Many voluntaryists have looked longingly toward Somalia for evidence of our ideas in practice. But it’s a little tough when that real-world example also happens to be the quintessential image of extreme poverty and feuding warlords for most people. Nonetheless, sometimes an article appears that rightly points out that comparing Somalia to developed nations is a little intellectually dishonest. In fact, Somalia has improved by virtually every measure of standard of living without a state, or when compared to its neighbors that still have a state.
Tag: marriage
Debunking Common Government Claims
It’s very rare to have parking bureaucrats respond to our defense with anything other than a curt, “DENIED”. So when I got the following from a friend I was really surprised. Not surprised at the content, just because there was a detailed response at all. Since it’s full of fallacies, and short of evidence, I thought it worthwhile to debunk.
On Social Progress
Social progress. The true sense of the phrase is ennobling. Make no mistake, if there is to be a leap in human evolution, social progress is the requisite precursor. I long to see an era of broad, lasting social progress.
We Have Almost Destroyed Childhood
To me it boils down to this: A lack of unsupervised free time is a mental and physical HEALTH CRISIS — and also a potential democratic crisis. If kids never learn that they are safe when they’re unsupervised, they will always expect and even demand supervision. With that, they’re abdicating their own role in shaping their lives and society, and trusting authority to tell them what to do, how to act, what to believe.
Why Adultery is Rape and Robbery
Send him mail. “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” is an original column appearing sporadically at Everything-Voluntary.com, by the founder and editor Skyler J. Collins. Archived columns can be found here. OVP-only RSS feed available here. In my experience, when voluntaryists talk about adultery, it’s usually classified as a type of contract violation. One party broke the marriage…
Words Poorly Used #68 — Real Voluntaryism
Voluntaryism is not just individualism. Your voluntaryism is every association that you make voluntarily. You own your associations. You own the facts of where and when you were born and all of the places where and when you have lived. You own the facts of who, where, and when you know other living beings. You…
A License to Love
Editor’s Pick. Written by Butler Shaffer. If we were more focused in our social/political thinking, we might be more inclined to think through the consequences of our actions. What are some of the costs associated with a judicial declaration that gay marriage is a constitutionally protected right and, secondly, who is to bear such costs?…
Bridging Sanctity of Marriage and Marriage Equality
Marriage is often defined as the “legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife, and in some jurisdictions, between two persons of the same sex, usually entailing legal obligations of each person to the other…A similar union of more than two people.” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com) Throughout U.S. history until the the turn of the…
An Open Letter to the LGBT Community
This was written by a friend, Aaron Batten, on his Facebook wall: Dear LGBT Community, I have been quite surprised at the overall support I’ve seen for the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage. Even five years ago, I don’t think the support would have been there. It’s a cultural change I believe is refreshing. Even…
On SCOTUS II
The recent SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage has the very real effect of forcing States, Counties, Cities, Townships, and other political bodies to license and recognize same-sex marriages within the United States. Is it not conceivable that this ruling will also force non-political bodies to recognize same-sex marriages? Bodies like businesses and churches. Should it?…