In every “The State vs.” suit, the defendant is being accused of violating an applicable law. Everything else is secondary, and in every case the injured party is “The State”, not the actual victim(s) of a violent crime. The grievance being redressed is not that which is being held by the true victim(s) of a violent crime, but that of “The State” having its rules disobeyed. And what is the result of a conviction in such a criminal suit brought by “The State”? The defendant is charged, must pay some fine to which “the State” will profit, and/or lose his freedom by being forcefully kidnapped and thrown in prison, of which his life expenses are paid not by “the State”, but by everybody else, including the original victim(s).
Tag: society
Brandon’s Journey, Defiant Personalities, & Open-Mindedness (1h19m) – Episode 104
Episode 104 welcomes Brandon McKean to the podcast for a chat with Skyler. Topics include: working with his hands, childhood and adolescence, employment at a young age, woodworking, managing a crew, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and David & Goliath, property rights and his Scottish ancestors, crime in society, responsibility, schooling, Christian values and agnosticism, Murray Rothbard, voting, freemasonry, open-mindedness toward the possibilities of deity, the afterlife, past life regression, and the paranormal, and more.
Self Regulation Should be a Higher Value
Another topic I have been thinking about recently however is, protesters are demanding the likes of Apple and Facebook make their products and services less enjoyable/provide less value. These protesters claim that Apple holds them captive or Facebook is too addictive and hurting social cohesion. I don’t disagree with this view but I don’t see this as a reason we need to protest.
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Reply to Bruenig
Since Elizabeth Bruenig has posted her whole opening debate statement, I thought I’d reply point-by-point. She’s in blockquotes; I’m not. Before I get started, though, let me say that personally, Elizabeth seems a gracious and kind human being. Still, even if I were an avid socialist, I’d be baffled by the way she tackles the issue.
Laws Don’t Deter Crime, They Create Crime
A major superstition maintained by those who believe in government (the state) is that without their laws, criminals will run rampant in the street preying on anybody and everybody who can’t personally defend themselves. Laws that prescribe harsh punishments on criminal behavior, it is believed, will deter most people from engaging in a life of crime. But I don’t believe that’s true. In fact, I believe the opposite is true: laws don’t deter crime, they create crime. How, you ask as you lean forward and rub your chin?
Instead of Good vs. Evil: Creative vs. Destructive Acts
Many people in our post-religious world are skeptical of the categories of “good” vs. “evil.” And they should be. Most of us inherit duty-based moralities that have tradition behind them, but little enough clear reasoning. And since most inherited religious moral codes differ from modern peoples’ intuitions and inclinations, most people are even more likely to write off “good” and “evil” as outdated notions. But we all still ask the question “how should we act?”
Capitalism vs. Socialism: The Bruenig-Caplan Debate
“Capitalism” and “socialism” – what do these words even mean? You could just say that capitalism is the economic system of countries like the United States, and socialism is the economic system of countries like the former Soviet Union. In that case, I’d say that capitalism is at least ok, while socialism is hell on earth. Perhaps my opponent would even agree! It’s more fruitful, though, to treat capitalism and socialism as positions on the ideal economic system. Something like: the capitalist ideal is that government plays very little role in the economy – and the socialist ideal is that government plays the leading role in the economy. In that case, I say that capitalism is awesome, and socialism is terrible.
Why Not Be a Psychopath?
Those who believe there’s no basis for ethics without a god, or at least a religion, can’t see there’s a downside to violating others absent a supernatural referee. I understand why they might feel that way. It’s the same sort of thinking behind acceptance of government courts and police. Why not be a thug if no one is looking over your shoulder and holding you accountable?
If You Want to Preserve Your Freedom, You Need to be Armed
The gun grabbers would turn everyone—except for the politicians and their enforcers—into supplicant serfs, entirely at the mercy of their masters’ demands. They would deny us not only our most fundamental right to defend ourselves but also the tools necessary to overthrow the tyrants and demagogues who threaten our self-ownership with every breath they take.
Skyler Interviewed for The Homeschooling and Liberty Summit (27m) – Episode 103
Episode 103 features an interview of Skyler by Graeme Anderson for the Homeschooling and Liberty Summit, which occurred throughout the month of February 2018. Topics include: his schooling experience, moving his family to unschooling and peaceful parenting, what these have to do with his political views and the voluntary principle, and more.