There are no “government” solutions that are based on principles. Ever. Whether it’s about drugs, or crime, or education, or immigration, or disease, or poverty, or anything else, authoritarian solutions always come from fear-based, unprincipled, arbitrary emotional reactionary crap.
Tag: aggression
An Argument for a Stateless Society
The state fundamentally violates the non-aggression principle. Only its death can absolve its infringement, and I think this simple fact alone is more than enough justification for its termination.
The Myth of Religious Violence: A Review of William Cavanaugh’s Book
William Cavanaugh’s “The Myth of Religious Violence” sets out to deflate the titular myth, that religion is a uniquely violent social force, both throughout history and across cultures. In doing so, he manages to critique the modern secular liberal concept of religion as a definable sociological category, and gestures towards a more holistic mode of analyzing the origins of violence in society.
Reactionary Agendas are Temporary, Principles are Forever
In the long run, people whose reputation, notoriety and supposed importance come from them ranting and screaming against a certain situation, or a certain regime or organization, don’t really matter.
A Critique of Stefan Molyneux’s Discussion with Stephan Kinsella on Schooling
One of my strategies in sniffing out unequal or one sided relationships is to always shift the players around. Lets say a politician asked the question “How do you manage the behavior of the people?” Your response would likely be something like “Who are you? I am not your subject to be managed!” Of course you are probably thinking, well this is the difference between a young child who lacks experience and mental capabilities and an adult. I would somewhat agree, but also have strong disagreement. There is a little bit more subtlety at work.
Defending a Free Nation
Most societies, at least in this century, handle the problem of national defense by having a large, well-armed, permanent military force, run by a centralized government, funded by taxation, and often (though not always) manned by conscription. Is this a solution that a free nation can or should follow?
How Strong Are Your Principles?
Much of human history is comprised of people bitching and moaning about one tyrant, only to cheer for another–suffering under one form of oppression for years and years, only to replace it with a slightly different flavor of authoritarian collectivism.
ZAPped by Second-Hand Smoke?
I don’t enjoy being around cigarette smoke, but sometimes it is worth it to be in places or around people I want to be around. And it’s my choice, and I can choose to avoid those people and places if I decide it isn’t worth it. I can even make “hard choices” about difficult trade-offs and potential penalties if it is that important to avoid smoke. I can’t understand militant anti-smokers. Yes, I know smoke makes some people sick. I understand it’s not healthy. Being a smoke-Nazi is not healthy, either.
Things to Keep in Mind During the Health Care Debate
Politicians, of course, can declare a right to medical care, but those are mere words. What counts is what happens after the declaration. Since a system in which everyone could have, on demand, all the medical care they wanted at no cost would be unsustainable, the so-called right to medical care necessarily translates into the power of politicians and bureaucrats to set the terms under which medical services and products may be provided and received.
Such a Sad Life
Is it really a sad thing to accept the nature of reality and ethical behavior? To understand that theft and aggression are wrong, even if you don’t feel they actually harm you? Even if you deny the acts in question are theft and aggression? I certainly don’t think so.