For those who like competitive markets, the prospect of a Trump presidency has not held a great deal of promise. His love of discretionary power, his weak understanding of economics, and his long history of cronyism all suggest that the next four years will not be a good time for those of us who think that market capitalism is the best economic system for raising the overall standard of living, and especially for the least well off among us.
Tag: action
Nobody Owns Anything
Throughout my tenure as an anarchist one thing has always set me apart from everyone else: my beliefs around the concept of property and ownership. These are some real foundational beliefs for me, because it is based on them that I evaluate various things like “capitalism”, “socialism”, “communism”, even “economics” writ large. My beliefs on ownership are ones that I have largely kept silent about, but recently I have been feeling the need to sit down and elucidate my thoughts on the subject. So here it goes.
Liberty, Morality, and Intellectual Responsibility
The relationship between liberty and morality can be described briefly in the following manner: morality without liberty is impossible, and liberty without morality is very fragile.
Voluntaryism is the Love for Humanity
As a Voluntaryist my love and compassion extends to the totality of the human race. I make no preference or distinction towards any one group of people. We do not have women’s problems, black problems, rich problems, poor problems, Islamic problems, Christian problems, Hispanic problems, Mexican problems, Korean problems, or Russian problems. We have human problems because we are all human beings! Recognize your common heritage with your fellow human being. This is the source of true prosperity and peace.
But Who Will Build The Libertarian Society? The Inconsistency of “Immigration Control”
A popular rationalization for “immigration control” is a coupling of the reality that the State currently “taxes” (forces/extorts) people to pay for “welfare,” roadways, etc., and the chance (which proponents claim is fact) that “immigrants” “will vote to take your freedoms away.” This carries the linguistic baggage of layer upon layer of delusion, but in the end it either boils down to the State being rightful owner of all property, or at least acting as if it were, and violently controlling everyone and their property.
Debunking Territorial/Personal Jurisdiction – Why it Doesn’t Exist
There are two arguments critics raise when trying to discredit my work regarding jurisdiction: 1) it requires no evidence to prove the claim is true; and 2) is easily proven if accused of violating the “law” within a certain territory. The first claim is so silly it should not have to even be addressed, though I still will as both are untrue.
Thought Experiments on The Violence of The State
I just wanted to take a moment and demonstrate how loving your neighbor as you love your own mother would result in the abandonment of the State. Our innate human morals preclude us from punishing our friends and family when they have harmed no one by their actions, nor damaged anyone else’s property.
Why Children Protest Going to School
Why all this protest? Education is a good thing, right? Children need to become educated to do well in society. Society goes to tremendous expense and trouble to provide schooling—lots of it!—for every child (whether they want it or not). Are these kids just spoiled ingrates?
Relax. Just Breathe.
I need to remind myself – over and over – that I don’t control what others do. Not even close relatives. If they do things I consider shameful, I shouldn’t let it get to me. Their choices are not mine, and I am not some dictator who gets to allow or forbid their actions.
2016: The Year Nerd Culture and Free Speech Died
When it comes to all things nerd, 2016 hasn’t been our best year. Between nerd culture icons like Leonard Nimoy, Gene Wilder, or Alan Rickman passing away, or music icons like George Michael, Prince, or David Bowie dying, or nerd-cultural-phenomena like Star Wars being transformed into SJW propaganda, and other nerd-staples being made into Feminist and SJW “philosophical” outlets (here’s looking at you, Marvel Comics, Star Wars generally, and Joss Whedon), nerds the world over have begun to ask “Is this the end?”