This episode features a talk by liberty activist and anarchist Larken Rose from 2018. He explains the insidious nature of government, the state, and all of those who comprise it.
Tag: government
Statism’s Reality Rejection Immune Response
Statism insulates itself (or pretends to) from reality by automatically disqualifying all opposing views. It’s like an immune response.
To “Serve”
Everyone serves someone just about all the time. The corner drug dealer serves. The cashier serves. The prostitute and the waiter and the car wash attendant serve. The writer serves, the scientist serves, and the medical provider serves. They serve by mutual consent and voluntary choice.
“Red Flag” Laws Violate Human Rights
Red-flag legislation is all the rage, politically. I don’t call them laws because they aren’t laws. Laws can’t violate natural human rights; this legislation does. Imposing or enforcing legislation that violates life, liberty, or property in any way makes you the wrongdoer. It doesn’t change matters to write words giving yourself permission to violate people. Legislation can’t make wrongs right, and it is wrong to punish someone for something you imagine they might do.
Caplans of the Caribbean
I just returned from cruising the Caribbean on Anthem of the Seas. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Fortunately, no coronavirus panic marred our vacation, and the concluding scare at the dock turned out to be a false alarm. Though I’d seen a little of the Caribbean before, this trip was a heavy dose: after a stop at San Juan, Puerto Rico, we sailed on to St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. Here are my social science reflections.
Does it “Work”?
You can feed this person by making other people hungry. You can make one person feel safer by making everyone less safe. You can pay for someone’s healthcare by making healthcare harder for everyone else to afford.
State of the Union: No, Nick, Your Children Owe Nothing
No, Nick, your children don’t owe $70,633 each to the US government’s creditors. Nor do you or your wife Valerie. Nor do I. Nor does anyone reading this column who’s not a current or former president, vice-president, or member of Congress. The only people who owe the $23 trillion “national debt” are the people who borrowed the money.
The Source of Decisions vs. the Sequence of Decisions
In reality, only individuals can ever decide. Only individuals act. Individuals decide to listen to other individuals or ignore them. You can’t change this. To say, “Let the experts/government/market decide” is just a less clear way of saying, “Let individuals decide”. The thing that changes are the consequences and incentives for those individuals. What is really being debated is what happens after an individual decides.
“Our Government” is a Lie
Every time someone says “our government” it is a lie. The lie may be calculated to manipulate– to hypnotize you. Don’t fall for it.
“Abuse of Power”
A lot of people are throwing around the phrase “abuse of power” these days. Is it happening? Is it not? Who is guilty of it and who isn’t?
Before you can figure out whether power is being abused, you need to figure out what a legitimate …