I sometimes hear people, including freedom advocates, pondering how society might “transition” from an authoritarian system to a stateless society. The implication is that there could be some sort of gradual, peaceful phasing in of freedom, and a phasing out of governmental controls. But that is not how things works, and not how things will ever work.
Tag: authoritarian
My Famous Dead People Dinner Party Guest List
If there is a land of dead interesting people out there, you can bet I’ll be hosting a fascinating dinner party the first week I’ll get there.
In Defense of Immigration from “Shi*thole Countries”
“Why are we having all these people from shi*hole countries come here?” US president Donald Trump allegedly asked during an Oval Office meeting, further musing that the US should try to strike a new balance with fewer immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean and more from, say, Norway.
Twit to Twat Tweet
It may seem strange to devote an entire article to one little “Tweet” from “God Emperor Trump” (a.k.a. the Orange Fuhrer), but one in particular is definitely worthy of a little psychoanalysis—a fitting term here, since we will be analyzing a psycho.
Radical Ideals Aren’t the Same as Utopian Visions
If I have one ethical ideal for how human beings should relate to each other (“politics”), it’s this – non-violence. There’s a lot more to say about ethical societies and ethical human behavior, but when it comes to politics, I’m really not much more complicated than that. My views are actually pretty mundane.
A Matter of Scale
At what scale do you suddenly think that human interaction and peaceful coexistence requires, or is even helped by, giving some people permission to forcibly rule everyone else?
Polite Pirates
A: “Greetings. How are you this fine evening?” B: “Well, I was good. Who are you, and why are you pointing a gun at me?” A: “I’m your friendly neighborhood car-jacker, and I will be robbing you tonight.” B: “Is this a joke?” A: “Oh, I assure you this is no joke. I’m a respectable…
Their Favorite Kind of Misogyny
The preeminent marriage counsel I was given was in the form of two words: “Yes, dear.” I was told that these two simple words would prevent and/or solve every conflict. Grandpa was only half-joking.
Confusionitions
I think it’s really unfortunate, and confusing, when one word is used to speak of two concepts which are totally unrelated– or even at odds with each other. Such as with the word “authority”.
Perpetual Youth
I have written recently that my father, who lived nearly to 94, said that he never stopped feeling like a boy — in effect a second-class citizen. I felt that way too up until about 15 years ago, when I began to study voluntaryism.