Love and Freedom in Avatar
Glen Allport
2010-01-25 04:00
Exclusive to STR
[Spoilers ahead]
A month after its opening, “Avatar” has brought in more than $1.8 billion worldwide and is still packing theaters, which suggests that it may become the first film to pull in $2 billion or more.
There are many reasons “Avatar” is so popular – it is visually gorgeous and inventive, it tells a good story, and the film's casting...
The Year Ahead: 2010
Glen Allport
2010-01-08 04:00
Exclusive to STR
"'A lot more people were living on the edge than we ever even anticipated,' Haynes said. 'So many people were just barely making it. It's absolutely shocking.'"
~ Hospitality House spokesman Barry Frost, quoted in Economy Creates Newly Homeless by Kimberly Edds, OC Register, December 11, 2009
"There is no normality and no recovery. You cannot spend...
Ringo's Law and the Healthcare System of Doom
Glen Allport
2009-08-12 16:00
Exclusive to STR
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The Law
Some years ago, noted philosopher Ringo Starr described an important and now-famous discovery: "Everything government touches turns to crap."
That observation clearly deserves elevation in status from the mere "something Ringo said" to the more formal Ringo's Law. Ringo's Law generates accurate predictions and explains events in useful fashion;...
Time for Government to Finally Ban Itself
Glen Allport
2009-05-28 16:00
Exclusive to STR
May 29, 2009
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Behind the Mask, Systematic Evil
After centuries and millennia of tyranny, war, mass murder, torture, corruption, legalized theft, unjust imprisonment, economic devastation, and other needless evil, isn't it finally time we banned the cause of all that horror?
Can we not find the strength to end this intrusive, violent, coercive scam -- this conspiracy...
Psychology of the Quantum Wrongness Field: Part 2
Glen Allport
2009-04-05 16:00
Exclusive to STR
April 6, 2009
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Will Misperceiving Evil be the End of Humanity?
Some of the worst mass-murderers in history -- many of them, in fact -- are idols and folk heroes to millions of people, not for what the mass-murderers actually did, but for what those murderers and their supporters said about and wanted to believe about the mass-murderers. In many cases, the people idolizing...
Psychology of the Quantum Wrongness Field: Part 1
Glen Allport
2009-03-29 16:00
Exclusive to STR
March 30, 2009
- Introduction -
In Marooned in the Quantum Wrongness Field (April 2007), I took a humorous look at a serious subject: the wrong-headed common beliefs underpinning much of the violence, injustice, and misery in this world.
Some believe that no actual "quantum field of wrongness" exists, but in fact the entire universe -- from electric charge to light and...
Further Adventures in the Quantum Wrongness Field, Economic Crisis Edition
Glen Allport
2009-02-25 17:00
Exclusive to STR
February 26, 2009
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Deeper into the Wrongness
I described the common state of Wrongness in Marooned in the Quantum Wrongness Field (April, 2007). Today, the public is predictably being lured ever-deeper into Wrongness by propaganda about the economic crisis. Among other things, we are told that adding trillions of dollars in new federal debt and printing oceans of new money-...
The Year Ahead: 2009, Part 2
Glen Allport
2009-01-15 04:00
Exclusive to STR
- Introduction -
Part One of this column discussed the economic situation and government action, and several readers complained that I was not cheerful or optimistic in my views. Today's column won't be any more upbeat, I am afraid, although I do offer some positive notes and suggestions in the final section...
The Year Ahead: 2009
Glen Allport
2008-12-31 04:00
Exclusive to STR
"We are facing an unprecedented emergency," [ Toyota ] President Katsuaki Watanabe told a year-end news conference. "This is a crisis unlike the crises of the past." ~ Toyota sees "unprecedented" crisis by Chang-Ran Kim, Reuters, 12/22/08
"When...
Grand Theft America: "All Your Wealth Are Belong to Us"*
Glen Allport
2008-10-30 17:00
Exclusive to STR
"What the Bail-Out does is saddle the country and all its 'taxpayers' with new trillions of debt and makes it such that every 'taxpayer', regardless of how wise, cautious and frugal he may be, owes loads of Federal Reserve Notes (money) to the Federal Reserve Banking system. What will the 'taxpayers' receive for this new tax saddle? The answer is that they have received and...
The End of America
Glen Allport
2008-10-06 16:00
Exclusive to STR
October 7, 2008
"Trends which cannot continue, don't." -- Attributed to Warren Buffett and others
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The most obvious trend which cannot continue today is the maintenance of prosperity in America by means of ever-increasing debt and monetary inflation. The America we grew up in, the America we are used to -- in terms of not only prosperity but also...
Shield and Strength: The Power of Love, Part 2
Glen Allport
2008-09-23 03:00
Exclusive to STR
"It would seem that given a good start in life, almost any kind of stress can be withstood later on."
— Arthur Janov, The Feeling Child, 1973, p. 144
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Strength and Warmth, Amidst Devastation and Pain
Occasionally...
The Meaning and Value of Gold
Glen Allport
2008-08-27 03:00
Exclusive to STR
in·trin·sic (¹n-tr¹n“z¹k, -s¹k) adj. 1. Of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent. --in·trin“si·cal·ly adv. ~ from the 1994 on-disk edition of The American Heritage Dictionary
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Does...
2008 Update, Part 2
Glen Allport
2008-07-08 03:00
Exclusive to STR
Last week we looked at trends for the economy and for government action, and found the situation less than optimal, in much the same way that an outbreak of Ebola in your neighborhood would be less than optimal.
This week we consider the situation for commodities (and in particular oil and metals),...
2008 Update
Glen Allport
2008-06-29 16:00
Exclusive to STR
June 30, 2008
- 1 -
2008's First Half
So far, 2008 has been a thrill ride of the worst kind: The Dow has given back nearly all its gains for the last two years, housing prices and sales continue dropping with "no sign of a bottom" (per S&P spokesman David M. Blitzer, quoted in Housing prices post record declines at CNNMoney.com), prices for food and other...
Fund Government Like We Fund Apple
Glen Allport
2008-05-18 16:00
Exclusive to STR
May 19, 2008
Among the most common objections to a non-coercive, civil society is the funding question: "Where would money for X or Y come from, without taxes?" The obvious answer is that the money would come from the same place it comes from now: the people. There is no magic "funding fairy" to supply government with money; all government money comes from the...
Random Thoughts
Glen Allport
2008-04-20 16:00
Exclusive to STR
April 21, 2008
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Why the Public Can't Think Straight
We all know that the government lies to us, that it uses propaganda to support the lies, and that, for the most part, the corporate media is an integral part of the government/power elite propaganda machine. These things are obvious to any American with even a room-temperature IQ. For that matter, it's hard to think of any...
Engine of Cruelty
Glen Allport
2008-03-23 17:00
Exclusive to STR
March 24, 2008
- 1 -
The Chinese are at it again, murdering peaceful Buddhist monks and Tibetan protestors.
Not that Chinese government cruelty is anything new; for instance, China has been detaining, torturing, and executing Falun Gong members and members of other groups for years. Thousands of prisoners have been executed for their organs (video, 5 min 12 sec), which...
Shield and Strength: The Power of Love
Glen Allport
2008-03-09 17:00
Exclusive to STR
March 10, 2008
"Love is the central ingredient in building a strong and resilient personality. It equips us with the mobilizing chemicals such as dopamine that allow us to be aggressive, to establish goals and pursue them, to stand up for ourselves and have the energy to accomplish things. It accounts for self-confidence, a 'can-do' attitude. It prevents the need for drugs...
Core Values
Glen Allport
2008-02-24 17:00
Exclusive to STR
February 25, 2008
There are only a few universal core values required for a healthy life and a healthy society, yet there are hundreds of religious sects and political movements and parties.
The blizzard of rules, beliefs, supernatural storylines, government-as-parent schemes, god-as-parent fantasies, and all the rest of the sometimes beautiful, sometimes odd, sometimes...
Dogs and Love, Part 3
Glen Allport
2008-02-11 04:00
Exclusive to STR
One of my favorite hobbies is trying to understand my dog. I want to grasp what might be going on in his mind and feelings and thus to get a sense of where his experience is alien to mine and where it is similar. Unlike, say, marathon running or stamp collecting, this is a hobby without clearly-defined parameters, actions, or metrics for success, but I find it compelling...
The Unmasking of the Corporate Media
Glen Allport
2008-01-27 17:00
Exclusive to STR
January 28, 2008
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This is the year the corrupt corporate media loses what little credibility it still has.
Not that the Old Media deserved much trust or respect in the past; it has always been, with rare exceptions, a way for rich white men (and a few other rich people) to mold public opinion in whatever manner they desired, which typically meant "whatever manner would...
Summerhill and the Central Thread of Life
Glen Allport
2008-01-20 17:00
Exclusive to STR
January 21, 2008
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Two Books on Love and Freedom
Cat Farmer, the former STR columnist with the terrific pen name, has joined with Las Vegas Review Journal columnist Vin Suprynowicz in a book-selling venture: AbeBooks. [Correction: I had misread Cat's email; she and Vin are not the owners of AbeBooks. My mistake]. When I ran a search from their site, I found two books on A. S...
Memo to the Movement: Initiating Force Is Out, Even When You Think It's a Good Idea
Glen Allport
2008-01-13 17:00
Exclusive to STR
January 14, 2008
In Could We Ever Justify Restraining Someone From Doing Drugs? (Part I), Danny Shahar suggests that ". . . a drug user might not fully realize the nature of the choice she is making, and so we might want to prevent her from making a poorly informed, and regrettable, decision from which she might be unable to recover." He adds, "But all I'm saying...
The Year Ahead: 2008 (Part 2)
Glen Allport
2008-01-06 17:00
Exclusive to STR
January 7, 2008
~ Chinese ideogram for "Tao"
Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of Tao,
Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe.
For this would only cause resistance.
Thorn bushes spring up wherever the army has passed.
Lean years follow in the wake of a great war.
Just do what needs to be done.
Never take advantage of power.
Achieve results, But...
The Year Ahead: 2008 (Part 1)
Glen Allport
2007-12-30 17:00
Exclusive to STR
Crisis = Danger + Opportunity
~ Chinese ideogram for "crisis"*
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
~ Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)
- - - - -
2008 will be a year to remember. Big events are coming, and the notion that crisis brings opportunity will be sorely tested.
Tipping points are approaching in several interrelated areas. The most important areas...
Sowing and Reaping
Glen Allport
2007-12-16 17:00
Exclusive to STR
December 17, 2007
We go where our vision is.
~ Joseph Murphy
As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
~ literary saying
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Fundamentals
The most important fundamentals of life, beyond the purely physical, are the connected qualities of love and freedom. Whatever enhances love and freedom in our lives is a blessing; whatever diminishes these qualities is a curse. Significant...
Peace on Earth
Glen Allport
2007-12-09 17:00
Exclusive to STR
December 10, 2007
Even as a tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion -- human religion -- but any number of faiths. ~ M. K. Gandhi
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Misuse of the Real
Basics are important.
One of the problems with organized religion -- and with government, for that matter -- is that the basics soon become overwhelmed by the growth of trivia and...
Danger Is My Middle Name – And So Is Yours
Glen Allport
2007-12-02 17:00
Exclusive to STR
December 3, 2007
As soon as there is life there is danger. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Danny Shahar wrote an excellent column for STR recently (Paternalists Just Don't Understand) about drug prohibition. Shahar's column reminded me that I have been meaning to write a column of my own on the topic, covering only the two most basic arguments for freedom on this issue. So, with a...
Government and the Process of Design Change
Glen Allport
2007-11-25 17:00
Exclusive to STR
November 26, 2007
- 1 -
Those in control of government are using the same methods to advance and otherwise improve government power over citizens as corporations such as Apple Computer or Honda Motors use to advance and otherwise improve their products. Broadly speaking, these methods are intelligently applied iterative and incremental design change.
That is not a comforting...
The Fugitive
Glen Allport
2007-11-18 17:00
Exclusive to STR
"O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia , and Africa , have long expelled her. -- Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an...
Remember, Remember This Fifth of November
Glen Allport
2007-11-04 17:00
Exclusive to STR
November 5, 2007
- 1 -
Every person knows what is wrong with the world and what would make things right. This knowledge is buried deep within us and usually stays hidden because it is painfully at odds with the world as we find it.
Yet the knowledge is there, born anew within every child. Occasionally we see this truth in action, as when someone takes a stand in favor of freedom...
Capitalism Is Not Freedom, and Socialism Is Not Love
Glen Allport
2007-10-28 17:00
Exclusive to STR
October 29, 2007
"cap'i'tal'ism (k'p''-tl-'z''m) n. An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market." -- The American Heritage Dictionary
"so'cial'ism (s''sh'-l'z''m) n. 1.a. A social system in which the...
Money
Glen Allport
2007-10-22 03:00
Exclusive to STR
"Paul Robinson, one of [Barclays Bank's] strategists, said: 'We're dollar bears. The dollar is coming up for an important few weeks. We expect it to get quite a bit weaker.' The bank fears that the dollar could fall to as low as $1.50 against the euro."
-- Dollar's weakness to intensify, experts warn, by...
Day One
Glen Allport
2007-10-14 16:00
Exclusive to STR
October 15, 2007
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Inevitably, a day will come when America's descent into tyranny stops and begins to reverse. The character, details, and timing of that day are important.
Day One might arrive via the ballot box, as most Americans would expect, or it might arrive in a different fashion. Certainly, there has been little to suggest that the American electorate would snap out...
We Are All the Same; We Are All Different
Glen Allport
2007-09-23 16:00
Exclusive to STR
September 24, 2007
Love and freedom are the foundations of healthy life, both at the individual and social levels. Love and freedom are intertwined so tightly in human life as to form a single unit -- a duality.
Our needs for both love and freedom, and the fact of their connection within us at both the individual and social levels, stem from our very nature. The duality of love...
Subtext Versus Jackhammer: Emotional Health and Ultraviolence in Pathfinder
Glen Allport
2007-09-17 16:00
Exclusive to STR
September 18, 2007
Russell Means, the Lakota activist, actor, libertarian, and occasional political candidate, has a new film out this year -- Pathfinder: Legend of the Ghost Warrior, released this past April and now available on DVD. Despite the title and unlike Means' debut film (Michael Mann's 1992 The Last of the Mohicans) Pathfinder is not based on one of the James Fenimore...
Top Ten Reasons for a New 9/11 Investigation
Glen Allport
2007-09-10 16:00
Exclusive to STR
Preface for 2009
It has been two years since this column was first published, and despite a new Democratic administration and further scientific evidence debunking the Official Conspiracy Theory, the situation is largely unchanged. The United States is still occupying the nations of Iraq and Afghanistan, causing an...
What Even a Hoax Can Tell Us: The 'Kennebunkport Warning'
Glen Allport
2007-09-03 16:00
Exclusive to STR
September 4, 2007
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An Ominous Warning
Last week a warning was posted at many sites on the internet. The core of this warning was that "the backers, controllers, and allies of Vice President Dick Cheney are determined to orchestrate and manufacture a new 9/11 terror incident, and/or a new Gulf of Tonkin war provocation over the coming weeks and months."
"...
Health Care
Glen Allport
2007-08-26 16:00
Exclusive to STR
August 27, 2007
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Within Living Memory: When Things Worked
As children in the mid-1950s, my siblings and I were exposed to the typical childhood diseases of the time: measles, chicken pox, mumps, and of course colds and flu.
When we were sick, our parents called the doctor, who came out to our home near Chicago. The doctor would arrive carrying a black leather bag filled with...
The Enemies of Love and Freedom
Glen Allport
2007-08-19 16:00
Exclusive to STR
August 20, 2007
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A Simple Question
Who are the enemies of love and freedom? One answer is: "Not always who you might think."
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Bad Frameworks and the Evils of Coercion
In Blinding by Paradigm, I described how faulty paradigms for politics (and for worldview in general) create disaster. Inaccurate paradigms actually prevent the creation of a healthier world by...
The Soul Is Software
Glen Allport
2007-08-12 16:00
Exclusive to STR
August 13, 2007
- 1 -
What is the soul?
The soul is not a supernatural construct. I see the soul as one's personality, including deeper levels that are typically beyond conscious awareness. The soul is embodied within us as software, running on the hardware of our brains and bodies.
That last is difficult for some to accept, but we have to be some type of thing, and the type of...
The Bridges of Hennepin (and Every Other) County
Glen Allport
2007-08-05 16:00
Exclusive to STR
Last week, a bridge on Interstate 35W in Hennepin County, Minnesota collapsed, killing five people, with at least eight more missing at this writing. "For more than a decade the state of Minnesota has known of problems with the metal holding up the Interstate 35W bridge," according to Minneapolis CBS news channel WCCO. Around the nation, 75,000 other bridges have...
Ron Paul and the Path Back from the Brink
Glen Allport
2007-07-29 16:00
Exclusive to STR
July 30, 2007
- 1 -
At the Brink
There is much debate in the freedom movement, and especially in the voluntaryist / abolitionist / market-anarchist community, on whether Ron Paul's candidacy is helpful or harmful to the cause of freedom. Given the high stakes involved, this is no surprise. We face a truly desperate situation both politically and economically, with the recent...
Compassion vs. Coercion: Good vs. Evil
Glen Allport
2007-07-22 16:00
Exclusive to STR
- 1 -
How odd that government--an institution run entirely on the basis of coercion (which is to say, on the basis of violence, both threatened and real)--presents itself, whenever possible, as a tool of compassion.
This mismatch between government's actual methods and its supposed goals reveals two things: first, that much of what governments do is not what people want (thus the...
How Liberals Created Our Neo-Con Nightmare
Glen Allport
2007-07-16 16:00
Exclusive to STR
Did American liberals set the stage for Bush and the neo-cons to take over this country?
That is not a trick question, and the answer is: "Yes, they did."
- - - - -
How, then? Very simply. Here is a basic outline of what happened:
First, note that a government without rules is a disaster.
Make that, "a government without clear, enforceable rules that give...
The Key to the Future
Glen Allport
2007-07-08 16:00
Exclusive to STR
July 9, 2007
"The task of dramatically changing the world for the better -- specifically, of replacing neurosis and tyranny with love and freedom -- only seems impossible; change happens constantly and large shifts in the character of society have occurred repeatedly in history."
-- from an earlier essay in this series, Opening Up to Paradise: My Journey to an...
CorporateGovernment CorruptionSynergy: The Dangers of Corporatism
Glen Allport
2007-07-01 16:00
Exclusive to STR
July 2, 2007
"It is not a coincidence that the merger of the USGovt and big industry has occurred while the US Middle Class has suffered a tragic income reduction since the 1970's . . . . A constant income over the past six years would have declined in real terms by 7% to 11% each year. That is roughly a 50% decline in real terms!!!"
-- Financial commentator Jim Willie...
The Worst Way to Do Anything
Glen Allport
2007-06-24 16:00
Exclusive to STR
June 25, 2007
"Good enough for government work." -- traditional
- - 1 - -
What People Know
Coercive government always proves to be the worst way to do anything peaceful and civilized; the combination of coercion and top-down central planning ensures this. Furthermore, everyone knows that government is the worst way to do things, even though most people don't seem to...
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