A few days ago, I sent out a Facebook Friend Request to a person who had over 750 friends in common with me. This person politely replied that we could not be friends since he was a “Trump Loyalist,” so he feared I would be offended by his posts. Such offense would have been a certainty, but I was offended already by the language of the phrase, “Trump Loyalist.” But let us be clear, the utmost problem is not Trumpism — it’s loyalism of any sort.
Author: Kilgore Forelle
Electrocuting Dogs
“If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell,” wrote Carl Sandburg. Although this is specific advice for lawyers, it can be general advice for us all. Unfortunately, the less beneficial aspects of this advice are often explored.
Words Poorly Used #141 — Leviathan
“In debates between anarchists and statists, the burden of proof clearly should rest on those who place their trust in the state. Anarchy’s mayhem is wholly conjectural; the state’s mayhem is undeniably, factually horrendous.”
Obsolescence
One of the frictions that promotes change is obsolescence. I have looked, this morning, at a drone photo of Hong Kong. As a species blessed (cursed?) with rational problem solving skills, we seem at the same time to lack problem avoidance skills.
Pangolins
Once again, I have anecdotal evidence about humanity that is very dreary. Mark Twain said, “Always do right. This will gratify some, the rest will be astonished.” The reason for astonishment seems to be that there are damned few who are compelled to do right — much fewer always to do right.
Anarchy Just Is
Statists and ancoms, too often, ask, “How does anarchy work?” or “How does your version of anarchy work?” They somehow think that because I am an anarchist that I am obligated to explain it to them as a system, like a tractor or ice cream. I am under no such obligation — in fact, my own conception of anarchy evolves from day to day.
Basketball
I love basketball. I love it from the women’s grade school level, in which I used to coach, to the Olympic level with NBA and other international superstars. Why? I love it for the same reason as I do rugby. The games are models of chaos. They are models of life. They are models of anarchy.
Speculative News Is Fake News
Today I took a dreary passage down the path of a slow news day, a day in the middle of the weekend news cycle. It would be sort of OK if this phenomenon were marked with a drought of information, but instead it is littered with misinformation and disinformation (the first is inaccurate, the second is deliberately inaccurate). Apparently, the media wants us to believe there is an endless cornucopia of critical news.
We’re Undecided Now, So What’re We Gonna Do?
The concern arises that 99 and 44/100ths% of the agenda of agencies are out of the control of anyone. There is a “set it and forget it” syndrome with them all. I have been in close proximity to the state, man and boy, for over 7 decades (haven’t we all, for varying lengths of time?), and I have never seen a bureau go out of existence.
Confessions of a Blogging Opium Eater
With a nod to Thomas De Quincey, I have had to deal with the consequences of an addiction once again. As a life long University of Kentucky basketball fan, I now must look forward to a long, cold summer. I will have fleeting moments, perhaps in the NBA playoffs, perhaps when they contest the Rugby World Cup to see who can deny the New Zealand All Blacks. But this all got me thinking about the nature of undying love, freedom, individuality, and consequences, from the POV of a voluntaryist.