Ultimately, whatever property conventions people voluntary decide to respect amongst each other is or should be acceptable for the voluntaryist. However, until there is a meeting of the minds between individuals concerning property conventions, how should conflicts over property claims be judged? In my opinion, they should be judged on the basis of original appropriation, and anything else is nonsensical.
Tag: borders
Pointing a Gun in the Face of a Random Stranger
A useful and interesting test to try on any flavor of statist is to ask if he would, on his own, do whatever he is advocating that “government” do (supposedly on his behalf). The question can have two elements: 1) would he actually do it himself, and; 2) whether or not he dares to do it, does he think it would be morally justified for him to do it himself?
Collectivist Authoritarians Can’t Be Anarchists
It’s like a “pacifist” explaining why he beat the crap out of someone, but is still a pacifist. Or a “vegan” explaining why he just ate a big steak, but is still a vegan. If you’re gonna advocate state violence, aggression, and centralized, collectivist authoritarian control, then just accept and admit that you’re a statist.
Words Poorly Used #87 — Open Borders
“Open borders” is a bit of an oxymoron. A border impairs or negatively influences passage, an opening enables or positively influences passage. Let there be natural borders and natural openings, without state interventions, without cultural definitions.
Anarchists Asking for “Papers”
I would love to watch a supposed Murican “anarchist” who condones “closed borders” explain his philosophical “principles” to someone who happened to be born in Mexico.
“Refugees,” “Immigration,” and “Borders”
Government importation of people for any reason is NOT “immigration.” I oppose this as strongly as I oppose government control (rationing) of “immigration” and “securing the borders.”
Outnumbered and Surrounded
Concerning “immigration,” no, I don’t want to be outnumbered and surrounded by people who feel entitled to violate my life, liberty, and property. But… I already am whether there are immigrants or not, just because almost everyone is statist, and that is the defining characteristic of statists.
“Enforce the Existing Laws”
Whether “immigration” (not a real thing anyway) is a good idea or not, the argument made by Mr. Smith simply doesn’t hold water. It’s a purely statist argument, and as such, is nonsense.
Marine Le Pen and the Growing Scourge of Nationalism
While I certainly do not expect to see Marine Le Pen secure a victory in the upcoming French Presidential runoff election, even her ascendency to such a race represents yet another (once) surprising victory for the strain of nationalistic populism which has been sweeping the globe in recent years. From the Philippines to Great Britain to the United States to Turkey to France (and many other similar examples as well), we are witnessing the reversal of a trend at least 70 years in the making.
Changing Your Mind Is Good, but Don’t Cut Corners
Political irrationality is ubiquitous. Most people irrationally cling to their political views; most of the rest irrationally revise their political views. This includes, of course, my fellow libertarians. I know plenty of unreasonable libertarians, but I also know plenty of “post-libertarians” who changed their minds for reasons no reasonable libertarian would accept.