Two people wrote to me recently (a stranger and a good friend) who are going through some pretty turbulent times in their lives. The stranger is going through family chaos and health issues, just barely keeping their head above water, just trying to survive. The good friend is going through a time of feeling down,…
Tag: peace
Libertarians Shouldn’t Be Accomplices of Aggression
Immigrants don’t arrive in a place uninvited. They have friends, family members, and/or business relationships who have invited them and provided for them means of doing so successfully. It is short order before they are back on their feet and producing value for others. These people are not criminals. They are our fellow human beings doing exactly what we’d all be doing if we were in their place. It’s the height of hubris and arrogance to believe it’s okay to direct violence at them simply because you are annoyed.
The Stories That Stop Us From Being Present & Taking Action
We can’t stop the mind from coming up with the stories, as it is a narrative machine. However, that doesn’t mean we have to cling to the stories and keep them spinning around in our heads.
Progressives and Conservatives are Allies on a Fundamental Level
I’ve put together a simple thought experiment for those who consider themselves political enemies. (As always, I stand on the shoulders of giants.) Those who consider themselves a part of “the Left”, such as liberals, progressives, social justice warriors, et cetera, aren’t really divided from those who consider themselves a part of “the Right”, such as conservatives, beltway libertarians, alt-righters, et cetera.
A Guide to Letting Go of Shame & Fear
We allow fear to cause us to shrink from taking the action we want, or to make those actions less enjoyable. We allow shame to make us feel bad about ourselves and our lives, degrading our happiness and relationships. What would it be like if you were free of shame? How would you act if you were free of fear?
Regular Self-Interested Human Beings
There is a lot of debate on how liberty-minded people ought to handle personal association. Often this ends up being a point of angst and cognitive dissonance. I thought I would share some of my ideas on the matter.
Stop Locking People in Cages!
So, the good news from this week is that immigrant families are not being kidnapped, separated, and thrown in cages anymore. They’re just being kidnapped and thrown in cages. But together, so that’s an improvement, I guess. The ludicrous nature of what passes for progress in a fascistic society is on display once again as we’re supposed to consider it a victory that peaceful people now get to go to the gulag as a family unit. Color me unimpressed.
Divided We Stand
Most of the people who spend their time talking about the plight of division are the “political losers.” That is, the ones who feel as if the division leaves them at the mercy of an unfriendly upper hand. When they complain about division, what they’re really upset about is being on the losing side of a division that already existed long before they were angry about it.
It’s Not a Problem, It’s an Experience
Trying to avoid a problem, exit from it, or even comfort yourself — these have limited effectiveness. We know that by now, because despite our best efforts, the down times keep happening. We get in a slump, we get miserable, we feel down. Here’s a mental shift that might help: when you’re feeling hurt, sad, angry, overburdened … think of it not as a problem, but as an experience.
North Korea: Pelosi versus Peace
In her official statement on Trump’s Singapore summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi makes it clear that a few million incinerated human beings a small price to pay to keep the 68-year-old Korean War going. Maybe not forever, but at least until there’s a Democrat in the White House.