Trying to refute anarchism by pointing to undesirable instances of anarchy is about as bad an argument as trying to refute Bidinotto’s advocacy of government by pointing to the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany. Whether a state is horrendous or decent depends in large part on its constitutional structure; whether an anarchic society is horrendous or decent likewise depends on its constitutional structure.
Tag: money
What Are the World’s Three Biggest Problems?
Are you a serious thinker? Then self-consciously change the subject to the Big Picture.What can be done to mitigate the media’s policy misdirection? I suggest we start the New Year with what I call the Priority Resolution. Are you a serious thinker? Then step back from the media cycle and name the world’s Three Biggest Problems. Instead of trying to score points over the latest exciting story with colorful characters, let us self-consciously change the subject to the Big Picture.
Capitalism for Dummies (and Socialists)
The whole notion of capitalism is that those with capital are incentivized to invest it in order to obtain a profit. If profits are outlawed or significantly reduced through confiscatory taxation, the incentive to invest is reduced or eliminated. If profit is forbidden, I have no incentive to invest rather than consume. Why would I delay gratification and take on risk to plant a field or build a factory if I don’t stand to make a profit by doing so?
Does Evil Justify Evil?
To rely on the argument that as long as there is welfare and the risk of crime, there must be “immigration control” is a really poor argument. You could justify almost anything that way. As long as there is rape, there must be mandatory chastity belts. As long as murder exists, there must be anti-gun “laws“.
When Civility Isn’t Enough
On the memo line of every check I sent to the various “revenue” gangs, I wrote “extortion payment” beside my account number. The State of Colorado never seemed to notice, but the woman in the city “revenue” office noticed, and it really bothered her. She repeatedly called me to complain or get an explanation. A time or two she even came into my store to confront me face to face. I was nice. I was polite. I was civil. But I stood my ground.
Embody Peaceful Anarchism
It is never too late to attempt to live as an Anarchist or Voluntaryist. One need not wait until a truly voluntary society is realized. One can embody Peaceful Anarchism right now. Do not acknowledge the State, to the best of your ability. Live your life with gentleness, kindness, compassion, and love. Live your life according to your principles.
Pseudo-Skeptics Fail Basic Skepticism
Criticism of my work seems to be immune from the skeptic process. The mental conditioning of statism appears to be so strong that those who claim to be skeptics forget these principles and rely on logical fallacies to support their preconceived conclusions. I thought it would be instructive to demonstrate how some pseudo-skeptics have criticized my work.
A Brief Response To The Critique That Capitalism Is A “Zero-Sum” Game
“A zero-sum game is a game where if the total gains of the participants are added up and the total losses are subtracted, they will sum to zero. Poker and gambling are popular examples of zero-sum games since the sum of amounts won by some players equals the combined losses of the others.” So does capitalism fit this definition?
A Moral Challenge
If government is really as necessary as most people think, then it ought to be quite simple to convince others to support it (or at least support as much of it as they believe is necessary). Instead of threatening people, educate them. Convince them. Demonstrate why they ought to contribute to government. Threatening them with force is not a way to answer their arguments against paying.
The Broken Infant Fallacy
The period between birth and roughly the age of five is troublesome for central planners. As long as children remain dependent on their parents — and not “society,” as controlled by the state — there’s a risk of them developing habits that will become impossible to break once they enter a state-sanctioned institution, i.e. Kindergarten.