The fact that political disagreements can “get ugly” is a feature of politics, not a bug. If politics, the authorized use of violence in society, stuck to protecting everyone’s property rights equally, there’d be no cause for disagreements to get ugly.
Tag: property
On Free Speech
Libertarian types are chomping at the bit to accuse Facebook, Twitter, et al, of violating free speech rights. The problem is, if these are private companies run by private individuals, then their “censorship” is not a free speech rights violation. QED. But there may just be a way in here: intellectual property.
Your Rights End Where the Rights of Others Begin
The ONLY responsibility others have with regards to your rights is to not violate them. To not ban books, to not declare a War on Politically Incorrect Drugs, or establish medical licensing or an FDA, to respect private property, and to not make up anti-gun “laws” of any kind. If they are doing something which actually interferes with your rights, they are the bad guys.
Government Should Be a Servant
Government is simply people coming together, under unanimously consensual rules, to get things done. It is never mandatory. Government, if done right, might even help protect the life, liberty, and property of the individuals who voluntarily join together. The state, on the other hand, is always anti-social; the more powerful it becomes, the weaker society gets.
The Insidious Wiles of Foreign Influence: Trump, Bin Salman, and Netanyahu
Even if the Saudi monarchy or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular did not murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi, that regime is an especially evil one in both its domestic and international conduct. To see that, one need only consider the horrendous Saudi war against the people of Yemen, with the backing of the U.S. government starting with Barack Obama.
Landsharks
It may take an hour-and-a-half of your time, but if you want to know about rent-seeking, I cannot recommend a better resource. Today, I have been listening to the this lecture by Dr. Robert Higgs. And it has struck me that the principal occupation of humankind is piracy.
On Politics
Methinks that if we truly lived in a free country, politics would not dominate public discourse. The fact that it does proves that America is nowhere near the classification of “free country”.
Missouri River Morality
If you explain to people why the state is a fundamentally immoral institution — among other things, it relies on extorted and stolen funds, gained by threats of violence, for its very existence and nearly every action it takes — and therefore conclude that it ought to be abolished, people will object that alternative institutions might not work, that is, might not supply certain goods and services (e.g., protection of person and property) that the people want.
Violating the NAP, Libertarian Planet, & Democracy and Minorities (19m) – Editor’s Break 098
Editor’s Break 098 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: whether one should violate the non-aggression principle to save somebody’s life, and what that says about the non-aggression principle; how a newcomer can come to own property in a place where all property is already owned; the effect of democratic government for minority groups; and more.
On Power III
Clamoring for violent third-parties to use their power disparity on behalf of workers against fat capitalist pigs is a triple-edged sword, two edges against workers.