Crime and Punishment in a Free Society

Would a free society be a crime-free society? We have good reason to anticipate it. Don’t accuse me of utopianism. I don’t foresee a future of new human beings who consistently respect the rights of others. Rather, I’m drawing attention to the distinction between crime and tort — between offenses against the state (or society) and offenses against individual persons or their justly held property.

On Empathy

I’ve had people who disagreed with me philosophically tell me either directly or indirectly that I must not be in a “good place” or at a “good point” in my life. What motivates this? Why do people assume that if someone they knew in the past to think one way, but now thinks differently, there…

On Shelf Elfs

The “Elf on the Shelf” tradition is, unfortunately, growing in popularity. This absurd scheme involves two practices that every family should abandon: lying to your kids; and promising either rewards or punishment for behavior. The former is disrespectful and destructive to the trust needed to build strong relationships, and the latter teaches selfishness and conditional…

My Journey to Voluntarism

Send him mail. “Food for Thought” is an original column appearing every other Tuesday at Everything-Voluntary.com, by Norman Imberman. Norman is a retired podiatrist who loves playing piano, writing music, lawn bowling, bridge, reading, classical music, going to movies, plays, concerts and traveling. He is not a member of any social network, nor does he…