. As author Robert A. Heinlein said: “I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

All governments follow the same path-- toward ever more control, until their lust for control destroys them. I don't know how much longer this power-hungry government has. It doesn't matter to me. Even when the US government dies, America will go on to the extent you keep living your life by the principle of "live and let live". The future is yours, not any president's.

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(Steemit link)

Anarchy already works

Do you only refrain from attacking people and stealing their stuff as long as someone is pointing a gun at you to stop you?

No?

Then anarchy already works.

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(Steemit link- upvote, if you want. I think I'm about to give up on Steemit if something doesn't start happening there.)

No pressure...

... but if you are able, and want to, I could sure use some donations/subscriptions.

Thanks.

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"Helping"

If you helped government (the State), you probably didn't do the right thing. No matter what you did.

Yeah, it's like this... only dumber:

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(Steemit link)

Poor, fumbling statists

Mostly, I pity statists.

The same way I pity people I'm watching who can't manage to do something I could easily do, after they have rejected my offer to help.

I watch them fumble and stumble, and get frustrated and angry, but still they just keep doing it wrong.

Stubbornness drives them onward, into ever more painful error. And I know I could prevent it. But I won't force myself on them.

I hurt for them, but they chose this path even after knowing there's an alternative.

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(Steemit link)

For your own sake- just don't

If you hate (or fear) someone so much that you feel the need to advocate government to deal with them, you may not be on the side of liberty.

I see some do this with "immigrants", "drug" users or dealers, bigots, etc.

You probably ought to realize that the State is a bigger threat than anything you might want to use it against. It's like aiming a shotgun at your own head because you want to kill the fly on the other side of you. Using the State may seem like the only way, but it is ultimately suicidal in every case. Just don't.

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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported. Thank you.


(Steemit link)

Seasonal foolishness that makes me smile

It's not essential, but...

If anyone out there would like to chip in to help me with December birthday gifts and/or Christmas/Solstice/Festivus gifts, it would be appreciated.

And, if not, that's fine, too.

I'm not looking to give anyone a new AR-15 or ounce of gold (probably no one on my list would appreciate the value of those items like I would, anyway), and the bizarre overpriced toy my daughter wants most seems to be unavailable around here in any case, but a little extra coin would be really nice right now.

I have already spent more than was prudent, but that's my mistake, not yours. You have no obligation to help out.

But, if you were considering a one-time donation in the near future anyway, this would be a great time to pull the trigger. Various links to Paypal and Bitcoin are located over on the right side of this post.

In either case, thank you.

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"Law people"

Don't be "law people". I'm not even talking about lawyers, cops, judges and such- I am talking about normal, every day people who really have nothing to do with "laws", but who choose to worry about them anyway.

Those are the people who hate something and think it's wrong because it's illegal. The ones who oppose Cannabis but not aspirin, due to the different ways the "law" treats the substances.

"Law people" ask "Is that legal?" before doing something. Or, say "But that's illegal!" when someone else starts to do something.

"Law people" disgust me.

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(Steemit link)

The joy of being wrong

You know what? It's actually kind of exciting and fun to be wrong.

I don't usually learn too much from being right- other than how others will react to it. That's kind of boring.

But, when I'm wrong, it opens up a whole world of possibilities to learn from. How can that not be thrilling?

Some of the times I have discovered I was wrong have led to some of the best things I've experienced. Some of the most mind-blowing revelations.

How can other people seem to not feel that way about the chance to learn more?

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(Steemit link)

Dependence on state an addiction

(My Clovis News Journal column for November 2, 2016)

Don't live a life of dependence (my chosen headline)

Sometimes it seems we live in a culture of dependency. Some people are dependent on drugs, while others are dependent on prohibition. Some people are dependent on other people; some are dependent on distractions-- electronic or otherwise. And more and more people today are dependent on government.

Being dependent is the opposite of being mature; of being responsible for yourself and accountable for your behavior.

Dependence on government, or its laws, is very similar to drug addiction. The long-term solution is the same, as well. Even if drugs are all around you, the choice of whether to partake is yours. You must personally make the move to take the drugs or to use the state, regardless of what anyone else is doing. Don't blame others' bad choices for your own. Even if everyone around you is an addict, you won't be unless you make the first move.

Don't imagine this will make you immune to the mess surrounding you; you just won't be making it worse. Being surrounded by government junkies will always be unpleasant.

Don't confuse dependency with necessities. You naturally rely on oxygen, food, water, and shelter. You can't live without those things; it's not an addiction. I suspect this natural dependence gets used as justification for pretending people require other, less helpful things as well. Becoming dependent on something unnecessary or harmful is tragic. It diminishes your life in ways you won't understand until you break the addiction. Don't trust those who claim relying on government is anything other than an unhealthy dependency spawned by weakness-- they are lying.

Once you realize you are dependent on something harmful, the smart move is to begin breaking the addiction. Start now. Ask for help if you need to. Don't wait for a free society, where government has been abolished, to take responsibility for yourself and get sober. Let your new realization give you motivation to begin exercising self reliance. If you can't go cold-turkey, begin weaning yourself.

Maybe you can even help others avoid the addiction, or get clean if it's too late to avoid. To be of any help, you must take care to not let yourself fall into the same trap. How can you expect to help others if you can't keep your own life in order?

Government is coercion, and is always inferior to voluntary action. Break free of any dependence on inferior ways of getting through life. You're better than that!

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(Steemit link)

How do you see reality?

Dilbert's Scott Adams says our brains are not good at seeing reality, but only at seeing a "movie" in our minds that is good enough to keep us alive long enough to reproduce. I'll assume that's true.

It's why different people see the same thing in such different ways.

Well, that's great but the "movie" playing in the heads of statists is incompatible with the movie playing inside healthy minds. Yes, it keeps them alive long enough to reproduce, so it "works".

I would be perfectly fine leaving statists alone to play their statism game, but they can't bother to return the favor. They are uncivilized brutes who demand everyone play the game their way or die. That just won't work.

I don't care what "movie" they see as long as they don't put it into action by archating, and when they do initiate force and violate property rights, it doesn't matter that the reason they do is because of the way they see reality. Anyone still has an absolute right to defend their life, liberty, and property from anyone seeking to violate it, for any reason.

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(Steemit link)

No one believes they do wrong

Everyone always believes they are doing the right thing.

Even as they murder, kidnap, govern, rape, steal, and trespass- as they archate.

If they truly believed they were doing wrong, they would stop. You aren't going to convince them that what they want to do is wrong-- except in exceptional cases. They have excuses and justifications for what they want to do handy and rehearsed.

So... what to do about it? (Short of killing them all, I mean.)

The best strategy I've found is to live by the Zero Aggression Principle. You may have other ideas.

(I'm adding random pictures to the posts for a while to see if it helps visibility. Feel free to ignore them.)

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(Steemit link- just in case you'd like to blow it up to help me out)

All governments are vermin

The bigger a government is, the more powerful it will be.

However, the closer to you the government is, the greater will be its impact on your day-to-day life.

That's why, in practice, the town council is probably equally harmful as a one-world government.

Notice, I'm not saying either is preferable. Both are vile and evil.

This is why nationalism is as sick as globalism, which is as sick as the desire to such up to the bullies in your state capitol, county courthouse, or city hall. All are vermin.

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(Steemit link)

Blind faith in States

People sure have a lot of blind faith in the States of the planet.

They seem to believe the States are the only things keeping humans from killing each other. They seem to believe people are one whim away from mass murder- and only the State keeps us from carrying it out.

What about the State does this? Its ability to punish? Its ability to watch everyone all the time? Or some other even more mystical property?

How do these people act when no employee of the State is present? Do they either cower in fear, or start running amok? Or, is it all an act on their part? A comfortable lie?

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(Steemit link)