Biting the hand that feeds you, or feeding the hand that bites you

Biting the hand that feeds you, or feeding the hand that bites you

A fairly popular news website recently changed their payment plan for their writers. They did this without informing anyone, and it took days of speculation and many attempts to get an answer from the owners before it was confirmed. This lack of communication has made a lot of the writers bitter.

The algorithms that determined pay were not revealed to begin with, foiling attempts to understand. When earnings seemed short, the owners fell back on the explanation that the way earnings were calculated was complicated. Now, with the changes, it seems even more complicated, based in part on how many other pages the readers view per session. This is something the writers can neither see nor control. And although it is claimed that the potential is there for pay to increase, this does not seem to have happened in even one case.

So where would a libertarian stand on such a situation? The website is a business. It is private property. The owners can do whatever they wish with it, even destroy it if they so choose. They can choose to pay their writers less, or nothing at all. It might not be in their best interest to do so. But perhaps they have other ideas. After all, in every other business, employers pay just enough to keep the employees from quitting, and employees work just hard enough to keep from being fired. Or so I have been told.

It is dishonest to change the way you calculate pay without informing those you are paying. Perhaps it was an oversight. Certain conditions were agreed upon beforehand, after all.

I would bet that most of the website's writers are still making more money from their writings than they otherwise would be, and probably getting more people to read their writings, too. The writers must weigh the costs and benefits. Then they can make their own decisions. No one is forcing them to write for the site.

'Honest' taxation is preferable to 'fair tax'

'Honest' taxation is preferable to 'fair tax'

I know it seems counterintuitive, but there is a way to have "honest taxation". At least in the same way as other acts of theft can at least be "honest" enough to not claim they are robbing you for your own good.

While I am not a fan of thieves of any type, I will admit a preference to the type who will shove a gun in your face and say "Hand over your wallet if you wanna live!" over the gangsters who make insincere noises about your "safety" as they hint that "something" might happen if they weren't there to "protect" you. Hogwash. Everyone knows who would make the "something" occur if you were bold enough to refuse to pay.

"Honest taxation" would consist of a government agent holding a gun to your head as he steals your money. Or, increasingly, a government agent holding a gun to the head of the sales clerk (or other businessperson) as he steals from you under orders from the state thug. Such a dose of reality might also shock a few more people awake to the fact that taxation is theft, plain and simple. There is no excuse for it.

Government should be watched, but not obsessed over

Government should be watched, but not obsessed over

I see a lot of people who focus their lives on watching what government does. I can understand that in a way, but it seems like a life poorly spent.

A person should pay attention to government in the same way you should pay attention to a rabid skunk that has wandered into your kitchen: pay attention as much as you need to in order to get rid of it, without being bitten or sprayed. Don't focus your life on trying to make the rabid skunk like you; it will never be your friend. Don't expect the skunk to act rationally; it has a disease that is rotting its brain away. Don't try to get the skunk to bring you gifts in exchange for the damage it has done or the food it has gotten in to; that which it has eaten or spoiled is gone forever. Just stop the spoilage now and write off the losses.

Of course, the real problem is that government, even at its best, is much more dangerous than a rabid skunk. It is backed up by hordes of co-conspirators and supporters who will make sure you are harmed if you dare to stand up to it. It is backed up by cheerleaders in the media who will endlessly proclaim that YOU are the one with the brain-rot. Lastly, statism, the disease that causes government, is much more contagious than rabies. And it is just as fatal.

The Empire strikes ... in desperation

The Empire strikes ... in desperation

Signs seem to indicate the police state that was America will grow much more draconian before it collapses. And of course, it will collapse. They all do. If the authoriturds "in charge" were smart, they would realize they are dooming themselves by their actions and with their "laws", but perhaps they believe they can avoid the inevitable until it doesn't matter to them personally anymore. Or, maybe, they are delusional enough to believe that "this time" they will be able to avoid the fate of tyrants.

In the meantime, more and more of our rights will be claimed to be a threat to our neighbors, although the only real threat is to the false authority of the Empire. More of our actions will be tracked and watched, or simply forbidden. More and more of our lives and money will be stolen to support the state. More of our choices will be regulated or eliminated. More of our opinions will be cause for suspicion. More of our movements will be subject to the whims of the state and routed through its checkpoints. More of our family members and neighbors will be recruited against us. There will even be control and rationing of things we can't yet imagine. Interesting times are ahead.

The near future brings up some questions in regard to people like most of you who are reading these words.

What does society intend to do to those of us who won't (or can't) tolerate living under the surveillance and control of a police-state? Do the rulers expect that we will simply comply after some threats and punishment? Do they feel that our deaths are an acceptable price in order to implement their plans? Do they even consider our deaths worthy of notice at all? What if we don't agree? What if others who are on the fence begin to side with us? Will this be the straw that breaks the camel's back and brings down the Empire? The more the Empire tightens its grip, the more people will slip through its fingers.

Dislike of cops does not equal love of thugs

Dislike of cops does not equal love of thugs

The world is filled with misunderstandings. Those of us who love liberty often find ourselves at the focus of one when we point out the similarity between LEOs and the freelance thugs with whom they have a symbiotic relationship. Every time I show distaste for a cop acting like a gangster when faced with a member of the public, certain people make the faulty assumption that I sympathize with the aggressive elements of society and wish to see them running amok, preying on whoever they wish. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Since when does intense dislike of cops equal love of "criminals"? I dislike cops precisely because I dislike those who prey upon the innocent. There is no longer any meaningful distinction between the cops and the freelance thugs cops use to justify their unjustifiable existence. Both live upon theft; either freelance or "tax". Both thrive on coercion. Both have a perverted "us vs everyone else" attitude. But of the two, the LEOs are far more dangerous because they do what they do with a false sense of moral superiority, wielding a monopoly on force, and backed by the coercive "authority" of government.

Cops tend to vastly overestimate their own importance, and grossly underestimate the capacity of most of us to take care of ourselves without their "help". Perhaps it is projection on their part. I have never been in any situation where I called the cops, or was even tempted to. The thought never crossed my mind. I am aware that there is no situation so dire that it won't be made orders of magnitude worse by adding a cop to the mix.

And speaking of cops acting like the thugs they are brings up another subject. Giving cops the means to electrically torture people with whom they have a dispute was probably one of the worst powers ever handed them. Cops use Tasers much too readily. A Taser should never be used if a gun would be "too much". If you are not stopping an attack or a theft in progress when you draw your weapon, firearm or electric, then you are the attacker. A person not showing the respect you mistakenly think is due you is not a dangerous threat. A child running away from you is not reason to torture that child, unless you are a coward and a bully. If you are a cop and can't handle a 6 year-old child, you should go get a real job. Tasers are not "non-lethal", but "less-lethal". Cops think Tasers are a license to torture. Well, combined with a badge, I suppose they are right.

More on border worship

More on border worship

I can understand the feelings that might lead a person to support "national borders". Fear of being lost in a sea of immigrants who speak a different language, or who have different customs, is a common thing. Change of any sort is often uncomfortable and scary. Especially for those who are insecure or have feelings of inadequacy.

While I can understand the feelings, I don't share them. In the case of those who cling to national borders, but also distrust a powerful government, I can't understand how they manage to hold two such completely contradictory notions in one head.

If you are attacked or stolen from, how is it worse if the attacker or thief was born across a line on a map? You have the absolute human right to defend yourself, other innocent people, and your property from trespassing, aggression, or theft. Regardless of whether the offending person is an "immigrant", your cousin, or a LEO doing the bidding of the state. National borders change nothing in this regard.

Explain to me how this works. How can you believe that you own your life and the products of your life and yet also believe that governments can draw a line on a map and decide who can cross that line, and under what conditions they can cross. Explain how you can have a "national border", and enforce it, without having a strong and coercive national government. Explain how you can support government enforcement of that imaginary line while decrying other acts of government such as gun "laws". Don't you see that the "authority" and power for both acts comes from the same place? You can't assume liberty while you demand the government be strong enough to "secure the border". It isn't rational, logical, consistent, or possible. Answers that contain "yes, but" are not reasonable answers.

A slave contract does not legitimize slavery

A slave contract does not legitimize slavery

Let's say there were a document that laid out the ground rules for what a slave master was allowed to do, and NOT do, to his slaves. It might state that a slave master must give his slaves adequate food. Maybe insist that he not beat his slaves too much. It might set the rules for selling the slaves in a "humane" way. It might even lay out a list of rights a slave has, as long as that slave doesn't try to escape or disobey. It would probably mention some "obligations" the slave "owes" his master; things like loyalty, obedience, and hard work.

The problem with such a document isn't that it is flawed in its rules, but that it treats slavery as a legitimate human endeavor. It isn't, and no document can ever make it so.

There is another illegitimate human endeavor, based upon theft and murder, that has a document that gives it the illusion of legitimacy to some people. A government is supposedly legitimized by the US Constitution, much to the delight of statists of all sorts. Others of us can't justify the inexcusable no matter who signed what a couple hundred years ago. And just because other governments might be worse is no reason to stick with a coercive state of any degree.

Just as I am not qualified or inclined to pontificate upon the proper treatment of slaves, other than unconditional freedom, I am not qualified or inclined to decide what might be the proper form of government, other than self-government. No document can ever make wrong right. We need to banish the idea that it can before we can move forward. Any other conclusion just doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

What if people don't do the right thing?

What if people don't do the right thing?

Like just about everybody, I would prefer that people do the right thing. I get irritated when people do irresponsible things and I sometimes grumble to myself about their questionable parentage or diminished mental capacity.

However, I am not delusional enough that I am willing to sacrifice freedom in order to provide a way for the state to punish those who don't always do the right thing. That's all "laws" do- provide for punishment. Punishing others does not help me. It doesn't change the reality or teach people anything. "Laws" simply provide a commonly accepted way to punish those who do things the state doesn't approve of. While many of those things might be "the wrong thing" or irresponsible, many more are not.

Of course, "laws" to allow punishment of people who don't do the right thing ignore the fact that very few people even agree on what "the right thing" is, at least on peripheral matters. Even true lovers of individual liberty disagree on some specifics. When you add in the less-than-aware masses of public school indoctrinated "citizens", the situation gets even less clear. Some don't see the hypocrisy in talking about "liberty" while propping up the police-state with the labor of their lives or with their support of some government activities. Some don't understand that theft is theft, and having a government title or office doesn't excuse your immoral acts. Smaller matters are even more confusing to them.

The solution isn't to pass "laws" that enforce your vision of "the right thing". If this were justified, you could just as easily find yourself on the receiving end of someone else's bonnet-bee. Just like in the unworkable, chaotic system we live with now. I'll take my chances with free people doing the wrong thing from time to time, with no state ready to strike at me when I act in defense of myself and my property. The cost of having a state is too high a price to pay.

Cop says he is tired of getting it from 'both sides'

Cop says he is tired of getting it from 'both sides'

In the comments on another site, in response to comments from MamaLiberty and me, an admitted LEO ("John") whined that he was tired of "getting it from both sides".

I suppose he meant he was "getting it" from "criminals" and "citizens*". Silly little man. He is gravely mistaken about the situation. The "criminals" are his side, since he depends upon them for his "job's" paltry justification. Only the free people who realize that we NEVER "need" a cop are his opposition, since most of the population blindly worships "the badge", at least until they are personally attacked by one of these badge-bullies.

We are the people who take responsibility for our own lives and safety. We are the ones who don't run to the state every time someone annoys us or something doesn't go our way. We are the ones who will take care of ourselves and deal with "situations"; risking the wrath of the state for doing so. We are the ones who realize that humans have the right to make poor choices, and as long as they don't harm the innocent, it is none of our business. We are the ones who see people like him as parasites who feed off of civilization, draining its life-blood, living on stolen money, and destroying society's moral foundations, replacing them with the "law". We are the ones who suspect, with good reason, that cops cause more crime than they prevent.

Cops like "John" can keep doing what they are doing, and calling those who see through them "tinfoil hat people", or some other name. All he is doing is proving my point for me, and adding to the ranks of those who will stand against his kind. In fact, my own activism began with an incident wherein a LEO enforced a counterfeit "law" against an innocent man I knew of only from the internet. Up until that event, I had kept my opinions to myself and simply minded my own business. Unintended consequences. How many more times has a similar thing happened?

"John" doesn't see it this way. Does this make him a bad man? Not necessarily. He claims to have a deep understanding of the Constitution, and claims to obey it. That's a nice start, if true. Now, if he could wrap his mind around the human rights that the Constitution conveniently ignores he might become an asset to freedom instead of a destroyer thereof. I'm not holding my breath.

"John" doesn't have to agree with me, but if he were smart he might take notice that a sizable, and growing, percentage of the regular people feel the way I do. And it only takes one bad experience with a LEO to change a person's perceptions for a lifetime. As it now stands, if I see a cop being beaten by someone on the side of the interstate, my first assumption is going to be that the cop initiated it. Even if he didn't, coming to his defense with an effective weapon would only be asking for trouble from vermin on "both sides of the law".

*Want to really make me upset? Call me a "citizen". I am the property of no government. I am a denizen, perhaps, but never a citizen.

Oath Keepers could be a baby-step in the right direction

Oath Keepers could be a baby-step in the right direction

There is a growing movement within the "law enforcement"/military community that seeks to demonstrate the gravity they assign to their oath to defend the Constitution, as opposed to simply obeying their bosses. They call themselves the Oath Keepers. I realize they are trying to do the right thing, as they see it. However, as badly as I would like to be excited about the movement, I am very ambivalent about the reality.

My first difficulty is the fact that the Constitution isn't worth the parchment it was written on. There are more basic human rights that get priority. Just because the Constitution allows an act of coercion or theft doesn't change the fact such things are still wrong. Plus, the Constitution established a government; a crime against humanity in and of itself.

But beyond that: How can the LEOs and military folk who participate in Oath Keepers activities continue to ignore the fact that they are violating their oaths with almost every action they take? Any cop who takes the oath and then arrests a person for a "drug" offense, a gun "law" violation, or who issues a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt, or who demands (or enforces) "identification" has violated his oath. He has done wrong and can no longer be trusted with both a badge and a gun. Enough is enough. A reasonable solution has been proposed, however, and should be actively promoted.

Any member of the military who is deployed overseas without Congress declaring war has violated the Constitution. If they then kill or disarm anyone where they have been deployed they have added more offenses to their "permanent record". You can't shoot back at people who are defending their homes and villages, in any part of the world, and claim the moral high ground without looking ridiculous. Incorrectly labeling them "insurgents" doesn't make it true. If these military personnel assist the government (at any level) against the people of America in any way, they have become "domestic enemies". No ifs, ands, or buts.

Reading on another site I saw claim after claim by military and LEO that they would never violate their oath, preceded or followed by personal stories of them doing just that, in the form of the examples above. Why the denial? Is it really that confusing? Not unless you intentionally get it wrong.

So many of these folk blame Obama for their new-found ethics. Well, guess what- Obama didn't invent the act of violating basic human rights in order to steal more power for himself and his successors. Obama is just following the example of every president before him, all the way back to the despicable George Washington, who wrongly and unconstitutionally quelled the Whiskey Rebellion; an act that violated his oath of office and should have resulted in his corpse becoming a tree ornament somewhere.

I am not opposed to Oath Keepers by any stretch of the imagination. I would just like to see widespread refusal to obey illegal orders and nationwide refusal to enforce counterfeit "laws". Something I am not seeing even on a minuscule scale. Oath Keepers can be a good first step, raising awareness and making people think about what they have signed up for. But don't stop there or you have missed the entire point. There are better oaths to keep.

Time For the News?

The "news" just pisses me off.

The wrong things are emphasized, the wrong questions are asked, and the wrong conclusions are drawn . What more could the national news media* do to make themselves irrelevant?

I hate to admit it, but I really have little interest in the news, especially where politics is concerned. If it relates to my opinions, then I may pay a bit of attention to it for a moment or two. I weigh its implications as it relates to my opinions and see if I need to alter my views in light of the new "information" (or, more likely, propaganda), and then I put it out of my mind.

What about new national "laws" that may affect me? I long ago made the decision that I will not obey any "laws" that are counterfeit unless it is convenient to do so, or unless I am staring down the barrel of a loaded Liberty Eradication Operative ("LEO"). Assume liberty.

I'm not saying this is the best attitude to have, nor would I ever put anyone down for having more interest in the news than I have. It's just that if you come here or visit my Examiner column to read my opinion on the latest proposed "law" or political scandal, you will usually be disappointed. If, however, you want to read what I think about the world in general, and liberty specifically, then I am your man. And you never know: occasionally some bit of "current events" may just sneak in.

*To a certain extent, the local news matters a little more. It is more likely to affect me directly today. I still go through periods where I just can't stomach it, either.

LEOs- Liberty Eradication Operatives

The current trendy name for cops is "LEOs". I guess it is supposed to sound royally feline. These critters claim their acronym stands for "Law Enforcement Officer". I know better.

Judging by their actions and behaviors it can be stated with assurance that "LEO" more accurately stands for "Liberty Eradication Operative". That's what they do, after all.

PS: Any "law" that needs a "special" enforcer is not a real law, but is instead a counterfeit "law"

The perversion of Independence Day

The perversion of Independence Day

My thoughts on this "Independence Day 2009" have been turning to the fact that the original intent of Independence Day has been completely turned upside down and inside out. From its origins as an anti-government celebration of freedom to today's perverted "worship the state and military" festival.

It is as if Christmas had been turned into a celebration of Satan, theft, death, and hatred. (I know some would claim the "true meaning" of Christmas has been lost, but the positive things are still given lip-service.)

For local tyrants to assume the authority to forbid individual celebration with fireworks, insisting instead that you go to a government-sponsored fireworks display, is the ultimate spit in the face of liberty. For people to actually obey them is almost unforgivable. The spirit of independence wanders the wilderness, rejected and dying.

The petty tyrants of every city council, county commission, state bureaucracy, and federal agency would be scared out of their tiny little minds if "the people" actually celebrated independence they way they should: with the fully-functional military arms of the real militia, and with the fully-functional minds of real free people.

Independence means secession- then and now

Independence means secession- then and now

Do these words seem familiar?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient
causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by
abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future
security. --- Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, (emphasis mine).

"All men". We would now say all human beings. Not just those who agree to be bound by the Constitution. Not only those who happen to have been born on land claimed by the US government. Not only those who haven't yet been declared "enemy combatants" by secret accusers. These "men" have rights which no government can ever have the authority to abrogate in any way. That is what was meant by "unalienable". It didn't mention matters of national security, or times of war, or any other excuse, because there is no excuse. None.

So, these governments have been unwisely instituted among men, like wolves in a flock of sheep, by consent of the sheep... I mean the "men"? I don't think so. I do not consent, so no government gets any "just powers" or authority from me, whether it counts me among the "governed" or not.

All governments quickly become destructive of the ends which are used to justify "government". Tragic experience has shown that the only kind of government that can secure the individual rights of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is self government. Other forms of government don't even make an honest attempt. We now know, through long, hard experience, which type of government is most likely to "effect" our safety and happiness, as well as which type is most likely to affect it. It would be a grave mistake to depose one tyrant only to replace him with another. The mistake has been made innumerable times before. Has no lesson been learned?

No "revolution" was necessary as a follow-up to the Declaration of Independence. The British could have allowed a peaceful secession- a simple parting of the ways. Instead they chose the path of war. Just as Abraham Lincoln did a few generations later. Just as the US will undoubtedly do soon.

Humans will tolerate a lot of abuse from government, as the above excerpt points out. "Don't rock the boat" seems to be the general consensus. The chains become part of the normal pain of life; the fear of shedding those chains keeps people from exploring reasonable options. Better to stay with the evil you know than to face the unknown. For some people. I hope the numbers of people willing to toss the chains aside, or use them to strangle the slavemasters, will increase with each passing day, and with each new abomination committed by government at any level. What better day to begin than today: Independence Day? Let's make it mean something again!


For more info: I recommend reading the reasons for secession listed in the Declaration of Independence, and comparing those to the situation the formerly-free people of America now find themselves facing. You might even realize it is time for a more succinct declaration.

The disease which pretends to be its own cure

The disease which pretends to be its own cure

In reading and debating liberty with other people, I notice that almost every argument against freedom, at some point, boils down to consequences that we currently encounter because of government interference.

To wit:

The reason national borders are "necessary" is that the state steals money in order to finance welfare, which is then either a nice carrot enticing people who want something for nothing or is a nice excuse for xenophobes to use against immigrants who want no handouts (most of the people in America who want something for nothing are not recent immigrants).

The reason gun control is "needed" is because government has made it safer to be an aggressive criminal than it would be if self-defense were not criminalized. It also causes people to be unfamiliar with the safe handling of guns resulting in more accidents than would otherwise occur. Both crime and accidents are then used as an excuse for more victim disarmament "laws" making a crazy feedback loop.

Driver's licenses and draconian state control of the roads are "necessary" because we have foolishly allowed the state to assume ownership over the roadways.

The reason the "War on (some) Drugs" is "necessary" is that prohibition causes an inflated profit margin and makes violence inevitable.

The reason "healthcare reform" is "needed" is because of the "War on (some) Drugs" making remedies expensive and (legally) dangerous to try, and because of government licensing and regulation of doctors artificially causing a shortage of healers.

The reason "gay marriage" is an issue is that government has been allowed to immorally declare it owns the institution of marriage, to be rationed out as it sees fit.

The list goes on and on. Government causes the problem and fools gullible "patriotic" folk into pointing to the problem as a reason they need government. I'm not the first to notice the pattern:

"Government is a disease masquerading as its own cure." - Robert LeFevre

Well, I don't need government for ANYTHING. And neither do you.



**********************

Libertarians should dare to be different

Libertarians should dare to be different

I was recently called an "intellectual pygmy" and a "shock jock" on Ilana Mercer's "Barely a Blog". I was held up as an example of what is wrong with libertarianism. Her main complaint was over my controversial "cannibalism column".

Upon reading her entry, I sat here and tried to see it from her perspective. I tried to think if I am doing more harm than good to the cause of individual liberty. If so, I need to be aware of that and stop it. If I am wrong, I want to know. Freedom is a lot more important than I am.

After reflecting I came to the conclusion that I can't be anyone other than myself. In these columns I write what I really think, from the perspective of who I really am. So, as I often do in cases like this, I wrote her directly. I try to be polite in all my correspondence, and she was very polite in her response to me. She almost apologized for the ad hominem comments.

In her reply Ms. Mercer claimed that "my kind" of "shock jock opinions" are more "conventional and unthreatening" to most libertarians than are her opinions. From my perspective, and based upon years of hate-mail, I don't believe that is true. But, if it were true, why would that be?

Maybe because a difference that makes no difference is not a difference. If your "alternative" to the rampant statism that infects the earth today is indistinguishable from the status quo, why would anyone bother changing sides? If the difference is only a matter of degree, and not a fundamental rejection of statist coercion and control, is that really a difference? I am not assuming any opinions or motivations for Ms. Mercer in particular. I am not enlightened about her opinions on any issues, but I do know where so many "libertarians" balk when discussing liberty.

If you see nothing wrong with national borders enforced by government; if you see nothing wrong with taxation as a concept; if you don't recognize aggressive war (the business of the state) as murder on a massive scale; if you accept that government has the authority to do things that you or I can not do, then what is the difference from any Demopublican out there? If you don't accept that the philosophy of non-aggression applies to ALL individuals, including those employed by the state, what is your line-in-the-sand? I'm not aiming any of these remarks at Ms. Mercer, as I don't really know, but otherwise, why would her opinions not be as popular among those who hunger for real liberty as they might otherwise be? Those who believe in the legitimacy of the state are unlikely to embrace any real limits on their god and probably will not ever support liberty over the state in any substantive way. So, why cater to them?

Continuing to distill my thinking about 'rights'

Continuing to distill my thinking about 'rights'

I suppose I am still thinking about the nature of "rights". The subject tends to crop up in the comments from time to time. I normally keep distilling a concept down to simpler terms the longer I contemplate it. My most recent thought doesn't override my earlier thoughts, but clarifies them.

I think it really boils down to this: A "right" is something you can do without harming any innocent individual. This means there are some pretty trivial matters that are within your rights. There are some pretty incredibly important ones, as well. No one has the authority to prohibit you from exercising any of your rights- trivial or monumental. Only when you violate another person's rights does anyone have a right to step in and stop your actions.

It doesn't matter if the right is recognized specifically by any "authority". It doesn't matter if you sat down and analyzed a particular right. It doesn't even really depend upon your defense of your rights. You have them whether you defend or exercise them. I recommend exercising any right you want.

Does this qualify as "navel gazing"? If I don't gaze at my navel, who would notice if it has a problem? Perhaps this is all I am qualified to do.


**********************

Immigration, amnesty, and biometrics

Immigration, amnesty, and biometrics

Are you an advocate of freedom? Do you acknowledge that freedom includes the right to live where you want as long as you voluntarily buy or rent the property you move on to? Do you recognize the absolute right of any person to sell or rent property to whomever they wish, for any price that can be agreed upon? Do you think the state's wishes override these rights? Then you might be a "borderist".

There should be no question of "amnesty", as there should be no one who believes that governments own people. Governmental "laws" that do not directly address actual initiated force (physical attacks) or theft (stealing or defrauding) are counterfeit "laws" which have no moral or ethical foundation. Enforcing such "laws" harms people who do not deserve to be harmed right now, and is therefore an evil act. Advocating or supporting such acts is just as wrong. You can't sic the state on someone just because you don't like them- if you have principles.

Even among "borderline borderists" there is a lot of talk about the dangers of the state tracking, through the use of biometrics, those it believes it owns. The problem is that the really bad people will not comply, and will find a way around the tracking. Bad people always do. The only ones harmed in any scheme like this are the people who are inclined to obey "laws" anyway. And make no mistake: it is a scheme. Hatched to provide a way to track everything you do, from every job you apply for, to every dollar you earn or spend, to every gun you own.

Homeland / Fatherland / Motherland... the terms are slightly different, but the statism behind them all is the same. It is the authoritarian attitude that the State is of prime importance and must be protected from freedom at all costs. Individuals are only useful as a lubricant on the gears of the state. Stop being useful as lubricant, and you will be burned as fuel.

The only way to keep the state from trampling YOU as a consequence of a misguided and insane call to "secure the borders" is to pull the rug out from under all the "borderists"; private and governmental. National borders shouldn't matter to individuals; only to governments. You have your own personal property borders to worry about. The state thinks its borders outrank yours. They are dead wrong. Show them that you see through the smoke, mirrors, and tyranny. Don't fall for the lie.

Government is incompetent and should be fired

Government is incompetent and should be fired

The ONLY legitimate "job" of ANY government is to protect the rights of the people it claims to "govern". Period. Any other things it coercively does, like "coin money" (or counterfeit it, in the case of the Federal Reserve), or control "immigration", in actuality and practice violates the rights of the individuals who find themselves at the mercy of the state.

One thing that often gets muddled is when statists make some bizarre statement about government being there to protect "the people". Nonsense. It is the government's job to protect the RIGHTS of the individuals, not the individuals themselves, and certainly not some mythological collective called "the people". Protect the rights and people can protect themselves. Violate the rights, as all governments inevitably do, and the people find themselves needing to protect themselves from government first, before any freelance predator can be dealt with.

Since every government that has ever existed has proven to be completely incapable of doing that job, all governments are worse than useless. Electing different politicians won't solve the problem. Getting the "right laws" enacted won't solve the problem. Ignoring reality won't solve the problem. Tar and feathers might solve some of the problem, but the best solution is to refuse to hear or obey the government's evermore twisted edicts. Let the statists struggle among themselves in an increasingly irrelevant wrestling match. Don't even laugh at them. They think you approve when you pay attention.

The truth of the matter is: You are the only one who is capable of protecting your rights. You may not like the job, may not be good at it, and you may even refuse to do it. It doesn't change the fact that it is your responsibility and you can't pay someone else to do it for you; especially not with other people's money.

The census- just say 'huh?'

The census- just say 'huh?'

Soon armies of civic-minded busybodies will flow across the land like locusts. They will be poking their noses into every aspect of your life, and getting GPS coordinates for every front door.

Yes, I realize the Constitution (RIP) authorizes, in a flimsy way, a periodic census of how many people live in the "nation" (and NOTHING else). Why is the information needed? Supposedly for knowing how to apportion the "representatives" and enable other functions of "voting" and governmental meddling. So what? When the Constitution is wrong, it is really wrong. Seems like a good reason to avoid these nosy meddlers to me.

An amusing "legal" fact is that it is "illegal" to refuse to answer the questions that it is "unconstitutional" for them to ask. What happens when an irresistible force encounters an immovable object?

While you can't legally shoot these "trespassers with clipboards", you can treat them like door to door religion-pushers. Ignore, avoid, and/or confound them at every turn. You would do well to avoid answering any questions for the census-takers if you can manage it. Become an absolute simpleton; completely unable to comprehend the questions. Or suddenly convert to Jediism and remember the family of Jawas living with you and include them in your answers. And you did marry your cat last year, didn't you?

If you really believe it, it is "true enough" for the state, right? After all, that's how they get around the limits on their authority to enact "laws" they really, REALLY want.