Essential to stop what's not working

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 26, 2023)

Whenever a government program is failing, the instinct of those who work in government is to do more of it. They insist on spending more money on it; finding ways to be more involved and controlling. It's a bad instinct and leads to bigger failures. Eventually, failures so big they cause a collapse. It's only a matter of time and degree.

One recent example in the news involves schools. Schools fail to educate adequately, so government sentences the school inmates-- sometimes called "students"-- to even more hours of what isn't working. Cutting into more of the students' lives; further reducing their valuable free time. Free time is essential and schools aren't designed to educate anyway.

This failure doesn't only apply to school systems, though. It's the same old story over and over again whenever government gets involved in anything.

Anti-gun legislation causes crime to increase, so legislation addicts double down and do more of what drives the problem. They apparently don't care as long as they can sound enlightened and concerned when speaking to the misinformed public on television.

Welfare and other social programs, supposedly implemented to fight poverty, caused more poverty and trapped families in a cycle of poverty for generations. So, obviously, the solution is to do more of the same?

Prohibition has increased the strength of the drugs available and directly created cartels and crime. Instead of abandoning something which has failed as hard as anything can fail, the prohibitionists choose to make things worse with even more penalties.

Pick any government program and the story is the same.

Do they not see the results of their policies? Or, is this level of failure acceptable as long as it looks like they're "doing something" and keeps the tax money flowing into the coffers, keeping politicians without any useful skills off the streets?

I understand-- it is hard to admit you've been doing something stupid; something which is making a problem you claim you want to solve worse than ever. It's hard to change course, especially if you're part of an institution which wants to present itself as the adult option. Government is still institutionalized failure.

It's essential to stop doing what's not working. It's unforgiveable to insist on doing more of it, harder than before, rather than admit you're the problem. If something is imporant in any way, it's too important to allow government to be involved. Unless you prefer to fail.

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Update to the surgery bleg- Updated 5-13

I figured it was time to update the surgery bleg.

Added 4-28-2023: I got one hospital bill, so the revised total I currently owe is now... right at $6,500. It could be worse, but I don't know if that's the entire thing yet, or if more bills will be arriving.

ADDED 5-13-2023: Got another bill, this one from the anesthesia department. I'm going backward! Ugh.

[The following paragraph is outdated, but I will leave it.]
At the moment, the amount I borrowed for the surgery and still owe is just over $3,100 (but see the above note). I haven't started getting bills from the hospital yet-- they've been busy sending me "satisfaction surveys" instead (don't worry: I rated them highly). I guess they want to get the satisfaction surveys out of the way before they start sending bills. Probably a smart move.

Medically, I'm doing well.

I stopped bleeding (due to the catheterization) about 2 weeks after the surgery. The catheter was by far the worst part of the ordeal. The pain from the incisions was never too bad-- the pain from the laparoscopic inflation was worse and longer lasting, but it was gone about a week after surgery. I finally stopped itching in the incision areas about 2 days ago. The scars are minimal. Everything seems to be working fine.

My blood pressure has even dropped to normal in the aftermath; whether that will last is unknown. It had stayed high ever since the kidney stone over 8 years ago, until this surgery. No idea why it came down.

I'm going to keep this post pinned to the top of the sidebar for a while. I know it's annoying, but I really need to keep this reminder up until I either get it all paid off or give up.

So, if you want to help, and if you can, please do. You can give through GiveSendGo or at my regular PayPal or through Venmo.

And share my GiveSendGo or this blog post anywhere you think might generate some interest. Thank you. Really!

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The world is topsy-turvy

In the future, medical science may find a way to actually change a person’s sex. If you think I'd be against that you'd be wrong. I would consider this progress; a good thing. 

I suspect this may turn out to be harder than achieving a self-sufficient civilization on Mars, but maybe I’m wrong. I hope both come to pass. 

For now, though, all that’s available is medicalized cosplay. It sentences nearly all of its victims to a lifetime in a sexual “uncanny valley”, where— at best— people they meet are expected to pretend not to notice something’s “off” about their appearance. 

To claim this is intended to help their long-term mental health flies in the face of reality. 

I wouldn’t prohibit it, but I can’t be evil enough to encourage it. Especially not for kids and teens. 

But encouraging this (or even shoving people down this one-way path) is called “compassionate” while telling the truth about the situation, and warning people of the consequences of what they are considering doing to themselves, is called “hate”. The world is topsy-turvy.

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Help me cover the expense of my colon surgery, if you can and if you want to. Thank you!

"If you don't completely agree with me, then you're a..."

DemoCRAPublicans really dislike anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with them. Anyone who can think for themselves-- even if they’d agree on many issues-- is treated as the enemy.

I had one Left-statist recently call me a "right-winger" as an insult. I said this was evidence they are either bad at identifying things or really good at misidentifying things.

They said they could tell I am an "an-cap", which they declared is the same as "right-wing". They screen-shot my blog with the Browncoat Voluntaryist "V" from a couple of days ago as evidence. Swing and ... miss...

I may be mistaken but I don't think I have ever called myself an an-cap.

I am an anarchist, a Voluntaryist, a libertarian, and an abolitionist. If this Left-statist is dumb enough to think that's the same as an an-cap, and that an-caps are the same as "right-wingers", there's probably no point in trying to engage with them. You may as well try to reason with a worm.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery, if you can and if you want to. Thank you!

Speaking for myself...

I realize I can't speak for others. Only for myself. So I don't usually try to sound like I'm speaking for anyone other than myself. My opinions are my own-- good, bad, or indifferent. 

I'm uncomfortable being put in a position where I'm expected to speak for any sort of collective, even if I assume they'd mostly agree with me. It's asking for trouble. I would probably turn down such an opportunity after giving it some consideration.

Even if I use the word "we", I mean "only those who agree with this". I'm not trying to put words in anyone else's mouth. It's not necessary for anyone to tell me they disagree-- although they are free to do so.

This follows my lack of belief in one person representing others-- especially as in representative political government. It's a ridiculous concept. It has no basis in reality whatsoever. 

If I were to wake up one morning to find I had somehow slipped into an alternate reality where I held a position of political power, I would only speak for myself. I would promote liberty-- probably by resigning as fast as humanly possible and heading for the mountains until I was forgotten. Unless I had the power to abolish branches of government, then I'd do that first. (Even though I know many people would be greatly offended by that.)

To hallucinate that one person can represent the interests of millions of others, who each have opposing values and concerns, is absurd. To base a coercive institution on this absurd hallucination is inexcusable.

But, of course, I'm only speaking for myself. I know political Libertarians imagine this is a good idea, if only "we" can elect the "right" people and pass the "right" legislation. Politics in self-defense and all that. It's a cute idea. I wonder if that has ever really worked out.

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I guess this is progress?

This is probably the oldest building in town. It used to be a lumber yard. My grandfather was a carpenter and he used to take my mom with him to get lumber there when she was a kid (back in the 1940s and early '50s). She says she used to run on the lumber "upstairs"-- it was laid across rafters and wasn't an actual floor. She figures it gave her dad stress when she did it.

I don't know when it was built, but I'm guessing it was in the 1920s or '30s. (Update: I found out it was built in 1916- see the news article I shared below.)

In recent years (decades?) it has served as storage for a tire shop next door. As well as shelter for stray cats and foxes.

As you can see, the roof recently caved in and the building is now being taken down. This makes me a little sad. It's the end of an era. I guess it will be replaced by a pre-fab metal box building.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery, if you can and if you want to. Thank you!

Childish, Utopian delusions

It's hilarious how statists are always trying to call libertarianism/Voluntaryism/anarchism/abolitionism "Utopian" or "childish".

As if to be a realist or an adult you have to embrace violating others in some way. No, you don't. That's just ridiculous.

But, to those whose minds have been numbed and damaged by years of gov-schooling, it's a comforting delusion.

In reality, there is no more Utopian belief than that government-- composed of the same type of people (or worse) that they say aren't good or smart enough to run their own life-- can "run society" for everyone else. Or that such a political government can be controlled or kept to a level that isn't too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Maybe a constitution could achieve this. 

There is no evidence for either superstitious belief.

Children who haven't yet figured out how the real world, and the flawed humans that make it up, work might still believe a good government is possible. Or that only the most qualified people will seek to have that kind of power over everyone else. Or that one human can actually "represent" millions of people with opposing values, goals, and worldviews.

That's what Utopian childishness really looks like. It's statism.

So, when they accuse you of either of those things, just pat them on the head and send them on their way. They aren't even worth worrying about. Just do your thing and be prepared to defend yourself from those childish Utopians who'll happily kill you to keep believing in the unbelievable.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery, if you can. Thank you!

They aren't always wrong, but...

Political people-- statists-- always have a few good ideas. But they bury them under such an avalanche of really stupid statist stuff it can be hard to dig the gems out of the chunky sewage.

The Right-statists have good positions on a few things, but they advocate so much really bad stuff that it's hard to find the good stuff in there. 

The same goes for the Left-statists. 

I hate to catch myself agreeing with either of the factions because the majority of their beliefs are so incredibly stupid and toxic that it feels like it might rub off on me if I agree with either of them about anything. I'll just wait for them to agree with me, instead.

Of course, even when they are directionally correct, they screw it up by believing that governing others is a legitimate human endeavor. Thus, "legalize and tax it" and "enforce the gun laws that already exist".

At the moment, in most of the country (and around the world), the Left-statists seem to have the most power to impose their ideas-- good, bad, and worse. This will probably flip around at some point. The only good to come from such a flip would be to undo some of the w0ke damage that has been done, but then the Right-statists will do more damage of their own variety that will need to be undone, so this is never adequate.

And, of course, whenever you're embracing a liberty-advancing position that one faction of the Statist Party happens to agree with, the others assume you agree with all the bad stuff that side advocates. They can't think beyond "us" and "them".

It gives you a good opportunity to ridicule those who make the baseless assumptions. But, don't get too caught up in it. Just know that statism prevents thought from occurring. Your detractor has shown up to pick a fight, unarmed and cocky and already believing they've won.

Statists didn't get to be statists because they were good at thinking.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery, if you can. Thank you!

Explore some alternatives to banks

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 19, 2023)

How concerned are you when it looks like the banking system is teetering on the verge of collapse? Do looming nationwide economic disasters worry you?

Banks are encouraged, perhaps even required, to follow government's poor financial policies. Sometimes this is going to come back to bite them and hurt their customers. It's smart to have alternatives.

It's fine to keep using government's money-- the equivalent of Monopoly "money", if you know what money is-- as long as it still generally works. Always be ready to abandon it and have other options when it stops working. Every government money in history-- if it wasn't gold or silver-- has stopped working eventually.

Back when former president Trump started handing out money-from-nothing and calling it a "stimulus" I warmed family and friends that this was going to cause inflation, and to get ready. No one cared or listened. All they saw was "free money", and the future wasn't something to worry about.

When inflation started getting worse than it had been in decades, they acted surprised.

Other economic disasters happen when you have a banking system which is regulated by counterproductive government rules. There are going to be consequences whether you want to admit it or not. If you're surprised when consequences happen it's only because you weren't paying attention to the right people. Government officials are never the right people to listen to.

A "central bank digital currency"-- a "CBDC"-- isn't going to be any better, but watch for government officials to start pushing the idea harder if the financial system keeps crumbling. Such money would have all the drawbacks of traditional government fiat money, plus several others.

If I were you, I would get real, physical silver and gold, some cryptocurrency which isn't tied to or controlled by any government, and other things of real-world value. Things you can use or trade for other things you need. Things like food, water, medicine, and fuel.

Even if the banking system avoids collapse this time, you're not worse off if you've protected yourself by being prepared. You can always trade those things for more Federal Reserve Notes-- mistakenly called "dollars" by most people-- anytime you want.

Keeping all your eggs in one basket, including all your wealth in one form of money, is never the smart move. So don't. Explore alternatives while you have time, and hope you still have time.

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Help

And a HUGE thanks to all those who already have.

I'm relieved

I went to The Big City today for a follow-up with the surgeon, and he released me. He was very pleased with his work and said my scars look great. He was satisfied with my healing process.

I'm relieved.

I still have to see the urologist one more time, on May 4th, and he's already told me he wants to send me to a urology specialist in one of the Mega-Cities in the state. I have no intention of going through with that at this time. They aren't touching that region of my anatomy again unless I'm under general anesthesia, and I already know they aren't going to take that line in the sand seriously. I'm not budging on that.

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Reminder: Help me cover the expense of the surgery, however you can. 

Sharing is caring, too. Thank you!

Wait'll they get a load of me...

After years of being laughed at for their backward view of supporters of gun-owner rights, characterized by the clueless comment "If 'people of color' start buying guns, the Second Amendment would be repealed tomorrow", now it seems at least one anti-gun bigot is trying a different tactic:

"Since when did you Republicans care about blacks and minorities? Oh yeah when it comes to arming them you do."

Besides the misguided politicized assumption that anyone who supports the right to own and to carry weapons is a "Republican", he's letting his bigoted ignorance show in other ways as well.

Although, since this wasn't directed at me, maybe the person he was addressing was a Republican. In which case, wait until he actually meets someone like me!

They really don't get it. 

I want no one to be violated. Government has no right or imaginary "authority" to disarm anyone. Ever.

I don't care what someone's skin color is, what language they speak, what religion or political cult they follow, where they were born, what their sex is, or what they imagine themselves to be. Everyone has the fundamental human right to own and to carry whatever type of weapon they want. And, everyone has the right to defend themselves from anyone who makes a credible threat of archation. That's equality. That's liberty. If the anti-gun bigots hate liberty, that's their problem.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery, however you can. Thank you!

Don't believe the absurdity

Voltaire pointed out that "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities". 

There is no belief more absurd than the belief that political government is legitimate or that it has any place in society.

Look at the thousands of years of atrocities directly caused by believing that particular absurdity.

Trying to govern others doesn’t just make a person become evil; it is evil in and of itself.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery. Help however you can. Thank you!

Appreciation post

I just thought I'd take a minute to say how wonderful all the nursing staff at the hospital was. I've had OK nurses-- and even apathetic nurses-- in the past. This crew blew them away.

A hospital stay is never something I'd choose, but I couldn't have asked for a better crew of caring, dedicated professionals. I was really impressed.

I thanked each and every one of them (that I got the chance to thank) because I wanted them to know how much I appreciated their help. And I meant it. There was Taylor, Sarah, Jessica, Ryan, Alex, Connie, Justin, and others whose names I've either forgotten or didn't know. Not a single one of them was lacking in any way that I could see. 

Great job, guys! Thank you!

Also, I greatly appreciate the surgeon and urologist who took care of me. Their skill is appreciated... a lot! Imagine what they had to do to me, without killing me in the process! Most of the time under their direct care I was unconscious, but it seems they did their jobs well. I survived and am healing. Thank you!

And, last but not least, I appreciate all the support-- financial and emotional-- I've received from the readers of my blog. You're my friends, even if I've never met you in person. You probably can't know how much that means to me! Thank you!

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery. Help however you can. Thank you!

Does this mean I'm old?

My Spirit Animal?

I was wondering recently why I'm feeling a bit angry at the world. Then I realized I'm not feeling angry. Not at all. I'm just sick of certain things-- politics, mostly.

Politics makes people stupid. 

A nationally influential Libertarian got snippy with me when I was supportive of throwing those oath-breaking anti-gun politicians in Tennessee (if I remember correctly) out of office. He had some "democracy" reason that he thought it was an awful, unlibertarian thing. He was wrong.

If you violate the terms of the agreement that allows you to hold an office, he believes you should be allowed to stay in power? I guess so. 

When I responded that I want every politician kicked out of office when they violate liberty (which would get rid of all of them), he was paternalistically dismissive. I wasn't playing his political con game, so I was irrelevant. Politics made that Libertarian stupid. I've seen more cringe-worthy tweets from him since then-- mixed in with some reasonable things, too, so he's not always wrong. Only when he mixes politics into his attempt at thinking.

Then there are all these people who see a problem, either real or imagined, and start calling for government to fix it with legislation. Or stricter enforcement of existing legislation.

So many issues, called out by so many political people. Ban this, mandate that, punish them. Wow, it's stupid.

This is political thinking and it always leads you astray. Legislation is never the right (or ethical) way to solve a problem. Be smarter.

No one has the right to use the political means against anyone. This imaginary "right" can't exist. And I'm sick of pretending doing so is legitimate, or even just holding my tongue in the face of such nonsense.

I get it: some people love politics. But it's not much different than loving to mix powerful unknown chemicals in a basement under a room full of children. Even if you say you're doing it in self-defense because someone else is doing the same to use against you. It's at least irresponsible, maybe worse. My patience for it all has worn very thin.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery. Help however you can. Thank you!

The Bud Light silliness

The Bud Light manufactured controversy is something I can't seem to care much about. Mostly, it seems slightly amusing.

I don't drink beer and I find Dylan rather silly. Dylan's more like a clown than a serious threat. Although I can understand why some might disagree, I think they are giving him more credit than he is due. I don't feel threatened in the least.

He's an adult, and I doubt many people look at him and say to themselves "Oh! I want to be just like him!", and those who do would probably find inspiration somewhere no matter what. At least he's not as evil-clown-scary as those government libraries seek out to read to little kids.

Kids and teens are particularly gullible to manipulation and brainwashing, but I worry more about their "idols" who take themselves seriously and engage in bullying. Or worse.

I don't really believe anyone thinks of Dylan as a girl or woman. I doubt he even thinks of himself this way in his innermost thoughts, although there's no way I could know. Not that it matters one way or the other.

Fame is fleeting. He's found a niche and he's using it to his advantage while he can. Whatever works. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

I just see him as a comedy act. Comedy is subjective. His style of comedy isn't really my thing, but if someone enjoys it, it's not my problem.

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Help me cover the expense of the surgery. Help however you can. Thank you!

A freer world worth a little pain

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 12, 2023)

Almost no one enjoys pain. Humans spend a lot of time, effort, and money avoiding it or trying to avoid it. Often, pain is unavoidable and sometimes it's necessary. Occasionally, pain leads to something better in the future.

When it works out, it's always worth it.

It might hurt to achieve a freer world. Getting rid of the obstacles to "liberty for all" will be unpopular with a lot of people. There are probably even some anti-liberty things you want to hold on to. They need to go. And it is going to hurt-- temporarily.

A freer world is worth it in the long run.

If you won't suffer a little pain now in order to improve your future situation, why would you ever go to a dentist? Why would you dig a splinter out of your finger? If you say it's because those things are causing pain now, but you don't realize all the pain violations of liberty are causing, you might be in denial.

Some of the things standing in the way of liberty can be replaced with better, voluntary alternatives. Others don't need to be replaced with anything. If you have a cancerous tumor removed you don't worry about what you'll put in its place. At least, not if you're smart.

If you could suffer a little today, knowing that because of this pain, you would be free tomorrow, would you? Or are you more like a slave who is afraid of what freedom might mean-- responsibility and uncertainty-- so you'll keep your chains? Not only your chains-- worse, you'll help forge the chains your children and grandchildren will be shackled with. All because you weren't willing to go through the pain of gaining unfettered liberty.

I respect the slaves who took the risk and fled from those who pretended to own them much more than those who accepted their condition. Even those who killed their supposed masters in order to escape were right to do so. Liberty is built on the pain of those willing to pay the price. And it is worth any price because liberty is more valuable than life. A life without liberty is worse than death.

If you've been brainwashed into accepting less liberty than is your human birthright, it's time to embrace the pain it will take to change the situation.

Are you willing? If not, why not? What are you so afraid of?

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Also, I was otherwise engaged last week and didn't repost that column in full like I was supposed to, so here it is.

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Help

Liberty is not up for discussion

Evil losers have been busy. I don't care "why" they did it-- evil losers will do evil things.

Of course, half of the political types are screaming that it's because of the guns and the other half is blaming the evil losers' obvious mental illness. Yes, anyone who chooses to be an evil loser qualifies as mentally ill, no matter what else is happening between their ears.

But, really, these mass shootings happen because the evil losers are given the opportunity. They don't face enough armed targets in the places they choose to attack. Nothing...NOTHING... will make things better until this changes. New "laws" aren't needed; bad anti-liberty "laws" need to go away.

I can't take anti-gun bigots seriously. They are dangerous clowns. They'll do and say anything to avoid embracing the only thing that can help.

The other side is just as bad, in its own way. Mentally ill people have the same rights as anyone. You have no right to stop them from exercising their rights, but you have the right to defend yourself if they choose to attack. The same goes for anyone else.

I don't care who you're talking about or what justifications you use. Government has no right or imaginary "authority" to decide they aren't allowed to own the proper tools for self-defense. And that's what it all comes down to: Government has no rights or "authority" to do anything. Even if you wish it did and think this is dangerous. You'll need to find a different approach.

Liberty is simply not up for discussion.

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Back in the sa... soft, cushy chair

I am untethered! And sore! But freedom from the catheter is worth the increased soreness I got from the car trip. I'm actually now the most sore I've been since the day after the surgery. It'll get better.

I'm SO GLAD this isn't a week ago!

So, where was I?

I didn't pay much attention to things going on in the world over the past week, unless I saw it on Twitter-- and I doubt most of that. But, if half of what I saw is even partly true, the world got lots closer to utter insanity while I was mentally away. I guess that's the case in any random week, it's just more obvious to me, having been checked out for a bit.

What is there to say about any of it? I don't know. I'm sure I'll have something to say, though.

It's good to be back.

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Help me recover from the expense of the surgery. Share wherever you can.

I’m home

I’m home resting, but also trying to walk to get rid of the laparoscopic gases that are causing most of my pain. In my shoulders.

The surgical area is sore but not so bad. 

The catheter is a major pain and annoyance, but I have prior experience- which is why it freaked me out so bad when I was told I would have to have one for a few days. 

Anyway, here I am. I may or may not post for a few days, other than the newspaper column on Sunday.

Thank you all for your support and concern. It makes a difference.

Update 2

 I should be discharged today. Here’s hoping. I’ll have to come back Monday to see the urologist and get the catheter out, which is annoying. If I lived closer it would be much less inconvenient, but I don’t like big cities.

I’m doing really well. I did get some pain meds today (so excuse me if I sound stoned), but it’s for my back which started hurting early this morning. The surgery site doesn’t hurt much. The pain in my shoulders from the laparoscopic gases is pretty intense. But only if I use my arms. 

The nursing staff here has been awesome. It’s been like a vacation where someone sticks you with a needle every couple of hours.

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Left versus right rivalry political lie

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 5, 2023)

The whole "conservative" versus "liberal", "Left" versus "Right", rivalry is a lie.

In the ridiculous political world where most people view each idea as either "conservative" or "liberal" (or whichever word the political left prefers at the moment), those who love liberty confuse everyone.

In the real world, though, there is only liberty versus authoritarianism. The rest is a diversion.

Often one part of the political divide supports me on one topic while disagreeing with me on another. As a consequence, I continually get slandered as both a "far-right extremist" and a "bleeding heart liberal". Often on the same day. Yes, it's a crazy world.

The reaction depends entirely on the views of the person who is trying to discredit me. When you see everything through the distorting lens of politics, you aren't seeing clearly and will misjudge what you think you are seeing.

I value liberty, so I oppose anything which chips away at it. Some of those things are endorsed by conservatives while others are favored by liberals. 

The supporters and detractors may switch sides from one topic to the next, but I won't participate in silent acceptance of any sort of authoritarianism. This confuses people.

I don't believe government has any political authority to ban or regulate anything-- not guns, drugs, speech, or anything else. I consider corporations to be inseparable from government-- not "private companies" as some characterize them. So censorship, from a corporation or government, is something I will always oppose.

Yet, those on the Left have accused me of thinking corporations should run the world since I deny the authority of government to do anything. It's a delusional misrepresentation.

In a similar way, the Right accuses me of neglecting private property rights and the right to lock the doors on your own home when I point out that government has no ethical or constitutional authority to control the movement of people across imaginary government borders-- called "immigration" by politically brainwashed people. Again, this characterization isn't even close to true.

People who have been trained to only see things in the dim light of Left or Right are missing most of reality. Instead of reflexively siding with their team, they would benefit from thinking for themselves. If you treasure liberty and respect the right of everyone to do whatever doesn't violate the equal and identical rights of anyone else, you'll free yourself of the political blinders.

This is what liberty looks like.

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Update 1

Things went pretty well and I’m not even in much pain. They say the only pain meds I’ve gotten were those they gave me during the surgery. I feel loopy, but that might be due to lack of sleep. Had the leave the house at 3:45 this morning to make the appointment so I got about 2 hours of sleep after two months of not sleeping well at all.

I’m going back to sleep now.

(Posted poorly from my phone)

Today's the day

I'll do my best to let you know how it went as soon as I can.

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Help

It's the day of the surgery.

Not really fine

Tomorrow is the day.

I feel like the "This is fine" dog... if he was in a state of panic.
Hopefully, the flames are an illusion and this really is fine, or will be if I stop panicking.

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Help

Tomorrow's the surgery.

Panic and pain

Today's visit to the urologist who is assisting in the surgery (complications due to a childhood injury) was one of the worst, most painful experiences of my life. It brought the childhood injury back to mind and triggered my phobia etc.

I just don't know how I'm going to get through this.

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Stopping ALL mass shootings

Assume "they" got rid of every semi-automatic weapon and every firearm that was owned by someone who isn't a government employee who is armed as a condition of his "job". (Impossible, but let's pretend.)

Even all cops are only armed with revolvers or pump-action shotguns.

Would that stop mass shootings?

Nope.

One cop who snapped could kill dozens of unarmed people with his revolver, because who could do anything about it? You think that wouldn't happen? How cute.

There is no way to completely end mass shootings. The best approach is to make certain any potential mass shooter faces armed resistance. And, again, anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted around children.

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Help

I'm in the last week before the surgery.

Acts of an evil loser... Same song, different verse

The response to the evil loser in Nashville has been predictable in just about every way.

Including the observation that the only way to stop these things in their tracks is armed people among the things you want to protect. Children and employees, in this case.

And the outcry from the anti-gun bigots is the same as always. "A gun did this and you want more guns? You want to arm teachers instead of taking the guns away from everyone?"

I'll just say what I've said in response: If you don't trust someone with a gun, you shouldn't trust them with your children.

If I don't trust someone with a gun, I don't trust them. Period.

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I'm in the last week before the surgery.

Prohibition fails every time it's tried

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 26, 2023)

Drug abuse is stupid, but prohibition is evil.

The surest way to guarantee a market will become dominated by criminals who are willing to steal, kidnap, and murder to protect their market share is to criminalize a product.

You saw what happened with toilet paper and eggs when they became harder to buy. Why would you imagine the same economic factors don't apply to substances you don't want people to have access to?

Yet, toilet paper and eggs were temporary shortages, not permanent government-imposed shortages. No one believed toilet paper and eggs were going to have to become black market items. What do you think would have happened if everyone did believe this, or if government had actually banned those products? Soon the market for those items would have looked exactly like the market for politically incorrect chemicals-- it would have been violent and dangerous to the customers and innocent bystanders.

I understand-- you don't think people should be "allowed" to abuse drugs. Maybe you don't believe people should even have access to them at all, regardless of whether they will use them responsibly or abuse them. You might even be under the illusion that it's not possible to responsibly use the drugs you want banned. You'd be demonstrably wrong, but it doesn't matter.

Plus, in the case of drugs, prohibition guarantees the product gets smaller and easier to hide over time-- this means it is stronger. It's easier to transport a soda can-sized package containing thousands of doses of fentanyl than to hide the same number of doses of cocaine. So guess which one is safer to ship into enemy territory where your customers live. Guess which one it is then easier to fatally overdose on.

Drug prohibition has been the excuse used for most of the worst violations of our liberty since the end of the most violent parts of alcohol prohibition. Liberty isn't a decorative trinket to be ripped off and thrown away just because it tolerates some things you don't like. It is the foundation of any worthwhile civilization, to be protected from all who would chip away at it, no matter what you think it costs.

Do I want people to abuse drugs? No. I lost a daughter to someone who did. My personal pain doesn't change reality. Prohibition not only fails every time it is tried, it makes things worse. Prohibition is evil.

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How my doctor appointment went

Not as well as I would have liked. That seems to be the theme.

I learned I have to go to another appointment-- another 180+ mile round trip-- on Friday, to meet with a doctor who will be assisting the main surgeon (due to a unique medical history complication). I begged for an alternative. There is none I can live with.

This trip was a monumental mess. I N-10-slee dislike medical stuff, and I hate bureaucracy-- maybe nearly as much. Tuesday was a glorious mix of the two-- I felt like Philip J. Fry swimming in Chunks, the 2-headed goat's, pool. 

And, of course, now the insurance problems begin. I'll see if they get resolved or get worse.

I'm terribly frustrated right now. I'm (unwisely?) taking some of my frustration out on Twitter-- if it doesn't get me banned. I won't be surprised if it happens this time.

Thank you for sticking with me through this. I know this isn't what you come here to read about.

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I'm in the last week before the surgery.

Define "exciting"...

Today I'm heading to the hospital for my pre-registration stuff. 

With all the recent and current stressors, I didn't come up with anything topical to write. Not even with the Nashville evil loser's mass murder event.

I'll do better.

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Help

I'm in the last week before the surgery.

RIP Kirby

Kirby and Tobbles

Kirby, last summer's rescue kitten, and friend of Tobbles, lost his battle with FeLV today. 

He would have turned 1 on April 7, 2023-- just a week and a half from now.

He had a rocky, hopeless start. I did all I could, but the deck was stacked against him. At least I hope he was happy and comfortable most of the time he lived with me.

I buried him under the redbud tree next to his friend Tobbles, who I buried there last July 3.

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Ban TikTok?

I do not believe government should ban TikTok. Government has no rights and shouldn't have the power. That would be censorship. 

Yes, even if it comes down to one government banning another government's app.

I also don't believe anyone should have TikTok on their phone, or use TikTok. I've never used TikTok, so I freely admit I hate it out of ignorance. 

However, from the outside looking in, TikTok is obviously harmful. It brainwashes the young and the weak-minded into beliefs that hurt them and, when used to influence politics, it hurts all of us. But censorship hurts us all, too.

All social media is harmful in the same way, to lesser or greater extents. Don't ban any of them.

I understand the arguments for banning it, I just don't agree.

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I'm in the last few days before pre-payments are due.

Statism is dumb... even if some statists aren't

Seeing all the really dumb stuff justified by one brand of statist or another, I think it can be said with certainty that statism has jumped the shark, nuked the fridge, AND nuked the shark. Probably jumped the fridge, too.

Some days I don't even know what to say-- the statist stupidity from every direction just seems so ridiculous all I can do is shake my head and (try to) put it out of my mind.

I never thought statists were statists because they are "so smart"-- I realize some are smart; their evil overtakes their smarts, but I just don't see it in most of them. 

But even if some statists are smart, statism itself is still dumb. It's like a genius who arranges his life according to a horoscope.

But most statists aren't evil geniuses. Just evil imbeciles.

Most don't seem able to add 2 and 2 without trying to find a political angle that supports their preferred kind of slavery.

It doesn't matter, I suppose. Stupid or evil, the results are the same. Be ready to defy and avoid.

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I'm in the last week before pre-payments are due.

Things everyone should respect

People get rights mixed up with things the Constitution forbids government to do. Rights are things everyone should respect, whether or not the Constitution or any rules apply to them.

This idea that only government needs to respect your right to speak freely is kind of weird. Yes, they are the only ones specifically forbidden to censor you, but anyone who censors others is a bad guy. A jerk.

There's nothing special or magic about the Constitution. Documents don't create rights-- rights have existed exactly the same throughout history and prehistory; thousands of years before the Constitution was written. Bad people have always looked for ways to violate those rights. That's what defines a bad guy. The Constitution did nothing but lay out a roadmap telling government what rights it was forbidden to interfere with. (And it has been ignored, so the experiment failed.)

The right way to fight lies and "harmful" speech is with more speech, not censorship. Or, ignore it. If you censor (or demand someone else censor on your behalf), you've already lost the argument.

Someone might be able to tell you not to speak freely while on their personal property-- but in most cases I'll consider them a jerk for doing so. No, this doesn't mean I would use government or legislation to force them to let someone speak, just that in my own mind I will put them in the "censor" category and have no respect for them on this issue. 

I respect your right to speak freely, and I respect it hard. No exceptions. I am a free-speech absolutist.

Again, if you don't like what someone says, say something better to counter it. Don't try to forcibly silence them. It's a bad look.

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I'm in the last week before pre-payments are due.

'Legal' not the same as 'ethical'

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for February 19, 2023)

You may think I only object when it's government doing the bad things. Nope. An act isn't wrong or right based only on who's doing it.

Theft is wrong no matter whether you're a burglar, a mugger, or a government tax collector "just doing his job". To imagine it's only wrong if it's done by the government revenue employee is as crazy as saying it's right because it's called "taxation". The act is wrong in itself and no rules can make it right. Not even if those rules have been around for thousands of years. Time doesn't magically change wrong into right.

The difference between a regular criminal and a government is an imaginary difference instilled in us from birth. This doesn't make it true.

If it's wrong for me to do it to my neighbor, it's wrong for someone else to do it even if it's in their job description.

I have no right to tell my neighbors what they can grow in their gardens or how darkly they can tint their car windows. I can't hire someone to do things I have no right-- as an individual-- to do. A right doesn't spring into existence if I gather a crowd who wants the power to do the same thing. My neighbors have the right to defend themselves if I try to force my will on them in this way.

Most people don't like this reality. They want to justify violating others if they feel it is necessary. Especially if they can say it's not up to them, but it's "the law".

Once upon a time, it was legal to act as though you owned another human being. People were legally required to kidnap an individual who escaped and return him to the person who pretended to own him. The law-- written and enforced by people who had no right to do so-- said this was right, but it never was.

Later, "the law" required businesses to serve people differently according to their "race". They had to separate customers by skin color. It was "the law" and again, it was wrong to require this.

"Legal" never has meant "ethical". What unethical things do you support today just because they are legal and you like them? Would you feel the same if the person committing the act wasn't acting on behalf of government? Or, do you oppose wrong things being done no matter who is doing them?

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Dominoes are toppling, but...

I'm glad that judges across the country are throwing out so many anti-gun rules.

However, it's ridiculous to imagine anyone has to wait for a judge to throw out an unethical rule before they ignore it. That's as bad as imagining slaves had to comply with their enslavement until slavery was declared illegal. 

It's also ridiculous that the anti-gun political monsters are allowed to keep violating natural human rights and fighting to keep their anti-human rules while they beg the courts to agree with them. And they are allowed to keep making up new rules every time they get smacked down. It should be "You were scolded for your misbehavior and now you're done. Go home and never molest anyone ever again."

That it doesn't work that way illustrates how illegitimate all legislation, politicians, the court system, and the entirety of the whole mess truly are.

If I weren't in the midst of my troubles I'd buy a Polymer80 kit, just to have on hand to finish at my leisure. But, maybe, there's no need to rush now.

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I'm entering the last week before pre-payments are due.

Force-- Violence or aggression

Violence is force, which is ethically neutral. 

Aggression is initiated force, which is something I promise not to use against you. 

If you use aggression against me, I may use violence in defense. 

Also, I’m skeptical of “proportional response” because it’s subjective.

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And a HUGE thanks to all those who already have.

Unacceptable things

It amazes me that people just accept so many unacceptable things. Things like taxation, coercion, and nonsensical rules that violate their liberty. 

They just take it and often think it’s normal. Anyone who objects is the abnormal and unhinged one.

That's sick. It's not something I'll ever be able to go along with.

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Help

And a HUGE thanks to all those who already have.