Graphic violence. Excessive sexuality. Drunken brawling. Betrayal. Deception. Incest. Most people know Game of Thrones for these unsavory plot elements. You wouldn’t think a show like this would teach you to appreciate family values. But for me, Game of Thrones has probably done more to make me appreciate my teetotalling, conservative upbringing than anything produced by the purveyors of “family friendly” entertainment.
Tag: justice
Microsoft Corp. v. United States: Jeff Sessions Wants Open Borders, But Only for Police
In 2013, Microsoft refused to turn information from a customer’s email account over to law enforcement pursuant to a warrant in a narcotics investigation. The information, Microsoft noted, was stored on a server in Ireland. Ireland, as you may have learned in elementary school, is neither one of the fifty states nor a US territory. It’s a sovereign state with its own laws. US search warrants carry no weight there.
Why Do People Espouse Anarchy?
Because they believe that kindness is better than cruelty, cooperation is better than conflict, truth is better than lies, reason is better than force, honesty is better than deception, peace is better than war…
Both Sides Are Wrong: A Rule of Thumb for Navigating Conflict
You’ll face plenty of conflict in life. You can settle your part in it with the right questions. You don’t have to pick sides, and you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble if you don’t. Instead, pick the complicated truth that doesn’t fit into molds, but breaks them.
Why a Radical Libertarian Can Enjoy a Show About a British Monarch
Here I am, a radical libertarian, enjoying a show whose protagonist is the monarch of one of the world’s brutal and oppressive empires. How do I square that circle?
Voluntary Law and Order
People are not all the same, and they make different choices because they have different values, circumstances, and levels of understanding. Sometimes those choices are peaceful and wise; sometimes they are not. So what are the best ways to promote good choices and cooperation while preventing and providing resolution for conflict?
What the American Flag Means to Me
The American flag, the “star-spangled banner” is one of those things whose meaning to me has changed significantly over the course of my life. Once upon a time it meant being a winning nation, the best the world had ever seen in terms of righteousness, justice, freedom, and opportunity. When I saw the flag, those are the ideas that were brought to mind, ideas that I value, and produced the warm and fuzzies deep inside. I admired and waved the stars and stripes with a sense of pride. What the American flag means to me today is very different than what it meant to me as recently as 10 years ago.
Barack Obama Goes From White House to Wall Street Seamlessly
I go back and forth on the question of which bloc of voters is politically dumber and more gullible, the average conservative or the average liberal… But here’s reason number #23,514,938 to go with liberal on that question.
Is It Wrong to Eat Some Animals But Not Others?
I just concluded an interesting conversation with someone who I assume is a vegan for ethical reasons. I’m not going to lump all ethical vegans together with this person, but I thought the conversation was instructive on the concept of “wrong.”
The Turmoil and Suffering from the Transition to Freedom
When people consider a genuine transition to a free society, many always speculate that the turmoil and suffering of such a transition would be so horrible that no humane person would wish to bring it about.