Whatever else it might accomplish, President Trump’s border wall has already divided America. I oppose the wall, believing it’s a bad idea, but mine isn’t a popular opinion–even among libertarians.
Tag: consent
Motion Granted Again – Dismissal With Prejudice
A big congrats to Gadsen Viper for not backing down, even after a sham trial, and getting a dismissal with prejudice. And thanks for not only sending me the documentary proof, but calling into the show to report what happened. This is a principled stand against criminals the critics just cannot appreciate.
Don’t Let Prosecutors Intimidate You – Overcoming Their Flawed Opposition
When people defend against bureaucratic attacks, they tend to be intimidated by prosecutors. After all, they are professionals, they have advanced degrees and much more experience in the courts than most. Don’t let that intimidate you, most times they have no evidence and rely on fear and logical fallacies. I’ll cover another in this article, the common strawman.
Liberty in the Balance
If we truly wish to live in a free country, we need to carefully think about what, if anything, the government ought to be allowed to do. I suggest that we think about this, as Rawls would, while imagining that we might not be in the driver’s seat. We might not be favored by the law. In such a case, would we not prefer an even-handed set of rules which, while not giving us any particular advantage, also do not give particular advantages to those who do not like us very much?
Tariffs, Pickpockets, and the Nationalist Snake in the Moral Grass
Protectionism, as it is misleadingly known, has always been an insider’s game, a political gambit aimed at enriching those to whom the government is especially beholden or seeks to seduce at the expense of other people. Incumbent producers who produce products on which tariffs are imposed succeed in repelling competition by force of the government’s customs officers, which is to say that they succeed in increasing their profits by force, not by offering consumers a better deal.
A Common Sense Foundation for Liberty
“The foundation of my libertarianism is much more modest: common sense morality. At first glance, it may seem paradoxical that such radical political conclusions could stem from anything designated as “common sense.” I do not, of course, lay claim to common sense political views. I claim that revisionary political views emerge out of common sense moral views. As I see it, libertarian political philosophy rests on three broad ideas.”
Ticket Dismissed in Australia – No Evidence to Offer
It’s been a while, but we’ve got another ticket dismissed in Ipswich, Australia. Thanks to George for acting as a McKenzie friend for Lee and getting this ticket dismissed. Congrats to Lee for taking a principled stand against the criminals called “government.”
A Moral Challenge
If government is really as necessary as most people think, then it ought to be quite simple to convince others to support it (or at least support as much of it as they believe is necessary). Instead of threatening people, educate them. Convince them. Demonstrate why they ought to contribute to government. Threatening them with force is not a way to answer their arguments against paying.
The Role of War in a Voluntaryist Society
Most voluntaryists understand that war is one of the most terrible, wasteful, horrific tools at the state’s disposal. There can be no doubt that the death, devastation, and warping of the mind caused by war are terrible evils. But the question remains: “Is war ever justified?” Before a coherent answer can be given, we should first define war. If war is defined as a purely statist activity, then war is never justified for the simple reason that statism is never justified. However, if we include private, large-scale military operations in the definition of war, then war could be justified under certain specific conditions.
Ten Principles Important to Me
As part of my process of self-discovery, I’ve outlined ten principles that are important to me, and the reasons why they are important: 1. Consent / nonaggression, because nonconsensual actions (aggression) are evil. 2. Loyalty, because disloyal people have caused me a lot of pain. 3. Truth, because living a lie hurts sooner or later.