Ideology, Identity Politics, and Politico-Cultural Conflict

The past year’s political events, especially the campaign for the presidency as it converged on a contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have illuminated the way in which ideology, with the identity politics that springs from it, drives a dialectical process: political domination creates resentment, which feeds reaction and, on occasion, revolution against a previously entrenched ruling class and its belief system.

Why Would Anyone Want a President?

Apart from employees of the executive branch, or active-duty members of the military who have been called into service by Congress, no American really has a “president.” The office was intended to be peripheral to the daily concerns of Americans, rather than the central focus of their existence. What a wonderful thing it would be if Americans of all persuasions adopted the motto “Not My President” – and then learned to regard the state itself with the proper mixture of hostility and contempt.

Cultural Appropriation Is Love

Editor’s Pick. Written by TJ Brown. I’ve never been able to get into the Halloween spirit. Maybe that’s because most of my childhood’s trick-or-treating consisted of candy corn. But as I’ve grown, I’ve gained a new appreciation for this holiday. It’s an exhibition and embrace of cultural diversity through costumes and tog. Honoring the Other…

What Teaching in China Taught Me About Freedom and Individuality in the World

Working in education gave me unique insight into the parts of culture normally hidden from outsiders and casual tourists. It also gave me a deep resentment for those who maintain their culture at the cost of corrupting young minds. To see children be made into vessels for arbitrary cultural values on a massive scale would be the fire that would consume me.

An Attempt at a Universal Ethic IV: Universality

Send him mail. “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” is an original column appearing most Mondays at Everything-Voluntary.com, by the founder and editor Skyler J. Collins. Archived columns can be found here. OVP-only RSS feed available here. An Attempt at a Universal Ethic I: Introduction An Attempt at a Universal Ethic II: Subjective Identification An Attempt at a…

An Attempt at a Universal Ethic III: Moral Outrage

Send him mail. “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” is an original column appearing most Mondays at Everything-Voluntary.com, by the founder and editor Skyler J. Collins. Archived columns can be found here. OVP-only RSS feed available here. An Attempt at a Universal Ethic I: Introduction An Attempt at a Universal Ethic II: Subjective Identification Moral outrage is an…

An Attempt at a Universal Ethic II: Subjective Identification

Send him mail. “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” is an original column appearing most Mondays at Everything-Voluntary.com, by the founder and editor Skyler J. Collins. Archived columns can be found here. OVP-only RSS feed available here. An Attempt at a Universal Ethic I: Introduction Every person and every culture that exists (or has existed) seem to have…

On Anarchists

Some anarchists seem more opposed to capitalism than to statism. This makes sense in light of the fact that they view capitalism as a type of statism. But many who identify as anarchist don’t see capitalism as a type of statism. This really irks the anarchists who do. Some advice to these anarchists: rather than…