Political irrationality is ubiquitous. Most people irrationally cling to their political views; most of the rest irrationally revise their political views. This includes, of course, my fellow libertarians. I know plenty of unreasonable libertarians, but I also know plenty of “post-libertarians” who changed their minds for reasons no reasonable libertarian would accept.
Tag: order
Why Our Coercive System of Schooling Should Topple
I’ve been called a crazy optimist, a Pollyanna, a romantic idealist. How can I believe that our system of compulsory schooling is about to collapse? People point out that in many ways the schooling system is stronger now than ever. It occupies more of children’s time, gobbles up more public funds, employs more people, and is more firmly controlled by government – and at ever-higher levels of government – than has ever been true in the past. So why do I believe it’s going to collapse – slowly at first and then more rapidly – over the next ten years or so? Here are four reasons.
Congratulations, You Might Be a Voluntaryist
A brief quiz: Can putting 100 pounds of rock on one end of a seesaw lift a full can on the other end weighing 150 pounds? What if what the can contains is 150 pounds of sand? What if the can contains 150 pounds of guacamole instead?
Real Men Don’t Follow Orders
Dear Aspiring Badass Soldier, working hard to get physically strong, while remaining intellectually, philosophically and morally weak, will just end up making you the politicians’ bitch.
The Challenge to Decentralist Ideology
A large contingency of people consider the state/government to be the enforcer and protectorate of a society’s values. This might be the largest obstacle decentralists (like myself) have in espousing and explaining a decentralist ideology and sentiment.
The Perfect System
Entire industries are built off of this desire to find the perfect system for anything that you have uncertainty about. I know, because I’ve spent a good deal of my life looking for the Perfect System in so many areas. I’ve developed nearly perfect systems in many parts of my life. But today, I’m going to share something I’ve worked years developing: my Perfect System.
What a Perverse Presidential Incentive System!
All I can say is, we’ve got a hell of a political system on our hands when the surest way for a president to win the adoration of those who thought him a dangerous, ignorant, narcissistic, erratic, and bullshitting blowhard yesterday is to drop a bomb or fire a cruise missile today.
A Conversation Between Voluntaryists: Responsible Voting?
One of the best things about voluntaryism is you never know who is a voluntaryist. Kentucky is a big-government, culturally-conservative state, where I was born and raised in. Then I found out I have a like-minded neighbor. Among the radical libertarians who have made the Bluegrass state their home is Kilgore Forelle. Over breakfast we came up with a voluntaryist thesis which we turned into this dialogue here on EVC.
Cognitive Bias #2 — Bandwagon Effect
Just this past Friday, we went to war with heavy reliance on the fact that we are susceptible to the bandwagon effect. We might also refer to this as “monkey see, monkey do” (while adding the cautionary “monkey get in trouble, too.”) We humans can’t seem to resist the spin and flash of a circus bandwagon.
Scared or Tricked into Cheering for Evil
One nice thing about people having actual principles is that fear-mongering, propaganda, false flag stunts, and other manipulative bullshit, doesn’t work on them.