Statism is unacceptable

There are many behaviors which are simply unacceptable.

Rape, murder, theft, kidnapping... the list includes all violations of life, liberty, and property. There is simply no justification for them that holds water.

Yet, there is a belief system which excuses all of these within certain parameters: statism.

In fact, without those behaviors, statism would cease to exist as anything real. It wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, except the person who holds the belief in statism in his own mind.

Statism is anti-social and uncivilized. If there were such a thing as a "social contract", statism would be the breaking of that contract.

Statism is just unacceptable.

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If you get any value from my writing, consider rewarding me with your financial support commensurate with the value you receive. You can also do that with zero cost to yourself by upvoting my posts on Steemit. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me keep writing without the fear of saying something to get fired over. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always helping out.

Refusing to vote is vote for liberty

(My Clovis News Journal column for July 8, 2016)

In last week’s column valid alternatives were offered to those hesitant to waste a vote by endorsing an evil-- lesser or not. For some reason almost everyone focused on the point that it isn't smart to keep playing a game you know is rigged.

Overwhelmingly, the people demand their right to keep losing to known cheaters.

They apparently see voting as essential to liberty rather than recognizing it as a tool to empower the opposite.

Fair enough.

I won't demand you not vote; I'm saying if you vote, please don't stop there. Learn, think, and reason-- no matter where it leads. I hope you do this because I believe the more you know, the more you'll practice rightful liberty and the more you'll ignore politicians and their arbitrary opinions called "laws".

You don't need a professional bully class to control you and your neighbors, and I hope for the day you realize it. The truth will set you free.

Many people view the refusal to vote as "doing nothing", when nothing could be further from the truth. Back when most doctors believed bloodletting was an effective treatment, those who declined the disastrous procedure weren't doing nothing, they were refusing to make matters worse. It's an important distinction. Don't make matters worse by doing the wrong thing.

The refusal to sanction a politician, or an office for a politician to hold, is voting for liberty and independence in the most effective way. It is the individual withdrawal of consent.

If you are happy with how things are, vote and go home. Be content in the knowledge that you have helped ensure no real change can threaten your familiar world. If something unexpected crops up you can believe it wasn't your fault. You did your part to prop up the status quo.

If, however, you want things to change and bring a chance for a better life, there are plenty of options. Before, after, or instead of voting, get out there and tell people what you stand for, and what changes you want to bring to the world. Explain why the status quo is not good enough. Then show everyone you mean it by acting on it. Live as though the world were already as you advocate-- but be smart. There are those who will use laws to punish you for daring to threaten the status quo and the cozy police state they've built around you. And they vote.

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Taking government seriously. Seriously?

(If you use Steemit, please go there and upvote this post.)

Really, people. How can you take government seriously?

You have the clowns campaigning for president. An unhealthy old harpy, and an orange blowhard. Both statist to the rotten core.

Then, just look at your state and local politivermin. They are no better, and if you believe they are, it's a sign you are delusional.

Some around here are having an adolescent cat fight. I've seen two year-olds act more mature. Yet, somehow, people look to these morons for guidance, and believe their opinions have weight.

I absolutely don't get it.

Yes, I realize they are making up "laws" that their hired guns are perfectly willing to murder you over, and they steal your money and violate your property rights in myriad other ways, too. This means they are a mortal threat to your life, liberty, and property. So are other bad guys- they aren't special.

They fear you being armed, and so they do all they can to make sure you give up your weapons. The only reason anyone wants you unarmed is so they can do things to you (or your loved ones) which you wouldn't ever allow if you were able to resist. And you CAN resist if you have effective weaponry. Even if it only costs one bully his life before you are killed by his gang, it still cost that one. One less bully in the world, and probably at least one person will decide to pursue honest work rather than join the gang.

But you can also resist in other ways. As long as a government employee isn't looking directly at what you are doing right this minute, why comply? Nibble away at their power, and laugh away the respect your silly family, friends, and neighbors give them. They don't deserve it. They haven't earned it. Quite the opposite. They are ridiculous.

Treat them like the absurd fools they are. It's what they richly deserve, and have worked to earn.

And never forget: Government is nothing more or less than a club for drama queens who like to try to run other people's lives while spending stolen money.

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Patriotism

(If you use Steemit, please go there and upvote this post.)

Blind patriotism is bizarre to me. And, I think all patriotism is blind.

"My country, right or wrong" is a great example of this. It means the person uttering this phrase values a "country" more than rightness. It means they are willing to overlook wrong- evil- just because of who is committing it. It is totally devoid of reason or ethics.

It's like supporting a person to the point of covering for that person, even if he is a mass-murdering psychopath. It's like supporting cops.

A country, which is to say a State (which is what most people mean when they say "government") can never really be right, since countries are built on a foundation of theft and other property violations, and are maintained through aggression.

But maybe they actually mean "America"; the people who live here on this landmass. Can "America" be anything? Individuals can, and enough individuals acting in concert can affect the flavor of America, but it's still just individuals. I have trouble seeing "America" as a unified thing, and even more trouble seeing a "country" as anything real and concrete. So, forget the country.

For the purpose of argument, I'll say I can support America when America does right.

But I don't excuse evil, no matter who is doing it.

I can discern between "America" and the US government, and in fact I see them as mortal enemies. Most people don't seem to make that distinction, just like they conflate "government" and "society". There are no good States. Not one. But don't hate the people suffering under those States. They are victims.

I don't support countries any more than I support any evil act- and governing others is one of the most evil acts you can commit.

If you support any country "no matter what", you do a disservice to the cause of rightness, and to your neighbors. Rational supporters insist on a standard of behavior. Rational supporters require no evil be committed.

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Also, just as an aside- You can't have "patriotism" without "riot". Interesting, that.

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If you get any value from my writing, consider rewarding me with your financial support commensurate with the value you receive. You can also do that with zero cost to yourself by upvoting my posts on Steemit. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me keep writing without the fear of saying something to get fired over. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always helping out.

Here's an idea...

I'm going to be trying out Steemit-- cross-posting all my blogs there. At least to see how it works for me. It appears some people are making decent money over there, and I'd like to see if it can work for me.

This is a way you can apparently help me make money without spending a cent. Just upvote and share the blog links.

For a while I will include a link to the Steemit blog post with every blog post, and I would really appreciate if you'd go there and upvote everything I write.

Thank you, very much!

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Where did humans go wrong?

Somewhere along the way-- beginning long, long ago and continuing into the present day-- most humans got the bizarre notion that things which could never possibly be any of their business, were their business.

And not only that, but so critically "their business" that they should murder people over these things.

Things like...
Which invisible beings they believed in, and how they showed their belief.
Which things they ingested.
Who they loved and/or had sex with.
How they comprised their family units.
Which tools they owned, and how they carried them.
What they lived in, and what they surrounded their living quarters with.
What they traded, and how.
Where they were born, and what languages they spoke.
Which banners they flew.
Which symbols they revered.
Which songs they sang.
And all manner of other things.

I'm not even saying these things don't matter, but that they should be individual matters. Not subject to control by anyone else, and certainly not justification for murder!

All they should have been worried about the whole time was whether the other people initiated force or violated property or broke their agreements. But that was too sensible, and didn't allow for the rise of a bully class (who tried to make the non-issues become Big Issues).

It's really long past time for the human race to grow up and get over the childish desire to meddle and control. And we can- one individual at a time.

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If you get any value from my writing, consider rewarding me with your financial support commensurate with the value you receive. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me keep writing without the fear of saying something to get fired over. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always helping out.

Claire Wolfe's new site!

I am guilty of assuming everyone was already aware... but then I realized I was wrong!

Claire Wolfe has a new website and has moved her "Living Freedom" blog.

Her site is still being worked on, but the blog is up and running full speed. Go check it out, and add it to your daily "must reads". You won't regret it.

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If you get any value from my writing, consider rewarding me with your financial support commensurate with the value you receive. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me keep writing without the fear of saying something to get fired over. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always helping out.

Statists mis-define words

"Freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do." ~ domestic enemy and terrorist, NYC's Rudolph Giuliani, March 1994

If you let the bad guys define your terms, you have lost.

They will always define words to put themselves on top. To make you do what they want.

They want you to believe anarchy is chaos and destruction, rather than self-ownership, personal responsibility, and voluntary interaction.

They want you to believe "liberty" means a government-granted privilege, rather than unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.

They'll always define cops as the good guys, standing between you and horrible death- when cops are actually the worst gang out there, more likely to deliver your horrible death than any other evil gang.

They believe in silly things like "authority" and States and "laws". They worship flags and documents and people who do evil deeds for them.

And way too many people still listen to them and act as though they are the reasonable ones. They aren't. They are insane, ignorant, or evil. Or any combination of the three.

But, I know from personal experience some can be reached, in spite of the protests of those who don't believe they can. It has happened. Most of us were once statists, to one degree or another. If we got over it, so can others.

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If you get any value from my writing, consider rewarding me with your financial support commensurate with the value you receive. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me keep writing without the fear of saying something to get fired over. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always helping out.

"Fighting" for liberty?

(Previously posted to Patreon)

Fighting for liberty may not be smart. Maybe, if you have to fight for it you're doing it wrong.

I just lost one of my online friends in this fight for liberty to suicide. There were several times he hinted at it, and anytime I saw it, I tried to make sure he knew he was valued and appreciated. Well, apparently I missed one time too many. I suspect it was something he was just going to do eventually, no matter what.

I never met him in person, but over the past few years we had discussed various liberty-related subjects online, often concerning the evil of "law enforcement" goons, and we had each other's backs when a kinda-sorta "famous" "pro-liberty" phony attacked us for calling him out. And he sent his condolences when my daughter died.

I do think he had the sort of personality that made things more difficult. To me he seemed rather volatile, and more than a little angry. And deeply frustrated.

I don't want to end up like him.

Liberty should be fun- in the way any worthwhile struggle can be fun. No, it's not going to be easy, because there are too many bullies out there trying to make sure it isn't easy. It's a fine line between knowing they can destroy your life and kill you, and giving them too much attention and power. They are serious, but shouldn't be taken too seriously, if you know what I mean.

You can fight with a smile on your face. You are on the right side. You have all the reason, logic, ethics, and morality on your side. The anti-liberty bigots have lost, but refuse to accept it and lie down. That just means they lose again and again, and are making themselves more tired. They just keep making fools of themselves, but aren't bright enough to know it.

So, if you fight, fight smart. Try to find the humor in it.

And, if the fight starts taking a toll, take a break. Find things to laugh about and enjoy. Stop and eat the flowers.

So, if you see me treating any violation of Rightful Liberty too lightly for your tastes, remember that sometimes you've got to smile, or point and laugh, at the bullies. If you let them rob you of all your joy, they have won.

Please don't hand them a victory they didn't earn.

And, if I can ever help you get through a bad spot in life, let me know.

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Helping others makes me happy

I love helping people. I really do. It's one of the happiest things I can do. I love the feeling of being useful and seeing how happy I can make people when I solve a problem they are facing. It doesn't have to be a life or death crisis, either.

I sometimes spend money I probably shouldn't spend just to be able to help people.

Very recently I was able to loan a back up battery to someone whose phone was dying so she could talk to her son in the midst of a problem. I also have adapters so my back up battery (actually, the USB cord) will fit other people's phones if theirs aren't the normal mini USB.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to help someone who couldn't get their car door to latch. I lost a tiny bit of blood with that one, but I felt wonderful that I was able to solve a problem. (And almost amazed that I knew how to solve a car-related problem.)

And, this is why I educate people about liberty. Liberty helps. It solves problems. Liberty makes me happy, even though it doesn't create Utopia. Sharing liberty makes me happy, and I want others to be happy, too.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Only intelligent choice is no vote

(My Clovis News Journal column for July 1, 2016)

Trump or Clinton? It's the question which seems to be on a lot of minds. Not which candidate would would be best as president, but which would be the least bad.

It's a false choice.

First of all, pretending those are your only choices is like saying you can only choose between hamburgers and tacos; nothing else. You are pretending the menu doesn't exist.

Yes, there are other choices. Insisting you choose between those two, because "Democrat or Republican is the only realistic option", is a self defeating belief. It will remain true as long as you believe it's true, not a moment longer.

For those who are upset with the Republican wing of the Boot-On-Your-Neck Party for nominating non-Republican Donald Trump, you could always vote for the actual Republicans who are running. This year, the Libertarian Party did something the Republicans failed to do: they nominated Republicans for the presidency and vice-presidency: Gary Johnson and William Weld, respectively. A disaster for the Libertarians, but a gift to the Republicans who are paying attention.

Or, you could finally realize voting for the lesser evil, whoever you believe that to be, is still voting for evil and stop playing a rigged game. At some point, rational people realize the only winning move is to not play at all.

I can hear you say "But someone is going to win whether I vote or not". So? Someone will become president of the Meshoppen, Pennsylvania quilting circle, too- if such a thing exists. It only matters if you believe it matters, and only if you believe their club has any authority over your life. Only if you feel obligated to act as if you are subject to government and its counterfeit laws can you really be affected by who is its president.

In fact, the person holding the office of president is about as inconsequential as it's possible for a person to be. The existence of the office is the problem, not the individual politician occupying it. The president is a figurehead. The real harm is done by advisers, congress, and the courts, and by those among us who go along with whatever they say we must, or must not, do.

So, no, I am not going to make a recommendation of who you "should" vote for. It would be as ridiculous as suggesting you ought to eat plutonium rather than cyanide, when the only intelligent choice is to eat neither.

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Added- Here is the perfectly predictable response I got on the CNJ page:
"If you don't vote then you have no room to bitch, whine, and complain when things aren't going your way. The system we have is far from perfect but it is what we inherited."

And my reply:
Actually, if you do v*te, you are consenting to the outcome. You are saying the result is legitimate, no matter what it may be, and you agree to abide by it. That's just not acceptable or rational.

If you go into a game of poker, knowing the rules, and also knowing your opponent hasn't actually played without cheating for decades (if ever), yet you play anyway, what does that say about your common sense?

No one can ever lose their right to complain, but if that were possible, it certainly wouldn't be the people who are aware of the scam and refuse to participate who "lose the right"- it would be those who keep propping up the scam and empowering the bad guys to keep pushing people around and stealing their property by keeping up the appearance of legitimacy by their participation and support.

If you v*te, you are part of the problem. The current situation is squarely on your shoulders. You really have no one else to blame.

"We" didn't inherit anything, but perhaps you did. If you inherit a rabid skunk, do you let it sleep in your child's bed, or do you resolve the problem? This is the same sort of situation, like it or not.

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The cure

V*ting is a symptom.

If you v*te you are showing you believe in the "system". Because you do.

When you stop believing in it, you'll stop going out of your way to prop it up. It's an entirely different mindset.

You will no longer really care what opinions the politicians turn into "laws"- you'll see politicians for what they are: bullies with some power.

Most of their power doesn't actually come from their guns, it comes from those who still believe in them. When enough people stop believing in them enough that they stop v*ting (for or against, it doesn't matter), nothing they can do will be enough to keep control.

I no longer believe in them. Not in the way they would want. I know bullies are out there, willing to murder me if I ignore their opinions, but they can't have any sort of legitimacy. Because they just don't. They are nothing but bullies with armed drones. Nothing more than a disease in need of a cure.

You can't cure everyone simultaneously, but you can absolutely cure yourself. Today. And, when you are cured, you won't show the symptoms anymore.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

The Truth

Those who want me to doubt that anarchy (self ownership and individual responsibility) is the best, most moral, and ethical way to live among others are asking me to accept that theft, aggression, superstition, and slavery are perhaps better.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Don't worry. It won't happen because it hasn't yet.

Just as soon as someone reassures me that because something bad hasn't happened yet, it's not ever going to happen... it happens. This happens to me personally all the time. Yay, right? I don't like being reassured because of this trend.

So, I wonder if that applies in the larger world as well. The US dollar hasn't yet experienced hyperinflation- even though by all measure, it should... so will it simply because "experts" assure me it won't?

And, I wonder if it might apply for things that would arguably be bad, but which I wouldn't mind seeing. Like a nice solar flare knocking out technology for a while. Tell me that it won't happen because it hasn't happened. (I know about the Carrington Event.)

Of course, I tend to believe that this also might mean that good things which haven't yet happened are always a possibility. Maybe not today, or this year, but sometime. Conditions change, even if humans really don't. What was nearly impossible a century ago, might be likely tomorrow. It might even have already started and be unstoppable.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Harping on cops

I really hate focusing on cops so much recently. But... cops are THE biggest threat to Rightful Liberty and a voluntary society. Nothing else even comes close. Not a president, not federal judges, not congress. Nothing else.

Cops are where the boot heel of tyranny meets the human face.
Cops are how politicians impose their arbitrary opinions on you and me.
Cops are the occupying army of domestic enemies we should have been fighting off before they got too big to beat. Or, at least, too big to beat without becoming a martyr.
Cops are nothing but a criminal gang- criminal in the real sense, not the artificial "legal" sense.

Exposing the reality of what cops are and what they do is important. The veil of legitimacy that too many people allow cops to hide behind must be undercut. Good people need to be shown why supporting cops is wrong. People who traditionally have thrown unwavering support behind cops need to be shown why it is long past time to wise up and stop doing so.

"Cop" isn't a person- it is a set of behaviors, just like "rapist". Don't commit the acts and you aren't the bad guy. If you stop committing rapes, you aren't a rapist. If you stop committing acts of "law enforcement", you are no longer a cop. But, no one can refuse to commit the acts and expect to remain a cop for long. And, stopping doesn't erase the debt your past acts have created- although I'm willing to forgive a lot, if the violator is truly sorry and repudiates his past actions, and doesn't return to his evil ways.

Being honest about cops has cost me. Personally and financially. But I couldn't live with myself if I turned a blind eye to the evil that is "policing".

So, yes, I am likely to keep harping on it.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Market for aggression

(I know the video is dark and back-lit, but I was going for something different, and looking at me isn't really the goal here, anyway.)

There will always be a market for theft and aggression, because people want the benefits it can gain them without taking the risk of doing the evil themselves. So, people without principles will offer to commit aggression and theft for a price to meet that "need".

Cops are one example, but not the only one.

Mafia hit men, government troops, and anyone else who commits violence- in exchange for money or favors- against someone who isn't already using violence (no matter how much you might dislike the peaceable, property respecting things they are doing) is marketing aggression.

And that can't be preemptively prohibited without crippling the rest of the market. You can't legitimately "prohibit" anything, anyway.

However, what you can do (although it isn't always wise) is defend yourself from those aggressors. You always have that right, no matter what anyone tells you.

The current cost of aggression is artificially low. Especially if you can pretend to be a "legitimate employee of government" [sic]. If the cost were raised to where it reflected the reality, fewer people would be able to afford the services of aggression peddlers, fewer aggression peddlers would remain in business, and society would be better off.

Self defense against aggressors (and thieves) is the way to raise the cost back to where it should be. At least, if self defense occurs regularly enough, some will get out of the aggression market, or choose to find an honest job, instead.

Considering that Utopia isn't an option, that's probably the best outcome possible.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Fred Reed goes all copsucker on us

Fred's off his rocker this time.

"Do you know any cops? Have you ever known any? I mean known them well enough to have a beer with after work, or to invite to a get-together at your house. Have you ever really talked to a cop?"
Yep. It was a big part of my education and wake-up call where cops are concerned.


"Has it ever occurred to you that there might be another side of the story?"
Yep. Rapists have a side to their story too. I don't have to become a rapist to know rape is wrong.


"Now, why don’t you know any cops? For at least two reasons. As a Pathologically Virtuous White (PVW), you are almost certainly a college graduate."
As I say, I have known cops (and ex-cops who loathe cops more than I do). And, no, I am not a college graduate.


"Further, cops are masculine,..."
LOL. O... kay...


"They are conservative and like guns."
They are statists who love Big Government, and only like guns in their hands. Cops are NOT the individual gun owner's friend. Who do you think enforces the anti-gun "laws"? It's not Obama or Chuckie Schumer.


"So you know nothing about them, their jobs, or the conditions in which they work. Especially the latter."
Again, do I have to walk a mile in a rapist's shoes to condemn rape?


"On the street, cops have to be hard-nosed or they lose their authority."
"Authority" is a superstition. The most dangerous one.


"Citizens are a pain in the ass when interacting with cops. They will lie, argue, bluster, threaten, and weasel."
Cops lie. It is an accepted part of their "job"- even under oath in government courtrooms. "Citizens" should be truthful to pathological liars?


"Now, let us go off the deep end and imagine that you,were required to don a cop’s uniform and spend three months walking a foot beat with a real cop in, say, Newark or Chicago or Detroit, downtown. How would this affect your mind?"
Yes, it would damage my mind to commit acts of enforcement. Might I begin to believe I have to right to impose arbitrary demands on people? Sure. That's why I wouldn't lower myself to become a cop. Or a rapist. Just because you can see things from the bad guy's perspective doesn't mean you are innocent when committing the acts that define a bad guy.


"People would not look friendly, especially the young men."
How should people look when confronted with a predator? A predator with a license to kill, who will demand compliance and molest you for doing things you have every right to do, and will then get a paid vacation and be found "innocent of any wrongdoing" no matter how much evidence is against him?


"You will realize that the police are not heavily armed thugs intimidating a helpless and cowering black public."
Right, they are heavily armed thugs intimidating a helpless and cowering... everyone who isn't them.


"Cops are vulnerable. Anybody passing you on the street could stick an ice pick into you, or blow your head off from behind."
So quit. Find an honest job that doesn't make you the enemy of the public.


"Hanging out at the Fraternal Order of Police, you would find that most cops are likable. This discovery would probably disturb you."
Not at all. Most cops are nice, but none are good. If they weren't nice- especially to their own gang, they wouldn't survive. It's common sense.


"You will see things that will change you."
Undoubtedly. But to molest people because you have psychological scars isn't excusable.


"But you would know what you were talking about–and you would find it a novel experience."
Because until you become a rapist, you have no right to criticize rape.


Sorry Fred, but this time you went full potato. I hope it passes.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

Time's Up, plus 10 years

It was 10 years ago this summer that I created the Time's Up flag. I don't remember the exact date- although if I looked back through some photos and such I could figure it out within a day or two. It's not that important.

But, I know exactly where I was when the idea of making the Gadsden flag's snake stop rattling and strike first hit me.

I was sitting in a folding chair, in front of my parents' motorhome, in an RV park on the western outskirts of Albuquerque. I was looking at the Gadsden flag flapping on the front of the motorhome- I had hung it there to balance out the federal flag my dad likes to display.

I was thinking "Don't tread on me? That snake has been tread on nonstop for over 200 years, and he's still just sitting there rattling about it. It's about time he took action."

So, I pulled a scrap of paper out of my pocket and sketched it out. Then tried to decide the best wording to put under the striking snake. Besides "Time's Up", I thought of "Liberty" and a few other things. But my friends on The Claire Files forum helped me settle on "Time's Up".

The first version

The updated version

I have had the flags made and sold them. I have had patches made for sale, too. I have let people use the design on shirts, caps, and flags to sell. I have seen modifications of my original design that I liked, and have seen some modifications I didn't like. I have seen the flag used (with my permission) in comic strips. I have seen it used as people's profile picture on social media- by people who wouldn't have any clue about who I am, and wouldn't care if they did know. I have seen the design embraced by people who wouldn't like the principles behind it, such as "Tea Party conservatives". I have also seen it used by people who "get it".

I may not have made many real contributions in my life, but I think the Time's Up flag may be the one contribution which will outlive me.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.

You know what would be really helpful right about now?

I've been trying to avoid writing a post specifically to ask for money, however... donations are down and subscriptions are, too. But the cats still need to eat, and my daughter still needs and/or wants some things (and so do I), we still need gasoline to get to where we need to go, and there are still way too many bills to pay.

So, if you can, and only if you want to, please make a one time donation or become a subscriber. There are a few options over there to the right.

If you can't or don't want to, no problem. I understand both.

Thank you to all my donors and subscribers for all you have done!

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Don't live down to the expectations

I care that you live by the Zero Aggression Principle and don't violate property.

I don't care about your "race", gender/sex, culture, job, wealth, "nationality", or anything else... as long as you live by the Zero Aggression Principle and don't violate property.

It's so simple.

However, if you use any of those trivial (or imaginary) categories mentioned above as justification for initiating force and violating property, I'm not going to excuse you based on your "race", gender/sex, culture, job, wealth, "nationality", or anything else, either. I know you can be a good person, and I expect you to live up to it.

When you use those excuses as justification for initiating force or violating property you are also spitting on others who don't commit those acts, but who will probably be unfairly grouped with you by ignorant observers.

None of those things require you to be an aggressor or a property violator- with the possible exception of your "job", and you are free to quit any "job" that requires you to be a bad person to do it. And you should.

You don't have to be a bad guy, no matter what you believe others expect of you. So, don't.

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If you get any value from my labors, consider rewarding me with your financial support. This blog is in its 10th year now. If you believe I have contributed anything to the conversation regarding liberty during these ten years, and believe I have more to contribute, help me stay online. I really, desperately could use some more help; please don't depend on the same people always stepping up.