The use of violence to profit was called by Franz Oppenheimer, in The State, the “political means.” In contrast, peaceful trade and other voluntary actions he called “economic means.” The Ruling Class are those whose wealth is obtained via the political means. The “Left,” the “Right,” “liberals,” “conservatives,” “constitutionalists,” “centrists” and more are indistinct classifications…
Category: Two Cents
On Honor and Edward Snowden II
After some more thinking and reading on the topic of honor, I think it would be accurate to say that honor is relative. Consider an honor code among thieves, or pirates. In my example, on the one hand, Edward Snowden acted dishonorably by running away from his (assuming) promise to be punished if he ever…
On Empathy
I’ve had people who disagreed with me philosophically tell me either directly or indirectly that I must not be in a “good place” or at a “good point” in my life. What motivates this? Why do people assume that if someone they knew in the past to think one way, but now thinks differently, there…
On Honor and Edward Snowden
Honor, to me, is keeping your promises and staying true to your principles. Honor does not seem to be a very important part of the lives of Westerners. I only ever heard the term growing up in movies and, more recently, in book series like John Carter, Narnia, and the Lord of the Rings. If…
On Shelf Elfs
The “Elf on the Shelf” tradition is, unfortunately, growing in popularity. This absurd scheme involves two practices that every family should abandon: lying to your kids; and promising either rewards or punishment for behavior. The former is disrespectful and destructive to the trust needed to build strong relationships, and the latter teaches selfishness and conditional…
On Deity
I don’t know if there are any beings in the universe that should be considered “supreme” by virtue of either their nature or their accomplishments, but it seems obvious to me that supreme beings are nowhere to be found on this world. Of the many thousands of versions of deity that exist, they all seem…
On Evil People
What is the point of calling someone an “evil person”? It seems that doing so shuts one’s mind off from understanding the reasons behind actions that others consider evil. “They are an evil person. They just are. There’s nothing more to them than that they are evil, and should be dealt with accordingly.” It seems…
On Language
This statement is seemingly benign to the average person: “The decision may entice more states to enforce similar laws as they seek ways to generate more revenue. States lost an estimated $23 billion in 2012 as a result of not being able to collect sales tax revenue on remote sales.” When written with a proper…
On the Purpose of Life
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question oft asked throughout one’s childhood. Why? Probably because we’ve all been conditioned to think of growing up as an end. You are born, you go to school, you graduate, you get a job or go to more school, you get married, you…
On Procrastinating Important Change
My wife’s favorite phrase, one that she shares with me often is, “Don’t leave for tomorrow the things you can do today.” I believe Benjamin Franklin first recorded it, but I doubt he was the first to think it. My wife heard it growing up in Mexico City. It’s sound advice, though difficult for me…