"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
Recent comments
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KenK 7 years 27 weeks agoSelfies in Voting Booths: Depending on Where You Live, they May Be IllegalWeb link KenKSTR's spell check app changed my mis-spelled "federal" into "feral" in the story discription blurb above. Ironically funny, but it fits the context of the story quite well. Deus ex machina? Heh.
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoIt's Very SimplePage Paul HeinGood observation (this was meant to reply to James, but forgot to click the "reply" button). I like Wendy McElroy's rendition also: "...Government is a group of individuals organized for the purpose of extracting wealth and exerting power over people and resources in a given geographic area..." But we must admit that there is an extremely large percentage of people for whom it is unthinkable NOT to have central political authority. To them, anarchy is insanity. And war is normal. Or at least necessary and acceptable -- until "we" get all the bad guys (who represent central political authority over yet a another large group of folks residing on another part of this pale blue dot called "earth") exterminated. History is replete -- more like an ongoing saga -- with wars to establish political boundaries and borders. And "elections": many in this part of the world truly believe that "we've" cornered the market on that evil phenomenon called "democracy". So "we" must "...carry democracy to the world..." The enormity of the truth is incredible. James, it's good to see you back on STR, and I hope you post another of your intuitive essays. Sam
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James Clayton 7 years 27 weeks agoIt's Very SimplePage Paul HeinPerhaps the basic purpose of government is to govern (to control, rule, etc.). State-sanctioned money (which is created as interest-bearing debt and is systemically scarce) is essentially their money and it is basically an instrument of control that is used to acquire wealth and power for those who govern (and for their families, friends, associates, etc.).
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Jim Davies 7 years 27 weeks agoIt's Very SimplePage Paul HeinAnother great article, Paul, but doesn't Samarami have a point? Government as we know it may quite possibly collapse. But is there any reason to suppose that out of the rubble a free society will emerge? What process might lead to that? I favor a proactive plan instead.
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoHillary the Hawk Will Lead Us Deeper Into a Quagmire in SyriaWeb link WesternerdThe headline: "...Will Hillary Lead Us Deeper Into a Quagmire in Syria?..." I realize the "Anti-War" folks are generally statist by nature (nobody can be "anti-war" and not be statist to the extent that they believe psychopaths grouped into "states" can do anything BUT take their citizens to war"). But if they'd like to act like libertarians it's time they cease using "Us" in their proclamations. Hillary -- "win" or lose -- won't lead ME deeper into a quagmire in the piece of land they're calling Syria. I'm stayin' here. And I suspect the writer of the Anti-War article isn't going to Syria either. Just sayin'. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoThe Tyranny of 9/11: The Building Blocks of the American Police State from A-ZWeb link Westernerd"...we can start right away by instituting changes at the local level, holding our government officials accountable to the rule of law, and resurrecting the Constitution, recognizing that if we fail to do so and instead follow our current trajectory, the picture of the future will be closer to what George Orwell likened to “a boot stamping on a human face—forever...” I'm not exactly denigrating Whitehead for this editorial. I believe he means well. But he remains statist to the core. And his use of the term "we" and "our" sidesteps the individual. I have no "government officials" that I know of. I treat those who go by that claim as I treat rattlesnakes. I expect nothing from them but trouble. Except, in the case of rattlesnakes, they do help keep the mosquito and rat population down. Abstain from beans, my friends. It might seem a small thing. But it's a start. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoIt's Very SimplePage Paul HeinLong as I'm here making comments, Paul, should just as well address your admonition, "...keep your head down, your mouth closed, and your actions inoffensive..." Good advice before, during, and after the inevitable calamity that will accompany the collapse of government as we know it. My hope is that the internet reformation will have taken strong enough hold of a critical mass of folks on this pale blue dot called "earth" -- to the extent they will not long for another group of psychopaths to lead them back to tyranny. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoIt's Very SimplePage Paul Hein"...the biggest, most powerful and profitable business in the world!..." Few people recognize just what you've said here, Paul. I don't know why, but most simply dance around this reality. And wail. And moan. And complain. And pontificate. And theorize. And editorialize. More column inches are devoted to that business venture than any other endeavor in the world. There is another, the total sales of which come in a close second -- but more about that one momentarily. In truth, all you need to do is to not patronize that particular business if you have such a problem with it. But that's too simple a solution for most, and in making the statement it's inevitable many feathers will rise, and the flak will develop. "B...b...but (The Big Butt)--They-Have-The-Guns!..." And on, and on, and (endlessly) on. Because more has been written and talked about regarding that particular enterprise than any other, save perhaps one. A high percentage of what we like to call "history" makes up the endless jabber. And endless mind control. The other profitable venture is religion. I'll stick with what is called Abrahamic religion for now, and limit my reference to one part of that broad category, with which most reading this will be most familiar. Because there are perhaps 33,000 divisions of that one. All of whom "...have The Truth...". Most of leaders of each of these religious divisions are also eerily and incestuously yoked with the industry you mentioned, Paul. One of my favorite history texts happens to be the most popular book on the market -- year-after-year. The irony is that of the above mentioned 33,000 divisions, virtually all claim to base their ideology on it. Yet none agree (if they did, there would only be 1), and few recognize the primary point, or what I call the fulcrum of its historical outline. And any who make sincere attempts to follow its proposals to the letter will be hooted and jeered out of the room. "Legalism" is the term that comes to mind when I recall the accusations. But there is a sinister "spirit" afloat among most of the population of around 7 billion souls on the earth. And it is that spirit (the spirit to which I alluded in the "fulcrum" above) that appears to move the masses in a sort of ghostly longing to patronize the business you mentioned above. The enormity of the truth is incredible. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 27 weeks agoHow to Solve the Illegal Immigration ProblemWeb link WesternerdBrilliant a man that Dr. Paul is, he remains statist to the core. "...Little government is good, big government is bad.....Tame, sterile government is good; virulent, authoritarian government is bad.." Problem is, the nature of the beast is to metastasize and permeate. Always. That's what "history" is about. As a youngster in government ("public" ha ha) school I was taught that a state (monopoly upon violence) was necessary to prevent fat cats from forming monopolies and taking advantage of the people (among other things, like take their "citizens" to war). It didn't dawn upon me until after the last time I voted (1964, for Barry Goldwater) that monopolies cannot exist in a free marketplace -- they require government, and "regulation", to come into being. That a state was the most egregious, vicious monopoly of them all. So now to the fight among the hoi polloi pertaining to borders, walls, etc etc. Keep 'em divided, then conquer 'em. Problem, reaction, solution. Sam (copied from comments section in posted article)
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KenK 7 years 27 weeks agoClinton Camp Behaves Like Soviet Media To Conceal Candidate's SicknessWeb link A. MagnusEvery one of those msm guys fancy themselves a potencial Woodward & Berstein level investigative muckracker too, and then they take a dive on obvious stuff like this. Go figure?
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoHow & Why You Should Invest in a Dash CamWeb link KenKThe scariest thing you can say to a cop, bureaucrat, or assholes in general? "Just so you know ma'am our interaction is being audio & video recorded. (Bonus points if you have your cam set up to automatically upload to the cloud, where prying eyes or violent hands can't alter or destroy it.) Just remember tho, no slurs, insults, or douchey behavior on your part either, cuz it records it ALL; you, them, EVERYTHING, so watch your mouth.
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoPolice Operations in Urban America Are Evolving into “Blackhawk Down” RepeatsWeb link KenKNo disagreement here, Ken. It's patently stupid at best (suicidal on down the line) to shoot when you know at the outset that you're outgunned. Agree with the man with the loaded sidearm. You can bitch and whine later if that's your bent -- once you're in friendly company. Don't know what those ignoramuses parading around flaunting weapons at the fuz claim to be professing ("libertarian", et al.). Sayin' you's one and bein' one is two different things. For my money they're dumb-asses. If you have a need to carry, carry. Quietly. Sam
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoPolice Operations in Urban America Are Evolving into “Blackhawk Down” RepeatsWeb link KenKThe black ghettos in urban North America are now in open warfare* against the state. Led by their lumpen prole "criminal element" to be sure, but armed struggle is armed struggle, whoever engages or leads it, eh? The An Caps, libertarians, LPers, FSPers, & etc. walk around openly armed (to assert their right to) and then, when confronted by gov police, back down, submit to being disarmed and/or arrested. How I see it Mr. Sam. * "If you're being shot at, then it's WAR, whatever the official press may call it." (Anonymous soldier when asked about whether the 1950-53 Korean Conflict was a "police action" or an actual "war".)
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoPolice Operations in Urban America Are Evolving into “Blackhawk Down” RepeatsWeb link KenKRemember-Boys-And-Girls-The-Policeman-Is-Your-Friend-Don't-Shoot-At-The-Policeman
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoMexican Foreign Minister Calls on U.S. Gov to Disarm Its CitizensWeb link KenK"Problem + Reaction + Solution" (I'm not necessarily a David Icke fan, but he describes it well in this short video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEz5fQ_Pm-g If you google "Cartel Land documentary youtube" there are a number of "hits", one or more of which might let you see the entire thing for free online. But this is a good post, Crusade. It's always nice to see you back. Few truly want to see the nature of the state for what it really is: Mystification, Superstition -- Religion. Violent religion. Today is "Super Sunday" for me (I work 2 jobs -- 7AM to 10PM every Sunday. Lots for an 81 year-old, but need the bike rides to stay young and healthy). I'll try to watch "Cartel Land Wednesday - Saturday, the only times I'm actually "retired". Sam .
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Darkcrusade 7 years 28 weeks agoMexican Foreign Minister Calls on U.S. Gov to Disarm Its CitizensWeb link KenKObomba has been a huge colossal success. Every time he demonized guns,sales shot through the roof. They want everyone armed to the teeth, more bloodletting,more meat for the stew.That is what drones are for. That is why violent murderers get two-year prison sentences and non-violent drug offenses get minimum mandatory ten years+. This serves at least two purposes: 1) The non-violent offender will be a hardened criminal after institutional punishment.Prisons teach how to be better criminals. 2) The violent murderer will be back on the streets plying his criminal trade in short order. This is planned. The more real crime,The cry from the victims for more laws.The need for more laws means more police. More police,more taxes, and more prisons. More prisons = better criminals. Governments purposely cultivate social crises, Thereby legitimizing the need for mo-better government in the minds of the Stockholm syndrome victims. Few take the step back to see the disease is masquerading as the cure. If you get a chance check out the documentary called Cartel Land, on a scale of one to ten it gets an eleven! Mexico is a constitutional Republic! HAHA! With their own right to bear arms and the truth that all political power comes from the people. SEARCH = Mexico's constitution. Cartel Land is a documentary that highlights the drug cartels takeover of the government and military and how the victims are finally fighting back,by arming themselves and the dirty tricks used to divide and conquer the popular uprising of the Auto-defenses. Assassination attempts,kidnapping,infiltration and what ultimately happens when the knights Templar cartel(CIA) empties it's Blackbag of dirty tricks unto the Doctor who initiated the popular rebellion. This is a MUST SEE!
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul Bonneau"...they need direct action..." Having never identified with "an-cap" -- or any movements or isms -- I've taken the only (and the very best) action possible: I've become free myself. I long to see the day when all 7 + billion sovereign states will have seceded from all political "authority". What we've always compliantly accepted as "the state" will have collapsed and disappeared once a critical mass of individuals declare their sovereignty. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauFrancis defined "anarcho-tyrany" by assuming a totally incorrect and erroneous definition of "anarchy": "...What we have in this country today, then, is both anarchy (the failure of the state to enforce the laws) and, at the same time, tyranny—the enforcement of laws by the state for oppressive purposes..." As with most mini-statist anarchy theorists I've encountered, the presumption of "the state" lingers in their subliminal messaging apparatus to the extent their entire argument lacks merit. Anarchy, properly and simply defined, is a society without a central political authority. When the foundation is flawed, the structure fails. Sam
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoMexican Foreign Minister Calls on U.S. Gov to Disarm Its CitizensWeb link KenKForeign elites say shit like this and then wonder about what Trump's appeal to ordinary people is? Go figure?
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoAlinskyite Tactics at Their FinestWeb link KenK"RULE 4: 'Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.' If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)" Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals, (1971) is the handbook for practical advice as to how to game the system to advance your own political agenda. It holds up well 45 years later.
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIICorrection: I need to "...try to abstain from beans..." Strike the "we". What you do is your responsibility, not mine. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIIAlex, you got me on a roll here -- and I meant to address your reference in the paragraph you introduced with use of the phrase "...a culture steeped in Christian orthodoxy..." That, too, was an interesting hurdle for me to vault early on. Not wishing to appear the clown of the rodeo, it was necessary to deal with the "g-d" thing (out-loud prayers, etc etc). But in reading some of the history of AA, I discovered that was one of the first obstacles that needed scarification in 1935, at the outset of AA. I was not alone. They finally came up with the "...g-d as you understand him..." routine. There is a stark analogy to be made with some of the flak over religious beliefs and practices in "libertarian" circles -- in right here at STR. I won't attempt to go into detail at this time. Suffice it to say it is not necessary to, as you phrased it, impugn religious folks before they get their tether severed in anarchy. Because none of us knows for absolute certain (in spite of dogmatic religionists and dogmatic atheists) what causes and/or caused this pale blue dot to come about and spin as it does -- without missing a beat. So I settled upon standing in the circle silently at the finale of AA meetings, trying not to look stupid, but refraining from piety. I used that as a time to count heads for the "hat ticket" once I took on the chairing of meetings. I came to understand that I could live in a world where religiosity was accepted as normal without having to become abnormal myself. I tried some of the "agnostic AA" meetings. They left me cold. I also accepted an invitation once to a meeting at a church (lots of AA meetings are in churches due to space accommodations, availability, etc) that turned out an attempt to incorporate religiosity with AA. There was a "prayer circle", "bible study hour", etc. I never went back, and I heard it folded after a few meetings. Lots of wisdom in the mantra, "...if it works, don't fix it..." As anybody who knows me understands, I've come to the place where I believe soundly that I can be free. Here. Today. Where I'm "at". So can you. But we need to try to abstain from beans. Sam
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jonnyh 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIIThanks much Alex from a fellow libertarian anarchist who also started getting what he needed from the 12 steps 25 years ago at the end of this month. I too was convinced that the program works, after much struggle, by a second chance at life after two decades of drug- and alcohol-fueled adventures with jails, institutions, and near death experiences. While it was a "nudge from the judge" that motivated my first attendance at meetings, my experience with 12-step programs around the world since then has shown them to be the most anarchic organizations imaginable. There are no rules, no rulers, and no one to tell you what to do in 12-step recovery. If some people decide they should order others around, they are usually disregarded and ridiculed by those who know better. AA certainly doesn't work for everyone, and only a dogmatic few would claim otherwise. And it could never work if it was forced on others. Just like government, attempting to control others by force is a long-term impossibility. But dogmatic types exist everywhere, including among those who say they believe in freedom. Funny they don't see the contradiction in claiming to know the one true way to be a libertarian anarchist/voluntaryist. Stay lucky, Jonny
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Jim Davies 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauSo Francis evidently confused anarchism with the absence of "social controls against violent, anti-social, or aberrant behavior." It's a common error, but explains why his term "anarcho-tyranny" is so hopelessly wrong.
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauIt's good for the an-cap movement that this stuff goes on I suppose, (e.g., the possession and the open carrying of weapons needs to be re-normalized most places in American society), but I fear liberty ain't gaining any ground with it either tho. Really, it's just clawing onto what we already have, in terms of "legal rights". Laws are a lagging indicater, culture, history, and custom being much greater social normalizers. https://youtu.be/SjpoVjyXuGw Some of these things go better than others. https://youtu.be/HrJISO2tRJY On the other hand, many unintentional authority encounters go to shit right away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXQDKksEpfo How much these candid camera techniques help toward actually abolishing the state and holding gov police accountable is debateable. IMO an-caps don't need any more shitlording on social media, they need direct action. No blog post or instagram pic is gonna stop water flowing down hill. Only physically blocking and redirecting the water will. Make of that what you will. Over & out.
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Alex R. Knight III 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIISam, I had figured you would weigh in on this one -- and by no means did you disappoint. :-) Thank you. Ken, you are so correct. That said, I felt personally compelled to offer them rebuttal, and have -- without any sense of obligation towards them whatsoever. Thank you, as well. :-)
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauThe late Sam Francis coined the term anarcho-tyranny . Francis was a paleo-con who was not steeped in an-cap nomenclature (which may annoy spergs who insist on a Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy level 30,000 word definition) and so I paraphrase: The social controls against violent, anti-social, or aberrant behavior are relaxed or dismissed altogether while the full cultural and legal apparatus is deployed against people and groups that resist social engineering schemes by the left. To wit: The state won't help you with street crime, but it will land on you like a ton of bricks if you resist allowing strange people into public lavatories with your children. I hope this helps. Don't complain to me if you have quibbles with Francis' definition. He made it, he owns it. Sounds like a pretty accurate discription of today's modern America tho. Where I live activists walk around with guns and then record the proceedings when the cops show up and put it on youtube. Better than nothing, but still pretty weak.
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KenK 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIIBottom line for Alex. If AA helps you not drink, and you're good with that, then fuck em'. The unnamed critics, that this. You owe those guys nada.
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight III"...What Defines Success in Alcoholics Anonymous?..." Answer: I have not taken a drink of alcohol today. It's really that simple. I truly hope you haven't (that is, if you call yourself an AA member and have the desire to stop drinking). Because I truly care about you -- even though we've never met or attended the same meetings. But whether you do or do not drink does not affect "the success of AA". My abstaining from alcohol today does. I come to STR for the very same reason that I attend AA. It can be lonely "...out thar in radio land..." Few understand. Here's the fact: 1) AA: Only an esoteric few of us comprehend the affliction and the angst that accompany the knowledge that we simply cannot have a drink of alcohol without consigning ourselves to a world of drunken debauchery. Many "shmexperts" will come forth to argue over that. That's why (or one of several primary reasons why) we remain anonymous and don't advertise our "program-of-recovery". Let the shmexperts bicker and argue with each other and leave us in peace. If it turns out your psychological and physiological situation is anything like mine, you have enough on your plate without pulling them into the foray. 2) Anarchy: Once again, I'll let John Hasnas (2nd paragraph of his essay) do the talking: Anarchy refers to a society without a central political authority. But it is also used to refer to disorder or chaos. This constitutes a textbook example of Orwellian newspeak in which assigning the same name to two different concepts effectively narrows the range of thought. For if lack of government is identified with the lack of order, no one will ask whether lack of government actually results in a lack of order. And this uninquisitive mental attitude is absolutely essential to the case for the state. For if people were ever to seriously question whether government is really productive of order, popular support for government would almost instantly collapse. I'll refrain from boring you with my take on "anarchist theorists". Suffice it to say that none of us has experienced freedom from the white man since before the first Europeans set foot on the eastern shore of this continent. It might be a while before we do. You might think this a peculiar analogy -- "non sequitur". It's not. I've been involved with AA for over 50 years. Looking back, I recognized that AA was indeed, for me, "home". I didn't know exactly why at the time -- it took some years to come to analyze it for it's real worth. This was even prior to the 1964 US presidential debacle with which I was heavily involved. My hero of the moment, Barry Goldwater, got his butt trounced by a criminal named Lyndon Johnson. That involvement, and its results, sent me out on a long, debilitating bender. And it landed me in lengthy lockup in the white man's prison system. A marvelous learning experience. AA is the most libertarian collection of individuals in town. I abstain from the term "movement". It's our way of life. But AA as an organization is vulnerable to parasites -- and attacks. As you mention in your essay, Alex, AA's "position" (there can actually be no such thing) is to leave the parasites -- as well as attackers -- be, and to go on with our business of helping each other stay sober. It's the only thing we can do when you think about it. We have no authorities (you used the names Jim Jones or David Koresh) -- or even spokespeople. We are truly anarchist by nature. You can't speak for me, and I can't speak for you. "Our leaders are but trusted servants. They do not govern" Dr Bob is quoted with what has become an AA motto, or declaration of sorts: "...wherever, whenever someone reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA to always be there. For that, I am responsible". So, we end up with members forming groups in and about jails, rehab facilities, etc. -- wherever problem drinkers are hoping to become set free from the insanity that got them there. And out into a cold, unthinking, unresponsive, misunderstanding "society". And, like Hasnas' outline of anarchy quoted above, things get turned around in the heads of nonmembers (and a few newer members as well). Outsiders and newbie's will tend to associate Alcoholics Anonymous (the "movement") with the host(s), rather than to see each of the members as individuals who are there to help. There are no AA officials to countermand that Orwellian twisted thought process. And, due to the apparent success of AA, those rehab and government officials (often professing AA members themselves) will sling their lassos around AA with abandon, to make it appear that it's "...I got you, Babe...". That tends to inflame criticism of AA in the heads of the ill-informed and the uninformed. And the naysayers. There is an abundance of AA naysayers on the web -- perhaps as many as libertarian and/or anarchist naysayers. When you think about it, a local "judge" has every bit as much "right" (please let's not get back into that "rights" silliness) to send his or her victims down to Catholic Catechism as she does to send them to AA meetings. But the difference between the Catholic Church (or any church) and AA is anarchy. The priests and the bishops and the boards of directors wouldn't stand still for it. On the other hand, they might welcome it with open arms. But most members of AA acting as chairmen simply sign the attendance sheets and go on staying sober. AA is not without controversy -- lots and lots of it. I've attended business meetings where the issue of the signing of attendance papers has come up. Some (governmentalist types) insist "we" should always wait until the meeting is almost over to sign. That's to make certain the parolee doesn't slip out before the l-rd's prayer. Others declare "we" shouldn't sign them at all. Then they generally take a "group conscience" vote. I always say, "I don't care what you guys vote. I'm still going to make my standard announcement at the beginning of any meeting I chair: 'Anybody with "papers" should have them signed immediately by the guy or gal sitting next to you. Then, you are free to either leave or stay. You're certainly more than welcome to stay, but you do need to understand that whoever sent you here had no authority to do that. I'll not refuse to sign or cause you any difficulty serving time'." And a fun time was had by all. Sam
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rothbardian 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul Bonneau
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rothbardian 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauIs this any evidence that it is falling apart? Perhaps we should be glad that our fellow ancaps are doing less doomer blogging and preparing themselves for contingencies, and or being capitalists and improving the world. Yeah I agree, with Jim, I don't even know what the throwaway line about what anarcho-tyranny even means.
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Samarami 7 years 28 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauMy use of the phrase, "gone-to-seed" may have emanated from a forlorn countenance of the moment. I'm prone to those emotional outbursts. I linked to the old "Daily Anarchist" forum, which appears to have now gone belly-up, along with "Anarchism.net", which I think was Per Bylund's old forum (and Per seems to have moved on to bigger and better haunts). Talk about emotional outbursts -- it's really difficult for me (and I surmise that might apply to any of us) to accurately predict just how freedom is going to play out. Your "2025" prediction (can't put my finger on the link to your article[s], and I'm late for work) might be quite realistic. I suspect, subconsciously, my definition of "freedom" is when everybody agrees with (or is agreeable toward) me. There is only so much we can lament over the current lack of freedom -- and so much "anarchist theory" that can be presented. Just how land titles, disputes, etc., will be recorded, surveyed, etc., in the absence of central political authority is subject to speculation and debate. You won't need "county recorders" in the absence of government robbery, but there will need to be equitable means by which to settle disputes. I miss the old "White Indian" days here at STR. He came aboard, bad-mouthed libertarianism, aroused the ire and the angst of many participants of the moment. Then he apparently quashed his bivouac, folded his tent, and left the battlefield for more lucrative engagements. "Indian" was a fun sort. Sam
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Jim Davies 7 years 29 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIII take it, Alex, that you are one of the 33% who have been sober these ten years, so congrats are clearly due. It's hard for me as one who can handle and enjoy moderate drinking to appreciate the grip it can get over some folk, but obviously it's powerful and any who can break that grip are surely the stronger for it. To criticise AA when it's producing better results than any other method (yes?) seems a waste of time and may even hurt people by deterring some who need it from taking part. I'm sorry to read that even anarchists are doing that. Who, though? - if I understand your article correctly, Mr Dodes did a poor job but you say he is not one of them. So who are these libertarians who have echoed him, and are they proposing any improvement on AA?
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Jim Davies 7 years 29 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauKen, I beg to differ. First, "anarcho-tyranny" is impossible, being internally contradictory. If there is no rule or ruler, there can be no tyranny. If, perversely, some anarchist loses his mind and starts ruling tyranically, he is by definition no longer an anarchist. Then, "dropping out of activism" is not IMHO any indication that "the whole ancap thing is kinda falling apart." Depends what one means by "the whole ancap thing." Does it mean being active in a public sense, running meetings and demonstrations etc? - I don't think so. It means first something internal: to know and understand that everyone rightfully rules him or herself. Not just as a casual passing fad or idea, but by deep conviction based on solid logic and meaningful study. Anyone who lacks a library similar to this one probably hasn't studied enough. Then it means, I suggest, doing something positive to cause that true theory to come about in practice; and meetings, demonstrations, civil disobedience and other noisy "activism" is not, as I see it, the way to do that. Something much more quiet and simple, as suggested here. One could call that "activism", I suppose, but I doubt that it's the usual meaning of the term. Coincidentally, today's edition of the Zero Government Blog touches on that theme.
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Jim Davies 7 years 29 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIIIt may be very gentlemanly of you not to "name names", but the article is headed "Voluntaryist Vitriol" and without citing specific examples I suggest it has not substantiated that theme. If someone has published a false and damaging view, why not call him out - as you did Mr Dodes?
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Alex R. Knight III 7 years 29 weeks agoVoluntaryist Vitriol: Anarchic Attacks Against Alcoholics AnonymousPage Alex R. Knight IIII'll not name names -- they know who they are and are presumably free to comment here if they so choose. But there are an entire cadre of "voluntaryists" on Facebook who have taken the position(s) described. No, they haven't pointed to any specific AA alternatives, but have rather only chosen to hurl stones -- again, as described.
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KenK 7 years 29 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauThe whole ancap thing is kinda falling apart. Many of the ones I know/knew have dropped out of activism altogether, a few have become alt-righters. (Look at Stephan Molyneaux, et al.) I don't know about ancapistan ever happening but anarcho-tyranny is a real possiblilty.
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Jim Davies 7 years 29 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauHas STR "gone to seed", Sam? - there's evidence each way. Yes, compared with only a few years ago there are far fewer reader comments (despite your own sterling contributions) and far fewer original articles. But that's not all it does. The Editors present each day a selection of stimulating articles to be read elsewhere. There is a link to STR's "Blog", where others, including my own, can be found - along with links to interesting videos and some original comments. And there's a huge archive of previous "strikes", organized by author and, to some extent, subject. Most of all, STR keeps the faith, more or less. A few really bad articles do somehow get past our primary Editor's scrutiny, but not often; here, there is nothing like the wholesale sellout to the Trump phenomenon, for example, that has characterized LewRockwell.com this year, in which not a single LRC article I have seen rebuts the outrageous argument of Hoppe regarding immigration.
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GainesvilleCoins 7 years 29 weeks agoThe Elastic StandardPage Paul HeinGreat points, Paul. I work in the coin / precious metals industry, so a few notes: Those $50 silver dollars are collectibles; the "bullion" versions of the U.S. Mint's American Silver Eagle coins sell for a small premium above the melt value of its silver content (1 troy oz), so a little over $20. But your point stands. The legal tender value of a Silver Eagle is a farce. Sure, they're redeemable for 1 "dollar," but who would do so when you can sell the coin for at least the spot price of silver? The mint confers legal tender status onto the coins just so it can say they are "silver coins." (If they weren't legal tender, they'd merely be "medals" instead.) You could fairly call them specie, but they aren't intended to circulate—nor should they, upon rational consideration, at least not at a rate of one fictional USD. We should certainly ask ourselves why an ounce of silver is $20; throughout the history of this country, a silver dollar coin was standardized at 0.7734 troy ounce of silver content. That standard didn't change for well over a century. The government changed the composition of U.S. coins after 1964 so that dimes, quarters, and half dollars no longer contained silver. At the time, it was becoming profitable to hoard coins for their silver value rather than using them as money. Like Sam mentions, the value of the dollar is only due to fiat (government decree)—you must accept our worthless money under penalty of law! Nothing tangible backs this absurd monetary system. It's less useful to think of the price of silver as "going up" than it is to say (as you have here) that the "dollar" is a futile measuring stick. It's lost over 95% of its purchasing power since the Federal Reserve opened its doors in 1913. Federal Reserve notes are simply debt obligations masquerading as capital. Meanwhile, the relative value of the precious metals have been remarkably steady over that time.
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoHumans Evolved Big Brains So We Evaluate Each Other QuicklyWeb link KenKEver wonder about the funding of studies such as this? Or why??? And people wonder why I, long retired "science" teacher, generally always question "science" excruciatingly??? Sam
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoJealousy, Jouvenel and the War Against SocialismPage Alex R. Knight IIIThinking to amend my most recent response to Paul's comment on Alex's essay, I decided to post another remark. Because, looking at my earlier comment where I used the arbitrary figure 99.5% (of general population who will never read what we write here -- or other anarchist forums), I think truth would verify a much stronger -- more like 99.995% -- figure. That's during my more anarchistically unenthusiastic phases. The waning days of summer and autumn seem filled with political holidays (one coming up in just a few more days) designed to unabashedly sell socialistic murder and mayhem to the hoi polloi as being good and deserving of their celebration and their support. Hard acts to follow. Which put me to mind of an article Butler Shaffer posted several years ago: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2008/07/butler-shaffer/the-july-4th-lie/ And even Butler -- one of my many mentors -- seemed to cling to vestiges of statism with his tongue-in-cheek recommendations for additional holidays. Alex is right: "...The fight against socialism is not one waged against a mere difference of opinion, but, to be sure, a struggle for every aspect of human survival itself..." I believe we're going to win the struggle. I believe my 26th grandchild -- a little girl, Naomi Mae, born last Thursday -- will grow up to see the victory. I'll be fortunate to still be capable of witnessing her triumph. Gotta keep biking every day to make it happen. And, of course, continue to abstain from beans. Sam
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoJealousy, Jouvenel and the War Against SocialismPage Alex R. Knight IIIYet, when you think about it deeply, you begin to see that the entire infrastructure of state rests upon a bedrock of jealousy and envy. Which is exactly what Alex's little essay encompasses -- nicely, I should add. The enormity of the truth is incredible. Sam
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Paul 7 years 30 weeks agoJealousy, Jouvenel and the War Against SocialismPage Alex R. Knight IIIOne wonders about people whose worldview is so infused with and dependent on such a disreputable emotion as jealousy. Are they not ashamed? Maybe there is not much shame left in this world.
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Paul 7 years 30 weeks agoYes, Or No?Page Paul HeinI don't know Paul. Sending such a thing to anyone would seem to put me in a subservient position. I'd rather not. Not that I haven't myself done or imagined doing the same thing in the past. The point though, is not to change the thinking of a member of the ruling class, but to open others' eyes. Not that even that limited aim seems to have much success, but I suppose little ideas could dig into an observer's mind and eventually bear fruit (pardon the mixed metaphor), without us being around to notice it.
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Paul 7 years 30 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul Bonneau"After all, it's an election year, LOL" Yes, people go temporarily insane during the silly season. I suspect that is why STR et. al. go begging at times.
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Paul 7 years 30 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul Bonneau"The way I think and express myself determines how free I can be -- or become." Exactly. It's all part of that self-enforcement.
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoFormer California Inmate Sues Prison Guard for Raping HerWeb link KenKDuplicate. Sorry.
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoFormer California Inmate Sues Prison Guard for Raping HerWeb link KenKNobody asks how or why one gains "authority" to lock another up. Only whinging and whanging over the natural progression of that evil act. Sex being the sacred cow in this instance. Ask wrong questions and one needn't fear answers. Sam
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dhowlandjr 7 years 30 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauHey Paul! This is a good one! With your usual feistiness, but hey! Slavery is objectionable even though you can't tell so much by looking around these days. And Sam, thanks for all your comments, I read the Delmar England material you recommended and really enjoyed it! I agree about the forums, I guess currently they think libertarian ideas need to be dumbed down or something. After all, it's an election year, LOL
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Samarami 7 years 30 weeks agoSlaves of the LawPage Paul BonneauAdditional thought (adding to my predominance of late to the "comments" section on STR). This from a "Lew Rockwell" article this morning -- most of which stray solidly into the realm of "minarchist", or "mini-state" mentality: "...by now more than half the population in most Western democracies draw half or more of their income from public administration, as government employees, recipients of social programs, and/or retirees..." Paul Gottfried, author of the article, probably leans more heavily to libertarian thinking than most who reside in academe. But never assume that Gottfried is anarchist by any sense of the imagination. Whenever I see a term like "...public administration..." in vocabulary, I recognize mini-statism (if not full-blown governmentalism). Many of these writers (including most of the articles posted at STR) do relatively decent work pointing out the fallacies and malfeasance of monopoly state. But in their whimpering and their grumbling is embedded the idea that "we" must "elect the right people" in order to make things right again. In order to "...GET OUR COUNTRY BACK!..." How many of these writers could recognize "income-from-public-administration" as robbery, pure and simple? How many understand that there is no such thing as "public-administration" -- that the phrase points to a mindless abstraction??? The way I think and express myself determines how free I can be -- or become. Sam
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