'Law' always benefits the elite

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 23, 2022)

It's aggravating that the state Supreme Court decided the petitions aimed at possibly holding the New Mexico governor accountable for her Covid overreach were "legally invalid". Aggravating, but not surprising.

Somehow the "law" always benefits the elite political class and their schemes at the expense of the rest of us and our liberty.

Whenever mere people try to hold government accountable and make it stay within its clear boundaries, the state finds a way to brush their concerns aside. It finds those boundaries to be the ridiculous complaints of conspiracy theorists or extremists, even when it doesn't use those precise words. This time it said the petitions are "legally invalid" because, in their biased opinion, there was no crime. How could they have ruled otherwise when they are complicit in the political crimes?

When government wants to do something which is clearly illegal-- unconstitutional-- the courts the government owns and controls nearly always find a way to twist-- "interpret"-- the Constitution so they can do it. This is what "interpreting" the Constitution means; bending it away from its main purpose of restraining government just enough to let government get away with a crime.

Crimes like Covid shutdowns or mandates. Or legislation concerning firearms or other weapons; legislation which isn't allowed in America. Or the crime of government-controlled schools, the issuing (or denial) of licenses to ration natural rights for a price, patrolling the roads to waylay travelers, or whatever government was never intended to be allowed to do in America, under the US Constitution.

This continues until there's no liberty left for the people, but government has the freedom to do anything it wants.

The benefit of the doubt is always given to government interests over those of the people and their liberty; the opposite of how it has to be. Government has been allowed to police itself-- a practice which never works with any institution anywhere.

It's as though government doesn't realize that when you remove the ability to rein it in by peaceful means, such as with petitions, you force the people to use other means. This won't keep going the way government believes it will. They can only push so far before they've gone too far. They won't know they've gone too far until it's too late. That won't be a pleasant day for anyone, and it will be because government won't allow the people to tell it "No".

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I gave gun shows another chance

A month or so ago I went to a gun show with my dad, and yesterday I went to another one with my son. 

I didn't buy anything at either show. Prices on ammo were higher than the prices I've seen in stores lately, and guns were priced similarly-- and out of reach. Am I dreaming, or didn't I used to go to gun shows to find good deals? If so, maybe those days are over.

Was I disappointed by the shows? No!

I hadn't been to a gun show in several years, and the last few I went to had almost no guns. They had coins, jewelry, baked goods, toys, and one or two tables of guns in the whole place. Not worth the price of admission, nor really worthy of being called "gun shows".

These two were probably 80% gun-related and maybe 10% knives (still OK). More like the good old days and a welcome change. There were even a couple of politicians trying to convince gullible people to v*te for them, based-- I guess-- on setting up a booth at a gun show to show their "pro-gun" creds, Easy enough to ignore.

I had a good time at both shows.

As my son said yesterday, "Pretty good way to spend a morning".

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My one-of-a-kind Bowie knife

Back in the late 1980s I decided I needed a Bowie knife.

I bought a full-tang Bowie knife blade blank-- really just a blade-shaped slab of steel-- from Dixie Gun Works. Turned out, it was pre-hardened for some reason, and files had no effect on it. Someone my dad knew offered to soften the steel, grind it into shape, and re-harden it for me. So I let him do so. He ground it "roughly" which turned out to be a little rougher than I would have preferred, but it worked out well in the end. He put a false edge on the top point-half. He also installed a brass guard on it, after asking if I would like him to do so. 

When I got the blade back, I took the old broken hickory (I believe) handle of a grubbing hoe that had belonged to my paternal grandfather and made handle slabs from it. The wood was so hard, having seasoned for somewhere around a century, that it burned up a couple of drill bits (and made a ton of smoke) trying to drill it for the rivets. Trying to saw, carve, and sand that rock-hard wood was a nightmare and took far longer than I imagined it would. But it has been sturdy!

Eventually, I got the wood shaped, drilled, and sanded. I used Liquid Nails and some cutler's rivets to attach the handle scales.

More about the knife after the pictures...

The knife is 15 3/8" overall, with a 9 13/16" blade. The blade thickness is 3/16".

It has no maker's marks on it but has plenty of identifiable scars from years of hard use. 

I made a leather sheath, tacked together with brass-headed tacks. Then I covered the leather with some brain-tanned deerskin. A red "white-heart" bead hangs from the sheath, near its throat.

It has been unchanged since I completed the project about 6 months later-- other than sharpening as needed. It holds an edge very well. It can shave hair, even after chopping wood without sharpening it between tasks.

I carried it daily for years, and used it to cut down small trees, chop and split firewood for campfires, flesh deer and elk hides, and just general camp chores. I've used the butt as a hammer, too. About the only things I avoided doing with it is digging holes or using it as a throwing knife. It was my most-used tool, by far.

I'll never sell this knife, and probably wouldn't ever give it away while I'm alive.

The knife should outlive me by centuries. I post this story, and the photos, in the belief that the internet may survive us all, and if someday, someone is in possession of this knife and wonders about it, maybe they'll find this post and be able to use the photos for positive identification and to know its origin.

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The sight of Weed Stores warms my liberty-loving heart

I have to admit feeling delight at seeing marijuana stores opening up around me. I don't even use it or have much interest in using it, but it still feels "free" to see the stores and ads.

Of course, I live right on the Texas/New Mexico line, and on the Texas side, the politicians are falling all over themselves to "inform" the people how extraordinarily dangerous Cannabis has recently been discovered to be. Sounds like a retread of "Reefer Madness" to me.

But, just over the state line, a building was quickly erected recently. Everyone wondered what it was going to be. Well, a couple of weeks ago, when the new rules took effect, a sign went up and declared it a weed store.

Here's a picture of it from the Texas side of the line. The concrete pylon between it and me is the "official" state line marker.

I expect the Texas legislation enforcement gangsters are watching the cars that leave the store and drive east. Targeting them for molestation. What's stopping these thugs? They've already threatened to do so. I really despise them, for so many reasons.

Next, of course, I'd like to see the "tax" part of "legalize and tax it" abolished, but it won't be. Not until the Age of Government ends-- which can't come soon enough for me.

Actually, I'd like to see marijuana and gun vending machines. But then, I value liberty over everything.

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Old Joe and anti-gun "laws"

Did Old Joe illegally possess a "ghost gun" during a recent political circus?

No.

There is no such thing as a legitimate "law" against gun possession, not "even" in Washington D.C. and not even if the criminal in question is Joe Biden. All anti-gun legislation and rules are BS. Government doesn't have the authority to forbid it. Don't fall for the trap.

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I nearly deplatformed myself

My blog has never been in the top (few) thousand, but after last week's link trouble my visitor numbers have crashed. It's a bit discouraging.

If I had known and had time to prepare and warn my regular readers, it probably wouldn't have been as bad. But, even then, only those who visit every day would have been expecting it, and I'm not sure how many that is. I know many (if not most) of my readers seem to visit a few times per week at most.

As long as I keep on blogging, I expect the numbers to rise from where they are now. And, since I largely write to help myself think things through, the blog serves a purpose whether it gets read by large numbers or not.

It is still appreciated when you share links to these posts with others on social media or in emails. Might as well not be content to sit in the dark talking to myself.

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The "news" isn't reality

I don't watch "the news". My exposure to "news" is unintentional-- unless something catches my eye and I look it up to see if something is going on that might affect me. Maybe something like the US feral government murdering a bunch of people near Waco, Texas-- and then convincing most of the public to blame the victims instead of the murderers. (4/19!)

I haven't watched the incidents of Old Joe's confusion that I've seen mentioned, not even his Easter Bunny handler that I saw referenced several times in various places over the past days. (Or, I hadn't seen it until I looked it up on YouTube just now. Amusing. Or elder abuse.)

I have no doubt whatsoever that he's impaired, but I'd bet he's not quite as senile as he's often portrayed by the anti-Democrat media. Although, I could well be wrong and other political criminals might just be working overtime to protect him from honest scrutiny.

I'm sure he's not as capable as the anti-Republican media is still trying to make him look.

It would be interesting to get him alone somewhere and see if a normal conversation, about a random topic he hasn't prepared for, were possible. Then I could come to my own conclusions. I don't trust any media corporation to tell the truth.

But, on the other hand, I'm not sure whether a president really affects my life that much, as long as he doesn't do something to get us nuked. Every president is probably more of a figurehead than anything else; even the executive orders are written by someone else and just rubber-stamped and promoted by the Political Criminal in Chief. The president is an unnecessary complication, only there to fool gullible people into believing tyrannical rules are somehow legitimate in some way. They aren't. Not ever. No matter who's president.

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I don't carry weapons. I carry tools. Whether those tools turn into weapons depends entirely on the behavior of people in my vicinity.

GiveSendGo vs. GoFundMe-- final thoughts

Due to circumstances beyond my control which all conspire to limit my writing opportunities, I'll link to something I wrote earlier last week for The Libertarian Enterprise: GiveSendGo vs. GoFundMe

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Blame inflation on century of bungling

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 16, 2022)

The US government is probably relieved it can now blame the results of some of its past crimes and bungling-- such as inflation and other economic disasters-- on the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and most people will believe it. In fact, the same is likely true of every government in the world.

The fact is, this train pulled out of the station years before the Ukrainian invasion was considered.

The inflation was caused by the Federal Reserve's destruction of the dollar followed by a century of governmental meddling in the economy.

The huge counterfeiting operation they called a "stimulus" was going to cause higher inflation. It was inevitable. That's what adding money backed by nothing to an economy does; every dollar already out there becomes worth less and less. Shutdowns and crippling regulations imposed as an overreaction to Covid added to the trouble.

If this invasion hadn't happened, the US government would have needed to find another phony reason for the hard times; an excuse which didn't point back at themselves. The Covid excuse wasn't working so well on the population anymore. They needed a new one.

Now they can blame Putin and many people will believe it. His invasion of Ukraine didn't help matters, but it's only a contributing factor, not the main cause.

Yet, the US government also shares in the blame for the situation in Ukraine. The invasion was largely caused by decades of provocation by the US government and NATO. They asked for trouble and they got it.

Most people don't realize this.

Don't worry though, rich celebrities are willing to suffer for the cause. Or, they are willing to see you suffer for the cause since they aren't the ones who will suffer. They say they are willing to pay more for gas, and by saying so are demonstrating their economic ignorance.

Higher fuel prices aren't just about gasoline. They will make all prices go up. Fuel is required to manufacture everything-- especially since nuclear energy has been demonized for so many decades-- and fuel is needed to move raw materials around. It's needed to get finished products from manufacturers to stores.  Add this to the devalued currency-- thanks to the stimulus and other things-- and hard times may be on the horizon.

I hope that instead of waiting for government to ride over the hill to save you, you prepared well ahead of time. If not, start now.

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When the EMTs came to help my dad, who was weak and confused, the first question they asked was whether he had recently gotten a Covid "vaccination". The FIRST question. There are several ways to interpret that, but it was interesting to me.

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This may be the foundation of prepping

My dad fell yesterday and it took us hours to get him off the floor and into a chair. I was there for 2 and a half hours or so and my mom had tried for 45 minutes before she called me. He isn't strong enough to lift his own weight, or even really to help us lift him-- plus he is 81 years old. 

He didn't want to call the EMTs, or even any other family members to help. But I told him he couldn't just stay on the floor-- we HAD to get him up somehow. I understood his reluctance, but I wasn't going to leave him on the floor.

It eventually took 6 people to lift him-- we recruited neighbors. And we were barely able to manage it at that.

Then my sister arrived and called the EMTs despite his protests, just to check him out (but they really didn't do anything we hadn't already done to check his condition). He was OK at that time.

Then later we called the EMTs back because he couldn't stand and seemed confused. So we spent half the night at the ER. He was admitted to the hospital.

But this got me thinking...

It's a problem to weigh too much for a reasonably strong person- or two reasonably strong people-- to lift you in an emergency.

At a bare minimum, stay active and keep your weight in check, especially as you age. If you can do anything at all, keep active! Yes, age is still going to get you, but inactivity and obesity will only make things worse whatever age you are. It may be the most important part of prepping, maybe even more important than skills. Knowing what to do but being physically unable to do it isn't preparedness.

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Sanctuary for orphaned 80%ers

I'm not going to buy one, but if anyone has any 80% "guns"-- the kits, frames, receivers, or whatever Old Joe is seeking to ban-- that they don't want, send them to me. It seems like something I should have on hand.

Once, when I was a kid, someone told me that if ever the government tells me I can't have something, I should at least think about whether that's exactly what I should have; what I need to have. 

So, when Trump decided to ban bump stocks I thought long and hard about whether I should get one-- and I decided against it. But when considering 80% gun kits I came to the opposite conclusion. If old Joe believes I shouldn't have one, I probably should have one. Or more.

So if you have one you don't want, and just want to pass it along, keep me in mind. I'd give it a loving home. I don't think there's any way this could get either of us in trouble. Yet.

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Can Elon Musk redeem Twitter?

I like for interesting things to happen. Especially interesting things that don't hurt anyone who's innocent. So I like that Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter.

Of course, it has Left-Statists in an absolute uproar to see their control of the narrative threatened. They are trying to pass Musk off as some "far-right" extremist. 

This same news has Right-Statists hoping their banned heroes will be returning to the platform. 

I'm just amused by the circus and enjoying the popcorn.

I'm sick of statists of every kind, but since Left-Statists have so much control over what is allowed to be discussed on "social media", anything that threatens to break that control in a meaningful way seems like a good thing. I'd feel the same if the Right-Statists were the ones with this power. 

Statism is statism, and it's all disgusting. But, obviously, the ones who are more in my face at the moment seem like the worst of a bad group-- and that just happens to be (as it has for several years, if not decades) the Left-Statists. The w0ke mob.

As I've said before, Freedom of speech is non-negotiable for me since liberty hinges on it, and I value liberty over life. 

I don't know if Musk will be good for free speech or not. He can't be worse than Twitler was (and Twitler's successor is). And I like to see bad things-- and the people who depend on those bad things-- get shaken up a bit.

Next, I want to see something similar threaten the BATFEces gang's current crime spree. They have certainly earned it.

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Spoiled by w0keness

I don't want to see w0ke nonsense in entertainment any more than I want to watch people throwing up on TV or in movies. Or to watch a graphic dramatic recreation of a rape.

I'm just not interested in any of that nasty stuff, and forcing it into a show-- or into your "brand"-- makes me avoid the show or the brand.

I'm not even talking about a boycott, just avoidance of something unpleasant. I don't boycott the big red ants we have around here, but I also don't pick them up or stand around on their beds, because it is unpleasant to do so.

In some ways, the ants are preferable to forced w0keness sprinkled awkwardly into what is supposed to be entertainment.

Maybe some people get a thrill by seeing w0keness represented on the screen. They are free to watch whatever makes them happy. I hope others will also have the option to watch entertainment without that stuff in the future. But the way it's going, that seems less likely by the day.

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Anti-gun legislation isn't law, and ATF rules aren't even legislation. Just crime. Treat it as such and treat those who impose and enforce it as the criminal scum they are.

Broken blog

Canceling my web hosting contract has broken the blog-- or at least made it difficult for people to find it.

It is now back at kentmcmanigal.blogspot.com where it began back in 2006. Let people know.

I'm going to keep trying to fix the issue, but success isn't guaranteed.

If it isn't one thing, it's another. I'm SO ready for things to go right for a while!

Added: I may be able to get it back to blog.kentforliberty.com in the next couple of days. If one doesn't work, try the other. I'm so sorry for the mess!

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Should the US listen to Poland?

I've always considered the U.S. and its local government colluders to be bigger threats to my individual liberty and safety than any foreign invaders. That hasn't changed. 

So it's strange to see that the government of Poland is warning the people there about the possibility of an invasion and war, and advising them on what to do if it happens. 

Next, if it's serious about the safety and security of the resident population, it should eliminate any and all anti-gun "laws" in preparation and make Poland a less-attractive target. After the invasion has begun is a little late (looking at you, Ukraine).

Imagine if the U.S. were that honest with Americans. That would be shocking and encouraging. It might convince me it's possible for a government to be something other than a threat to the people it oppresses.

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Their site was down for a while yesterday; sorry about any inconvenience.

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Don't put your life on hold while you wait

People aren't good at knowing what the future holds.

I watch a lot of gun-related videos for fun. Just a day or so ago I watched a video where someone was saying the price of ammo was going to be coming down. He gave his reasons and they seemed solid. Immediately after that video, I watched one where a guy was saying the price of ammo is about to skyrocket. His reasons also sounded very reasonable and well-thought-out.

They can't both be right. Someone is getting the future price of ammo right and someone is getting it wrong-- even if there are different factors, other than the ones they considered, which will be the ultimate cause.

I personally suspect the price of ammo, just like everything else, is heading up soon. A lot. "Inflation" is happening and there doesn't seem to be anything to stop it-- which leads to my next point.

The US gooberment's massive counterfeiting operation should result in massive inflation. Maybe even hyperinflation. In fact, it should have happened already. Maybe long ago. People have been predicting it, and I have been expecting it, my whole life. Yet somehow that bullet has been dodged so far. Why? Everyone has explanations and reasons, which all sound reasonable.

But the future is unpredictable, even when you understand some of what's happening. There are always things you didn't see or didn't take into account.

The US will collapse eventually. It's inevitable and unavoidable. I can guess when, and I might have perfectly good reasons for my guess. But I don't know, and neither does anyone else.

And it's not just the price of ammo and stuff. Will there be a solar storm to cripple the grid? Will some ID-10T detonate a nuke? Will there be floods and droughts and earthquakes? Yes, to all of it-- but I don't know when.

The smart thing to do is to prep, but don't put your life on hold waiting for it to happen. What will be will be.

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Shame Ukraine, Russia suffering

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 9, 2022)

It's crazy how many people still imagine political government is credible or legitimate. How many take it at its word, even while watching events around the world today.

Even the national media corporations who report on political news often simply parrot government's story instead of doing their job by questioning everything it says-- except when they have a vendetta against a specific politician or party.

Social media and the entertainment industry may even be worse.

The last nail in the coffin of government legitimacy happened for me almost three decades ago during a mass murder committed by government employees near Waco, Texas. The event has acted as a vaccine against any belief in political "authority", or unquestioning acceptance of anything anyone "official" might say, since then. This skepticism has served me well.

That original vaccination might not have lasted this long, except for government actions which have served as boosters, delivered regularly over the years. One of those boosters, September 11, 2001, caused an adverse reaction in me. It nearly took me down. I recovered, though, with it ultimately strengthening my immune response against all authoritarianism.

Maybe this is why I don't quite believe the story the official sources are promoting on the Ukraine invasion.

I do consider Putin to be the worst among a terrible group right now. He's the last person who had the chance to do the right thing but chose to do the wrong thing instead. I know, however, he didn't start committing his latest evil act on a whim. He was led-- or possibly shoved-- down a bad path by decades of unethical acts by other governments. You don't get excused for committing evil even if you were provoked, though.

Similarly, you don't improve your security by tolerating "your" government meddling around the world. You see how that's working out now.

It's never right to invade another country and destroy private property and people there. No matter who you believe might be hiding there, nor what the region's government did to you. Invading-- and occupying, assuming you "win"-- is how you lose the moral high ground the fastest. I'm always going to root for the defenders and will never sympathize with invaders.

I feel bad that the Ukrainian people and the Russian people are suffering due to the acts of political criminals. I just hope they realize who their real enemies are and deal with them appropriately.

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Fundraiser update and request

If you could, please, share my fundraiser with anyone who might like to help. I'm well over halfway there.

Thank you.

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Freedom of speech is non-negotiable

"You have to censor some kinds of speech!" 

Why? I don't buy it.

I'm against every instance of censorship, by any collective, government or corporate. Individuals have rights, collectives don't. I'm not even impressed with individuals who censor others.

"Hate speech", misinformation/disinformation, threats, inciteful speech, insightful speech, ALL of it.

Just as I would prefer 1000 guilty people escape punishment rather than one innocent person be wrongly punished, I would rather allow horrible things to be said than to silence one correct, but unpopular, word.

The best way to counter the speech some would censor is with more speech. Freer speech. Let those who say awful things be known for the things they say. Wouldn't you rather the bigots and monsters expose themselves openly so you'll know who they are? I would. Let the light shine on them and their opinions.

The only real (but misguided) excuse for censorship that holds any water at all is that government will punish the "platforms" that don't censor the speech of their users. This-- as with so many things-- is a government-created problem. Stop allowing government to create problems where none would otherwise exist.

Freedom of speech is non-negotiable, and all justifications are bunk.

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Injecting politics into your veins

Yesterday I was reminded again why I think politics is a bad thing to allow into your life. Even a little.

I have yet to see anything made better by politicizing it-- better in any way that voluntary action couldn't have done more ethically.

That 100% includes respecting the life, liberty, and property of others (AKA "libertarianism").

I used to think politics could be ethical-- somehow-- if done carefully enough. Now I would need some concrete proof. I just no longer think that's possible. As likely as a "compassionate rape" or something. I'm embarrassed to have ever believed this idea.

What I do understand is that some people feel they have no choice but to engage in politics in self-defense. I hope they are wrong because otherwise the human species is doomed. Tit-for-tat, do unto others because they'll do unto you. Which may be the case. It doesn't do my emotional state any good to think that way, though.

Keep on prepping for the unlikely (we are told) collapse.

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Last chance

If anyone wants to save anything from my KentForLiberty.com website, grab it now. It's going offline in a few days. I'm going to try to keep the domain name-- partly to keep anyone else from using it for nefarious purposes.

I'll keep the mirrored pages up on this blog, as long as The Goog doesn't cancel me.

This blog isn't affected by this cost-cutting measure, other than all the dead links this will cause. Bring them to my attention and I'll do what I can when I can.

Thanks.

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So that's what all the fuss was over?

I think all politics makes people stupid, and is likely to make them evil as well. I had long wondered what the fuss over the LP's Mises Caucus was really about, but no one could give me a straight answer when I asked. It wasn't really that important to me, but then I recently saw them called "Republicans" (Ewww!) and got curious again.

So, I went to the source as credible as any other these days-- Wikipedia-- where I read something I could at least get some answers from. 

So, the problem seems to stem from June 2021, when the Mises-controlled New Hampshire affiliate Twitter account (so, one person, I guess) made "controversial" tweets calling for "legalizing child labor" (reasonable-- just because you recognize government shouldn't forbid something doesn't mean you think anyone should be forced to do it), repealing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Good. Government shouldn't be involved. All humans already have equal and identical rights and this didn't change that), and re-opening Gitmo "so that Anthony Fauci and every governor that locked their state down can be sent there" (Terrible, statist, anti-liberty idea. But anyone can say stupid and evil things occasionally).

So, I see nothing particularly remarkable in that. 

As far as the call to lock up Fauci and the other Covid tyrants, in a theft-funded government prison-- that was probably said in the midst of pain-caused anger over those monstrous policies. Doesn't make it right, but I understand the anger. It's still statist and wrong and is the nearest thing to "Republican" there..

So I read on to see what their underlying political positions are said to be.

"The Libertarian Party Mises Caucus follows the laissez-faire Austrian school of economics. It supports private property rights, and rejects socialism, corporatism, and mainstream monetary policies, such as central banking and state-issued currency. The caucus supports decentralization, including secession and localism, "all the way down to the individual". The caucus strongly rejects identity politics, political correctness, and "wokeism", denouncing it as antithetical to individualism."

That all sounds reasonable and very libertarian to me.  I can see why some libertarians who are more dedicated to Left Statism than to libertarianism might not like the last sentence in the above. It's still completely libertarian to refuse to support authoritarian agendas.

"The caucus has stated that their goal is for "real libertarians" to "takeover" the party, and "fix" it by bringing "economic literacy and sound messaging". During the COVID-19 pandemic, the caucus strongly opposed lockdowns, mask mandates, vaccine passports, and vaccine mandates, and criticized the wider party for being silent and "not taking a stand".

Yes, if you're going to have a Libertarian Party, it should advocate strict (real) libertarianism, which would include rejecting all those anti-liberty Covid policies. That's just common sense and principles. If the rest of the party didn't oppose those things how could they claim to be standing for individual liberty? They dropped the ball and someone else picked it up.

So, then I read the criticisms--

"The Mises Caucus has been highly controversial within and outside the Libertarian Party. (Yeah, that's why I'd heard of them, even though I'm no fan of politics.) The caucus has been accused without evidence by many of harboring racists (racism is stupid, but racists are going to be in every group, and this is just the excuse for much authoritarianism.), anti-semites (see the note about "racists"), and transphobes (if they resist the bullying tactics of trans-activists, while not seeking to violate anyone's natural human rights in any way, this is just a silly claim by the bullies who want to be beyond criticism), although the caucus strongly denies this."

So, if I were to be political-- which I think is wrong-- I see nothing wrong with siding with this group against their critics. I see no criticism that holds water, and they seem to me at least as libertarian (while being involved in politics) as any faction of the LP that might oppose them. Maybe more. Now I know where to file the criticisms (beyond those I pointed out) of this group.

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Non-specific details

If you want a few more details on my health issue, go here.

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Politics has destroyed what people think of science

Of all the tragedies of the past few years, the degradation of science in the minds of the public will probably leave the worst legacy.

Because superstition was (and is still being) sold as "The Science"-- and even people who recognized it as superstition fell for the story that this was science-- too many people now have a knee-jerk rejection of actual science.

Others demonstrate that they have no clue what science is, mistaking it for whatever "authorities" say. 

And it's not only about Covid, but about so many other things as well: climate, "gender" [sic], economics, etc.

This doesn't bode well for the future of my species.

And it's all the fault of those who pushed their anti-scientific political agenda under the label of "Science". I hate what they've done.

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Apologies

Today I have an appointment to see a doctor about something I don't want to see a doctor about. It has had me really upset for the past couple of weeks-- ever since the office called to tell me they had made this appointment that I knew nothing about. Medical issues (even potential ones I didn't know about) make me feel helpless and wrecked. Ever since my bike wreck when I was 12, I've had an irrational panic over medical things and I hate being around doctors, no matter the context.

I know it has affected my writing-- and even my ability to write anything-- recently. I find it hard to think about anything else. As the appointment approaches, the effect has been even worse. For that, I apologize.

There's really no way this appointment can go any way that makes me happy unless they say "Oops. Never mind." Suggesting tests to be done isn't a good outcome-- in fact, that's the one I dread the most. 

I may not mention this again, so there may be no updates.

For more info: link

War is yet another government lie

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 2, 2022)

Whenever a government wants to go to war, you can be sure it is lying; to its population and to anyone who listens to its justifications. If anyone supports a war, they have been hoodwinked by the lies. Without lies, no ethical person would ever support war.

The aggressor has to lie and present itself as the victim. Otherwise, its cannon fodder would be less enthusiastic to die for the government's agenda.

Unfortunately, the victim populations' government will lie, too. It's just what governments do. The exact nature of the lies will vary according to the situation, but the lies are going to be told.

Other governments around the world then line up behind whichever set of lies serve their interests the best-- the interests of the politicians, the deep state, and the military industry, not of the people they rule and tax. They'll lie to their populations as to why it's necessary for them to join the war. Many people will believe the lies and feel patriotic in response. It's still all lies.

I fell for the lies which led to the first gulf war-- at least for a short time. I'm ashamed of it now.  I'll probably never believe the lies told by any government to justify a war ever again. Fool me once, shame on me, but you won't fool me a second time.

It's different if the threat is coming down the street toward our homes. If organized invaders, sent to die for an enemy government-- I mean, other than the one we suffer under every day-- suddenly came marching down our local streets, the residents who fought back wouldn't be at war; just defending our homes from criminals. It's a critical difference. For one thing, it wouldn't matter whether politicians declared war, or what uniforms the invading hordes wore. We the people would recognize the enemy.

If you learn more about history you'll discover even the "good wars", where you've been told there was a righteous side and an evil side, weren't good wars. Often those on the good side did evil things over the years which caused conditions the evil side used as justification to go to war. Then the good side did things as evil as their enemies once the war began.

Ethical behavior is always an early casualty of war. Some people are fine with this, but if they are I wonder what other situational ethics they embrace.

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Infinite politics

War seems to be maximum politics. Maybe infinite politics.

Politics is bad-- it is always win/lose-- but when politics overwhelms everything else, you get war. War is when there's nothing left but politics.

I don't think even a little politics is acceptable. And the more there is, the worse things get. Until there's nothing else and you're in a war. 

"War crimes" and "political crimes" seem redundant since war is politics and politics is crime.

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How about a swap, Putin?

Maybe Putin would end his attack on Ukraine in exchange for territory. It seems like he has offered. But, why only Ukrainian territory?

I suggest offering him California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington DC, Chicago, New York City (or just lump it in with NJ), and any other statist garbage heap that insists on enforcing anti-gun legislation.

The offer will drop any of those places that suddenly decide to recognize the natural human rights of those who live (or travel through) there, but it will replace them with any city or state that proposes new anti-liberty rules during the negotiation or within a century of the agreement.

It's a win/win. Putin gets new territory and America takes out the trash, making the remaining population more free and stronger. 

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Turning FRNs into goods

Should smart preppers (and others) be holding onto cash, or should we be turning that cash-- and even more so, the electronic "money" in bank accounts-- into hard goods? Goods we will need if money loses what little remaining value it has.

If I knew when/if hyperinflation will hit, the answer would be easy: Get stuff now.

I've done a little of that anyway. I'm hoping that doesn't turn out to be a mistake (at least I don't have credit cards to max out). If TSHTF I won't be needing that money to pay for those things, which I also won't be needing, anyway.

But I don't know when/if there will be hyperinflation, and I don't believe anyone who says they do know.

I'm still holding onto my crypto-- but an EMP would erase all that as effectively as the Feral Reserve has erased the value of dollars. And much faster. If I thought an EMP was likely, I'd be spending it.

I'm also hanging onto my metals (and I know I should be getting more). 

Speaking of metals, I've acquired more "liberty seeds" recently-- but not as many more as I'd like. I suppose I could convert those back into FRNs if I need to-- and soon, probably more than I paid.

What do you think? Are you preparing for hyperinflation, or do you think that's just a paranoid fantasy? Are you keeping "extra" cash and electronic bank funds or are you using them to get things you can actually use, no matter what happens?

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Control freaks I've encountered

There are those who feel the need to control others and those who don't. 

I'm one of those who don't. The limit of my desire to "control" others is simply to not allow them to control me. Otherwise, they can pretty much do what they want as far as I'm concerned. 

I think it partly explains the difference between government supremacists and the rest of us.

"Daylight Saving Time" fans are among the controllers. They aren't content to simply start work an hour earlier; they must force everyone else to pretend they aren't doing that. Reality is their enemy.

Another example was a boss I once had. I got tired of being the one non-manager who had to stay late nearly every night (up to 4 hours late some days), but I said it wouldn't bother me if I could start work later (since I'm not a morning person). He rejected this suggestion without even seeming to consider it. He said everyone "had to" start work at the same time (but not everyone had to leave work at the same time?). He couldn't explain why, though. Apparently, for some reason, only I had to stay at least an hour late every day. I soon put an end to that nonsense, but so much trouble could have been avoided if he'd simply done the reasonable thing I asked for. He couldn't because he "needed" to control me. This need to control also resulted in him going through the whole workforce in the area, and concluding that the reason he couldn't keep good employees was that everyone in town was lazy and worthless. He couldn't face the reality that he was the problem; he wanted to blame everyone else. He would have made a good bureaucrat or politician, I guess.

When you don't have an actual reason, you try to force others to do things your way. But this only exposes your weakness.

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Social media doing invisible damage

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 23, 2022)

Throughout history the older generation has thought the younger generations are weak, frivolous, and self-centered. Just as that older generation's elders thought the same of it, and so on to the beginnings of our species.

It's time to break the cycle with some reality.

Young people are not much different from generation to generation. You and I were just as foolish when we were young, as were our grandparents. Only the details of our foolishness differed. We grew up and found ways to be foolish mature people.

The problem isn't with the young people of any era, it's with the world they find themselves living in.

Growing up during war, famine, or a plague (a real one like the Black Death, not an overreaction like Covid) is going to affect the development of young people more than it affects the lives of the older generations. It's easier to damage a seedling than a mature tree.

The thing most damaging to youth today is the deceptively named plague of "social media". It's as bad as war or pestilence. But like famine or disease, there's no point in throwing blame; your energy is better spent helping the affected learn to live in spite of the trouble around them.

Most young people will overcome and go on. Many will not. Those most susceptible to the opinions of others are at a disadvantage, just as those too weak to hunt for food were at a disadvantage in hunter-gatherer societies.

If you saw someone in trouble, whether starving or injured, you'd help. Social media injury isn't always so obvious.

Symptoms of this damage-- also known as "wokeness"-- include identity problems, racism sold as "anti-racism", and a call for everyone to be exactly equal, not in rights, but in outcomes. This often results in a reliance on government to fix everything with legislation or by handing out money it doesn't have. It leaves scars as real as a missing limb, a bullet wound, or a head injury.

I was encouraged by the recent report of the four local teenagers who came to the aid of another young person who had been injured in an accident. Instead of just taking pictures of the scene and posting them to social media-- as has happened in other emergencies around the world-- they jumped into action and helped. In the end, we'll be fine because they'll be fine.

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"They're gonna take away our rights!"

No. They aren't.

They might violate your rights and make it more dangerous to exercise your rights, but no matter what legislation they impose, your rights remain unchanged. Forever.

So, no matter what the Supreme Courtjesters do to the Second Amendment, your natural human right to own and to carry weaponry remains. That right doesn't exist because of the Second Amendment-- it exists because you were born human.

Sure, cops may murder you for exercising that right. Gun stores may not be able to sell you what you want. It may come to 3-D printer control and confiscation, or whatever evil legislation enforcers (a redundant phrase) choose to do in order to violate your natural rights.

It's the same with every other right you have. Whether it is popular or not. If it doesn't violate someone else's life, liberty, or property in a concrete way, then it is within your rights.

"They" can't take away your rights-- you only have to be scared into not exercising them. Be strong. They are wrong. They are the bad guys-- never forget that.

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"No guns" = "whites only"

Any argument for one works equally well for the other. 

Only libertarians can make an ethically consistent argument in favor of both, based on the property rights of the evil people who would post either sign.

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Moving the needle

As I was taking my daily walk, a woman stopped her car beside me and told me she really liked my latest column, and that she's "getting more like" me all the time.

That's great!

The only possibly bad thing is that she appeared to be in her 70s or 80s. Maybe that's not as bad as it seems-- who knows the influence she has on others.

Still, I'll take what I can get. 

Most of the time I feel like a voice in the wilderness. I've spent a lot of time in the wilderness and I know that there's almost nothing you can say in that situation to make any impact. Scream and shout and maybe you'll spook a deer and some birds, but you're not going to influence anyone.

But, just maybe, there are a few people listening after all.

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Without life, there is no liberty... but you won't miss it and won't care.
Without liberty, life is a hellscape.
That's why I value liberty more than life itself.

I want a quick and easy fix, too

If I could eradicate the scourge of political government ("the state") from the planet-- and from the human heart and mind-- with the quick and easy push of a button, I would push it. No hesitation.

I know a lot of people who wouldn't, for one reason or another. That's their choice, not mine.

Yes, I know it would cause terrible pain for a lot of people. So does pulling an abscessed tooth or setting a broken bone. I'd do it anyway because it is essential for long-term survival. Putting the pain off because you imagine it would be cruel will only make it worse when it finally has to be dealt with, which it will-- you're doing no one any favors by prolonging the disease.

But, there is no such button.

Instead, you are limited to the real world where you can either try to v*te yourself more liberty, fight the thugs of the state directly, or work around them. 

The first way, which most people hope is the "easy button", won't work. There's just no chance.
The second way will get you killed. Let someone else be a martyr.
The third way seems-- to me-- the only realistic option. I could be wrong, but it's what I strive to do. and what I try to encourage others to do. And, it's not easy or quick!

I acknowledge the existence of the state and its criminals ("politicians", legislation/rule enforcers, bureaucrats, agents, employees). Just like I acknowledge the existence of the mafia, freelance rapists, and other bad guys. 

What I don't do-- what I won't do-- is pretend the goons of the state are somehow less evil than the other criminal types. They are at least as evil-- probably more. They just hide it better behind a professional veil and rules they've made up to "legitimize" their crimes in the eyes of many of their victims. But their acts are no more legitimate than any other act of archation. 

You don't do yourself any favors by pretending otherwise. In fact, you need to let others see that you view those "officials" and their ilk as nothing more than gangsters or common criminals. Let your ethical behavior encourage others to give themselves permission to see the thugs of the state as they truly are. The emperor has no clothes-- and never did have any. Say it without shame.

As Etienne de la Boétie pointed out, "Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break in pieces."

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