Saturday, December 24, 2016

Must suck to be statist

I am coming more and more to the conclusion that statists are miserable.

They squeal at anything that threatens to poke a hole in their belief system. They assume the worst in every situation. They assume you mean whatever will offend them the most. They strike out with hatred at the slightest opportunity.

And, it's not just in response to me, but even those who try even harder than I do to meet them halfway.

They also see any disagreement as "hatred" and being miserable. They are strange, sad little people. No matter how numerous or powerful they are. They know they are on the losing side. And this takes a toll on their attitude.

Sucks to be them, apparently.


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Friday, December 23, 2016

If a cop kills me...

If I'm ever killed by a cop, I'm sure most of the community (however you define that) would decide I deserved it.

Probably because I don't excuse cops for archation.

There really couldn't be anything else they'd be able to use as justification.

I don't aggress, nor do I violate people's property rights. I don't even threaten to do either one. But, I don't excuse their "heroes" who do, and that is the biggest sin in the statist's mind.

And, considering that most people are statists, it means killing me is justifiable in their eyes-- if I ever act on my convictions at a "bad time" and refuse to comply with the bullies they worship.


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


Thursday, December 22, 2016

Seeking a loan

(It has been taken care of. Thank you!)

If anyone would be willing to loan me about $75 for a month (probably less, actually), I'd be willing to pay it back with an extra $5 on or before January 22, 2017.

I've been waiting for a check that is owed to me for doing some work, and it is 3 weeks late. It will come, I just don't know when. And I can't wait any more.

So, if anyone would be willing, use the Paypal link over to the right. You can put "Loan" and the agreement to pay it back +$5 in the message.

Thanks.

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The most important minority

The individual.

You are the only minority that matters.

So am I.

You are a minority of one among 7 billion-plus individuals who are not you.

So am I.

Whatever your personal religious beliefs are, more people don't share them than do. Even if you belong to the most popular religion on the planet, your fellow believers differ from each other in ways you don't even realize you differ.

Whatever your specific form of political beliefs, you are outnumbered by people who have a different take on how humans ought to interact.

Even if you are a statist, most people prefer a different flavor of statism than the specific form you favor. And if you actually believe whole-heartedly in individual Rightful Liberty, you are greatly outnumbered by those who'll find any excuse to weasel their way to justifying your violation.

Many more people have a different set of physical characteristics than your specific set- height, weight, body type, skin melanin content, hair color, eye color and shape, nose size and shape, whatever. You are a minority in everything that makes you you.

This is why you-- and I-- are the only minority that truly matters.


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


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Wrongness is a possibility

I am perfectly willing to consider that everything I have done, every choice I have made, everything I value, believe, or know is wrong.

But, that doesn't mean I believe someone else is necessarily right. One doesn't invariably lead to the other.

Judging by results in certain areas, the evidence leads to the conclusion that I'm at least wrong sometimes. Obviously, my economic choices have been disastrous. And I could always be more useful to others, and more sociable.

In other areas, I feel more confident. The only people who seem to have issues with how I have treated them are those whom I refused to allow to violate me. I even treat statists with kindness until they archate in my presence. This part of my life has been much more successful than the other.

And this is why I am more prone to give advice on not violating others than on financial subjects.


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


Monday, December 19, 2016

Next, after LED lighting



Yes, this is an actual lamp I own. I found it in a junk store years ago, and bought it for a dollar. I pulled it loose from the plywood it was glued to, added a wick and some olive oil, and found that it works. 

Rather dim, but it works.

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


Keeping an eye on the threats

I think it's wise to know where all the Registered Liberty Offenders around you live.

That includes all the cops and other "law enforcement", of course, but also people like the mayor and city council members or anyone else who tends to archate for money, or as an unpaid position.

This also includes freelancers such as those who break into homes and businesses and rob without the "benefit" of a badge.

Bad guys are bad because of their actions.

In the event of a civil disturbance or societal breakdown, these folk are probably going to need to be contained. Know where they live, and where they are likely to be at any particular time. Your life may depend on it.



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


Sunday, December 18, 2016

I will continue to defend liberty

(My Clovis News Journal column for November 16, 2016)

In the wake of the election, about half of those who continue to play the voting game are pretty upset because the candidate they didn't want to win has been foisted upon them. Or because the one they wanted, lost. This time around it was hard to see the difference in all but a few rabid fans.

Many of you are scared of what America will become during a Trump presidency. You fear a Trump administration the way others feared a Clinton presidency.

Perhaps you believe Trump will be the exception; the one candidate who won't begin breaking campaign promises the instant he takes the oath of office. I believe your fears are unfounded.

Maybe you are worried about a border wall and aggressive anti-immigrant policies being implemented. Maybe you are worried about his support for Soviet-style "stop and frisk" police state tactics. Maybe you fear he'll encourage violations against LGBTQ individuals. Maybe you have other concerns.

Whatever comes I make you this promise: in the event of a worst case scenario, I'll continue to speak out in support of your rightful liberty, just as I have been doing throughout the Obama administration, and the Bush years before that. America is the people; not the government. Government can't lead anyone anywhere they don't agree to go. Government will never inspire me to support violating anyone.

It doesn't matter to me which of your liberties are being violated, or who is doing the violating. It is unacceptable and I will speak out for you against all who seek to violate you, every time.

I don't care if the one violating you is a Republican, Democrat, Beltway Insider, an outsider, or a common criminal; male, female, of whatever "race" or religion.

No matter if it's for safety, "law and order", national security, the children, or "common sense". If you are being violated, those doing it are my enemy, too.

If I see you being violated I will do what I can, physically, to help you. If you are being targeted because of your "race", nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else which harms no one, I will do what I can to defend you. I would do the same had Clinton won.

No matter who is president, this is how decent people behave. Let's continue to look out for one another and make presidents more irrelevant than they already are. Americans will always be better than any government.

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(Steemit link)

Silly State-loving

States-- even in the context of states such as Texas or Colorado-- are an archaic relic. They don't reflect reality. They aren't a consequence of a shared culture. They are a gerrymandered geography established to let bullies divide the spoils. They are nothing more than another level of tax farm.

When I leave the house, I cross a "state line" probably half of the times I go anywhere besides my parents' house or the annoying post office.

The only thing that state line denotes is that a different gang is now going to be the one threatening my life, liberty, and property with its "laws"-- which vary from the "laws" on the other side of that imaginary line. Some of the "laws" on one side of the line are less nasty than the "laws" on the other side. Some of the amounts of theft differ. But, really, the "line" has no significance other than to the gangs of bullies on either side.

It's funny how enthusiastic some people get over those tax farms and their gangs.




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


Saturday, December 17, 2016

Monopolies don't listen

... and monopolies can't last without government protecting them from competition.

The only reason anyone still puts up with the US Post Office is because of ridiculous "laws" forbidding anyone from competing with them in "first class" mail delivery. This government-mandated monopoly offers poor, and sometimes surly, service.

Around here, one thing they don't offer is home delivery. If we get mail, it will be addressed to a PO Box. However, more and more companies refuse to accept a PO Box as an address, insisting on a street address. For "security"- never mind that I have explained to them that actually having a chance of getting my mail is more secure than not getting it, and if I am to get it, it WILL be through a PO Box. Period. No matter how many times you explain it, they insist.

The old postmaster had her faults, but at least she would put mail with a street address in the PO Box. The new postmaster throws a hissy fit and has issued warnings that mail addressed to a street address will be returned to sender.

Last week I was standing in line to pick up a package when he started lecturing the guy at the counter about the lack of a PO Box on the box he was handing over- warning him that starting soon, such packages would be returned to sender as "undeliverable".

The "customer" explained how some companies won't accept a PO Box. Postmaster smugly said "They'll accept it".

The next woman in line spoke up and said "No, they won't".

Postmaster: "They'll accept it".

The woman in line behind her said "No, some websites will reject the address if it has a PO Box in it".

The postmaster repeated "They'll accept it".

I was beginning to hate the guy by this point, but I didn't say anything. I've run into the same problems. But, I have found a solution.

What has worked for me so far is putting the "required" street address in the first address field, and putting the box number in the second, without "PO" in front of it. "Box 123" for example, rather than "PO Box 123". So far this has satisfied both the shippers and the post office.

Well, a couple of days ago there was a note from the post office in every box (and a bunch of them laying on the counter and in the trash can) telling people to do basically what I had already discovered, but with one mistake: it said to include "PO Box 123". I know from experience that won't work as often. If "PO" is anywhere in the address, it will sometimes be rejected. But it was amusing to see the postmaster kind of admitting he had been lying.

So, I took one of the discarded notes and wrote my own note on it with the better information. We'll see if he spreads the news, or if he'll have to backtrack again due to giving his "customers" more bad information.

Government monopolies are NEVER a good thing.


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


Friday, December 16, 2016

Careful who you believe

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

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

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

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

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


I love this hat for some reason.

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


Thursday, December 15, 2016

Cheap, worthless "peace"

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

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

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

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

What absolute pathetic garbage.

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



*The presumed murder weapon, a bloody knife, was found by the dead woman's family the next day, stuck in the ground at the scene of the crime. After being missed by all the crime scene investigators for over 24 hours. Yeah, "we need cops".
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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported. Recent medical bills have hit me hard, cleaning me out in the midst of December birthdays and Christmas, so any donations or subscriptions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.


(The pointless Steemit link)

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

When tolerance is stretched too thin

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

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

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

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

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(Steemit link)

Monday, December 12, 2016

Playing an aggressive game by aggressive rules

(Previously posted to Patreon)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Trump future

(Previously posted to Patreon)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The true risks

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

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

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

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

Don't fall for it.

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(Steemit link)

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Elections result in America losing

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

 Presidents don't really matter (my chosen headline)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anarchy already works

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

No?

Then anarchy already works.



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

Saturday, December 10, 2016

No pressure...

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

Thanks.

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"Helping"

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

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



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(Steemit link)