Ride that bandwagon right over the cliff

If you live in America today, wave the US flag, and support the troops and "law enforcement", I have unhappy news for you.

If you had lived in Nazi Germany you would have almost definitely been an enthusiastic Nazi.

If you lived in a Muslim country today, you would almost certainly be Muslim (which is totally unrelated to whether you would be an Islamic loser).

You hop on the bandwagon too easily, and go along without thinking about what you are doing.

Only those who resist the dominant "culture" in America have a credible chance to have been a truly decent person in Nazi Germany or a non-Muslim in a predominantly Muslim country today.

If you are a flag waving, troop loving, cop supporting American in 2017, you simply don't have what it takes to resist the appeal of the bandwagon.

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Satisfying watching parties fight

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for June 21, 2017)

Besides being an experienced negotiator, I'm beginning to suspect President Trump might be an excellent magician. Or, at least an expert in misdirection.

He gets observers to focus on one hand's flamboyant flourishes, while doing the work he wants to accomplish with the hand they aren't paying attention to.

If you don't believe this, notice how he says and does trivial, even silly, things which get all the attention. While people are laughing at him, he is doing things which could impact the future, for better or worse, mostly under the radar. Perhaps he doesn't do this on purpose, but I wouldn't bet on it.

His self-created caricature has become the focus of attention, probably just as he wishes it to be. After all, if no one takes you seriously, they won't pay attention to everything you're up to. If you can get them to worry about the wrong things-- things they have been tricked into worrying about-- you can get away with almost anything.

His posts on Twitter are a case in point. Not just the "covfefe" brier patch his opponents threw him in, but all the rest as well. People focus so much on the pointless things he writes there that he is able to work on his real agenda pretty much unseen by the population. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on the particular bullies you prefer to have trying to run your life.

Those of us who prefer to keep all the bullies at bay, regardless of the particular flavor of their bullying, are a tiny minority.

He also manages to entice his enemies into doing things which show them in the worst possible light. Just by fanning the flames of their hatred, and by not being the president they had been assured they were going to be blessed with. To get your opponents to humiliate themselves without you having to lift a finger is almost a superpower. I wish I could do the same; it would save so much time and effort!

Maybe none of this is intentional on his part. Maybe he is just lucky. Maybe his opponents are simply incompetent. It's not beyond the realm of possibility.

For me, sitting outside this "Red State vs. Blue State" civil war, it's an interesting show. It's like watching all those who want to destroy your liberty tangling themselves in barbed wire while fighting amongst themselves. There is something very satisfying about it.

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Observation on observing

Most people don't observe. This observation (ha ha) has annoyed me all my life.

I'm not picking on other people; I constantly get annoyed at myself for failing to observe something I think I should have noticed.

People also fail to observe things they don't want to observe-- things that would make them uncomfortable.

This explains why most people don't notice that cops are bad guys, even with a seemingly infinite stream of irrefutable evidence being shoved in their faces on a daily basis by the behavior of cops themselves.

When the tendency to be unobservant is combined with the fanaticism to not see what you'd rather not see, it is almost guaranteed that people won't notice something really important.

Now, copsuckers might come back with the claim that I don't observe the good that cops do. If so, I have counter-evidence to refute their claim. I observe both sides, but to the copsuckers it appears biased against cops. That's because ethics itself is biased against cops. If you are observant, you'll notice this fact, even if you don't want to.

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An obligation to comply?

Do you believe you have an obligation to comply with "the law"?

How far do you believe your obligation extends?
Only to those "laws" you agree with, or all of them?
What about "laws" which would require you to do something you know is wrong, or "laws" which would forbid you to do something right?
Would you sacrifice your ethics, morals, or religion to "the law"? If not, what happened to your obligation.

I recently heard someone say they had an obligation to comply with the law, and it instantly sounded ridiculous to me. But, as with all ridiculous utterances, I ponder them to try to understand why someone would say something so ridiculous.

The "reason" I come up with is that it sounds "reasonable" to people who have come to mistake "the law" for what's right and good. It sounds civilized. It may even feed upon their belief in a "social contract".

But to me, it sounds like someone going along with evil for convenience and so they don't feel the need to actually think and weigh their actions.

I am freer, feeling no such obligation whatsoever. Yes, I'll "comply" when a cop is watching, just like I'll "comply" when a mugger has the drop on me. But that's just a survival strategy in the face of armed reality, not really compliance.

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Why I (still) blog

The liberty-lover family is facing tough times. We will make it through; we always have throughout history. But the near future will probably be hard and not all of us will make it to the better times beyond that.

I write my blog to try to give you ideas, encouragement, inspiration and whatever else might help you  survive and thrive while living surrounded by rabid statism. So that, perhaps, you can increase your chances to make it through, and enjoy the circumstances as much as possible until times get better. I hope it helps.

Obviously not everyone will "get" my blog. Only a tiny slice of modern humanity could get it, even if they knew about it. Most are simply too entrenched in set ways of thinking to understand anything outside of their toxic little box. Some probably just don't like me, and would reject anything I say on that basis alone. It happens.

I appreciate you for not being like that.

I'll continue to stick my neck out, knowing you-- The Remnant-- are out there. Just as long as I can, as long as I still have something to say, and as long as I still feel I am doing some good.

I've also got to remember to do my best to balance no-holds-barred truth with compassion and being nice. And, for me, that's not easy. Statism drains me, exhausts me, makes me tired and short tempered, and I have an almost overpowering urge to mock statists of any degree. It's a struggle.

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If you support States...

If you preach ethics, but support States, you are being inconsistent. And unethical.

If you preach morals, but support States, you are either being immoral, or your morality is warped until it is unethical and evil.

If you are a genius, but you support States because you believe them to be good and necessary, you're either being dumb or you have a tragic blind spot causing you to be wrong.

You would do well to correct your errors.

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Heroes wanted

I sure could use some monetary help.
If you can and want to, please consider it.
Here's the link to the fundraiser post, but right now Paypal donations would help the most.

Law vs "laws"

Natural Law is completely in sync with liberty-- the two are bound together and can not be pulled apart without destroying everything.

Through experience, over long periods of time, humans discovered Natural Law, which illustrated how to live among others. Society grew as these rules were discovered, and eventually this led to civilization growing from society.

Then some "genius" came along and decided it would be a good idea to write down the Law somewhere so it could be read and referred to. Which wouldn't have been too disastrous, if they had stopped there. But...

This motivated even worse idiots to write down their flawed opinions and call it "law", also. Trying to steal legitimacy for their dreamed up "laws" from the Law which had been discovered.

Unfortunately, none of these new opinions were based on anything but opinion, and were harmful to society. The more of these harmful opinions that were added and called "laws", the more damaged society became. Civilization won't survive if the tide isn't turned. Counterfeit "laws" must be tossed aside. Every single one of them. The sooner, the better.

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Evil, with the best intentions

All decent people are, as are some terrible people

I'm sure most of those who created the State had the best of intentions.

Most probably they felt they were doing a good thing. They wanted order to overcome liberty, which they mistook for chaos.

Just like most statists today, and those who support cops.

Good intentions. I know because I know many of them.

But that's why I don't put much stock in intentions. Results are more important. A good quote from The Null Zone- Episode One: Janus illustrates the point:

"No matter how noble your goals, no matter how pure your ideals, no matter how good your intentions, if you look down and discover you’re eating babies, you’re no longer the good guy."

Well, pragmatic or not, that's what statism is. Don't ever. Not even once.

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Won't pretend a weed isn't a weed

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for June 14, 2017. I called this one "How does your liberty garden grow?".)

I am completely in love with liberty. My own, yours, and everyone else's. I want more people to understand it, love it, and live it. I am not afraid of you having and enjoying liberty to the fullest extent humanly possible.

Freedom is not the same as liberty, although many confuse the two. While freedom can seem nice, it can also be a problem. Freedom is doing whatever you want to do, and some people want to do terrible things. Some even want to govern other people! While everyone is free to do hurtful things, limited only by their ability and the ability of their intended victim (or a rescuer) to stop them, no one has the right to commit aggression or theft.

Liberty, on the other hand, can never go "too far", because it is self-limiting; limited only by the equal and identical liberty of everyone else. You can never have the liberty to violate other people.

This is why I love liberty, and try to scatter seeds of liberty whenever I have the chance. I appreciate the efforts of everyone who does the same. Most liberty seeds will wither and die, but a few sprout. I've watched it happen, and it's a beautiful sight.

I will do my best to water and fertilize the liberty seedlings I encounter. Sometimes I run across liberty sprouts which were sown years ago by persons unknown. Yet, there they are, struggling for life in someone's mind. I want to help them thrive.

Sometimes this means having to pull some weeds which took root in the garden; noxious weeds which were mistaken for liberty. This is my least favorite part of spreading liberty. Most people love their weeds, and often they design entire gardens around them. These weeds come in the form of historical documents, respected politicians, revered institutions, and laws they want imposed on people they don't like. These deceptive weeds need to be exposed and uprooted wherever they grow, otherwise they will continue to strangle and kill liberty.

People can grow whatever they want in their garden, of course, but they need to know what it is they are nurturing. When it's not real liberty, it's not going to produce the fruit they expect. If a person is shown they are cultivating a weed, but they choose to keep protecting it, that's their business. I'm still not going to pretend their weed is liberty. You can choose your beliefs; you can't choose your reality.

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History- an obsession with drama queens

I noticed something about "history" a long time ago.

History is focused on the drama queens, not the quiet, mature people who made up most of the world's population. And I suppose this is natural.

Who do you remember best? the quiet neighbor who never made a scene, or that "crazy redneck neighbor" who is always annoying you with their drunken antics?

Well, history is the same.

The kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, generals, soldiers, priests, and all the rest of those who are over-represented in "history" books are no different. They are the drama queens making a scene and getting attention.

The wars, treaties, constitutions, laws, edicts, and everything else they did to get into those "history" books are just the drama queens acting out, to the detriment of the world.

You'd do better to pay attention to those who never made it into "history" books, but obviously, that is a problem.

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Misguided emails

The libertarian causes that "conservatives" share with me seem to be under greater assault than the libertarian causes that "progressives" share with me.

As an example, anti-gun bigotry is rampant while anti-Cannabis bigotry seems to be on the decline.

Of course, with Trump's regime-- his pro-loser stance and his plans for a Great Prison Wall-- that wind is swirling drunkenly in multiple directions at once. Which way it will be blowing tomorrow is unclear.

Anyhow, looking at the past rather than the future, this explains how I ended up on a few "conservative" email lists. And they keep sending emails seeking my support for decidedly anti-liberty causes, and that's just not going to go anywhere. Other than the spam folder.

Too bad they don't have to pay me when they send me reprehensible pro-State drivel.

At least they sometimes give me examples of statist idiocy that I can turn into a blog post. Sometimes. Usually there's nothing even remotely unique, creative, or usable in the stuff they squirt out. Just the same old junk they've been offering for centuries, packaged in a new form.

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Productivity, contributions, and self-doubt

I am constantly nagged by questions of a self-centered nature. Questions of self-doubt.
Questions such as: "Am I productive?" and  "Have I contributed anything?"

The answers I find inside myself are "Well, in a way" and "Even if I have, I could... I should... do so much more".

I want to be productive, and I want to contribute something of value to the future, or maybe even to the present. I know that my beliefs as to what I have (or have not) produced and contributed may not be based in reality. My opinions about what I have accomplished may be off-base. My perspective is too narrow.

What I "produce" may or may not have value. That's not for me to decide. Could I produce more? Sure. The thing holding me back most is that I don't usually know which direction to focus my energy in. I'm not only talking about advocating and defending liberty-- although that's definitely a big part of it. I am uncomfortable focusing too tightly on any one tiny spot more than temporarily, and I always have been. I have too many interests in too many different areas.

And, as for what I have contributed, what will its value turn out to be, if any? I won't know. If the good ideas I have helped spread continue into the future, regardless of who they end up being attributed to, I would feel I have made a valuable contribution, even if no one else does. But that's not something I can ever know in my lifetime. So I have to keep going, blindly, doing my very best to go in only the right direction.

I will never be enough to satisfy myself. I know that. Self doubt is a terrible thing, but I suppose the alternative is arrogance (which I am sometimes accused of anyway). I know many of my faults. I know I probably have many more I can't see. I hope what I produce and contribute is enough to help pay restitution for my faults and flaws.

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Nasty words, used by dumb people

"It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of 'em was one kinda sumbitch or another."
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Captain Malcolm Reynolds

Statesmanship, statesman, and statecraft.

If you understand States, none of those will sound like a good thing to you.

If they do sound good to you, or sound noble in any way, it is a clear sign you haven't got a clue, even if you believe you do.

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Tip-toeing through the Valley of Dangerous Opinions

Since it seems I already have half of the world annoyed with me for expressing my honest opinion in today's newspaper column (although I suspect almost no one read the whole column, before getting upset over the headline and/or first few paragraphs), I suppose this is as good a time as any to express another unpopular opinion.

I believe some homosexuality is genetic and some is by choice. Call it nature vs nurture, or intrinsic vs environmental/experiential, or whatever. I have no idea how much is which, nor do I care one way or the other. This opinion is based on personal observation and personal acquaintances.

And, just like the subject of my newspaper column, I know that it has absolutely no bearing on the rights a person has. As I say in the column (which I recommend you read):

"As a human you have the full complement of human rights-- life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness-- just because you are alive. End of story."

I probably have other unpopular opinions-- I've been made aware of a few over the years. Watch for them. But especially watch to see if I advocate statist actions based on my personal opinions, and burn me alive if I do.

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KentForLiberty fundraiser

Here are all the exciting ways you can enrich your own life while helping finance mine:

My books and Time's Up patches (yes, you can download the books without cost- and if you like them, you can toss a coin in the Paypal cup. Or not.)

CafePress stuff- I don't actually get more than a few cents off any sale, but the extra publicity of these items being seen in public might help a little.

I'm also usually selling a few things on eBay- user name: dullhawk1840.

I'm actually selling fidget spinners- $6 each, I have a variety of solid colors- none of which are KentForLiberty related. I have been selling locally, so I don't know what shipping would be. If you're interested, I can figure it out. Email me.

You can upv*te my posts on Steemit. Not sure how to use those Steem dollars, but if I get enough to be worthwhile I'll figure it out.

And, as always, you can subscribe to this blog on Patreon or Paypal (Paypal subscription options are on the right), or you can make a one-time Paypal donation if you so desire. You can consider it either charity (or even a birthday gift for the upcoming event) or exchanging value for value. Whichever makes you happier.

If you are already a supporter, please don't donate anything extra.

Don't spend/donate more than you can afford. Don't do it if you have better uses for the money, or if you don't want to for any reason whatsoever. If you do, then I sincerely thank you. If you don't, that's OK, too.

In my wildest dreams I can imagine getting enough to be able to replace the carport roof. In reality, well...
Even though I am NOT asking for "something for nothing", I realize many will equate this post with begging or panhandling. Such is life. I can't please everyone.

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"Food insecurity", and who's to blame

A while back I watched a video where someone was whining about "food insecurity", and blaming it (and potential future worsening) on "climate change".

Fair enough. But any current or future trouble from AGCC or "food insecurity" is blood on the hands of central planners.

Individual action, motivated by self interest, would solve the problems. Only when the Grand Designs of Central Planners get in the way, with their "laws" and other one-size-fits-all nonsense, does individual action run into roadblocks.

If your grandkids or great-grandkids are starving in a future of bare store shelves and a destroyed climate, it won't be greedy free-marketeers who are most to blame-- rather it will be those who thought they knew how to run the world: government and the other "smart" archators. Hold them accountable NOW.

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Dumb, authoritarian smart people

Smart people, and those who imagine themselves to be smart, tend to be authoritarian.

That's because they believe they know what's best for you.

They see nothing wrong with forcing their ideas on you, however they can. Including through the guns of government. They see themselves as the Elite, better than the rest. Better than you and me.

They mistake "smarter than" for "better than"; "more kindly and understanding than".

They are nothing but bullies. Instead of being physically bigger and stronger like the playground bullies, they are (perhaps) mentally bigger and stronger, and they use this to beat up on others who are at a disadvantage.

Oh, they'll believe they are doing it for your own good. Which means they aren't as smart as they imagine themselves to be.

It would be nice if these smart people were smart enough to leave people alone to make, and learn from, their own mistakes. And smart enough to know where their rights end and the other person's rights begin. But that would undercut their feelings of superiority, and they can't allow that to happen.

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Honorable codes libertarian at heart

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for June 7, 2017)

A well-lived life is a journey to be a better person than the person you were yesterday. Perhaps, In the process, even to leave the world a little better for your having been here. How will you go about it?

I suppose it depends on how you define "better person". You can't get there without knowing where you want to go. Nor can you get there by going in the opposite direction.

To me, being a 'better person" means being kind when you can. It means not being a burden on others; not stealing from them or trespassing on their property. It means not using violence against those who aren't attacking or robbing others. It also means no justification for doing those things, no matter what. All your interactions will be voluntary ones and you don't impose yourself on others. The name for this way of living among others is "libertarianism".

Libertarianism makes me a better person. I am not there yet, but I believe I'm a little closer every day.

It can help you, too, no matter what else also inspires you to be the best person you can be. Libertarianism is a perfect fit with all decent behavior, and completely at odds with everything which might stand in your way of being a better person. All honorable religion, codes, and ethics are libertarian at heart. When applied consistently, libertarianism shines a light into the dark nooks and crannies some people try to hide from their proclaimed values. It leaves no room for contradictions.

Yet, many people have been taught to be suspicious of libertarianism; to mischaracterize it and fear its consequences. Not surprisingly, this suspicion is encouraged by people who don't want to be thought of as the bad guys while doing bad things.

Maybe someone honestly believes living by theft and aggression makes them a better person, particularly when legalized and called by more respectable names. If so, I question their definition of "better person". To me, it seems they want to be a bully while feeling good about their behavior. Until I am forced to defend myself from them, I won't waste much effort arguing their point.

Those who want me to doubt that voluntary acts, self ownership, and individual responsibility are the best, most moral and ethical way to live among others are asking me to believe theft, aggression, superstition, and slavery might be better. I won't believe that's true. I can't.

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Snoops

Snoopy, privacy-invading technology has the potential to be annoying, but is only dangerous because you-- or someone-- allows aggressive, thieving gangs to use the collected data to molest and control you.

Apart from the superstitious belief in government, snoopy technology wouldn't really be an issue.

You could shoot trespassing drones out of the sky.
You could refuse to incriminate yourself for the convenience of bureaucrats.
You could exercise your right of association and refuse to do business with companies who snoop and only patronize those who protect your data, and there would be no gang to extort them to either spy on you (or let the gang create "backdoors" in the company's private property where they can enter to snoop on you) or lose their "license" to conduct business.
You could do all sorts of "illegal" things to protect your privacy and get restitution when snoops violate you.
And no data unethically collected could ever be used to govern you, anyway, because the governing gang wouldn't be there to use the information against you.

Again, the root problem is archation; the bothersome trouble most people outside our liberty family will notice from snoops is just what naturally results from snooping in the presence of government.

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