It may seem strange to devote an entire article to one little “Tweet” from “God Emperor Trump” (a.k.a. the Orange Fuhrer), but one in particular is definitely worthy of a little psychoanalysis—a fitting term here, since we will be analyzing a psycho.
Tag: rulers
Radical Ideals Aren’t the Same as Utopian Visions
If I have one ethical ideal for how human beings should relate to each other (“politics”), it’s this – non-violence. There’s a lot more to say about ethical societies and ethical human behavior, but when it comes to politics, I’m really not much more complicated than that. My views are actually pretty mundane.
Occam and the Deep State
I suggest here another kind of razor — one which takes into account the likelihoods. If A has the power to do B, and B is desired by A, then why wouldn’t A do B? If B is the most likely outcome of A’s observable drive to power, then what mare’s nest can explain not-B?
Confusionitions
I think it’s really unfortunate, and confusing, when one word is used to speak of two concepts which are totally unrelated– or even at odds with each other. Such as with the word “authority”.
Liberation is the Ultimate Form of Escape
Yes, libertarianism is escapist. But, to paraphrase Tolkien, it is escapist in the proper sense of the term: it is the philosophy of a sane person trying to escape from a lunatic asylum.
The Collision of Two Irreversible Trends
The state huffing and puffing, harassing, demonizing and assaulting people, even outright state-sanctioned murder, has absolutely no chance of reversing or stopping this trend. You can sometimes temporarily scare someone into being obedient, but thuggery is not going to make voluntaryists magically believe in political “authority” again.
Words Poorly Used #120 — Change
You can change a diaper, but it’s still the same baby, just as likely to soil another diaper. You can change a politician, but it’s still the same system, just as likely to take your money and leave you holding another empty promise.
Assumption of Risk, Where Art Thou?
One of the major lessons we learn growing up is understanding the concept of risk, that is, the possibility of getting hurt. Different activities have more or less risk as it concerns our physical safety. When we join a gym, our assumption of risk is explicit in the form of a written and signed waiver. This protects the gym from being sued when we injure ourselves. Does this concept have any place in the current discussion on sexual harassment and sexual assault?
Liberty, Democracy, and the Right
I am mystified by the claim that the long-standing libertarian critique of democracy furnishes aid and comfort to conservatives who display a taste for populist authoritarianism.
Consent of the Governed, Revisited
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” This sounds good, especially if one doesn’t think about it very hard or very long, but the harder and longer one thinks about it, the more problematic it becomes.