Noam Chomsky and other left anarchist types criticize capitalism and wage labor by arguing that workers can’t give valid consent because their alternative to working is starvation. Nevermind that employers are not the force creating the prospect of starvation (that’s Mother Nature’s doing), but doesn’t this criticism apply equally to every other arrangement?
Tag: consent
A Crippling Lack of Imagination and Problem Solving
Here’s one of those (thankfully, rare) long reply posts. Someone had a problem with me not liking socialism/government and responded with a request for answers. So I did what I could.
Wilson and The State Police
“Wilson” never had a driver’s license in all the years I knew him. He normally traveled by bicycle. He wasn’t usually in a hurry and it was cheaper than buying fuel. Especially at our local prices. When he needed to carry a load or make a longer trip he drove his old full-sized van. He avoided being pulled over because he wasn’t a reckless or impulsive driver. But one day his luck ran out when he was a few miles outside of town.
“Birthright Citizenship” Kerfuffle is Mostly a Get Out The Vote Tactic
In a late October interview with news website Axios, US president Donald Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order doing away with “birthright citizenship” — the notion that persons born on US soil are citizens from birth with no need for any naturalization process.
Government Should Be a Servant
Government is simply people coming together, under unanimously consensual rules, to get things done. It is never mandatory. Government, if done right, might even help protect the life, liberty, and property of the individuals who voluntarily join together. The state, on the other hand, is always anti-social; the more powerful it becomes, the weaker society gets.
Anarchism and Kavanaugh
Regarding Brett Kavanaugh, I’ve been wondering how I can blame the state for what we’ve endured these past weeks. I can safely say that without the state, we would have been spared the Kavanaugh episode.
Schools Are Tracking Your Child’s Mental Health—Whether You Like It or Not
A worrying trend is emerging in schools across the country. With increasing regularity, school districts are tracking students’ mental health and raising flags if a screening shows something amiss.
Spinoza – A Man for Our Troubled Times
In these interesting times, we all need someone to admire. I have found such a one in Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677), the 17th-century rationalist liberal philosopher who advocated freedom of thought and expression, toleration, and simple kindness.
No Reverence and No Honor
Well over two hundred years ago, a few people scribbled some ink on some parchment, and pretended that that gave some people the moral right to demand money, under threat of force, from lots of other people (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 1).
On Antinatalism III
Another two thoughts I had on antinatalism, the belief that it is morally wrong to procreate, either on the basis of consent or on the basis of potential suffering.