Don't let your tribe control you

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for May 28, 2025)

Humans are tribal. They'll join or create tribes around anything.

There are tribes around sports teams, clothing styles, music genres, and movie franchises. There are tribes based on careers, vehicle preferences, and phone brands. Tribes are based on diseases, health conditions, and disabilities. There are political tribes. There are tribes based on the country you live in or where you were born. Tribes form around religious beliefs.

Tribes can be literal, virtual, or somewhere in between.

Each individual can be in many tribes if those tribes aren't in open conflict.

Tribes can be fleeting- centered on a single event or temporary condition, and fade over time- or they can last thousands of years.

Most tribes contain sub-tribes, with sub-tribes of the sub-tribes. Religious tribes are notorious for this.

Some tribes spawn from a shared dislike for another tribe. The anti-tribe forms mainly to show everyone you aren't in the hated tribe. These anti-tribes often become tribes of their own. The anti-Trump tribe arising as a reaction to the Trump tribe being a perfect example. They feed on each other.

Tribes can be good or bad. Helpful or harmful. They can bring people together or cause wars.

You may have an opinion about this basic human characteristic, but you won't eliminate it. There's probably even a tribe based on arguing that humans aren't tribal.

Okay, so humans are tribal. What does this mean for you? It means you don't have to take it personally when someone is against you. It may not be them, but their tribe. People substitute tribal collectivism for individual thinking and reasoning. If they believe their tribe, almost as though it's a living thing, holds an opinion, those who identify most strongly with the tribe will automatically hold the same opinion. It's inconceivable to go against the tribe's core beliefs.

You can accept the tribal nature of humans and use this knowledge to understand how others may see the world. Why they do the things they do. Why they seem driven to fight you or control you. Maybe you can use this realization to get along better with those in tribes you don't understand or don't like.

What are your tribes? Do you have good reasons to believe what you do, or are you simply parroting what you think one of your tribes wants you to believe? Enjoy your tribes, but don't give one too much control.

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Funny in a sad way?

On X, I had someone follow me and start "liking" and commenting on lots of things I'd posted.

On my "share" of a recent post ("Politics is poison"), the person commented, "That’s why we need a president who isn’t a politician."

To which I responded. "I don’t need a president at all."

This elicited, "Well then. Ok." and a quick unfollow.

The statist mindset is sticky. It makes it hard to see reality. When cold, hard reality shows its face, statists often run away.

Earlier, someone had posted "Delete one thing from Earth that you think would make it better- What are you getting rid of?" 

I responded, "The superstitious belief in political authority. Larken Rose is right, it's the Most Dangerous Superstition." 

Some guy told me, "You haven’t thought this one out too deeply", and I replied, "Please explain". So far, nothing but silence. 

He probably can't explain; he just doesn't like it. Maybe it shows him something ugly in the mirror.

I've gone over, in my mind, possible responses he might come up with. Some based on bad assumptions; others based in fantasy. Maybe he's assuming I think this is the only thing worth deleting (I don't). Maybe he's confused about "better" versus "perfect". Or, it could be something else.

I'll keep waiting to see if he comes up with anything.

Politics makes people stupid. Many of them are then all too willing to show you just how stupid it has made them.

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Environmental devastation

I have this uncomfortable suspicion that if the world- the natural environment- is ever irreversibly destroyed, it will be due to misguided attempts to save it.

Attempts that involve socialism; giving government ever more control over everything. Allowing more government "ownership" of more land and resources.

I've witnessed things leaning in this direction in the past, and I don't trust government to get smarter any time soon.

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"Authoritarian!"

All political government is authoritarian.  Authoritarianism is the whole point of trying to govern others. There’s no alternative kind of political government.

So, when I see a statist complaining about some authoritarian government he doesn't like, I'm amused. 

Is he stupid, gullible, or dishonest? Perhaps a combination of those and more.

I know that, as a statist, he'd be fine with an authoritarian government that was doing the evil things he wants it to do. He's only upset that it's doing evil things he doesn't like.

The weirdest statist is the one complaining that a government is authoritarian when it's actually being less evil and authoritarian. It does happen. Like when a statist complains that getting rid of anti-gun rules would be "authoritarian". Methinks he doesn't understand what he's yapping about in that case.

But, if he were smarter, he wouldn't be a statist.

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A world without rights

If no one believed in or respected the rights of others, what would the world be like?

Would anyone survive?

This is the world pushed by those who believe in political authority and government. It’s a world without rights. Without liberty. With only privileges and permission- subject to the whims of those with power.

It’s death. 

When anyone disputes the existence of rights, ask them what the alternative would look like. Then see how they try to escape what they are advocating.

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"What radicalized you?"

The thing that most radicalizes people against government is watching what government does.

This may be why the people who are the least aware are also the most pro-government. They may only pay attention to what government promises.

Even in that case, I'm against most of the things it promises. I don't want government's idea of "safety" and "security" imposed on me. I'll take the real dangers of liberty over the imaginary "safety" of being governed.

I've watched government destroy the environment with its programs to save it (from you and me).

I've watched government make people less safe from freelance criminals with its programs to save us from "gun violence".

I've watched government destroy liberty while preaching "freedom".
I watch as government steals property to fund gangs they claim are there to protect your property.

I've watched government murder children to "save children".

Even if those who work in government had good intentions (fewer of them do the "higher" they get), they are incapable of delivering. Watch what they do, not what they say they will do.

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Diversity is ...?

Diversity of talents, abilities, and skills is strength. This is how you increase the competence of your group.

Diversity for diversity's sake, for appearances, is weakness. It is how your group loses competence. This type of diversity causes division and conflict. 

Diversity of things which don't matter, such as race, sex, sexuality, religion, etc., which is what political people mean when they call for a focus on "diversity", is bad for any group. Especially when you reject the healthy kind of diversity in favor of chasing this toxic kind, so you can have a hive mind that all think alike but look/act* different.

I wish it weren't so, especially when the majority is so wrong, but it is. Denying it won't change anything.

If you encourage the healthy kind of diversity, you'll probably wind up with plenty of the people you'd get by focusing on the unhealthy kind. But they'll be more likely to improve your group rather than destroy it from within. That's better for individuals, so it is better for society.

*Act different in matters that don't matter.

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Respect not automatic; it must be earned

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for May 21, 2025)

Some people think the lack of respect is one of the biggest problems society faces. I think the problem is people who haven't earned respect thinking they deserve it anyway.

Respect isn't automatic. It doesn't come with a job or position. It is earned. The way to earn respect is to be respectable; to respect the life, liberty, and property of others.

The fastest way to lose my respect is to try to control people. You'll also lose my respect by demanding respect while behaving in ways that don't earn it.

People who believe in the magical quality they call "authority", and who imagine themselves to possess this quality, are never going to earn my respect. It's pointless for them to try, since they sabotaged their efforts the moment they tried to skip to the front of the line.

I've never seen anyone who earns respect demanding to be respected. If someone feels this is necessary, it's a sign they haven't earned your respect.

If I believe they have the power to hurt me, and are likely to do so, I might fear them. Fear is the opposite of respect, but it can look the same to the bad guy. This pretend respect isn't real; it's a thin veneer which won't stand up to time or pressure.

I think a respectful attitude should be the default until you find out whether it can be real. I tend to treat people as though I respect them until they either earn my real respect or show me why they can't be respected. I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they show me who they really are. At that point, they've either earned my respect and made it real or lost any chance at having it. I won't be faking it, either way.

If you feel you don't get the respect you deserve, look at your own behavior. Have you earned respect, or has your behavior chased away any vestige of respect you might have gotten by default? Have you cornered everyone around you into lying and pretending to respect you while they loathe you- or ridicule you- behind your back? Do you bully people into pretending they respect you while being the last person on Earth anyone would genuinely respect? How do you think this will work for you in the long run?

Earning real respect is easy enough, but there are no shortcuts.

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Statism is Utopian

No one is more Utopian than those who try to tell you that liberty is "Utopian".

It seems counterintuitive… until you’ve encountered a bunch of them over the years. Then you’ll see it’s true.

At some point, usually in the first sentence or two, he's going to try to lump you in with communists, as though this "wins" the argument in his favor. In truth, it's just a sign he doesn't know what he's talking about. He's embracing the same lack of understanding of human nature that the communists do, and he's blind to it.

Statists will tell you people have to be governed. That people will demand to be governed. That without being governed they’ll… well, they’ll do exactly the same things they do while being governed by politicians- flawed people who do the same things the people they govern do. But who generally write rules that pretend that when they do it, it’s not bad because they have "authority". 

They're insisting that not being gullible and handing your power to political criminals is "Utopian".

It’s Utopian to pretend this isn’t crazy. 

Utopia is not an option. No matter what.

Bad people exist. They always have and always will. The most dangerous of these bad people seek political power. They don't go away because of the widespread belief in government's existence, nor will they vanish if that belief is eradicated. It's Utopian to pretend otherwise.

I've never heard a liberty lover promoting the idea that the world would be perfect if government and its violations to natural liberty were removed from society. Just that it's stupid to give bad guys a veil of legitimacy through "government".

It’s utterly Utopian to pretend government can be “limited”. That it is anything other than a criminal conspiracy. That government is necessary or even good.

As soon as some statist (who will ignorantly deny being a statist and take offense at this character flaw being pointed out) says you’re “Utopian”, you can bow out of the discussion. His opinions can be disregarded. He has told you as clearly as possible that you don't need to take him seriously. He may take himself seriously, but he’s not willing to face reality, including the reality of the depths of his brainwashing. If ignoring him convinces him he's "won", congratulations to him. It's the only "win" he'll see.

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Politics is poison

Politics makes people stupid. Politics ruins everything it mixes with.

Unfortunately, people prefer politics to reality and science.
People prefer politics to morality and their religious beliefs.
They prefer politics to ethics.
People prefer politics to logic, rationality, and consistency.
People prefer politics to liberty.
People prefer politics to respect for natural human rights.
People prefer politics to peace.
People prefer politics over their own best interests, ands over the best interests of others.

This is how you can know politics makes people stupid. It can't possibly be otherwise.

Besides making people stupid, politics usually makes people at least a little bit evil. You can see this by the inevitable outcome of mixing politics with anything.

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Who spilled the Eversomuch More-So?

When I was a kid, I read a book about a character named Homer Price, and one story was about something a traveling salesman sold to the townfolk. The stuff was called "Eversomuch More-so". Anything it was sprinkled on became more of whatever it already was. Food became more delicious. But sometimes, it backfired, like when it was used on squeaky springs and they became even more squeaky.

As I remember the book, when the shaker was finally opened, it was empty. The effect had been psychological all along. (Or maybe it was more ambiguous, but that's what I got out of it. I actually still have the book- I rarely give up books, which is why I have a library in my house. I may read the story again.)

Well, it feels to me like someone put Eversomuch More-so in the chemtrails.

Crazy people have become Eversomuch More-so crazy.
Political criminals have become Eversomuch More-so criminal.
Warmongers have become Eversomuch More-so in favor of wars. 
Statists have become Eversomuch More-so statist in their delusions and superstitions.

I'm hoping liberty lovers have (or will soon) become Eversomuch More-so in love with liberty and skeptical of rulers and legislation. It would provide a nice balance to the toxicity around us.

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War-ons

Is it interesting to you how many people want to claim credit for war? ("War crimes" has always seemed redundant to me, so I'll go with the single word "war", which covers it perfectly.)

They'll say "we" did this or that thing. Really? They participated? I guess that means they can be held accountable. Right?

Of course, only the losers get held accountable. The winners get to write the "history" and pretend they were the good guys all along. They do it every time.

If you're violating someone's property, damaging it, hurting and killing people who were not posing an individual, credible threat to you or someone else, you're not the good guy.

Funny thing about war- there's often no good guy involved. It's usually bad guys against bad guys. I often don't really want either team to "win". I want both to lose and maybe learn a lesson about being a net negative to the planet. I'm certainly not going to affiliate myself with either side. Why would anyone want to join ranks with any of the bad guys?

Now, if you join with neighbors, defend each other's property from invaders, don't rely on government handouts of weapons, and respect everyone's life, liberty, and property as you defend life, liberty, and property, then you're a good guy. You may not really be engaging in "war", though.

Defenders don't invade the property of others. They don't ignore "collateral damage"- innocent deaths, injuries, and property damage- but take responsibility and do their best to pay restitution. They don't occupy the defeated territory. Cooperation, not collectivism.

And, if you use (or credibly threaten to use) a nuclear weapon, you're definitely not one of the good guys since nukes (and really, any bombs) can never truly be used defensively- there will always be innocent people harmed.

Militias can be used legitimately/defensively. Government militaries apparently can't. That's the nature of government. You may think "government is good"... if you're a moron. I can't believe so many people- not just common political criminals- hunger for war. They really need better hobbies!

It's just a shame I can't exile politicians, government militaries, and their war-hungry fans to a distant moon and let them fight it out without a way to return to Earth if anyone "wins". If you give me that button, I will use it. I'm so tired of their kind.

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Cannabis Conniptions! Be afraid!

Recently, I’ve seen so many new articles about the bad health effects of cannabis. 

Someone is obviously trying to turn the public against it. Probably to encourage the public to demand or accept prohibition again.

It isn’t going to work on me, even if I believed all the articles (which I don't). And I don't even use it.

I know heroin has lots of bad health effects, and I’m still against prohibition and punishment for heroin users and addicts.

"Use" doesn't equal "abuse".
And...
Drug abuse is stupid, but prohibition is evil.

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HB2Me

Today is my birthday.

I’ve done better about not asking for donations recently. But I'm running very short right now, and having a tough time financially (and emotionally), and since it's my birthday, this would be a nice birthday gift. I would greatly appreciate it!

Only if you can and want to, though. Otherwise, don't even think about it! Please and thank you.

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We can resolve litter problem – for free

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for May 14, 2025)

I know how New Mexico's government could have saved $3.6 million it wrenched from the pockets of its tax victims: by not funding a campaign against littering.

I hate litter. I hate the trashing of the environment with litter as much as I hate the trashing of society with government and its legislation. These are two aspects of the same problem.

Littering is one of the most ignorant, irresponsible, lazy, and self-centered things a person can do. There's no excuse for it. There's never been a single time I "had to" litter. Maybe it was slightly inconvenient to hold onto my trash, but it was never a risk to life, liberty, or property to do so. I have also picked up probably a ton or more litter. I'm not joking. So when I say I hate litter, understand how deeply I hate it.

The state isn't going to correct people's poor character by spending money. It's just too easy to litter and make it someone else's problem. A problem which violates property rights as surely as theft does.

Last week I watched a woman, chatting on her cell phone, pull up and toss her Popeye's chicken trash into a shopping cart in the Lowe's hardware parking lot. I took photos of her and her vehicle. Her trash was retrieved and disposed of responsibly after she left. So, in spite of her childishness, there was no harm done this time.

She probably knew she was being watched and simply didn't care. This isn't the type of person who will be shamed into being responsible by an ad campaign. It's too easy to be trashy. This wasn't a case of needing to break a bad habit or even thoughtlessness; it was intentional. She knew what she was doing.

People like her are the reason so many people believe we need to be governed, when it's obvious this hasn't solved anything.

Every cent spent by government is money wasted. You have more influence over your family and friends than a stranger or government would. Use your influence for good. Don't litter and don't ask government to spend money on things you believe would be a benefit. Don't ignore littering by people you know, and pick up after them if they litter in your presence. Make a commitment to not be part of the problem and you'll have a bigger impact than millions of dollars wasted by government ever could.

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I decline to participate in your protests

I dislike protests. I don't see myself ever participating in one- or even being in the vicinity of one, if I have prior warning and can avoid it.

I support everyone's right to protest. If that's your thing, have at it! It's not for me, though. Even when I agree with the stated goals.

"Protesting" doesn't include burning private homes, businesses, or personal vehicles. Or aggressing against people. The quickest way to make me dislike you and shy away from your "cause" is to start archating.

Of course, government "property" is an entirely different matter.

I've been advocating for "No kings" for years. Not for a fraction of a millisecond do I believe that protest would have happened without Trump as president. I'd be willing to make a safe bet that nearly all of those protesters would have been content to stay home as long as the current ruler wasn't Trump. That they aren't against kings/rulers, per se; they just want a different one. 

How do I know? Because I've been lectured and scolded by people like that many, many times. They hate and fear liberty and want to be ruled and are angry when I tell them they don't need to be. Now, out of the blue, they have a problem with rulers? Not a chance.

Of course, the military parade was another kind of "protest" that I dislike. I would have avoided that event as well. It was an open display of the intent to archate, paid for by archation. That's not better.

To my way of thinking, if things are bad enough to go protest, they are bad enough to do something real to change things. Either "break" the illegitimate "laws", or fight back against those imposing them. I understand the desire to give tyrants a chance to back off before you go hot, but has that ever worked?

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No one can be wrong ALL the time

The one thing the borderists get right is questioning why anyone would want to move to America, but bring along the culture that made their country worth escaping.

Maybe you could say that's not what they are doing. You might even be right, but it sure looks like what they are doing.

Maybe you could argue they want America, but with things they are familiar with added to it. 

Things like Sharia and normalized sexual assault (outside TSA gauntlets, I mean). Things like even more socialism than we are already burdened with. Things like more gun bans, more censorship, and more blasphemy laws than we already have.

In my view, some of those things would make America no longer America. If they got everything they demanded, how long until they'd be trying to escape to somewhere they haven't yet ruined?

Unfortunate Truth #1 will always prevail.

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Rule of Law and Order

"Rule of law" and "law and order" types work hard to misunderstand right and wrong. All they have is an army of straw men and a tactic of talking in circles to keep the conversation from going to uncomfortable places.

They'll say you must obey every "law" unless and until you can change it. When it is pointed out that it was right to break slavery laws (for example), and it wasn't necessary to wait until the law was changed to free any slaves you could- "illegally"- they'll go into the history of how slavery was supposedly abolished (or expanded to include everyone). Missing the point again, because it is necessary to their beliefs.

When told you shouldn't obey unethical "laws" they'll fall back on "Who gets to decide what's ethical? Ethics is complicated." When told that "ethical" isn't complicated at all, then they'll pull out "So everyone is free to ignore every law they don't like?"

No, everyone is free, or even obligated, to ignore every counterfeit "law"- all those "laws" that violate life, liberty, and property. They also have no right to violate anyone, even if the "law" allows it. Or demands it.

"Law and order" only sounds good if you don't understand that too much order is as deadly as too much chaos. Authoritarian tyrants are good at imposing order, and it's not good for society.

Anyone advocating "Rule of Law" or "Law and Order" is not on the side of liberty. They are choosing tyranny. Are they doing it because they are cowards, or is that a separate problem?

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Crazy police-state fans

Welcome to Crazy Time.

Is it just me, or is the current mood the worst I've seen in a long time? I'm not enjoying it. Not at all. I'm not in a great mood right now anyway, for all sorts of reasons, and this isn't helping.

So many people I agree with on just about everything else have jumped into the statist quicksand over "immigration". 

If they just had an issue with government importing people (human trafficking), or with those vandalizing private property and committing other archation, we could agree. But, nope. They've gone full "our borders" communist.

If I think there's hope in getting the person to realize what they're supporting, I may say something. Mostly, I don't try to point out their hypocrisy. It would mess up our alliance on other things after the current hysteria fades. 

I hope it fades quickly, because this insanity isn't good for anyone.

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A govschooling victim

A while back, I saw someone get angry and lecture a person who called this place on the map "America".

He "educated" them that "America is a continent. This country is the United States!".

I guess he's another poor victim of the govschools.

I gently pointed out that the continent is North America, but there's no continent that is simply "America".
I should have gone on to say there's also a South America.
America is this country- the region, the land, resources, people, etc., as set apart according to agreements between political criminals for purposes of plundering without getting in each other's way too much.
The United States [sic] is the government currently ruling over (violating and plundering) the people of America.

No, I never checked back to see how he reacted to this news. Probably exactly as you'd imagine.

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