When others do it, it’s terrorism; when Americans do it, it’s national defense. When others do it, it’s a war crime; when Americans do it, it’s collateral damage.
Tag: defense
The Politician’s Dodge
If you increase a thing recursively (for instance, government bureaucracy), you can make it both larger and more complex. You can make it so that only its denizens can operate it. The principle dodge of the politician is to promise some fundamental change in this kaleidoscopic mess.
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.
In Defense of Quitting
Many times quitting is the best option. In fact, the vast majority of the time it is the best option. I have quit on every romantic relationship I have ever been in, except for one. I have quit every perspective profession I have ever been in, except for one. I have quit most of my friendships, I have quit most of my hobbies, I have quit many endeavors, I have quit most things in my life.
The Insidious Wiles of Foreign Influence: Trump, Bin Salman, and Netanyahu
Even if the Saudi monarchy or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular did not murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi, that regime is an especially evil one in both its domestic and international conduct. To see that, one need only consider the horrendous Saudi war against the people of Yemen, with the backing of the U.S. government starting with Barack Obama.
For Most Americans, U.S. Defense and Foreign Affairs Take Place in a Parallel Universe
They don’t have to smell the smoke and the decomposing bodies. They don’t have to hide in holes while their homes are demolished by bombs, rockets, and artillery. Because they have so little first-hand experience, they are vulnerable to being bamboozled by what their leaders tell them about what’s going on halfway around the world.
A Few Promises You’re Not Gonna Like
I promise to stop criticizing and mocking the bad arguments that people make for going to college… as soon as the hundreds of college opt-outs I work with on a daily basis let me know that the people in their lives have finally stopped interrogating them with those very same arguments.
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.
Defense Against The Dark Arts (of Archators)
Those who are against you owning and carrying effective weapons, and using them to defend life, liberty, and property, like to pretend the bad guy is your ethical equal. That his death, as a consequence of his attack on you, is some sort of tragedy.
A Primer on Challenging Jurisdiction
At some point in your life you will be attacked by people who call themselves “government”. This attack will consist of these people making certain claims, claims which must be challenged. If the claims are proven true with verifiable facts and evidence, then the attack is no longer an attack, but an act of self-defense.