The answers not offered

(Previously posted to Patreon)

I recently took another of those quizzes (probably used by NSA goons to get you to self-incriminate, but at this point, who cares?).

It was titled Can We Identify Your Age Based On Your Political Opinions? I usually just think "No. No you can't" but I took it anyway.

It missed my age by a long shot, but that's based on not being able to choose the right answers on anything.

I thought I would write the answers I would choose to the questions they ask, to be a little more accurate.

Here goes:

#1- "The rich should pay a higher tax rate than the middle class"
No, everyone should pay the same: 0%

#2- "Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified"
There's no such thing as "international law" unless it is Natural Law, and military action which defies Natural Law is never justified, but is always evil.

#3- "Gay marriage should be legal"
No one has the right to regulate marriage by "law".

#4- "Abortion should be illegal"
I don't believe in "laws" against anything. If something is wrong (an initiation of force or violation of property), stop those doing it. Yourself. There are only two types of "law"- the unnecessary and the harmful.

#5- "Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to carry concealed handguns"
Where to start? Well, no one has the right to forbid anyone from carrying any weapon, openly or concealed, regardless of the person's history of complying with "laws" or not, and without regard for where a person was born or what government bullies claim the "authority" to rob and control them.

#6- "Healthcare is the responsibility of the government"
Ummm.... no. Their only responsibility (if any) is to not be evil by preventing anyone from finding and making arrangements for whatever kind of healthcare they want. This is why the DEA, FDA, and various medicine/doctor rationing scams are abominable.

#7- "Marijuana should be legal"
Again, no one has the right to make "laws" against a plant- any plant- nor to tell you what medicines or chemicals you are allowed to put into your body.

#8- "Government regulation of businesses probably does more harm than good"
"Probably"? There's no "probably" about it. No one has the right to interfere in people's trades. Not even "for your own good". That is socialism and harms the business and the customers- and probably ends up harming the customer the most.

#9- "A country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment"
A "country" can't do anything. People do. I do think soiling your own nest is an incredibly foolish and short-sighted behavior. But "whatever it takes" could include killing off all the humans, if someone with that power decides that's what it would take. I don't litter. I pick up trash constantly. I pollute as little as I possibly can, and avoid the use of certain chemicals. And I still think "environmental laws" are counterproductive and stupid.

#10- "It is not necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values"
Nothing could be more obvious. Some of the least moral people I have ever met believe in God. And most of them support the hideous evil of "The State" with fervor. That doesn't mean that not believing in God/god/gods leads to good behavior, either. The things seem completely unrelated in my experience.

#11- "The growing number of immigrants from other countries threaten our values and customs"
Not sure who this "our" is. If your values can be threatened by the presence of people with different values, then your values are apparently worthless. No one else threatens my values. Now, maybe you could get introduced to new customs, and decide you enjoy them and would like to participate. I don't see how this can be considered a threat, either. If you don't want to whack piñatas at a kid's birthday party, don't. And, if it seems I am picking on one particular group of "immigrants" with that comment, it is only because they are the ones generally being disparaged by the borderists.

#12- "Everyone has it in their power to succeed"
Probably not. We are all born different and have different abilities and talents. Some people are more prone to success- even taking individual strengths into account. Don't erect "laws" and regulations to ensure failure in more people who might otherwise succeed.

#13- "Sometimes citizens must give up some privacy to be protected from terrorism"
If that's the case, it's a good case against lowering yourself to the status of "citizen", which is synonymous with "slave" in my mind. But, exactly how does behaving as a terrorist "protect" anyone from terrorism? Aren't you just becoming what you tell people you are protecting them from? Of course you are. I would rather risk the occasional act of "terrorism" than put up with bullies spying on my every move. Or, on the every move of my worst enemy. Not on my behalf.

#14- "Social welfare makes people too dependent on government and less accountable for themselves"
"Don't feed the wildlife. It would become dependent and lose the ability to fend for itself." How can this be true of wild animals and be not true about humans? If you get accustomed to being fed, housed, doctored, and policed, how will you ever learn to take responsibility for yourself? You won't. You'll become a domestic animal, farmed and used.

#15- "Capital punishment can sometimes be justified"
Not in my opinion. No government anywhere, ever, has been (or could be) honest enough to be trusted with the power of life or death. The "justice system" is a horrible joke, with juries routinely passing along the result the government employees desire- which is almost always some version of "guilty as charged".
The only ethical death penalty is carried out at the time and place of the attack, by the intended victim or a rescuer. Anything later is revenge, not justice.

So, there you have it. A quiz with the right answers for me to choose, rather than the statist standard answers that assume a statist outlook.
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Love Gov

This is a video series I recommend- from Independent Institute. It's funny and truthful.

M only quibble is when they talk about government debt putting an individual (besides the government employees who actually took on the debt) into debt. Not my debt, and not yours either.


Watch all 5 episodes. Really. Number 5 was my favorite, but they are all good.

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Don't hire bad guys for something you should do

I have no interest in sending cops after anyone for anything.

 If someone is doing something bad- aggression or property violation- and needs to be stopped, stop them.

 Don't add to the wrong by allowing a gang to exist on theft and aggression to (supposedly) "fight" theft and aggression. That's just insane.

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City councils radically un-American

City councils radically un-American

(My Clovis News Journal column for June 5, 2015. This is the repeatedly rejected one. The version you'll see at the newspaper site is the editor's version- which really isn't much different, but some. I'll probably find a way to post- somewhere- the original version, along with the reworked one which was rejected that I will post here in its entirety in a month.)

Through observation over my adult life- and especially lately- I have come to a conclusion: city councils are the realm of the petty megalomaniac. Need proof? The publicly stated goal of one such gang in the area recently was to plot to impose "enforceable rules that all residents could be held to".

That city council's stated goal is a sad, perverted goal; harmful and radically anti-American.

It was triggered when some people didn't beg them for permission, and pay the demanded bribe (which is dishonestly called a "permit"), before improving their own property in a way which harmed absolutely no one, and in a way many others have done before.

The only rule needed doesn't have to be written: don't violate the property of others. Nor does it need to be made enforceable. Defend your own property from those who try to violate it. I'll even help.

The only real danger most property owners ever face comes from those who imagine they have the right to enforce rules to control everyone else's property... and their eager quislings. It's that dangerous, superstitious belief in "authority" again.

A legitimate rule would apply only to government employees: "You will not violate, under color of law, the choice of others as to how to use their own property, nor steal property in the name of taxation, permits, and fines".

If any city council wants to legitimize itself, it could abolish all its made-up rules and become nothing more than a social club. It could then make all the rules it wants between its members. That path leads to no glorification or rush of power, though.

Do you consider ObamaCare a problem? It can't damage your rights as badly as local busybodies. You encounter them every day, whereas the vermin in Washington DC or your state capital don't generally notice you unless you first seek them out.

Property codes are not needed. Not everything needs to be controlled. We are fast approaching the day when everything not forbidden is mandatory. And I, for one, refuse to play along.

I don't want you committing enforcement of property-violating rules against my neighbors. I don't want you enforcing your twisted notion of "the common good".

It's time to wrest control of our private property back from those who believe they have a right to make up rules which violate us to feed their communistic hunger. It's time to tell them to knock it off and go away. North Korea seems a good fit for those who lust for ever more government control over every aspect of their neighbors' lives.

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The government lamprey

Picture society- or even the individual human- as a fish.
"Government"- or, each and every individual with a government "job"- is a lamprey.

You, supporting the local cop/teacher/judge/"government" employee

The consequences of your support

A devastating parasite feeding on the productive people. In no way "necessary" for the well-being of the society or individual they feed off of.

"Government" is piggybacking on civilization. It is nothing but a useless feeder, which has somehow convinced its victims that it is the one feeding and supporting them.

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Truth will make itself known

Lysander Spooner:

“If two individuals enter into a contract to commit trespass, theft, robbery or murder upon a third, the contract is unlawful and void, simply because it is a contract to violate natural justice, or men’s natural rights.” (h/t Bill Buppert)

Which is what I have been saying: 

"No contract which by its very nature violates Rightful Liberty can ever be valid. You are not obligated to abide by it and you are not a bad guy merely by breaking it." (link)

I had never read this quote of Spooner's before. Yet I came up with the same principle simply by thinking about a question. I have seen the same thing happen so many times, with so many other ideas.

Truth will always be independently discovered. Over and over again. Until it finally becomes something "everyone knows".

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This blog is biased!

This blog is biased against slavery, theft, the superstitious belief in "authority", bullies, and anti-liberty bigots.

This blog is biased toward Rightful Liberty, responsibility, and individualism.

I never claim to be "unbiased" like some liars in the "mainstream media" do.

Every source of information is biased, as is every opinion (which seems so self evident it shouldn't need to be said) published anywhere.

If you want "unbiased" go find a sasquatch riding a unicorn and ask him. Otherwise, figure out what the bias is, and read with that in mind.

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Happy Liberty Porn Day!

"Independence Day", more commonly known as simply "The 4th of July", is to actual independence as porn is to an actual sexual relationship.

It is a simulated substitute for the real act. The act of shooting and blowing up tyrants and their enforcers.

Shooting off fireworks- especially "in accordance with local laws"- has nothing to do with the act of rebellion to government that "Independence Day" is supposed to commemorate. It doesn't do anything for Rightful Liberty. It is a pathetic substitute for the real thing.

Yes, fireworks are pretty. And sometimes awe inspiring. And killing tyrants and their enforcers is messy, and unpleasant, and innocent people will inevitably get killed in retaliation. "Independence Day" is a cuddly alternative to the real spirit of independence.

But I miss the spirit of people willing to send tyrants and their hired bullies, either to another corner of the globe, or to the grave.

Until or unless "Independence Day" becomes about independence, I'll think of it as "Independents' Day" instead.

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Bully

bul·ly
ˈbo͝olē/
noun
1. a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.
synonyms: persecutor, oppressor, tyrant, tormentor, intimidator 

verb
1. use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

How can anyone not see how this applies to politicians, bureaucrats, and cops? It's EXACTLY and precisely what they are and how they operate. You don't even have to clarify, change, or redefine any part of that definition- which I got directly off of Google.

Don't be a bully. If you work for "government", please quit. You can't be a good person and hold a "government job"- even if you somehow manage to not be a bully.

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Theft, enforced with death threats

If there isn't an individual I can point to and say "He was killed strictly because he didn't pay a tax", does that mean "taxes" are not enforced by the threat of death?

Of course not.

The penalty for violating any "law" is always death, even if it no one has (yet) been murdered for violating each and every "law" there is. But that's simply because most people submit before it gets to the point of murder.

Make no mistake, bullies calling themselves "government" will keep escalating the violence until you comply or die. Most people comply before they die. The ones who don't get called bad names by the quislings among us, and are said to "deserve it"- and the fact that they died due to enforcement of "laws" will be covered over and ignored.

Remove the threat and how many "laws" would you obey? The threat to "arrest" me is meaningless if I can refuse to be kidnapped, and be left alone after refusing. It is only the knowledge that the vermin of the Blue Line Gang will keep escalating the situation to the point of murder that makes the threat of "arrest" a motivation.

I know the "penalty" for stepping onto the surface of the moon, unprotected by a specialized pressure suit, is also death. No one has ever suffered that fate in the whole history of human existence. Does that mean the threat is imaginary? Not at all.

Ignore reality if it makes you happy, but don't be surprised that your cries, when consequences come to call, go ignored.

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Forever alone... Not

Am I alone in preferring to see the messiness of liberty rather than the enforced uniformity and conformity of tyranny?

No, I'm not.

Sometimes it seems that way, though.

It's just that those who are on the other side- the anti-liberty bigots- are so much more numerous. They probably have about the same number of loudmouths as the pro-liberty folk, but they have a much larger background chorus of sycophants and supporters.

It doesn't matter that most of those in the background chorus haven't ever considered where the things they automatically support lead. They don't want to think about it, "...and you're NOT going to make me!"

Someone once told them- or they were raised to believe- and that's all that matters. Anything to the contrary will be spat upon.

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Self defense a primary human right

Self defense a primary human right

(My Clovis News Journal column for May 29, 2015)

If someone is violating your personal rights — through aggression or by violating your property — you have the right to stop them.

Nothing, no justifications or excuses, can abolish or alter your right to defense of self or property. The right of defense is the primary human right; all others come from that one.

Aggression is the act of committing, or threatening, violence against someone who isn't currently using violence against you nor violating your property. The defining characteristic of libertarians is that they realize they have no right to use aggression. Self defense, even with violence, is not aggression; the other person started it.

If someone is doing something which doesn't violate your person or property, but still offends or bothers you in some way, how do you deal with it? There are a couple of very different ways people approach this situation, which highlight the difference of the libertarian response.

The first way to deal with this is childish, even barbaric, and is by far the most common way: you pretend to have the power-- or worse, the "authority"-- to control how other people live their lives, and you make up "laws" to use against them if they continue doing what you don't like. Using this tool, you violate their right to live unmolested; you violate their life, liberty, or property-- probably feeling righteous while doing so.

The other way is to try to convince them to change their ways, and if that doesn't work, as long as they don't become aggressive or try to violate your property, you walk away and mind your own business.

I know this isn't good enough for most people. It doesn't feel satisfying to them. They want a way to force others to stop doing what they don't want them to do-- even when they have no right to do so. They simply can't abide leaving people to live according to their own wishes if they find those wishes offensive in some way. They will invoke the "common good", "the children", "community standards", and all manner of justifications for doing the inexcusable. It's still wrong. You have no right to rule other people, and using force against non-aggressive people turns you into a thug.

Unless others are violating your person or property you have no right to control their actions-- and since you can't delegate a right you don't have, since it doesn't exist, you can't send enforcers, bureaucrats, or politicians after them without becoming the problem.

Do you value your rights to life, liberty, and property enough to respect the identical and equal rights of everyone else? Or do you intend to rule?

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"Can't we all just be civil?"

Well, apparently not. It's not that I'm unwilling, but when someone gets into their head that they are entitled to any bit of my life, liberty, or property- and believes it's OK to violate me as long as they do it "legally" and send others to pull the trigger for them- then all this "civility" is suicidal.

You can't soft-peddle what it is they are advocating doing to you.

You need to call a spade a spade. Don't fall into the trap of using the euphemisms which have been carefully crafted to hide the nature of their monstrous behavior. Don't be so careful to not offend their delicate feelings that you sacrifice good people on their altar.

Some things really are so bad that you shouldn't be civil about them. Slavery- of any sort- is one of those things. Those calling for the enslavement of others are horrible people- and that is all that statism is.

I'm sorry if criticizing a statist for their beliefs makes them feel bad. Wait- no I'm not. If you believe horrible, harmful, nasty things you need to feel bad. Your feelings should be hurt.

For many things in life, you don't need to pick sides. Pizza isn't objectively "better than" enchiladas. But liberty is better than slavery. If you are an advocate of slavery you need to feel bad about it. If you try to lie about where your beliefs lead, you need to be shamed.

I get really tired of statists trying to insist that it's "just a matter of opinions", and everyone's opinions are equally valid. No, they absolutely are not.

If you support government, you support slavery. You should be ashamed.

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Gay marriage, collective punishment, and licenses

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Those who argue against the supreme courtjesters' "marriage equality" decision on religious grounds confuse me.

They say things such as "god will not be mocked", and "expect god's judgment" (to fall on us all for this ruling). Yes, I have actually seen both posted over this.

Does this mean they believe their god is evil and engages in collective punishment just like some nasty kinderprison "teacher"?

Because, make no mistake, collective punishment IS evil. It is punishing the innocent along with the guilty because the innocent failed to... what? Kill the guilty person as soon as the offence was discovered? And because it's too hard for the punisher to sort them out?

The guilty are guilty. And, if you haven't initiated force or violated property rights you aren't guilty. Good people understand the difference.

But, ignoring that, I realize a lot of religious rules involve things that are "immoral" (as judged by that religion) but not unethical- they don't involve aggression or rights violations. Still collective punishment for even these things- within the religious community who believes those particular rules- seems twisted.

If I am in a room with some number of people, including an unknown murderer, would you believe it is right to kill everyone in order to "get" the guilty person?

What if you were supposedly omniscient and knew exactly who the murderer was, but chose to kill everyone instead of singling out the bad guy, even though your omnipotence would allow that? What if you kill everyone because they knew who the bad guy was and chose to not kill him themselves? I don't see how that can be seen as something to emulate or honor.

What if it's not a murderer, but someone who chose to eat shellfish?

Now, you can argue against the decision on the grounds that government has no business regulating private consensual agreements, and I'd agree.

I still understand, somewhat, the joy felt by those who don't like being meddled with by bullies using the excuse of "law". I'd love it if the supreme courtjesters declared ALL "gun control" illegal and said it was all immediately null and void (fat chance of those loudmouthed cowards doing that). I like it when the chance of being violated for living in liberty goes down, for whatever reason it does.

I still think it's silly and harmful to buy a license to do what no one else has any right to control. And I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to expand the rights violations to everyone, rather than simply ending them.

It's not that gays have a right to get marriage licenses; no one has the right to demand such, nor to claim a marriage is valid only with government approval. That's the difference between a lesser violation and liberty.

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An update

I found out a bit of interesting information about my previous "rejected" column.

The woman whose outlaw carport started the whole mess was quoted in the paper as...

"Mrs. __ stressed that folks in the city should
get building permits for any construction they do."

Only, she says she never said any such thing.

Is this a case of the paper saying something that fits with their agenda, rather than with the truth? Or, did she really say that to the bullies and is now denying it?

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Grab some popcorn

When I see someone do something stupid, I usually try to bite my tongue.

After the third time of seeing them make the same mistake, that gets a lot harder. In fact, I usually end up saying something. And it is almost never appreciated.

But, I care about people. I care about their life, liberty, property, and well-being. I'm not going to aggress "for their own good", but I will say something. How they choose to respond and what they choose to do about it are none of my business.

And most people are committed to their course, no matter what. I wince and back off.

But, sometimes, with certain people, I get tempted to grab some popcorn and watch the show. You know it's going to be a re-run, but watching a train wreck you've seen several times is still captivating.

That's how it is watching statists. Especially when they believe they have come up with their "gotcha", or when they suddenly think of a justification they aren't aware has been tried (and failed) for hundreds (maybe thousands) of years. I hate to see them hurt themselves, but they are so committed to self-destruction that you probably aren't going to alter their course. Warn them, then sit back and watch the show.

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Learn from others

I am willing to learn from the experience of others. I am constantly amazed at those who aren't.

Sure I will experiment and see if their advice holds up. Often it doesn't. Sometimes it does, and I find a better way.

I will try other ways, too.

But so many I see simply refuse to even try something someone else suggests. It's as if listening to someone else is a threat to their ego.

And it doesn't have to be anything important. Something as simple as the "best way" to load dishes into the dishwasher, so that more stuff fits, and actually gets clean, seems to be ego-based for some people. Listening to what others have learned from experience is a sign of weakness to some people. I don't understand that.

And, for things that are actually important, rejecting the experience of others who have gone before seems completely crazy to me.

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It's a trap!

Isn't it strange how often now being responsible means breaking the "law".

It's almost as if it's intentional.

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"Rape culture"

If you believe in the prevalence of "rape culture", convince your least favorite friend to go around bragging about committing a rape or two and let's watch what happens to him... and see how long it takes.

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Alcohol laws do little to protect

Alcohol laws do little to protect

(My Clovis News Journal column for May 22, 2015)

Recently there was a situation near Farwell that stirred up a lot of residents. I doubt the backlash is finished.

The reaction reminds me of my cats watching a bird through the window — lots of chattering and gnashing of teeth.

The situation involved young people, a school board member, an after-prom party, and alcohol.

Bear in mind, as far as I know, no one is claiming the adults present even knew any alcohol was on the rural premises.

I also haven't heard any credible claims the alcohol was being used irresponsibly (at least until law enforcement showed up) or causing any actual problems- all such claims I have seen are simply based on arbitrary age criteria, which is meaningless.

I'm not anti-alcohol; I'm an alcohol agnostic. Like any other substance, you can use it safely, or you can abuse it and cause yourself and others harm. Age is not a magic wand; it can't make wrong right or vice versa.

Obviously laws forbidding people below some arbitrary age (which varies around the globe) to drink alcohol won't stop them. In fact, it probably encourages them more than if the whole thing weren't imagined to be a behavior subject to other people's silly legislative opinions, mistakenly called "laws". There's always an appetite to taste the forbidden fruit, even if the fruit is spoiled. Prohibition is a powerful seasoning.

The extended infantilization of young people today also leaves them woefully unprepared to make responsible choices once they are suddenly expected to be adults upon reaching a particular birthday.

If you live in a bubble-wrapped world where you don't realize teens and alcohol will find a way to be together, regardless of your wishes, there's not much I can do for your misperceptions of reality.

If you don't want your offspring to drink alcohol, lead by example. Don't allow it on your property. Tell your kids the consequences of you finding them using it anyway. The truthful, objective consequences; not nonsense such as the various legal ramifications of being caught.

The fact that some "concerned citizen" called law enforcement just made the situation get instantly worse when the party-goers suddenly found it preferable to flee rather than remain more safely in place. That's just what such an irresponsible and uncivil action as reporting your neighbors to law enforcement always does.

Vices are not crimes, except in the imagination. Even if this were wrong, it shouldn't be turned into a law enforcement situation. It is strictly a family concern, to be handled as the families involved see fit. Very few things, if any, should ever involve laws and enforcement. To me, this is "much ado about nothing".

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Hating bad guys for their actions, not for who they are

Recently Nemesis was manning a cash register when the local "police chief" came through her line. Somewhere in the small talk pleasantries he mentioned that he knows I don't like him.

Amazingly, Nemesis got it right. She told the cop I don't hate him, just his job*.

Yes. He could quit his "job" today and I wouldn't have any issue with him at all. And I doubt he would ever find himself seriously at odds with me, either. Since, as everyone does, he either lives "libertarian" in his personal life, or he is recognized as a bad guy and opens himself up to self defensive violence.

I don't believe in "authority", and that's all his "job" depends on. He is nothing but a bully as long as he holds that "job", no matter how "nice" he may be (and, apparently, he isn't really that nice).

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*She also told him not to judge her by me- which I consider a good thing.

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Good guys live Rightful Liberty- and so do bad guys almost all the time

Almost all people live their lives in a libertarian way.

If they didn't they'd be killed. Quickly.

It's only when they get a position of power over other people that they feel safe in being nonlibertarian/authoritarian.

That power might be a gun held on their mugging victims, or it might be a political position- but I'm making a distinction where none actually exists. Using coercion and threats to get your way is "the political method", as opposed to "the economic method" where everyone wins. "Why" you behave politically doesn't even matter.

Don't initiate force, and don't violate the private property of another.

The thing is, almost everyone already lives their personal life in a libertarian manner, and recognizes those who don't as the bad guys.

It's only when bad guys take advantage and wrap themselves in the superstition of "authority" that theft becomes "taxation", trespassing becomes "code enforcement", rape becomes "cavity search", murder becomes "officer safety", and mass murder becomes "war". I simply choose to not be superstitious. How about you?

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The truth laughs at your objections

You can laugh at it.
You can ridicule it.
You can deny it.
You can hate it.
The truth doesn't change.

The "libertarian" way of living among other people is still the only ethical way. Any other way- every other way- involves slavery. Every other way is evil.

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Scummy sheriffs

A lot of supposed liberty lovers hate cops, but support the office of sheriff. I suppose if you could find a sheriff who actually respected Rightful Liberty and stood as a guard between his bosses (you) and the bad guys who seek to violate you (freelance and professional politicians) a sheriff might be OK.

But...

I have never lived in a place with a halfway decent sheriff. And I have lived lots of places. All the sheriffs I have had the misfortune of being around were all communistic control freaks; most were "conservative".

In an "open carry" state I was threatened by the sheriff that if he ever caught me out of my house with a gun- unless I had a permit or hunting license- he would arrest me. In violation of "state law". Obviously I ignored his threats.

In another state the sheriff refused to even consider my request for a permit to sell black powder. He wouldn't even speak to me about it or acknowledge my request. Yeah, asking for permission is slave behavior, but you know the drill, especially when suppliers demand proof you got permission.

Another place I lived had a sheriff who threw a tantrum when he didn't get his way and handcuffed some of his victims to a fence until the politicians gave in to his demands. He was celebrated as being "tough on crime".

And here, the sheriff will arrest people for "illegal weapons" and drugs at the drop of a hat, and opposes any change in the "laws" that empower him to do so, and doesn't even acknowledge that he is a bully for doing so.

They are all scum.

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Random Acts of Anarchy Day!

Don't forget Random Acts of Anarchy Day today. Do something right, without asking permission. You'll be glad you did.

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Support?
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Don't be stupid

I admit it. I'm a softie. It makes me sad when people hurt themselves. And when, over and over, they keep making the same mistakes with the same tragic results.

Or when, because of stupidity, they keep harming others- although this is more likely to make me angry.

And nothing is so stupid (and blatantly inconsistent) as supporting statism. It pains me to witness it.

It doesn't help anyone to avoid saying it is stupid, either.

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Support?

Laws are just opinions of bullies

Laws are just opinions of bullies

(My Clovis News Journal column for May 15, 2015)

If you were sitting alone in your own home, would you seek permission to read one of your books? Or to write one? Would you be concerned with whether you are allowed to scratch an itch?

Would you wonder if you need a license to watch TV? Don’t laugh — TV licensing is a reality in Great Britain and many other places.

Might you call an inspector for a permit before you make a sandwich?

As long as you weren't violating anyone's person or private property would you feel guilty about sipping a glass of tea?

So why would you feel guilty about sticking a gun in your waistband, going out to your unregistered car, driving to a friend's house and buying some marijuana- peacefully, without first seeking someone's permission or finding out whether it's allowed?

If you'd feel bad about it, I'll bet it has to do with those things being against the law.

"Laws" are nothing but the opinions of bullies. Opinions thought of as legitimate only because of the power of those bullies to impose their opinions on everyone else through their hired guns. Sometimes their opinions match reality, such as their opinion that you shouldn't murder or commit a robbery.

Most of the time, however, their opinions don't align with reality at all, such as when they hold the opinion you should pay a yearly ransom on your house, get their permission to own and use a car, claim you can't be permitted to buy or sell certain things, or you can't be allowed to smoke anything you want. No one has the right to force their opinion as to whether you can operate a business out of your home on you, nor about what price you can negotiate for anything you are willing to sell-- including your labor.

Opinions called "laws" are always either unnecessary or downright harmful.

The only reason the harmful opinions aren't ignored even more completely than they already are is because of the prevalence of a superstition: the belief in "authority". It's equivalent to a belief in astrology, but is actually much more harmful to the individual and, by extension, to civilization.

As long as your actions don't violate the person or property of another, no one-- not one person on the planet-- has the right to stop you. It's not that you have a right to do those things, it's that the right to stop you can't exist. It's based on this myth of "authority". Even if your actions and choices offend other people, or they use the excuse of "the common good", it changes nothing. Widespread civil disobedience is long overdue.

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How to be a statist

How do statists not feel horrible about themselves? Look at the awful things they condone. How can they not see themselves as bad guys?

Well, they follow a particular ritual to hide what they do: They change the name of certain evil acts so they can pretend to be moral while condoning those acts under the euphemisms while simultaneously condemning the same acts with different (honest) names.

To a statist theft is wrong, but "taxation" is OK- even though the acts are identical. And the examples are seemingly endless.

This is how otherwise good people end up supporting hideous acts and those who commit them.

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Upsetting the Muslims

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Muslims get very upset when they are treated differently than other religious people. But they have to understand why. They are consciously, willingly associating with a group which encourages its more radical members to maim and murder.

I'm sorry, but I want social pressure put on people like that. I want them to be made uncomfortable for whom they choose to associate with.

Just like I want cops to be treated badly unless they turn from their gang.
Or how I'd like to see DemoCRAPublicans treated badly until they reject statism.
Bad choices deserve uncomfortable consequences.

If you associate yourself, willingly, with a group whose "members in good standing" do bad things (initiate force or violate private property) that are consistent with the "principles" of the group- even if you object that you don't do those things personally- I would like to see you made uncomfortable.

I'm not saying anyone should initiate force against you, or violate your property, but shun you and talk about you; embarrass you and pressure you to leave the evil group behind. Or cause you to loudly advocate change by rejecting- without condition- the evil practices and by transferring your discomfort to the bad guys in your group, while working to change the twisted "principles" that lead the members to do those bad things.

And, if you can't change the group, the only right choice is to abandon it and become its enemy. If that means you don't get into your "Heaven", or get your cop pension, well... some rewards are not what they appear to be.

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Unethical ethics for immoral moralists

I am honestly astonished by the contortions statists will go through when their statism is challenged.

I actually had one claim that slaves should have obeyed the "law" and been good slaves until the "law" could be changed, because there was no "law" prohibiting slavery.

How do you even respond to that?

(This was in response to Ross Ulbricht's horrifyingly unjust caging and life sentence. He was a "criminal" who got caught- he should have obeyed the "law", according to her.)

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Bless their hearts...

Tim McGraw recently showed himself to be an idiot, by taking an extreme anti-liberty position against gun ownership.

Not the first celebrity to do so- including a lot of them who ought to know better. Such as Reba McEntire, Steve Earle, and others. It's a crowded bandwagon, slippery with drool. (And I like country music.)

I mean, I can understand someone coming from the cultural desert of NYC or Chicago making fools of themselves by outing themselves as anti-liberty bigots, but a lot of the others didn't have such a backward upbringing and should have been exposed to rationality and reason. Exposure doesn't mean it'll stick.

I guess it takes a "certain kind" to become a celebrity- which is why I ain't one.

I suppose celebrities embrace anti-gun and anti-liberty positions because they imagine it makes them look enlightened. It doesn't. Not to anyone beyond the ignorami they are trying to impress, anyway.

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"You libertarians want a 'Lord of the Flies' world!"

Odd to me that the fears over "Lord of the Flies" scenarios resulting from Rightful Liberty all center around people acting like government. Killing, stealing, raping, etc. You know, living by the "political means" rather than by the "economic means".

This is why "we need government"? To protect us from people behaving like "government" employees behave?

Really?

What other fantasies do you entertain?

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Looking for trouble

People always seem to be looking for problems that the Zero Aggression Principle, or libertarianism in general, can cause.

That seems twisted.

I've never experienced- or even seen- any problems caused by refusing to initiate force or by respecting the property of others.

Problems come when I don't live up to the ZAP or when I violate other people's property. That's the real world, not the statist world of "what if?".

You can dream up "what if"s all day long. I can make up imaginary animals, too, but I'm not going to live my life fearfully searching for them.

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Bullying by statists will continue

Bullying by statists will continue

(My Clovis News Journal column for May 8, 2015)

If, like me, you are unconvinced that coercion, theft, and aggression are proper behaviors to organize a society around (assuming societies can be organized at all) there are a few automatic responses you will repeatedly encounter as people attempt to belittle your position. Besides the standard quip "If you don't like it, move to Somalia!" there is also "If you think taxation is wrong, stop driving on roads!"

If only it were that simple.

It isn't only about roads, though. There are a great many services provided by this enforced monopoly I am forced to pay for against my will. Services I may not want, and may never use. For the services which are wanted, in many cases, if you try to offer people a free market alternative, you will be ordered to cease and desist; facing arrest if you don't comply. Breaking the monopoly is said to be "illegal". Even in cases where free market solutions are allowed, you are forced to continue paying for the theft-funded service, too-- government schools, for example.

I believe if you pay for something-- even if forced to do so-- you have every right to use it. How can anyone believe otherwise? Since you pay for "government" roads, even if you would prefer not to do so, you have as much right to use them as the most enthusiastic fan of government coercion.

I would prefer being able to voluntarily pay the road provider I choose, instead of the one which is imposed upon me. Obviously, I would avoid roads provided by those who think it's a good idea to fill their roads with armed pirates with flashing lights, hired to accost travelers; extorting property from them by using the excuse that some arbitrary rule was violated-- but you might not. As long as you and I are given no choice in the matter, no one will know which way works better.

No one should ever be forced to pay for something they don't want and would rather not use. Nothing is so important that people should be forced to finance it, and if people do have to be forced, it's probably an inferior service anyway.

The other side of the coin is those who use a service or product should be willing to pay for doing so, or expect to be shut out.

This isn't good enough for pro-government extremists, who want to ensure there is no real choice offered. Once again liberty lovers are told by statists "If you don't like being bullied, we'll just have to agree to disagree." By which they mean the bullying will continue and intensify.

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The Truth in Headlines Project

Just for fun, and just when a headline strikes me as particularly dishonestly statist, I sometimes like to re-write it to be more truthful.

Such as:
"Government files for asset forfeiture of firearms seized in raid" should be "Thieves ask themselves for permission to keep property they stole in armed robbery"

Or "U.S. thinks China is behind big data breach" needs to be "World's largest gang of bullies accuses other gang of stepping on its turf".

Feel free to join me. Just write your more truthful headline and "sign it":
"-The Truth in Headlines Project".

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Extraordinary claims with zero evidence

If you were living on a planet, and a ship landed with beings on it who told you they were now the government and you were obligated to live according to their opinions, would you?

If they killed to discourage disobedience would that somehow make their claim legitimate?

So, why do people believe the same lie when it's members of their own species (supposedly) making the outlandish claim?

Their claim doesn't even make sense- it's nonsensical from every angle- so they can't prove anything. Yet, instead of laughing and defending themselves from these parasites, people let themselves be bullied.

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Being poor shouldn't be a crime

One of my earliest anti-government/pro-liberty thoughts, back when I was a kid, was the realization that government made it basically illegal to be poor. Which was sort of bad news to me, because making money wasn't high on my list of priorities.

I was thinking of all the things I wanted to do with my life which didn't really require money... until you got "laws" involved.

You couldn't "legally" just make a life for yourself on some unowned land- because if it wasn't individually owned, some government pretended to own it and would kick you off and destroy your house and all your work if they caught you living there.

Even if you had enough money to otherwise survive in town, "taxes" would increase your costs, and if you couldn't pay, you'd be jailed, again losing all you had worked for. Silly property codes often make gardens and affordable houses "illegal", and of course, transportation is a big problem.

If you don't have the money to do certain things for your kids- things beyond what is needed for a good life- they'll be kidnapped by employees of the State, claiming "neglect and abuse".

If you can't afford certain bribes ("licenses", "permits") you'll be forbidden to start a business- at least openly- to improve your circumstances. And even if you somehow manage, the theft-by-government has only just begun.

And, really, if you think about it, the list of potential "infractions" goes on and on. All due to a lack of money to keep "government" thugs off your back.

I don't resent money, or those who have a lot. I resent those who make sure to punish those who choose to not spend our lives in pursuit of money, in order to pay their bribes and extortion.

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Becoming one with your brokenness

I don't think it's necessarily a good thing.

I know people who get their identity from their damage.

Either they have a medical condition which becomes their identity- even to the point of getting tattoos commemorating it, having it as their "profile pic", and posting endless links about it- or they were the victim of a violation and it becomes their identity in the same way. It is them on some deep level.

I understand that damage can get into your mind, but is it really healthy to obsess over your victimhood or brokenness? And seemingly celebrate it?

Well, I see "patriotism" in the same light. It's like Stockholm Syndrome gone cancerous. Not only identifying with your violator, but letting your violator become your entire world. Tattooing yourself with the violator's symbols and words, flying his banners, being proud of his claim of ownership over your life and body.

It's one thing to accept past damage or current circumstances you can't change. It is quite another to celebrate it and let it become your meaning in life.

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Reacting to statism

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Believe it or not, in person I really try to not be that person who has to respond to every insane statist word that comes out of someone's mouth during conversation. I try very hard to listen without immediately trying to think of a comeback, or of how to put the final nail in their mind's coffin.

Sometimes, during a pause, I just hold my tongue and think things I'd like to say, but won't. That has led to awkward pauses.

I suspect I often get that deer-in-the-headlights look on my face.

To me, saying something statist is about as reasonable as claiming that goats rule the world. Or suggesting we should all start sacrificing children to Cthulhu. (Although I've known a few children who make that idea seem less crazy.)

I sometimes wonder which is worse: the expression on my face when someone says something utterly statist, or verbally responding to them.

I suppose it depends on the individual.

For the person who is fully vested in statism, reason probably won't help. After all, they have had a lifetime of practice ignoring reason and reality in order to stay statist. For them, the discomfort of having someone silently look at them like their flesh mask just slipped a bit, exposing their insectoid self, might eventually get to them.

As I say, it isn't something I do intentionally. It's automatic- just as the look of horror would be if they actually did let their human mask slip. Something hideous was unexpectedly exposed- how am I supposed to react?

Statism is as anti-human as an insectoid alien might be- if the alien noticed humans at all. Statism sees people as food, fuel, or fertilizer. If it doesn't stun and shock you, you don't understand it.

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Supporters and other Superheroes

I would really like to get at least $200 more per month in supporters. Either through Patreon or Paypal subscriptions (link to the right). I know, we'd all "like" something, but if you don't ask...

It would take a lot of financial pressure off me.

Plus my birthday is less than two weeks away. So, if you've been considering it becoming a patron or subscriber, just think of it as an early birthday gift.

Added- I discovered a bill someone else was supposedly responsible for, but which wasn't paid. I am paying it, and it's gonna be rough.

Thank you!

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Rejected, but not dejected

Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. After not having trouble with either of the papers rejecting columns in quite a while, it happened. The owner/publisher of the State Line Tribune rejected my newest Liberty Lines submission.

He said it was "extreme"; building permits and property codes are not "anti-American" and DC politicians are not "vermin", so he couldn't publish this one. And this is coming from someone who constantly complains about the politicians in DC. However, he wants them to do more of what he thinks they should do- using the power of their hired bullies to impose their opinions (which he hopes mesh with his) on everyone else.

This illustrates exactly why "we" are in this situation: people too scared to call a spade a spade, and refusing to address the root of the problem; instead, offering SpongeBob bandaids to hide boo-boos so they don't have to face reality.

Also, he said my previous column on the matter was enough. Funny, but apparently the city council can still discuss the matter and use his newspaper as their forum, but no one who doesn't believe in their "authority" is allowed to do so. Well, his property- his choice, and he can fawn over the local vermin to his heart's content, but he shouldn't be surprised when it comes back to bite him. I'd stick up for him anyway.

I understand- he owns a newspaper and a large amount of his content depends on coddling and paying undue positive attention to the local political parasites, whether he really respects them or not.

No, I'm not angry. But I do believe this is important and am bothered that few of my Farwell neighbors will be able to read it. If I had the money I'd start my own local paper to tell the Liberty side of the story- every story- and focus on what real people do and only write true headlines calling the cops, politicians, and bureaucrats what they actually are. I guess it's a good thing I am so broke.

Instead of just posting the rejected column here, I changed it up slightly (to fit a different paper) and submitted it to the CNJ. It got rejected again, but for entirely different reasons. So, I resubmitted a more "generalized" version, with everything intact except the opening paragraph which was very town-specific (and not very relevent to the majority of the CNJ's readers). After the editor changed a couple of things, it was approved. You can read his edited version tomorrow, and in a month you can read the final draft I submitted to the CNJ before it was edited- if you care to see what was changed.

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Should you live by the ZAP?

Well... I believe you should live by the Zero Aggression Principle.

After accepting there is no right to initiate force, I conclude it is wrong to do so. I "shouldn't" initiate force.

But, really, who cares?

You have no right to initiate force; my opinion of "should" or "should not" doesn't figure into it. If I see you initiating force I may try to make you believe you shouldn't have done so.

The ZAP is a successful way to live among other humans. I think it's the most successful way ever discovered.

It doesn't matter whether it is "just an idea".

Cats don't live by the ZAP, and no one expects them to. They initiate force toward other cats and toward other species. They don't have the capacity to decide they "shouldn't" do that.

Humans have that capacity. Those who fail to live by the ZAP suffer because of it. Often not as much as I'd like them to suffer, but that's not my call either.

So, "should" you live by the ZAP? I think so, but the choice is yours because you have a brain capable of choosing, and you know how I may decide to respond if you choose not to.

I hope that as time goes on, more and more people will realize the wisdom of living by the ZAP (which will make it increasingly difficult for those who choose to be thugs).

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Finance without taxation possible

Finance without taxation possible

(My Clovis News Journal column for May 1, 2015)

I am amazed when otherwise intelligent people believe they couldn’t find a way to provide necessary infrastructure and services without committing taxation against their neighbors.

It makes me wonder how many abolitionists were accused of hating farms and cotton by those who couldn’t imagine how fields could be worked in the absence of slaves.

For anything currently financed through taxation I can think of several ways it could be financed voluntarily. If I can, you can too. The more knowledgeable you are about a subject area, the more options you should be able to find.

Don't make assumptions based on how things are done today. Really think. The current way isn't the way it has always been, nor is it the only way it could be. The time for relying on coercion and theft is past.

Think your way out of the restrictive box which has been carefully crafted to imprison your mind. It is built and maintained by those who depend on you not understanding that "authority" is a dangerous superstition, that taxation is theft, and that if you have to rob others to fund something, you'd be better off doing without. Everything good and necessary can be financed voluntarily.

I value education; I love libraries and parks; I even appreciate roads. I am not willing to rob you to pay for any of them.

Many seem to consider tax-funded things to be free. They are not. In fact, they are expensive and inferior compared to what could exist if people kept all their money and paid for what they actually want; choosing among competing providers. Without the burden of taxation you would have much more money to direct toward those things you think are important, whatever they might be. Everyone would be expected to pay for what they use, and no one forced to pay for things they don't use.

The inability, or reticence, to find ways to do things without coercion or theft is a result of having a hobbled mind; it shows a lack of critical thinking and creativity. The brain is a creative organ; able to solve problems. Use it. Don't settle for continuing to be less than fully functional.

It astounds me when people assume a privately owned and maintained road, for example, would require toll booths every few yards or so, as you switch between property owners. What is this, the twentieth century? Come on, think!

Now, picture something you value which is funded by taxing your neighbors. Then, think of ways to provide the same-- or a superior-- service or infrastructure without committing the act of taxation against anyone. It's liberating!

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Aggression

Aggression is the use of (or the credible threat of using) violence against a person who is not using or threatening violence against you, nor violating your property.

(Constantly, in discussions with statists, they refuse to understand what is and what isn't "aggression". Mostly because they have a statist agenda which would be interfered with by a strict understanding of what constitutes aggression. They'd be forced to face the fact that they are advocating evil, and that is uncomfortable.)

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What is the point of "laws"?

Trying to look at it from the perspective of misguided people who think "laws" are necessary, or even good, I believe they would claim:

The point of laws:
To protect people and their property.
To maintain community standards.
To provide a framework for justice.

I think it is quite clear that "laws" fail on every point. They are the greatest threat to person and property- much greater than freelance threats which you can end with a gunshot.

They quite often violate "community standards"; instead imposing what a few people want to pretend are the "community standards".

And, "laws" have zero to do with justice. They are instead about revenge. If justice happens under them, it is purely by accident.

The vast majority of "laws" violate life, liberty, and property. And are set up specifically to prevent "pursuit of happiness". They give enforcers the excuse to trespass, molest, kidnap, rob, and murder, and pretend to make it wrong for you to do anything about it. I would be happier in a lawless society- and you probably would, too. I can take care of myself, and I am willing to help others do the same. I would hope "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours", but I don't necessarily expect it. "Laws" get in the way of civilization.

"Laws" are worse than worthless; they are a disaster and a danger.

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Looking for loopholes

Why do some people get so worked up, trying to find loopholes or flaws in the Zero Aggression Principle?

I believe it's because they view it as a threat.
I see it as a promise.

What I mean by that is I don't go around trying to catch people initiating force. What I do is promise people that this is how I will behave toward them. I will not initiate force, nor violate their private property. If I do, I accept the consequences.

It is also a warning of sorts: "This is my line in the sand; as long as you don't cross it, we won't have a problem. If you do, this is what you can expect of me". I don't see that as a threat, but maybe you do.

Most people I notice trying to weasel around the ZAP, while treating it as a threat, are wanting to feel good about reserving some imaginary right to initiate force or violate property. A person who has no aggressive designs doesn't generally think twice about it (other than as a philosophical exercise).

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The "sum of good government" is an impossibility

The “sum of good government,” said Thomas Jefferson in his first inaugural address, is one “which shall restrain men from injuring one another” and “shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement.”

And, government can't do that. It just isn't its nature. That's like expecting horses to scurry across the ceiling eating flies.

Jefferson was smart in some areas and incredibly stupid in others. He was superstitious and believed in "authority" just enough to cause him to believe such a thing as "good government" is possible. Obviously, it isn't.

Again it comes down to this: all "laws" are either unnecessary or harmful. Comply with the unnecessary ones because you don't want to violate person or property, not because some useless person made up an unnecessary "law". Ignore the harmful ones because you don't want your person or property violated- which is what those "laws" do... unless a bully is watching you. In that case comply until he looks at someone else.

Assume liberty.

(Inspired by this. H/T to War on Guns)

An enemy of cops?

Am I an enemy of cops?

Depends on what you mean by "enemy".

My message to cops is this: I will not initiate force against you. I will not violate your private property. In other words, I make you the same guarantee I make any other person.

On the other hand, there is a flipside to that universal guarantee. I will not look the other way when you initiate force and violate property-- just the same as with anyone else.

If that makes you think of me as your enemy, it shows what kind of person you are.

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An anti-ethical ethic

(Previously posted to Patreon)


A friend shared the link to this site (Unethical Rationalizations and Misconceptions) a bit ago and said it was pretty good, except for #30.

Wow, was he right about #30!

30. The Prospective Repeal: “It’s a bad law/stupid rule”Citizenship, an ethical value, requires obeying the law, but a lot of people convince themselves that that laws are voluntary, and that it is somehow ethical to violate “bad” ones, defined, of course, as those that are inconvenient, burdensome, or that stop you from doing what you want to do. Laws embody the ethical values of society, and if one of them seems wrong to you, you are nonetheless obligated to follow it as part of the social contract. To do otherwise is unethical. Your options are limited: write and speak in opposition to the law (or rule), in hopes of changing the societal consensus; work within the system and with others to change the law; find a legal and ethical way around it; or violate it openly as a matter of conscience, and accept the penalty—civil disobedience.  It isn’t ethical to violate what you think is a bad law while it is still a law, because this creates an obvious breach of the Rule of Universality: if everyone followed that course, we would have chaos and anarchy. There are bad rules and laws, no doubt about it. It must be the group—society, the culture—that decides when one of them needs to be amended or eliminated. The individual who does this unilaterally is threatening the stability of society, and that’s unethical no matter what the law is.

I mostly skimmed the others and didn't find anything I disagreed with, except that one- which is simply wrong. Not only is #30 wrong, it turns ethics inside out and fails the ethical behaviors as outlined by the others on the list. Number 30 is anti-ethical.

No, Mr. Ethics, "bad law" is NOT defined "as those that are inconvenient, burdensome, or that stop you from doing what you want to do." A bad law is one which violates your Rightful Liberty. One which props up the superstition of "authority". One which "legalizes" unethical acts like theft, kidnapping, murder, or anything else that would be wrong for anyone not acting as a government employee to do- and which "criminalizes" self defense from those violators. Or a "law" which requires you to submit to them or comply with their vile opinions. That is a bad "law", not what the author imagines one to be.

The author can justify his anti-ethical opinions on that point from now until the sun burns out, and it won't change the fact he is dead wrong on at least that one point.

Of course, there are no comments allowed on the post.

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You are responsible for what you support

You've heard it before: "This ain't no f---ing game".

There are people out there supporting "government" actions and programs that are getting lots of innocent people killed. Those people want to feel good about themselves and need to believe they are not doing something wrong- but they are not being good at all.

Some even believe themselves to be champions of Liberty in spite of their support for Liberty's natural enemy.

They need to be shocked back to reality if they refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

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Taxation, even of the rich, is theft

Taxation, even of the rich, is theft

(My Clovis News Journal column for April 24, 2015)

Many people want “the rich” punished through taxation. They are seeking to use government to steal from the rich on their behalf — knowing it would be wrong to take it in person.

Two of their favorite weapons are "estate taxes" and taxing "Big Business" more.

Perhaps they mistake the tax collector for Robin Hood. The irony is lost on them. Robin Hood didn't rob from the rich and give to the poor, as the socialist agenda has perverted the narrative. He reclaimed money from the thieves-- the tax collectors-- and returned it to its rightful owners.

The estate tax enthusiasts believe rich people got their wealth dishonestly, when this only applies to those who got rich through laws and theft, rather than through mutually consensual trade (where both parties always come out ahead). Those in politics and those using government to protect their business, while hobbling competition with regulations, are a problem.

Taxation is always theft. Nothing is so important that stealing to fund it is excusable. Stealing from the "rich" to benefit the underprivileged harms everyone. Once you have declared some amount of theft to be okay, any theft can be justified by someone.

Another problem is the belief in such a thing as "excessive profits". If you own a business try marking all your prices as high as you want, then let me know how it works out. Without a government-enforced monopoly (monopolies can't survive without being propped up by laws), customers aren't forced to do business with you. Either they will be willing to pay your price, or they'll make other arrangements, or do without.

Plus, businesses never get "taxed"- the costs are always passed along to the customer (that's you). Businesses either figure the cost of involuntarily supporting government into their cost of doing business, or they go out of business. Quickly. Whining to tax "big business" is begging to pay more for everything.

When the rich keep their money they buy things produced by people like you and me. They create jobs which employ you and me. Even if they do something crazy, like burying it in a hole in the ground, it is at least not being used against the productive people.

No matter how much you hate "the rich", or how they use their money, it is better to let them keep their property than to encourage the largest extortion racket in the world to rake in even more. Money which goes to government largely goes to finance a parasitic bureaucracy and to fund those blocking progress by preventing a free market.

Regardless the cause, you can't be generous with money which doesn't belong to you.

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What makes me mad

Government doesn't make me mad. I hardly even think about it beyond the things I write. And I certainly don't let it ruin my life.

Regular people, people who should know better, supporting government is what makes me mad.

I need to get over that.

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Ewok Syndrome

Now, doesn't that sound stupid?

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Stepping around the dog poop

Since you and I aren't likely to snap many people out of their silly beliefs in "authority" and "government", and since most people will choose to live their lives in fear over "what if", you'd better find a way to simply live "around" them; don't step in the mess they insist on making.

Don't stop pointing out the bad stuff you see them advocating, but just accept that they are probably going to refuse to change even if it kills them. Do your best not to get any of it on you- that statist stink is hard to wash away.

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"Informed" by the "news"

I used to keep up with the "news". I was what you might call "informed". I would always be amazed when people I worked with were completely unaware of things going on in the world beyond their tiny sphere. They just got up, went to work, and went home. That was the extent of their world's horizon.

Of course, they weren't ever stressed about things they had no clue were happening, either. They stressed over petty personal drama- who was cheating on whom, and things like that. I really looked down upon those whose world revolved around petty personal drama. Still do.

But, in some ways I have become more like them.

I don't seek out "news" anymore. I don't know how long it has been since I watched a TV newscast- probably a couple of decades. I didn't even know who the governor of Texas was until I saw the news item about him wanting to keep an eye on those vile Jade Helm invaders. I rarely read any "national" news items in any newspapers- when I read newspapers it is to find out about local happenings that will actually affect my life and schedule. And, I read the "opinions".

I now see myself back then as being, not "informed", but "misinformed"- not that it made much difference either way, really. I didn't go along with the conclusions the news seemed to be trying to indoctrinate into me anyway.

The "Big Stories" that I find interesting- like natural disasters and the occasional human-caused disaster- still find their way to me. The non-items- like which puppetician did what- I mostly miss, unless others are talking about it. It cuts down on the noise. And it cuts down on the stress. I don't really care that much about what the puppeticians do or what their opinions might be. I'm going to live my life regardless of their opinions unless they are physically in my face. And out here, that's not too likely. I don't know if I've ever even seen the mayor of this town. He is irrelevant to me.

I still don't care to hear all the petty personal drama- although I do get subjected to it by those who live on such swill. I'm sure my reactions are dissatisfying, to say the least.

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Pointing out stupidity

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Sometimes, in a moment of frustration, I will openly say that statists are stupid.

Not generally in a blog post, but rather in a Facebook status.

I admit that's probably not nice, but I need to vent occasionally.

Most of the time, one-on-one, I try to nicely walk statists through an examination of their claims to try to make them see how odd their notions are.

However, sometimes, some people need a little more of a kick.

It is not helpful to pretend that really stupid and self-destructive things are not stupid. If you see someone licking the front sight of their loaded and cocked pistol, with their finger on the trigger, it doesn't help them to say "That's just how they choose to clean their sight- it's a perfectly valid way." Maybe it helps to calmly talk them into getting the pistol aimed in a safe direction before you point out how stupid they were being, but they really do need to understand how stupid that was.

Because, if you care, you don't want them continuing to do something monumentally stupid- like advocating statism.

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Arbitrary age criteria

(Previously posted to Patreon)

I had an exchange with someone who was responding to my saying that alcohol prohibition to teens is based on arbitrary age criteria. They wondered how I saw other age "laws" and asked:

"When is someone old enough to have 'consensual' sex?  I don't doubt a lot of 6-year-olds have consented to sex with a preacherman promising heaven. I know you don't think it's a law-enforcement issue, but when does the parent respond to this supposed aggression, and how? What about consenting 13-year-olds? Can I kill the boy if he's doing my daughter? What about a 17-year-old with a 12-year-old?  

"Or we can talk about hard drug use. Is it OK if I stay high on crack all week and don't feed my 3-year-old? Can I give him some, too? It's my kid and I should be allowed to decide the best way to raise him. Who has the authority to say I can't do this? And again, at what age is the child old enough to decide for himself?"

Yeah, tough questions. Here's the way I look at it:

I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all age for consensual sex (or anything else).

I don't believe 6 year olds are able to consent to sex, because they don't understand what they are consenting to. You start getting into the teen years and I think it's strictly a case-by-case issue. Probably some 13 year olds do know what they are consenting to, and are ready to accept the consequences, but most aren't. By 16 or so, I'd start assuming they can consent, without definite evidence to the contrary. I'd always rather err on the side of liberty and respecting the other person's rights and choices.

I never think killing someone is a good "solution" to sex, except in the case of forcible rape. I can understand the protective parent rage, even if I think it's always an overreaction. Which would damage your daughter worse? Having sex at 13, or seeing her dad murder her 17 year old boyfriend who she had just had sex with?

Again, I don't think all-encompassing laws are a good way to sort it out. If The State can try "minors" as adults for crimes, then obviously even the "law" accepts that some can act as adults in some cases, which necessarily includes being able to consent to sex, even if the law doesn't want that street to run both ways. You can't allow only negative outcomes but forbid the neutral or positive ones.

I also believe parents have an obligation to protect their kids, but they don't own their kids. "My daughter" is an expression of relationship, not of ownership (which applies to the drug use example below, too). Emily already makes choices I disagree with, and letting her make some of those will (I hope) teach her that actions have consequences, and that my advice is given for her benefit. I also admit to her when I am wrong.

My older kids make a lot of choices I disagree with, but they are adults and I am here to listen when things go wrong.

For that matter, I make choices I disagree with and live with the consequences.

If you stay high on crack and don't feed your 3 year old- and I find out about it- I would probably come to the kid's rescue- with friends, if I think you might protest. Yes, I would trespass, just like I would if I saw someone being raped on private property. I'll admit I had no right to do so, and seek forgiveness, but I'd accept the consequences without hesitation to save someone. Again, this comes back to the fact that parents don't own "their kids"; the kids own themselves, even if they aren't able to take complete responsibility for themselves yet. You can decide the best way to raise your kid as long as you don't violate his rights, which are equal and identical to your own rights. As each kid gets older, they will have more ability to decide for themselves as they understand more fully the consequences of their choices, but that timeline will vary from individual to individual rather than following a legal schedule. Some people never "mature" enough to accept their consequences, but still, no one has the right to run their life for them. All you can do is defend yourself from them.

No one has "authority", but some can take responsibility. And, unfortunately, this is the real world and nothing will save everyone. Nothing will prevent every tragedy. I still prefer the promise of liberty over the tyranny of "for the children", even when the child they pretend to protect is mine.

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In the spirit of compromise...

I want to drive across country.
You don't want me to.
You insist I compromise with you by taking the wheels off my car before I start the engine.
I ignore you and drive away.
You call me an extremist and say I'm "hurting the cause".
I laugh at you ranting in my rear view mirror.

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Roundabout still better than lights

Roundabout still better than lights

(My Clovis News Journal column for April 17, 2015)

I’ve noticed new pavement markings at the Clovis roundabout, the premier driving entertainment venue in our area and star of a Youtube video*.

These pavement markings have the same hieroglyphics as the signs you might notice on the roadside as you approach. I’m not sure the added expense of painting the pavement accomplished anything — other than spending some of the annoying tax loot that clutters up government offices everywhere.

I wonder if those who built the roundabout, and those who decided on the proper way to maneuver around it, ever considered that following their directions to the letter (or would it be "to the glyph"?) still means cars will be crossing each others paths as they enter, circle, and exit. Sure, if all traffic were only coming from one direction, their instructions would make some sense, but that's not how it works. It's as if they don't take into account the reality that cars will be entering and exiting from four different directions at once.

Plus, if the westbound road actually had the two lanes illustrated-- rather than having one of the two lanes end rather abruptly upon exiting the roundabout-- things might go a bit smoother.

It's government; what else would you expect?

Yet, even with these issues, I have only had trouble navigating the roundabout one time-- the first time I drove through it. Slamming on the brakes when cars surprised me by appearing seemingly out of nowhere, I broke some eggs I was hauling. But, once around was all it took for me to figure out how the thing works, and I now give plenty of right-of-way to any cars in the roundabout. I kind of enjoy it. It's so much better than those silly traffic control signs and signals used at most intersections to mess up the natural flow of traffic so terribly.

I have also been a passenger while other people drive through the roundabout. In some cases this is very exciting. One person in particular generally takes the straightest path possible, regardless of anything like lanes or the presence of other cars. I grit my teeth and hang on while this driver expresses irritation at the incompetence of all the other drivers.

I'm confident in a future free society, when people look back in disbelief that anyone ever settled for government-owned roads, the owners and managers of roads will make sure to have things as clear as possible to prevent the lawsuits and liability poor planning and maintenance would open them up to. Anything less would be unthinkable.

That, or our self-driving cars will work it all out between themselves while we sip whiskey and text each other.

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*There's another video, too: roundabout "fun"?

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Group effects

"Society" is a name for a group of individuals. Just like "group". Or "swarm". Or "the market".

More than that, it is the effect those individuals have. It is the result of individuals acting individually, but having an effect that is greater than the sum of the parts. It is emergent.

That's why I don't object to the term "society" as much as some do- as long as it isn't being claimed that "society" has rights above and beyond those of individuals or not possessed by individuals.

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Statists helping anarchism

On "social media" I constantly witness (and sometimes endure) jabs from statists who are trying to ridicule the passion (and rationality) for Rightful Liberty.

It doesn't really bother me when "conservatives" or "liberals" try to belittle liberty lovers.

I'm happy that they are that willing to make fools of themselves without anyone else even lifting a finger to help. It's nice when your enemies do all the work for you.

Sometimes instead of mainly trying to jab, they instead spend their effort making "reasonable-sounding" statist claims that don't stand up to scrutiny.

I am especially amused by the reasonable-sounding "conservatives" whose objections fall apart if you actually examine them beyond the most superficial glimpse. They claim anarchy is "Utopian", and that their beliefs reflect the "real world" while insisting that "good government" is possible, in spite of the entirety of human history as evidence against that notion. Seriously, I sometimes wonder if some of them are anarchist trolls setting up fake accounts to caricature "conservatives" and make them look foolish.

I should get into a habit of thanking them, but then they might shut up and stop discrediting their superstition.

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Have you fallen for it?

"War is Peace."
"Freedom is Slavery."
"Ignorance is Strength."

"Anarchy is Violence."


Seems legit. LOL!

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I got a fright

The other day I was sitting on my patio (not as attractive as that word makes it sound) when a MS-13 gang member slowly pulled up in front of my house. Was I scared? You bet!

He pulled forward, and backward, and finally stopped at the edge of my property.

Why was he here? Was he planning to rob me? Kill me? Was my daughter in danger? "Fight or flight" was kicking in rapidly, along with heightened situational awareness.

I was only slightly relieved when he then got out and walked to my next door neighbor's door. I watched to make sure nothing was happening. I sent her a message asking if she was alright and offering help, if needed.

Wait- did I say "MS-13"? I meant cop.

If you aren't scared of cops, you don't know what's going on. The Blue Line Gang is more of an actual threat to your life, liberty, and property than any other gang out there.

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Bowing before "laws"

I feel just as much obligation to obey "laws" as to bow to Mecca.

In either case, I might do so to save my hide if a gun is being pointed at me, but then it isn't really obedience; it's compliance due to an imminent deadly threat.

And, you had better never turn your back on me while forcing me to do something I know to be wrong.

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Buy my stuff?

Just a reminder that I have things for sale. (Including on eBay.) Selling things would really be good right now.

Thanks!

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Rulers are not leaders unless you follow willingly

I accept the fact that there is no such thing as "authority". And because of that truth, no one can have a "right" to rule anyone else.

Not through a vote, or an appointment to an office, or being hired.

People can take positions of leadership, but if you achieve your position politically, you are not a "leader". If people are not allowed to choose to not follow you, you are not a leader. If you push from behind to make people go where they don't want to go, you are not a leader. If you claim "authority" is why you can get away with behaving this way you are fooling yourself as much as you are fooling anyone else.

If this is you, please jump off a high cliff and do a messy swan dive into rocky ground, and I encourage all your foollowers (originally a typo, but I like it) to follow you.

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We don’t need another bad law

We don’t need another bad law

(My Clovis News Journal column for April 10, 2015)

The new “Religious Freedom Restoration” laws are wrong and misguided. But not for the reason you might think.

 They are not wrong because they supposedly give people the right to choose to not do business with someone for religious reasons, but because everyone already has that right.

 It's called "the right of association". No one can take this right from anyone, but government, armed with coerced-association laws, sometimes chooses to punish people for exercising it.

These anti-discrimination "laws" have been violating this fundamental human right for decades. The proper response, along with breaking the bad law, would be to repeal the anti-discrimination law, not to pass a new law. Getting rid of bad laws seems to be a hard thing for governments to do. Lawmakers- because their job revolves around making up laws- would prefer to manufacture a new law rather than eliminate an old one. Admitting they made a mistake goes against their nature.

When you keep trying to fix a bad law by patching it with new laws, you end up with a complete and utter mess. I call it "law pollution".

The last thing anyone needs is another law.

So, back to "Religious Freedom Restoration" laws. Everyone has the right to refuse to do business with anyone for any reason whatsoever- or for no reason at all. It's a two-way street. A business can refuse a customer's money, and a potential customer can decide to spend his money elsewhere. That's liberty.

I think it's silly to refuse money from a peaceable customer, just as I think no amount of money is worth dealing with someone who chooses to violate you or others, but it's not my decision either way.

No law can eliminate the right of association. Nor can public opinion. Someone may call you names or hate you for making a choice, and calling you names and hating you is also their right.

If I, as a business owner, think a business relationship with you will hurt me more than refusing to serve you, it's my business. If I, as a potential customer, disagree with your reasons for refusing certain customers I am free to take my money elsewhere, whether your discrimination directly affects me or not. And both are free to express their opinion of the other.

This is how a truly free market solves this problem. Businesses which alienate enough people will go out of business, and people who are so offensive no one will deal with them will either change or die.

Perhaps you believe that sounds cruel. It's better than the alternative, which is enslaving people by violating their right to choose with whom to associate.

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Get a (legitimate) job

If you work for government you do not have a legitimate job. Sorry if that offends you, but it's just what is. In that case your "job" probably shouldn't even exist, but even if it should, it still shouldn't be financed with theft.

A job at a corporation isn't the optimal job, either, but at least no corporations can (yet) force people to do business with them (even though the very nature of corporations mean they are in bed with "the State" and manipulate its "laws" to their advantage, and to the disadvantage of their competitors). Doing honest work at a corporation is still better than any "job" working directly for government at any level.

I'm not saying my "job" is the greatest or perfect, either. I write and then hope, without any guarantees, someone will "buy" a product I put out there without any strings attached. I know there are more stable ways to earn money, but I never coerce anyone to pay for what I write (although I do sometimes beg and plead). Even the newspaper approached me, rather than the other way around. Unlike every other job I have had, I never feel guilty about what I do.

It still comes back to the fact that a "government" job, paid through "taxation", is not a legitimate job.  Not government school teachers, cops, social workers, librarians, bureaucrats, mayors, government secretaries... whatever. Not even if you are the most helpful and otherwise honest person in town.  It is equal to the worst possible ways to get money.

If working for government is a legitimate job, then so is armed robbery.

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Making life better

My life is better by not believing in "authority", and by expressing that lack of belief by respecting the life, liberty, and property of others. No matter what anyone else does, my life is better.

I imagine it would be even better the more people who join me, which is why I make the effort to get people to realize this, but even if no one does, my life is still better that it would otherwise be.

No, my life isn't perfect. I am not perfect. There is always room for improvement.

But why handicap yourself needlessly by clinging to a dangerous and damaging superstition and by being a bully because of it?

You are the one with most of the power for improving your life. Use it.

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