Do you and I willingly give up our freedom and property for the benefits of living in these United States? Do we tacitly consent to oppression by not moving to another country? Do we tacitly consent to the authority of our governments by not rebelling, by not throwing the tea into Boston harbor? John Locke and many today say “yes”; we tacitly accept the State by paying our taxes, by receiving its benefits (such as property protection!), and by not emigrating. They say we acquiesce in an implicit contract in which we give up freedom or accept compulsion in exchange for other things that we value. This view is dead wrong.
Tag: government
The Political Cycle
A couple years ago, back when I was in the limited government phase of my political belief progression, I wrote down a very brief outline of what I believed to be the cycle of politics in most nations throughout history. Today I rewrote that outline based on voluntaryist principles.
Slaving Away in the School Factory
You see, the problem is that unschooled kids have fun. They play. They noodle around inside and outdoors, at home and in their communities, messing with projects, indulging their passions, and generally having a good time. These kids are continually demonstrating that learning isn’t hard work when it is need- and interest-based, and when the learner is in control…that, in fact, learning (not to mention life) is fun, even exciting. They are showing that there is no need for being processed by means of mostly irrelevant prepared curriculum, stressful tests, or long hours spent listening to boring lectures or memorizing monotonous and out-of-context facts.
Abolition from Transparency
According to its defenders, the state is supposed to be “by the people” and “for the people,” so how could it possibly have a right to keep secrets from the people? Of course, I believe that the state is evil and should be abolished in its entirety, but either way, can we at least agree that it shouldn’t be permitted to keep secrets?
What Does Democracy Look Like, Actually?
Occupy Wall Street’s resurrection of the old chant — “this is what democracy looks like!” — rings new in the ears of some, but raises old worries in the minds of others: Fear of tyranny of the majority. Fear of the crowd’s imposition of its will on the minority merely because “there are more of us than there are of them.” Fear that “democracy” may come down to two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner. Such fears are not unreasonable. “The will of the majority” is a common excuse for forcing things onto others.
Editor’s Break 008 – Why Taxation is Theft (11m)
Editor’s Break 008 has Skyler answering the question, “Is taxation theft?” His answer is yes, and the reason is very simple. If you can’t prove with facts and evidence that someone owes you money, then they don’t owe you money, or any other consideration. This is as true for people calling themselves “government” as it is for everyone else.
Hate Corporations and Love Governments; An Ideological Monstrosity
The combination “hate corporations/love governments” has to be one of the most bizarre ideological monstrosities of the past 150 years. It seems that people in general are utterly incapable of recognizing real threats and distinguishing them from threats that are inconsequential by comparison or actually not threats at all. Ideology’s power to blind people and twist their understanding is truly astonishing.
Why Gun Control?
Why did the British government pass the Penal Codes, denying firearms ownership to Irish Catholics? Was it their deep love for the Irish? How about the British colonial laws preventing Indians from bearing arms? Let’s ask Gandhi about that: “Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.”
An Open Letter to The Left: No, Libertarians Are Not Selfish
Dear progressives, Democrats, socialists, social democrats, democratic socialists, and those that generally identify with the colloquial version of the word “liberal”: No, libertarians are not selfish people. We don’t hate poor people, and we don’t want to see the less fortunate of our society left behind in what you might describe as “economic Darwinism.” My goal here, is to dispel this misconception and to help you gain an understanding of how libertarian principles relate to the concept of caring for the less fortunate.
Who Cares About Conspiracies?
I spend little time studying and talking about conspiracy theories. Why? Three main reasons. First, who cares? For your knowledge about a given conspiracy to have any use, it isn’t enough for the theory to be true; you’ll need to convince the very people who are already in on it. So, what are you going to do with this information?