I sometimes hear people, including freedom advocates, pondering how society might “transition” from an authoritarian system to a stateless society. The implication is that there could be some sort of gradual, peaceful phasing in of freedom, and a phasing out of governmental controls. But that is not how things works, and not how things will ever work.
Tag: libertarian
It’s Not What They Claim It Is
Libertarianism is not about what many of its enemies pretend it is about. It is not about being “anti-government”. What it is about is the recognition that no one has the right to initiate force or violate private property. In other words, no one has the right to archate. That’s it, period.
Roving Bandit, Stationary Bandit, and Income Tax
When a mugger or a home invader accosts you, he points a gun at you or waves a knife in your face and demands your wallet or some other property. In most cases, if you surrender your property to him as he demands, he takes it and flees, and you will most likely never see him again. He is, in the classic phrase, the roving bandit. In contrast, the state is, in Mancur Olson’s classic term, the stationary bandit.
Danilo Interviews Antony Sameroff of the Scottish Liberty Podcast (1h4m) – Peaceful Anarchism 031
Peaceful Anarchism 031 features an interview of Antony Sameroff, host and founder of the Scottish Liberty Podcast, by Danilo Cuellar. Topics include: his journey to libertarianism, the humility of voluntaryists, minimum wage, his podcast, capitalism, the state, profit and loss, poverty, selfishness, thinking like an economist, and more.
Fear of Modernity and Progress?
The contention, held by many libertarians, of expertise isn’t in the accruement of specialized knowledge by dedicated and brilliant individuals. The contention lies in the contemporary social belief that these individuals knowledge shouldn’t just be a tool in our choices to refine ourselves, our lives, our companies, our products, and our world around us, but rather unquestionable truth with overt or covert implications on social norms and government policy.
Hans-Hermann is Lying
Sorry Hans, but if you are advocating something which violates the ZAP, you are not a “real libertarian” by definition no matter what sort of name calling you engage in. No matter what you believe your “study” has shown you. If your advocated violation hinges on allowing (employees of) the State to violate the ZAP then you are lying and advocating statism.
Raining on the Parade
Some people have proposed that Trump’s parade be postponed until all the wars the U.S. government is waging are finished and the troops are back home. That would indeed be an indefinite postponement, and I wouldn’t want to see a parade even then. But if that’s the price for ending those imperial wars, I’ll take it.
When Does Action Become Aggression?
Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I consider that apropos on the question of how to prevent unwanted albeit non-aggressive actions by others as it concerns our property. I predict that in a totally free society, security will be a higher expense on our personal financial statements than will be reactionary force or violence.
Are Incestuous Relationships Criminal?
Daughter who was adopted away sought her parents, and later started a sexual relationship with her biological father, got married, had a baby. Was a crime committed?
The Nunes Memo Only Partially “Vindicates” Trump, But it Fully Indicts the FBI and the FISA Court
Did Trump and/or his campaign team “collude” with the Russian government to manipulate the 2016 presidential election? I don’t know. But I do know that disguising a circus as an investigation isn’t likely to shed real light on the matter.