I’m listening to an Invisibilia podcast called “Outside In”. So far it is an okay podcast, but there are some underlying gender ideas that I find problematic, but that should be somewhat obvious in its own presentation to someone with a critical mind.
Tag: society
Episode 065 – Skyler Interviewed on the Peaceful Anarchism Podcast (1h10m)
Episode 065 features an interview of Skyler by Peaceful Anarchism host Danilo Cuellar. The conversation is wide-ranging and covers such topics as Skyler’s books, voluntaryism, peaceful parenting, unschooling, Frederic Bastiat, voluntary communism, Democracy, property rights, spanking, kindness, addiction, and more.
Letting Go of Social Change
So much of anarchism, and radical politics in general, seems to be about envisioning an ideal society, strategizing about how to get there, and charging forth on that mission. For me, I don’t really believe in that. I mean, yes, envisioning an ideal society (or two, or three, or three hundred) can be fun, and strategizing about how to get there can be an enjoyable way to pass the time, but in the end I simply do not believe it.
Life Isn’t Perfect, and Neither is Justice
I readily admit that some crimes are so heinous, full restoration is impossible. A life taken cannot be restored. Innocence lost cannot be reclaimed. Life isn’t perfect and therefore neither is justice. These facts are equally true in a retributive system of justice as they are in a restorative one. A murder victim is no less dead because his killer is executed by the state. A rape victim is no less victimized because her killer is locked in a cage for a decade. Retribution is popular because it feels good. Hurting someone who hurt us satisfies a primal urge. That doesn’t make it right.
Should Children Be Raised Gender Neutral?
For a long time I believed in raising my children gender neutral. I believed that teaching my daughters girly things, and my sons boy things is pushing them away from who they naturally are and into something I want them to be. I no longer hold the same views.
Question Authority
Ultimately, the questioning of authority is not only a good thing. It is a necessary thing. It is the backbone of freedom. Cherish the right to protest. Cherish the right to be different. Cherish the right to question authority.
The Gruesome Reality of Statism
It is nearly impossible to calculate the amount of harm for which the state is responsible. Sure, you can theoretically count the dollars stolen, the people kidnapped and locked in state cages, and the individuals killed directly, but what is much more difficult to grasp is the scale of the harm caused indirectly by statism.
Worst Case Scenario: A Return to Statism
A common retort when I advocate a stateless society is that anarchy won’t last because eventually some people will attempt to impose their collective will upon others through violence and the state will be reborn. My argument is that—while my critics may be correct—anarchy (a world without rulers) should still be the goal.
Cultural Osmosis
The enemy of reason is authority. People either believe something because reason tells them it is a true belief, or they believe it because some authority figure, whether it be a teacher, a parent, a priest or a politician, tells them it is so and they choose not to actively engage their reason in questioning the truth of what they are taught.
Episode 063 – Skyler Interviewed on the Anarchist Standard (1h11m)
Episode 063 features an interview of Skyler by Anarchist Standard host Steve Rose from October 2015. They talk about libertarian property norms, peaceful parenting, strategy, getting together with other voluntaryists in your community, and more.