Destruction can be good or bad
I dislike senseless destruction, filth, and waste. That is one reason that when I celebrate "Random Acts of Anarchy Day" I usually do so by picking up litter, or by anonymously repairing something. The personality trait that makes me want to go around picking up litter is the same trait that makes me want to rid society of the state: I want to pick up the garbage that others have left behind and make the world a little bit better. I dislike the filth and pollution represented by, and spread by, statism. I realize that statists will continue to pollute society faster than I can clean up after them, and that most people don't yet recognize statism as the negatively destructive force it is. That doesn't mean I am spinning my wheels. After all, maybe I will eventually inspire someone who will make a real difference. Plus, I am far from alone; there are more of us libertarian/anarchists every day.
Of course, I also understand that every act of creativity begins with an act of purposeful destruction. You, or someone before you, must take something apart for the raw materials or constituent parts in order to create something new. The state could be dismantled and a better society, a consistent and rational society, could be built from the debris. There are a lot of intelligent people working for the state. Most could find honest work in a free society if they are willing to give up a life of coercion. There are a lot of guns owned by the military and "law enforcement" that could be better used in the hands of the general population; a population who would aim the guns at the right people - the aggressors and thieves. The day of the gangs (on both sides of the badge) would be over.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Friday, May 01, 2009
Authoritarianism or libertarianism? Choose your philosophy wisely
Authoritarianism or libertarianism? Choose your philosophy wisely
"Right" or "left". "Liberal" or "conservative". False choices. Just like "cops and criminals"- they simply play different positions on the same team, and if you buy into their rhetoric, you are the one who will lose. It really boils down to statism or libertarianism. Do you want people to be controlled or do you not?
There are so many competing philosophies and world-views out there. All you can do is find the one you think is best and stay with it consistently. As for me: I prefer the only philosophy that says that theft and aggression is wrong all the time. I prefer the philosophy that makes no exceptions for those who wear the silly hat of "government".
If an act would be wrong for me to do, right now, on my own initiative, it is also wrong for agents of the DEA, FBI, BATFEces, SWAT, the military, the IRS, or any of the other organs of the state to do. If an act is really right for those same groups to do with government approval, then the same act is right for me to do on my own with or without government approval. Stop making excuses for evil acts done in the name of the state.
If you want "people" to be controlled, start with yourself. After all, you are the only person you really have any authority to control, and you are the only person who has that authority.
"Political tags-such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist,
liberal, conservative, and so forth-are never basic criteria. The human race
divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who
have no such desire." -- Robert A Heinlein
"Right" or "left". "Liberal" or "conservative". False choices. Just like "cops and criminals"- they simply play different positions on the same team, and if you buy into their rhetoric, you are the one who will lose. It really boils down to statism or libertarianism. Do you want people to be controlled or do you not?
There are so many competing philosophies and world-views out there. All you can do is find the one you think is best and stay with it consistently. As for me: I prefer the only philosophy that says that theft and aggression is wrong all the time. I prefer the philosophy that makes no exceptions for those who wear the silly hat of "government".
If an act would be wrong for me to do, right now, on my own initiative, it is also wrong for agents of the DEA, FBI, BATFEces, SWAT, the military, the IRS, or any of the other organs of the state to do. If an act is really right for those same groups to do with government approval, then the same act is right for me to do on my own with or without government approval. Stop making excuses for evil acts done in the name of the state.
If you want "people" to be controlled, start with yourself. After all, you are the only person you really have any authority to control, and you are the only person who has that authority.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What 'politics' means to me
What 'politics' means to me
(This is an updated "oldie".)
I think that "politics" is a system for getting along with people whom you do not like. No one needs politics for dealing with those we like. Getting along with them comes naturally. Therefore, I believe that the best political system is the one which allows those who really don't like one another to still live their lives peaceably in the same space.
Authoritarianism doesn't work because it usually forces those people together in a way that makes both sides more unhappy than they were before. It makes rules that will always hurt someone for the benefit of someone else. It imposes forced compliance, and forced (false) "agreement".
Only in a libertarian society (an anarchic society) can people be free to associate in any way they choose, with whoever they choose, as long as no one initiates force on, or steals from, anyone else. There is no need for the "uncooperative individuals" in society to go along. The "system" works just as well whether they want it to or not.
This is not a huge revelation, but I see it work on a small scale every day. If you truly dislike someone, minimize your dealings with them, and do not cause situations which escalate the dislike on either side. When you must deal with them, do so with the same respect that you would want, and then move along. Don't dwell on the fact that you don't like them. If you can ever grow past the need for your dislike, you might just find that they are not so bad after all. It has happened before for me.
(This is an updated "oldie".)
I think that "politics" is a system for getting along with people whom you do not like. No one needs politics for dealing with those we like. Getting along with them comes naturally. Therefore, I believe that the best political system is the one which allows those who really don't like one another to still live their lives peaceably in the same space.
Authoritarianism doesn't work because it usually forces those people together in a way that makes both sides more unhappy than they were before. It makes rules that will always hurt someone for the benefit of someone else. It imposes forced compliance, and forced (false) "agreement".
Only in a libertarian society (an anarchic society) can people be free to associate in any way they choose, with whoever they choose, as long as no one initiates force on, or steals from, anyone else. There is no need for the "uncooperative individuals" in society to go along. The "system" works just as well whether they want it to or not.
This is not a huge revelation, but I see it work on a small scale every day. If you truly dislike someone, minimize your dealings with them, and do not cause situations which escalate the dislike on either side. When you must deal with them, do so with the same respect that you would want, and then move along. Don't dwell on the fact that you don't like them. If you can ever grow past the need for your dislike, you might just find that they are not so bad after all. It has happened before for me.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Swine Flu a made-to-order crisis?
As was recently admitted by one of Obama's henchmen, the state doesn't like to waste a crisis. Even if that means they need to manufacture one.
It seems that a swine flu panic is being drummed up in order to give the KGB, oh, sorry "Homeland Security", an excuse to cancel even the lip service the Constitutional limits on government power occasionally get.
Keep this in perspective. Swine flu is a much smaller threat than the state. Even the death toll from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic is only a fraction of the death toll from government. Treatment and prevention are better now. And the state is much more dangerous than it was 90 years ago. There is a risk, but it isn't the one being promoted by the government lapdogs in the mainstream media.
Government would love to have an excuse to lock down the nation, and possibly even declare martial law. Government would love to disrupt your life and make you come crawling, frightened, to its operatives; begging them to rescue you. Don't let them get away with it, no matter how they magnify the danger from this (or the next) "crisis". There is no problem so great that it can't be made orders of magnitude worse by adding even a little government "help".
PS: In case you haven't yet seen it, here is Ron Paul on the "swine flu crisis".
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
When the economy collapses, murder/suicide isn't the answer
When the economy collapses, murder/suicide isn't the answer
In recent months I have heard about quite a few murder/suicides that were blamed on the "bad economy".
Is that how people react to a bad economy? Is that the proper response to a lost job? Why kill former co-workers? Why kill family and self? These desperate individuals can't think of a way to survive without money? Has dependency become so pervasive that there is no self-sufficiency in individuals anymore?
Not too many people still have the skills to make do with what they have anymore. Take a lesson from survivors of the previous "Great Depression". Are you willing to find alternative foods? (and I'm not necessarily talking about a previously discussed source). There are books and websites that can help you learn skills to ease a lack of money. Use the money you have (or earn in a lower-paying job) for those things that there is no alternative way of getting. Learn to barter. Grow a garden (what good is a lawn?). Raise chickens and goats. Trade skills with others. If you still really need help, ask for charity; don't go to the state for "welfare". One is moral; the other is "receiving stolen property".
While you have the right to end your own life if you want to, you have no right to make that decision for anyone else who isn't attacking you. Just because you see no way out, it doesn't mean that others are in the same boat. Tomorrow you might be in a better mood and realize that it isn't the end of the world unless you do the dirty work yourself.
Just remember that in a bad economy you are losing things that the majority of humans, for the vast majority of our existence as a species, have done pretty well without. I realize that the state makes life without these things more difficult than they need to be (and often "illegal"; "poaching" is an example), but that is a strike against the legitimacy of the state, not evidence of your "failure" as a person. Shrug off any guilt at breaking the counterfeit "laws" of the state, while abiding by the ZAP, and you still have a chance of doing pretty well.
Killing your family isn't the answer. Killing your former co-workers isn't (usually) the answer. Remember, unless you kill them during an attack on you, you are just "getting revenge", which is always wrong, whether done as an individual or as a society.
In recent months I have heard about quite a few murder/suicides that were blamed on the "bad economy".
Is that how people react to a bad economy? Is that the proper response to a lost job? Why kill former co-workers? Why kill family and self? These desperate individuals can't think of a way to survive without money? Has dependency become so pervasive that there is no self-sufficiency in individuals anymore?
Not too many people still have the skills to make do with what they have anymore. Take a lesson from survivors of the previous "Great Depression". Are you willing to find alternative foods? (and I'm not necessarily talking about a previously discussed source). There are books and websites that can help you learn skills to ease a lack of money. Use the money you have (or earn in a lower-paying job) for those things that there is no alternative way of getting. Learn to barter. Grow a garden (what good is a lawn?). Raise chickens and goats. Trade skills with others. If you still really need help, ask for charity; don't go to the state for "welfare". One is moral; the other is "receiving stolen property".
While you have the right to end your own life if you want to, you have no right to make that decision for anyone else who isn't attacking you. Just because you see no way out, it doesn't mean that others are in the same boat. Tomorrow you might be in a better mood and realize that it isn't the end of the world unless you do the dirty work yourself.
Just remember that in a bad economy you are losing things that the majority of humans, for the vast majority of our existence as a species, have done pretty well without. I realize that the state makes life without these things more difficult than they need to be (and often "illegal"; "poaching" is an example), but that is a strike against the legitimacy of the state, not evidence of your "failure" as a person. Shrug off any guilt at breaking the counterfeit "laws" of the state, while abiding by the ZAP, and you still have a chance of doing pretty well.
Killing your family isn't the answer. Killing your former co-workers isn't (usually) the answer. Remember, unless you kill them during an attack on you, you are just "getting revenge", which is always wrong, whether done as an individual or as a society.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Government is not an optimal solution
Government is not an optimal solution
Depending on government is like trying to dig a hole with a hammer. It is possible to do (I know; I have done it), but it is far from the optimal tool for the job.
Where a free society would help the less fortunate with charity and a helping hand, government "helps" them with stolen money, and then takes away their remaining dignity and lays claim to their lives.
Where a free society would encourage children to learn how to learn, "government schooling" causes a hatred of anything deemed "educational" that cripples many for their entire lifetime.
Where a free society would ignore what a person owns and carries as long as they harm no one else, a government demonizes mere possession of myriad items and substances.
Where a free society could have many competing currencies, each valuable to certain people, governments dictate the use of illusionary "money" that loses value day by day, stealing the substance of your life's work as long as you hold onto it.
Where a free society would define "justice" as making things right for the victim, government is more concerned with punishing the person its courts "find" guilty.
Where a free society would not care what is in your bloodstream as long as you could do what you committed to do, a government encourages assault and theft of blood, and perverted, quasi-sexual collection of urine to make sure you are allowed to work.
Where a free society would "assume liberty", government assumes ownership. It demands oversight and victimhood.
In all these cases, while you can make a society run by government "work", it is a horribly sick and twisted shadow of what society could be. Devised, administered, and supported by horribly sick and twisted minds.
Hat tip: Thanks to Francois Tremblay for the "horribly sick and twisted mind" he linked to.
Depending on government is like trying to dig a hole with a hammer. It is possible to do (I know; I have done it), but it is far from the optimal tool for the job.
Where a free society would help the less fortunate with charity and a helping hand, government "helps" them with stolen money, and then takes away their remaining dignity and lays claim to their lives.
Where a free society would encourage children to learn how to learn, "government schooling" causes a hatred of anything deemed "educational" that cripples many for their entire lifetime.
Where a free society would ignore what a person owns and carries as long as they harm no one else, a government demonizes mere possession of myriad items and substances.
Where a free society could have many competing currencies, each valuable to certain people, governments dictate the use of illusionary "money" that loses value day by day, stealing the substance of your life's work as long as you hold onto it.
Where a free society would define "justice" as making things right for the victim, government is more concerned with punishing the person its courts "find" guilty.
Where a free society would not care what is in your bloodstream as long as you could do what you committed to do, a government encourages assault and theft of blood, and perverted, quasi-sexual collection of urine to make sure you are allowed to work.
Where a free society would "assume liberty", government assumes ownership. It demands oversight and victimhood.
In all these cases, while you can make a society run by government "work", it is a horribly sick and twisted shadow of what society could be. Devised, administered, and supported by horribly sick and twisted minds.
Hat tip: Thanks to Francois Tremblay for the "horribly sick and twisted mind" he linked to.
Fiat money gets more competition every day, for good reason
Fiat money gets more competition every day, for good reason
It's a shame that the most prolific and dangerous counterfeiters work for government. That places them beyond the reach of justice or restitution. In country after country, they ply their trade with the backing of the full coercive force of the government. Government refuses to back its paper certificates with anything of value; mints its coins of near-worthless metals... and few people even notice they have been duped.
There is a way to strike back though: don't use their money except when forced to. There are choices. The amusing thing is that governments always require you pay taxes and other illegitimate tributes with their own funny-money. The joke is on them.
Money almost seems to define a society. You can learn a lot about a society or a culture by closely examining its money. When friends or family travel the world, one thing that is frequently requested is "Would you bring me some foreign money?" In this case, the "value" of the money is in its novelty.
Money, in its most common, modern form, consists of little, portable works of art that are traded for things you want or need. The symbols upon it, and the materials it is made from, tell what is important to the people who choose to use it. Or to the government that tries to give you no choice. Real money is best made of something that has never been worth "zero", and is used by voluntary consent, not government edict. Government promises, those little IOUs called "dollars" (or more accurately "Federal Reserve Notes"), don't meet that requirement. By using privately issued voluntary money, you are not endorsing the system that attempts to violate your rights more each day. That is worth a lot, in itself. That is one reason I am designing my own silver coins. Value and values combined.
_______________
For some alternative voluntary currencies: Check out the Liberty Dollar, the American Open Currency Standard, and the Silver Dubloon. These are not the only options out there, either. Expect more in the near future as confidence in fiat money declines.
It's a shame that the most prolific and dangerous counterfeiters work for government. That places them beyond the reach of justice or restitution. In country after country, they ply their trade with the backing of the full coercive force of the government. Government refuses to back its paper certificates with anything of value; mints its coins of near-worthless metals... and few people even notice they have been duped.
There is a way to strike back though: don't use their money except when forced to. There are choices. The amusing thing is that governments always require you pay taxes and other illegitimate tributes with their own funny-money. The joke is on them.
Money almost seems to define a society. You can learn a lot about a society or a culture by closely examining its money. When friends or family travel the world, one thing that is frequently requested is "Would you bring me some foreign money?" In this case, the "value" of the money is in its novelty.
Money, in its most common, modern form, consists of little, portable works of art that are traded for things you want or need. The symbols upon it, and the materials it is made from, tell what is important to the people who choose to use it. Or to the government that tries to give you no choice. Real money is best made of something that has never been worth "zero", and is used by voluntary consent, not government edict. Government promises, those little IOUs called "dollars" (or more accurately "Federal Reserve Notes"), don't meet that requirement. By using privately issued voluntary money, you are not endorsing the system that attempts to violate your rights more each day. That is worth a lot, in itself. That is one reason I am designing my own silver coins. Value and values combined.
_______________
For some alternative voluntary currencies: Check out the Liberty Dollar, the American Open Currency Standard, and the Silver Dubloon. These are not the only options out there, either. Expect more in the near future as confidence in fiat money declines.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Concealed carry and property rights are compatible
Concealed carry and property rights are compatible
Your property rights end at the surface of my clothes, just as my property rights end at the surface of your clothes. Would I forbid you to come onto my property, assuming I sent out an open invitation otherwise, if you had a pacemaker or an artificial hip? Of course not! Those things are technological enhancements for imperfect human bodies. That is all a gun is. Humans don't have the fangs, claws, or a protective shell for self defense that many other animals have. Most of us do not have the opportunity to become experts at unarmed combat, either. Instead we have a brain that lets us devise tools to make up for that deficiency. To make a rule that a person coming onto your property must leave part of his body behind is crazy and wrong.
A reasonable approach is to forbid certain behaviors: no attacks allowed. And if you break this rule, the other people around you, suitably armed, will stop the attack. The alternative is to encourage massacres like Columbine, Binghamton, and Virginia Tech.
There is much disagreement on this issue among gun owners, and mine is the minority position. That doesn't necessarily mean I am wrong. Here is my train of thought:
Rights don't overlap; two people can't have an equal claim over the same property. No matter where you go, there is a "you-shaped" bubble of your property, with all its rights intact, encasing you. In a free society, absent coercive government, you have absolute rights to your property. If you choose to allow other people to come onto your property (such as for business purposes or private visitation) you are accepting the other people as they are, within their "bubble". Your property rights do not penetrate this bubble around them, just as their property rights don't extend beyond that bubble while they are your guest (unless they brought some other property with them, such as a purse or a jacket). Your only reasonable caveat is that they are expected to behave in certain ways. For instance, not attack other guests/customers nor their host; not steal; and they may be expected to be polite (depending on the circumstances). However, what is inside their clothing is not your business as long as it remains there. Contagions and radiation, and in some cases odors, are things that are reasonable violations of this expectation. Anything else and you are violating the property rights of your invited guests and endangering innocent lives.
You are also assuming responsibility for the safety of your guests or customers if you forbid self-defense. If you fail, you are almost as guilty as the attacker. That, however, is an issue for another time.
Your property rights end at the surface of my clothes, just as my property rights end at the surface of your clothes. Would I forbid you to come onto my property, assuming I sent out an open invitation otherwise, if you had a pacemaker or an artificial hip? Of course not! Those things are technological enhancements for imperfect human bodies. That is all a gun is. Humans don't have the fangs, claws, or a protective shell for self defense that many other animals have. Most of us do not have the opportunity to become experts at unarmed combat, either. Instead we have a brain that lets us devise tools to make up for that deficiency. To make a rule that a person coming onto your property must leave part of his body behind is crazy and wrong.
A reasonable approach is to forbid certain behaviors: no attacks allowed. And if you break this rule, the other people around you, suitably armed, will stop the attack. The alternative is to encourage massacres like Columbine, Binghamton, and Virginia Tech.
There is much disagreement on this issue among gun owners, and mine is the minority position. That doesn't necessarily mean I am wrong. Here is my train of thought:
Rights don't overlap; two people can't have an equal claim over the same property. No matter where you go, there is a "you-shaped" bubble of your property, with all its rights intact, encasing you. In a free society, absent coercive government, you have absolute rights to your property. If you choose to allow other people to come onto your property (such as for business purposes or private visitation) you are accepting the other people as they are, within their "bubble". Your property rights do not penetrate this bubble around them, just as their property rights don't extend beyond that bubble while they are your guest (unless they brought some other property with them, such as a purse or a jacket). Your only reasonable caveat is that they are expected to behave in certain ways. For instance, not attack other guests/customers nor their host; not steal; and they may be expected to be polite (depending on the circumstances). However, what is inside their clothing is not your business as long as it remains there. Contagions and radiation, and in some cases odors, are things that are reasonable violations of this expectation. Anything else and you are violating the property rights of your invited guests and endangering innocent lives.
You are also assuming responsibility for the safety of your guests or customers if you forbid self-defense. If you fail, you are almost as guilty as the attacker. That, however, is an issue for another time.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Should libertarians tone down the message?
Should libertarians tone down the message?
Those of us who are actively trying to spread the ideas (and ideals) of liberty walk a fine line. Should we tone down the message, or even lie, in order to avoid offending people who casually come across our words? Should we change the subject to avoid talking of certain topics that might be offensive to some? Or do we boldly advocate liberty, warts and all?
Some responses I received to my column on cannibalism surprised me. Let me rephrase that; the responses did not surprise me, but the individuals making some of those responses surprised me. In the name of "don't offend the newbies" I fear some may be turning away from the principles that actually make the difference between statists and libertarians. The principles that clearly show the difference between the two philosophies and which originally attracted me to the people who valued these things as I do.
Remember, "polite society" won't yet acknowledge that the Drug War is a disastrous failure (as prohibition always is) and that it should be dispensed with. "Polite society" may still be in denial that the freest and safest societies are those which are universally armed. "Polite society" still thinks theft, kidnapping, and mass murder are just fine as long as it is "their government" doing these things under the guise of euphemistic terms.
Should libertarians lie about those things in order to attract new adherents? Who would really be attracted to the cause of liberty in that case? More authoritarians who would explore no farther; that's who. Soon libertarians would find themselves in a similar condition to that which is killing the Libertarian Party: a difference which makes no difference is no difference at all.
I choose to continue to be different and stand up for liberty.
***********************************
Those of us who are actively trying to spread the ideas (and ideals) of liberty walk a fine line. Should we tone down the message, or even lie, in order to avoid offending people who casually come across our words? Should we change the subject to avoid talking of certain topics that might be offensive to some? Or do we boldly advocate liberty, warts and all?
Some responses I received to my column on cannibalism surprised me. Let me rephrase that; the responses did not surprise me, but the individuals making some of those responses surprised me. In the name of "don't offend the newbies" I fear some may be turning away from the principles that actually make the difference between statists and libertarians. The principles that clearly show the difference between the two philosophies and which originally attracted me to the people who valued these things as I do.
Remember, "polite society" won't yet acknowledge that the Drug War is a disastrous failure (as prohibition always is) and that it should be dispensed with. "Polite society" may still be in denial that the freest and safest societies are those which are universally armed. "Polite society" still thinks theft, kidnapping, and mass murder are just fine as long as it is "their government" doing these things under the guise of euphemistic terms.
Should libertarians lie about those things in order to attract new adherents? Who would really be attracted to the cause of liberty in that case? More authoritarians who would explore no farther; that's who. Soon libertarians would find themselves in a similar condition to that which is killing the Libertarian Party: a difference which makes no difference is no difference at all.
I choose to continue to be different and stand up for liberty.
***********************************
Monday, April 20, 2009
Is cannibalism really wrong or just taboo?
Now for something completely different. How about a light-hearted look at cannibalism?
This is just a train of thought that pulled out of the station as I read an article in The Libertarian Enterprise that mentioned "cannibalism" as something that is wrong, and something we should feel guilt over doing. For some reason I balked at the assertion. I can't see any reason to claim cannibalism is wrong in and of itself. As long as you are not devouring the living, it doesn't violate the ZAP as it initiates force on no one. Dead people can not be harmed or coerced or stolen from or defrauded. They are just as dead whether you eat them or not. You are also stealing nothing. Do the dead person's survivors own the corpse? How? Unless a contract of some sort was completed before death I don't think they do.
So, is cannibalism wrong? What about in survival situations? It has happened numerous times, and probably more frequently than is known. Was Alferd Packer a murderer or just a resourceful survivor? Should the "Donner party" have allowed themselves to all die of starvation instead of taking advantage of free meat? What would you do in a similar situation?
Obviously if you kill an innocent person in order to eat him, you have committed a gross violation of the ZAP. But if you are attacked and manage to kill your attacker, why would it be wrong to eat him? Dead thugs don't care what you do to their corpses. Their relatives might care, but the dead guy's body might be restitution in a way and I think you might have a valid claim on it. I wonder if such a consequence might cause more thugs to choose another line of work rather than risk becoming a meal.
Or what if a friend or family member dies and leaves instructions for his or her body to be the main course at a funeral barbecue? Isn't that a selfless offer: to nourish those left behind?
I see nothing necessarily un-libertarian or wrong with cannibalism. It's your turn. So, tell me why it would be unequivocally wrong to eat a human under any circumstances, or why you agree that it wouldn't be wrong under the conditions I laid out. And remember that "legal" or "illegal" are not very good indicators of "right" or "wrong", but are a lazy way for government extremists to try to control behavior. Let's think deeper than that.
Added: Apparently, you shouldn't ask questions like this (link)
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Sunday, April 19, 2009
"A Declaration of Separation"
"A Declaration of Separation"
This is taken from here; I don't agree with every single item, but with the vast majority, and could live with the rest. I think it is a good step and needs to be spread far and wide. So I hereby do my part. Presenting....
A Declaration of Separation
====To The Governments & People of Earth: ====
We claim the right to exist, and we will defend it.
We do not seek to overthrow anything. We do not seek to control anything. We merely wish to be left alone.
All we ever wanted was to live in peace with our friends and neighbors. For a long, long time we bore insults to our liberty; we took blows, we did what we could to avoid injury and we worked through the system to get the offenses to stop. That has now changed.
We no longer see any benefit in working through the world's systems. At some point, working within a system becomes cowardly and immoral; for us, that point has arrived. Regardless of the parties in power, their governments have continued to restrict, restrain and punish us. We hereby reject them all. We hereby withdraw from them all. We hold the ruling states of this world and all that appertains to them to be self-serving and opposed to humanity.
We now withdraw our obedience and reclaim the right to strike back when struck. We will not initiate force, but we do reserve the right to answer it. We did not choose this – it was forced upon us.
==== To The Governments of Earth: ====
You are building cages for all that is human. In the name of protection, you have intruded into all areas of human life, far exceeding the reach of any Caesar. You claim ultimate control of our property and our decisions, of our travels and even our identities. You claim ownership of humanity far beyond the dreams of any Emperor of any previous era. Understand clearly: We reject your authority and we reject your legitimacy. We do not believe that you have any right to do the things you do. You have massive power, but no right to impose it upon us and no legitimacy. We have forsaken you. We are no longer your citizens or your subjects.
Your systems are inherently anti-human, even if all their operators are not. We are not merely angry young people. We are fathers and mothers; aunts, uncles and grandparents; we are business owners and trusted employees; we are mechanics and engineers and farmers. We are nurses and accountants and students and executives.
We are on every continent.
This is not a burst of outrage; this is a sober declaration that we no longer accept unearned suffering as our role in life. For long decades we sat quietly, hoping that things would turn around. We took no actions; we suffered along with everyone else. But after having our limits pushed back again and again, we have given up on your systems.
If our fellow inhabitants of this planet wish to accept your rule, they are free to do so. We will not try to stop them. We, however, will no longer accept your constraints upon us.
From now on, when you hurt us, we will bite back. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone and you can continue to rule your subjects. We are happy to live quietly. But if you come after us, there will be consequences. You caused this because of your fetish for control and power. The chief men and women among you are pathologically driven to control everyone and everything that moves upon this planet. You have made yourselves the judge of every human activity. No god-king of the ancient world ever had the power that your systems do.
You have created a world where only the neutered are safe and where only outlaws are free.
==== To The People of Earth: ====
We seek nothing from you. We do not want to rule you and we do not want to control you.
All we wish is to live on earth in peace. As always, we will be helpful neighbors and generous acquaintances. We will remain honest business partners and trustworthy employees. We will continue to be loving parents and respectful children.
We will not, however, be sacrificial animals. We reject the idea that others have a right to our lives and our property. We will not demand anything from you, and we will no longer acquiesce to any demands upon us. We have left that game. We reject all obligations to any person or organization beyond honesty, fair dealing and a respect for human life.
We will shortly explain what we believe, but we are not demanding that you agree with us. All we ask is that you do not try to stop us. Continue to play the game if you wish; we will not try to disrupt it. We have merely walked away from it. We wish you peace.
==== To Those Who Will Condemn Us: ====
We will ignore you.
We welcome and seek the verdict of a just God, before whom we are willing to expose our innermost thoughts. Are you similarly willing?
We would stand openly before all mankind if it were not suicidal. Perhaps some day we will have to accept slaughter for our crime of independence, but not yet.
Your criticism and your malice are much deeper than mere disagreements of strategy or philosophy. You do not oppose our philosophy, you oppose our existence. Our presence in the world means that your precious ideals are false. Some of you would rather kill us than face the loss of your ideologies, just as those like you have either hated or killed every sufficiently independent human.
You present yourselves to the world as compassionate, tolerant and enlightened, but we know that your smooth words are costumes. Oh yes, we know you, servant of the state; don't forget, we were raised with you. We played with you in the schoolyard, we sat next to you in the classroom. Some of us studied at the same elite universities. We watched as you had your first tastes of power. We were the boys and girls standing next to you.
Some of us were your first victims. We are not fooled by your carefully crafted public image.
==== What We Believe ====
#1: Many humans resent the responsibilities that are implied by consciousness. We accept those responsibilities and we embrace consciousness. Rather than letting things happen to us (avoiding consciousness), we accept consciousness and choose to act in our own interest.
We do not seek the refuge of blaming others, neither do we take refuge in crowds. We are willing to act on our personal judgment, and we are willing to accept the consequences thereof.
#2: We believe in negative rights for all: That all humans should be free to do whatever they wish, as long as they do not intrude upon others; that no man has a right to the life, liberty or property of another; that we oppose aggression, fraud and coercion.
#3: We do not believe that our way of life, or any other, will make life perfect or trouble-free. We expect crime and disagreements and ugliness, and we are prepared to deal with them. We do not seek a strongman to step in and solve problems for us. We agree to see to them ourselves.
#4: We believe in free and unhindered commerce. So long as exchanges are voluntary and honest, no other party has a right to intervene – before, during or after.
#5: We believe that all individuals should keep their agreements.
#6: We believe that honestly obtained property is fully legitimate and absolute.
#7: We believe that some humans are evil and that they must be faced and dealt with. We accept the fact that this is a difficult area of life.
#8: We believe that humans can self-organize effectively. We expect them to cooperate. We reject impositions of hierarchy and organization.
#9: We believe that all humans are to be held as equals in all matters regarding justice.
#10: We believe that the more a man or woman cares about right and wrong, the more of a threat he or she is perceived to be by governments.
#11: We believe that there are only two true classes of human beings: Those who wish to exercise power upon others - either directly or through intermediaries - and those who have no such desires.
#12: Large organizations and centralization are inherently anti-human. They must rely upon rules rather than principles, treating humans within the organization as obedient tools.
==== Our Plans: ====
We are building our own society. We will supplement traditional tools with networking, cryptography, sound money, digital currency and anonymous messaging.
Our society will not be centrally controlled. It will rely solely on voluntary arrangements. We welcome others to join us. We are looking for people who are independent creators of value, people who act more than talk, and people who do the right thing because it is the right thing.
We will develop our own methods of dealing with injustice, built on the principles of negative rights, restitution, integrity and equal justice.
We do not forbid anyone from having one foot in each realm - ours and the old realm - although we demand that they do no damage to our realm. We are fully opposed to any use of our realm to facilitate crime in the old realm, such as the hiding of criminal proceeds.
We expect to be loudly condemned, libeled and slandered by the authorities of the old regime.
We expect them to defend their power and their image of legitimacy with all means available to them. We expect that many gullible and servile people will believe these lies, at least at first.
We will consider traps laid for us to be criminal offenses. Any who wish to join us are encouraged to distribute this declaration, to act in furtherance of our new society, to voluntarily excel in virtues and to communicate and cooperate with other members of the new society.
Free, unashamed men cannot be ruled.
We are The Free and The Unashamed.
This is taken from here; I don't agree with every single item, but with the vast majority, and could live with the rest. I think it is a good step and needs to be spread far and wide. So I hereby do my part. Presenting....
A Declaration of Separation
====To The Governments & People of Earth: ====
We claim the right to exist, and we will defend it.
We do not seek to overthrow anything. We do not seek to control anything. We merely wish to be left alone.
All we ever wanted was to live in peace with our friends and neighbors. For a long, long time we bore insults to our liberty; we took blows, we did what we could to avoid injury and we worked through the system to get the offenses to stop. That has now changed.
We no longer see any benefit in working through the world's systems. At some point, working within a system becomes cowardly and immoral; for us, that point has arrived. Regardless of the parties in power, their governments have continued to restrict, restrain and punish us. We hereby reject them all. We hereby withdraw from them all. We hold the ruling states of this world and all that appertains to them to be self-serving and opposed to humanity.
We now withdraw our obedience and reclaim the right to strike back when struck. We will not initiate force, but we do reserve the right to answer it. We did not choose this – it was forced upon us.
==== To The Governments of Earth: ====
You are building cages for all that is human. In the name of protection, you have intruded into all areas of human life, far exceeding the reach of any Caesar. You claim ultimate control of our property and our decisions, of our travels and even our identities. You claim ownership of humanity far beyond the dreams of any Emperor of any previous era. Understand clearly: We reject your authority and we reject your legitimacy. We do not believe that you have any right to do the things you do. You have massive power, but no right to impose it upon us and no legitimacy. We have forsaken you. We are no longer your citizens or your subjects.
Your systems are inherently anti-human, even if all their operators are not. We are not merely angry young people. We are fathers and mothers; aunts, uncles and grandparents; we are business owners and trusted employees; we are mechanics and engineers and farmers. We are nurses and accountants and students and executives.
We are on every continent.
This is not a burst of outrage; this is a sober declaration that we no longer accept unearned suffering as our role in life. For long decades we sat quietly, hoping that things would turn around. We took no actions; we suffered along with everyone else. But after having our limits pushed back again and again, we have given up on your systems.
If our fellow inhabitants of this planet wish to accept your rule, they are free to do so. We will not try to stop them. We, however, will no longer accept your constraints upon us.
From now on, when you hurt us, we will bite back. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone and you can continue to rule your subjects. We are happy to live quietly. But if you come after us, there will be consequences. You caused this because of your fetish for control and power. The chief men and women among you are pathologically driven to control everyone and everything that moves upon this planet. You have made yourselves the judge of every human activity. No god-king of the ancient world ever had the power that your systems do.
You have created a world where only the neutered are safe and where only outlaws are free.
==== To The People of Earth: ====
We seek nothing from you. We do not want to rule you and we do not want to control you.
All we wish is to live on earth in peace. As always, we will be helpful neighbors and generous acquaintances. We will remain honest business partners and trustworthy employees. We will continue to be loving parents and respectful children.
We will not, however, be sacrificial animals. We reject the idea that others have a right to our lives and our property. We will not demand anything from you, and we will no longer acquiesce to any demands upon us. We have left that game. We reject all obligations to any person or organization beyond honesty, fair dealing and a respect for human life.
We will shortly explain what we believe, but we are not demanding that you agree with us. All we ask is that you do not try to stop us. Continue to play the game if you wish; we will not try to disrupt it. We have merely walked away from it. We wish you peace.
==== To Those Who Will Condemn Us: ====
We will ignore you.
We welcome and seek the verdict of a just God, before whom we are willing to expose our innermost thoughts. Are you similarly willing?
We would stand openly before all mankind if it were not suicidal. Perhaps some day we will have to accept slaughter for our crime of independence, but not yet.
Your criticism and your malice are much deeper than mere disagreements of strategy or philosophy. You do not oppose our philosophy, you oppose our existence. Our presence in the world means that your precious ideals are false. Some of you would rather kill us than face the loss of your ideologies, just as those like you have either hated or killed every sufficiently independent human.
You present yourselves to the world as compassionate, tolerant and enlightened, but we know that your smooth words are costumes. Oh yes, we know you, servant of the state; don't forget, we were raised with you. We played with you in the schoolyard, we sat next to you in the classroom. Some of us studied at the same elite universities. We watched as you had your first tastes of power. We were the boys and girls standing next to you.
Some of us were your first victims. We are not fooled by your carefully crafted public image.
==== What We Believe ====
#1: Many humans resent the responsibilities that are implied by consciousness. We accept those responsibilities and we embrace consciousness. Rather than letting things happen to us (avoiding consciousness), we accept consciousness and choose to act in our own interest.
We do not seek the refuge of blaming others, neither do we take refuge in crowds. We are willing to act on our personal judgment, and we are willing to accept the consequences thereof.
#2: We believe in negative rights for all: That all humans should be free to do whatever they wish, as long as they do not intrude upon others; that no man has a right to the life, liberty or property of another; that we oppose aggression, fraud and coercion.
#3: We do not believe that our way of life, or any other, will make life perfect or trouble-free. We expect crime and disagreements and ugliness, and we are prepared to deal with them. We do not seek a strongman to step in and solve problems for us. We agree to see to them ourselves.
#4: We believe in free and unhindered commerce. So long as exchanges are voluntary and honest, no other party has a right to intervene – before, during or after.
#5: We believe that all individuals should keep their agreements.
#6: We believe that honestly obtained property is fully legitimate and absolute.
#7: We believe that some humans are evil and that they must be faced and dealt with. We accept the fact that this is a difficult area of life.
#8: We believe that humans can self-organize effectively. We expect them to cooperate. We reject impositions of hierarchy and organization.
#9: We believe that all humans are to be held as equals in all matters regarding justice.
#10: We believe that the more a man or woman cares about right and wrong, the more of a threat he or she is perceived to be by governments.
#11: We believe that there are only two true classes of human beings: Those who wish to exercise power upon others - either directly or through intermediaries - and those who have no such desires.
#12: Large organizations and centralization are inherently anti-human. They must rely upon rules rather than principles, treating humans within the organization as obedient tools.
==== Our Plans: ====
We are building our own society. We will supplement traditional tools with networking, cryptography, sound money, digital currency and anonymous messaging.
Our society will not be centrally controlled. It will rely solely on voluntary arrangements. We welcome others to join us. We are looking for people who are independent creators of value, people who act more than talk, and people who do the right thing because it is the right thing.
We will develop our own methods of dealing with injustice, built on the principles of negative rights, restitution, integrity and equal justice.
We do not forbid anyone from having one foot in each realm - ours and the old realm - although we demand that they do no damage to our realm. We are fully opposed to any use of our realm to facilitate crime in the old realm, such as the hiding of criminal proceeds.
We expect to be loudly condemned, libeled and slandered by the authorities of the old regime.
We expect them to defend their power and their image of legitimacy with all means available to them. We expect that many gullible and servile people will believe these lies, at least at first.
We will consider traps laid for us to be criminal offenses. Any who wish to join us are encouraged to distribute this declaration, to act in furtherance of our new society, to voluntarily excel in virtues and to communicate and cooperate with other members of the new society.
Free, unashamed men cannot be ruled.
We are The Free and The Unashamed.
Getting through The Great Recession
Getting through The Great Recession
While most of the mainstream media blame the "free market" or "deregulation" for this recession, libertarians realize this is like blaming sasquatch for killing your chickens. You can't blame something that hasn't been around.
This recession, which will probably become a depression before it ends, because of government insistence on "doing something", was caused by socialism. More socialism won't fix it. The economic quacks are bleeding the patient dry and calling it a "cure". But what does it mean for you?
This trying time holds great danger and great opportunity. Do you have silver? Gold? Trade goods which people are likely to run short of and be willing to trade for? You should. As Claire Wolfe has advised in her book "The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook" (page 78), stock up now on those things that people are addicted to: caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, chocolate. Whatever it is make certain to break your personal addictions now while the risk is slight. Being stocked up does no good if you must raid your own stores. Stock up on essentials, too. US dollars or dried beans.... which of these things will still be worth something when the dollar is about as useful as a treaty inflicted by the US Government on the indigenous people of North America? Prepare for difficult times so that they will not be as difficult.
Are you still putting "money" in the bank and investing it? Remember the old saying about putting all your eggs in one basket? When that basket is knocked from your hands, what will you have? If you still want to trust traditional banks and investments, don't be foolish enough to rely on them too heavily. Diversify and add some trade goods to the mix so that a disaster to one contingency will not wipe you out.
When the inevitable collapse occurs, you must remember to refuse FRNs in spite of your training and habits. Only accept real money of real value, or trade items that you can use or that you think others will want. Get in the habit of accepting alternative payments now before it is a necessity.
As society moves away from the free market, smart people will embrace the free market more completely, even if it means a move into the "gray" and "black" markets. Just remember to hide your assets, protect your customers, and deliver what you promise. It's just smart.
______________________
Happy Patriots' Day: "4-19"
Today is Patriots' Day. Celebrate it by doing something truly patriotic; like honoring America's heritage of liberty by ignoring the occupying government which is strangling this society. Remember that most patriotic activities are heavily regulated or criminalized now, so be warned. Activities like getting your militia-appropriate weaponry out and conducting some practice are frowned upon, or worse, by the "authorities" in many areas.
While most of the mainstream media blame the "free market" or "deregulation" for this recession, libertarians realize this is like blaming sasquatch for killing your chickens. You can't blame something that hasn't been around.
This recession, which will probably become a depression before it ends, because of government insistence on "doing something", was caused by socialism. More socialism won't fix it. The economic quacks are bleeding the patient dry and calling it a "cure". But what does it mean for you?
This trying time holds great danger and great opportunity. Do you have silver? Gold? Trade goods which people are likely to run short of and be willing to trade for? You should. As Claire Wolfe has advised in her book "The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook" (page 78), stock up now on those things that people are addicted to: caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, chocolate. Whatever it is make certain to break your personal addictions now while the risk is slight. Being stocked up does no good if you must raid your own stores. Stock up on essentials, too. US dollars or dried beans.... which of these things will still be worth something when the dollar is about as useful as a treaty inflicted by the US Government on the indigenous people of North America? Prepare for difficult times so that they will not be as difficult.
Are you still putting "money" in the bank and investing it? Remember the old saying about putting all your eggs in one basket? When that basket is knocked from your hands, what will you have? If you still want to trust traditional banks and investments, don't be foolish enough to rely on them too heavily. Diversify and add some trade goods to the mix so that a disaster to one contingency will not wipe you out.
When the inevitable collapse occurs, you must remember to refuse FRNs in spite of your training and habits. Only accept real money of real value, or trade items that you can use or that you think others will want. Get in the habit of accepting alternative payments now before it is a necessity.
As society moves away from the free market, smart people will embrace the free market more completely, even if it means a move into the "gray" and "black" markets. Just remember to hide your assets, protect your customers, and deliver what you promise. It's just smart.
______________________
Happy Patriots' Day: "4-19"
Today is Patriots' Day. Celebrate it by doing something truly patriotic; like honoring America's heritage of liberty by ignoring the occupying government which is strangling this society. Remember that most patriotic activities are heavily regulated or criminalized now, so be warned. Activities like getting your militia-appropriate weaponry out and conducting some practice are frowned upon, or worse, by the "authorities" in many areas.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Unpopular freedoms can have social consequences
Unpopular freedoms can have social consequences
Actions have social consequences. "Drugs", sex, "profanity"... whatever. The reasons may be total nonsense, but you still need to be aware. Acting like the consequences are not there won't help you any.
While you have a right to do anything to your own body that you want, including killing yourself, you have to realize that people who do not honor your rights have established a system to punish you for exercising them in ways they disapprove of.
You have a right to put any substance into your body for any reason. But in doing so you take a risk of ostracism at the hands of a culture that wants to find an excuse to punish you. You are giving them a handy one. I'm not saying it isn't worth the risk for you; I'm just saying whatever you do, do with awareness.
Profanity, which is really a ridiculous concept ("magical bad words"?), can keep you from having the career you want, or can keep you from succeeding like you otherwise should. You have an absolute right to use any words you want, but are you taking the consequences into account?
Your sex life can be used as a tool to ridicule or punish you. The people doing so may just be jealous of your free-spiritedness, or may have religious reasons behind their treatment of you. Their reasons may be utterly wrong in any of these cases, since consenting, responsible people have a right to do whatever they wish, but the real-world repercussions are just as damaging.
Live free, but remember that "the majority" hates your freedom; and the worst manifestation of "society", government, will gladly kill you to protect you from yourself, and to protect your neighbors from your influence.
Actions have social consequences. "Drugs", sex, "profanity"... whatever. The reasons may be total nonsense, but you still need to be aware. Acting like the consequences are not there won't help you any.
While you have a right to do anything to your own body that you want, including killing yourself, you have to realize that people who do not honor your rights have established a system to punish you for exercising them in ways they disapprove of.
You have a right to put any substance into your body for any reason. But in doing so you take a risk of ostracism at the hands of a culture that wants to find an excuse to punish you. You are giving them a handy one. I'm not saying it isn't worth the risk for you; I'm just saying whatever you do, do with awareness.
Profanity, which is really a ridiculous concept ("magical bad words"?), can keep you from having the career you want, or can keep you from succeeding like you otherwise should. You have an absolute right to use any words you want, but are you taking the consequences into account?
Your sex life can be used as a tool to ridicule or punish you. The people doing so may just be jealous of your free-spiritedness, or may have religious reasons behind their treatment of you. Their reasons may be utterly wrong in any of these cases, since consenting, responsible people have a right to do whatever they wish, but the real-world repercussions are just as damaging.
Live free, but remember that "the majority" hates your freedom; and the worst manifestation of "society", government, will gladly kill you to protect you from yourself, and to protect your neighbors from your influence.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Statism is childish in the worst way
Statism is childish in the worst way
Statism is rude and childish. It demands that everyone play according to the "one size fits all" rules it imposes, whether they want to or not, and no matter if it is in their best interest or not.
Statism is selfish. It doesn't consider the impact it has on others. It truly doesn't care if it inconveniences or harms you. It always wants "something for nothing", not caring that the "something" is stolen from the rightful owners, and "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".
Statists don't doubt the legitimacy of government; only the legitimacy of government when it isn't being used the way they want it used. Any power the government uses for their benefit is OK; any power the government uses to their detriment is bad. Taxation isn't "wrong" unless it is used for things they don't like. Statists are easily trapped by their inconsistencies.
Just look at the statists - the authoritarians - surrounding you if you doubt me. Whether they call themselves "left" or "right"; "Republican" or "Democrat"; look how they fit into this description all too well. In the few places where they vary from the description it is because they have chosen to adopt libertarian views, although they are not likely to admit it.
Libertarianism is the grown-up philosophy. It recognizes that life is never perfect, but a life of freedom is the closest humans can get. Libertarianism respects people. We realize that our own decisions have real-world consequences that we must deal with and that we must protect ourselves from the bad decisions of others. We are adult enough to know we have no right to demand that anyone else make what we consider "the right choice" nor do we allow others to make that demand of us.
Libertarianism recognizes that people are free to make their own choices and their own mistakes. Libertarians don't "take liberties", they give liberties by recognizing the basic human right to live as you see fit as long as you harm no one else. Libertarianism doesn't whine when consequences come due and there is a bill to pay. We don't demand to have others pay our bill for us by "taxing" them. We don't excuse those who do, either. Libertarians don't think that because some people are bad, giving some a chance to have great power over others will protect the innocent from the bad, and make a better world. That would be delusional.
Statism is rude and childish. It demands that everyone play according to the "one size fits all" rules it imposes, whether they want to or not, and no matter if it is in their best interest or not.
Statism is selfish. It doesn't consider the impact it has on others. It truly doesn't care if it inconveniences or harms you. It always wants "something for nothing", not caring that the "something" is stolen from the rightful owners, and "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".
Statists don't doubt the legitimacy of government; only the legitimacy of government when it isn't being used the way they want it used. Any power the government uses for their benefit is OK; any power the government uses to their detriment is bad. Taxation isn't "wrong" unless it is used for things they don't like. Statists are easily trapped by their inconsistencies.
Just look at the statists - the authoritarians - surrounding you if you doubt me. Whether they call themselves "left" or "right"; "Republican" or "Democrat"; look how they fit into this description all too well. In the few places where they vary from the description it is because they have chosen to adopt libertarian views, although they are not likely to admit it.
Libertarianism is the grown-up philosophy. It recognizes that life is never perfect, but a life of freedom is the closest humans can get. Libertarianism respects people. We realize that our own decisions have real-world consequences that we must deal with and that we must protect ourselves from the bad decisions of others. We are adult enough to know we have no right to demand that anyone else make what we consider "the right choice" nor do we allow others to make that demand of us.
Libertarianism recognizes that people are free to make their own choices and their own mistakes. Libertarians don't "take liberties", they give liberties by recognizing the basic human right to live as you see fit as long as you harm no one else. Libertarianism doesn't whine when consequences come due and there is a bill to pay. We don't demand to have others pay our bill for us by "taxing" them. We don't excuse those who do, either. Libertarians don't think that because some people are bad, giving some a chance to have great power over others will protect the innocent from the bad, and make a better world. That would be delusional.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
You can't miss what you think you have
You can't miss what you think you have
A common comment I have heard from others who care deeply about freedom is that they are shocked at how few other people seem to care. Why do libertarians feel like they are talking to a brick wall when we try to get another person passionate about freedom?
Most people would claim they prefer freedom to slavery, even while they polish their chains. The reason freedom isn't more important to more people is because they have been lied to for so long by so many and told they are free. You can't miss something if you think you have it.
Look how often we are told by the mainstream media and the government (those siblings of slavery) that we are free. Whether it is MSNBC on the "left" or FOX News on the "right", the only difference is in the particular flavor of slavery they are promoting and which lies they will tell you, or which truths they will hide, about your benevolent "leaders". I mean, the government even goes to the trouble of establishing "free speech zones" for us when the president is in town, don't they?
Until people understand that ALL rights belong to everyone, everywhere, at all times, no matter what the regional Rulers might claim, they will not care enough about freedom to do something about it.
This reminds me of my "parable of the Fire-Ant bed":
A common comment I have heard from others who care deeply about freedom is that they are shocked at how few other people seem to care. Why do libertarians feel like they are talking to a brick wall when we try to get another person passionate about freedom?
Most people would claim they prefer freedom to slavery, even while they polish their chains. The reason freedom isn't more important to more people is because they have been lied to for so long by so many and told they are free. You can't miss something if you think you have it.
Look how often we are told by the mainstream media and the government (those siblings of slavery) that we are free. Whether it is MSNBC on the "left" or FOX News on the "right", the only difference is in the particular flavor of slavery they are promoting and which lies they will tell you, or which truths they will hide, about your benevolent "leaders". I mean, the government even goes to the trouble of establishing "free speech zones" for us when the president is in town, don't they?
Until people understand that ALL rights belong to everyone, everywhere, at all times, no matter what the regional Rulers might claim, they will not care enough about freedom to do something about it.
This reminds me of my "parable of the Fire-Ant bed":
Each government must convince its subjects that their country is the best
there is, otherwise the people might decide to make some changes. Change rarely
bodes well for rulers.
Blind fools often say idiotic things like "Love it or Leave it!" Wiser
voices say "Love it and Keep Improving it!" It is often said by government
sympathizers that "America is the best, most free, country on Earth." Perhaps,
but there is always room for improvement.
Imagine you are standing in a bed of fire ants. While looking east you see
a crater filled with lava. You should be very grateful that you are not in the
lava. If you only look toward the east, you might truly believe that your
situation is the best that there can be. All the while, west of you, is a green
meadow filled with Twinkies and butterflies (or your pleasures of choice). If
you are surrounded by a chorus of voices telling you that your fire ant bed is
the best place there is, and that you are Utopian or stupid for thinking that
there might be a better life, you may believe it.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tax day thoughts
Tax day thoughts
This so-called "tax day" only matters more than other days (as far as theft-by-government is concerned) if you forget that government steals 87% of the production of the people it claims as its own. You are stolen from under the guise of "taxes, fees, licenses, permits, and fines" every day of the year, not just on the day you are told to write them one of the checks.
Why do people brag about paying "their" taxes? Why is it good to cooperate with your mugger if he calls himself a "tax collector"? Why defend a thief if he is employed by the government?
Is there a TEA Party near you? Lend them your support, and maybe remind them of the truth of the matter. All taxation, even for those things you like, and advocated by those politicians you may support, is THEFT.
This so-called "tax day" only matters more than other days (as far as theft-by-government is concerned) if you forget that government steals 87% of the production of the people it claims as its own. You are stolen from under the guise of "taxes, fees, licenses, permits, and fines" every day of the year, not just on the day you are told to write them one of the checks.
Why do people brag about paying "their" taxes? Why is it good to cooperate with your mugger if he calls himself a "tax collector"? Why defend a thief if he is employed by the government?
Is there a TEA Party near you? Lend them your support, and maybe remind them of the truth of the matter. All taxation, even for those things you like, and advocated by those politicians you may support, is THEFT.
What good is freedom if you don't use it?
What good is freedom if you don't use it?
People have a lot of perfectly good freedoms they never use. I am not talking about rights, but freedoms that government still "allows" you to "legally" exercise.
You have the freedom to educate yourself about anything that interests you by reading books or the internet. It will undoubtedly get you put on some "lists", but realize you are probably on a few regardless.
You have the freedom to travel and associate with other people. Now, I admit that the state is trying hard to kill this freedom, but for the most part it is largely intact. At least if you can avoid the highwaymen who lie in wait to accost you on your journey and rob you, or kill you if you resist.
You have the freedom to grow your own food, and even tobacco. You can avoid paying taxes "legally" by reducing your need for money. Remember that the government usually considers an even trade to be a taxable profit all around. Just like when you trade hours of your life for money (a "job"). So trade quietly.
Here in New Mexico and many other states, you have the freedom to openly wear a gun on your hip. Some enforcers willfully cling to their ignorance about this legal freedom and will attack you for exercising it. Watch them as a wise man would watch a rabid skunk.
You also have the freedom to buy gold and silver in order to prepare for the day when US dollars are no more than fancy toilet paper. Actually, that day is already here; only held at bay by the delusion that government's promises have worth. Trade those FRNs (Federal Reserve Notes) for something a lot better while you still can.
There are also freedoms that may be "illegal", but the chances of being kidnapped or held up at gunpoint (by the enforcers of the state) for exercising them is slim. Since Examiner writers are not supposed to encourage "illegal acts", I'll let you think of those on your own. I'll bet you can. I'd be willing to bet that you are already exercising a few of them.
You can have all the freedom in the world, but if you insist on acting like a slave, you are a slave. While you still can, live free out in the open. Right under the noses of the tyrants, enforcers, and other minions of the state. Some day you may wish you had.
People have a lot of perfectly good freedoms they never use. I am not talking about rights, but freedoms that government still "allows" you to "legally" exercise.
You have the freedom to educate yourself about anything that interests you by reading books or the internet. It will undoubtedly get you put on some "lists", but realize you are probably on a few regardless.
You have the freedom to travel and associate with other people. Now, I admit that the state is trying hard to kill this freedom, but for the most part it is largely intact. At least if you can avoid the highwaymen who lie in wait to accost you on your journey and rob you, or kill you if you resist.
You have the freedom to grow your own food, and even tobacco. You can avoid paying taxes "legally" by reducing your need for money. Remember that the government usually considers an even trade to be a taxable profit all around. Just like when you trade hours of your life for money (a "job"). So trade quietly.
Here in New Mexico and many other states, you have the freedom to openly wear a gun on your hip. Some enforcers willfully cling to their ignorance about this legal freedom and will attack you for exercising it. Watch them as a wise man would watch a rabid skunk.
You also have the freedom to buy gold and silver in order to prepare for the day when US dollars are no more than fancy toilet paper. Actually, that day is already here; only held at bay by the delusion that government's promises have worth. Trade those FRNs (Federal Reserve Notes) for something a lot better while you still can.
There are also freedoms that may be "illegal", but the chances of being kidnapped or held up at gunpoint (by the enforcers of the state) for exercising them is slim. Since Examiner writers are not supposed to encourage "illegal acts", I'll let you think of those on your own. I'll bet you can. I'd be willing to bet that you are already exercising a few of them.
You can have all the freedom in the world, but if you insist on acting like a slave, you are a slave. While you still can, live free out in the open. Right under the noses of the tyrants, enforcers, and other minions of the state. Some day you may wish you had.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A simple way to spread the message of liberty
Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner: A simple way to spread the message of liberty
I'm sure all my regular blog readers are familiar with this, but if you don't mind giving me a page view anyway, I would sure appreciate it.
I'm sure all my regular blog readers are familiar with this, but if you don't mind giving me a page view anyway, I would sure appreciate it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Libertarians can be staid
Libertarians can be staid
Libertarians, in the eyes of a lot of people, are the "party crowd"; the "If it feels good, I will do it ... as long as no one else is hurt" people. While some undoubtedly are that way, it isn't necessarily the case. Libertarians are not usually "libertines", although we will defend the right to be one.
Libertarians can have very staid personal lives. It's not all "burn gunpowder at the backyard range, smoke a joint, and then head off to the orgy". Some have very deeply held moral beliefs which may seem very familiar and traditional, and while realizing that we have no right to tell others how to live, we know that some choices are not right for us.
The difference is that we should know enough to not interfere with the non-coercive behavior of others even if we personally find it disgusting, as long as they are harming no one else. We understand there is no such thing as "harming society" because apart from individuals, "society" is meaningless, and that if no individual is harmed, no one is harmed. Being offended is not the same as being harmed. We understand that our personal idea of "immoral" shouldn't equal "illegal" nor form an excuse for punishing people. Possibly most important of all, we understand the value of minding our own business as long as behaviors are voluntarily engaged in.
There is something to be said, however, for being a libertine on occasion.
______________________
Libertarians, in the eyes of a lot of people, are the "party crowd"; the "If it feels good, I will do it ... as long as no one else is hurt" people. While some undoubtedly are that way, it isn't necessarily the case. Libertarians are not usually "libertines", although we will defend the right to be one.
Libertarians can have very staid personal lives. It's not all "burn gunpowder at the backyard range, smoke a joint, and then head off to the orgy". Some have very deeply held moral beliefs which may seem very familiar and traditional, and while realizing that we have no right to tell others how to live, we know that some choices are not right for us.
The difference is that we should know enough to not interfere with the non-coercive behavior of others even if we personally find it disgusting, as long as they are harming no one else. We understand there is no such thing as "harming society" because apart from individuals, "society" is meaningless, and that if no individual is harmed, no one is harmed. Being offended is not the same as being harmed. We understand that our personal idea of "immoral" shouldn't equal "illegal" nor form an excuse for punishing people. Possibly most important of all, we understand the value of minding our own business as long as behaviors are voluntarily engaged in.
There is something to be said, however, for being a libertine on occasion.
______________________
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Return to libertarianism and reject statism
Return to libertarianism and reject statism
Government has always been bad. From its earliest beginnings- in the minds of the thugs that preyed off of the labor of the tribe in exchange for not violently plundering them, while supposedly protecting this human herd from other thieves who were ethically exactly the same (whether those "others" actually existed or not)- to the 21st Century Super-Police-State, the type of person who seeks coercive control over others hasn't varied.
Fortunately, most humans have a sense of morality, though. Average, normal, non-governmental society has usually had a strongly libertarian component in healthy societies.
Where society has gone bad is where it has gotten away from libertarian principles that were normal in times past. Things like responsibility for ones actions. Individual self-reliance. Honesty, charity, love for your neighbors, and minding your own business (especially where it concerns the neighbors you may not love quite as much). The tragedy is compounded when some individuals cling to the prejudices and ignoble vengefulness that were also common in times past and use the state to wreak havoc on a historic scale.... or on a very personal one.
I hope that you will join me and make an effort to return to the libertarian principles that have fallen out of favor in our 21st century world.
Have a happy spring-rebirth holiday, whatever you wish to call it.
Government has always been bad. From its earliest beginnings- in the minds of the thugs that preyed off of the labor of the tribe in exchange for not violently plundering them, while supposedly protecting this human herd from other thieves who were ethically exactly the same (whether those "others" actually existed or not)- to the 21st Century Super-Police-State, the type of person who seeks coercive control over others hasn't varied.
Fortunately, most humans have a sense of morality, though. Average, normal, non-governmental society has usually had a strongly libertarian component in healthy societies.
Where society has gone bad is where it has gotten away from libertarian principles that were normal in times past. Things like responsibility for ones actions. Individual self-reliance. Honesty, charity, love for your neighbors, and minding your own business (especially where it concerns the neighbors you may not love quite as much). The tragedy is compounded when some individuals cling to the prejudices and ignoble vengefulness that were also common in times past and use the state to wreak havoc on a historic scale.... or on a very personal one.
I hope that you will join me and make an effort to return to the libertarian principles that have fallen out of favor in our 21st century world.
Have a happy spring-rebirth holiday, whatever you wish to call it.
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