Reformed Loser

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Continuing in this liberty vein, I've been considering making a vindictive post. I was angry before, now I'm just annoyed; I got a nibble, I'm ready to fight for my ideal, and then nothing. I really can't blame anyone, you've got your own lives to lead. If my ideas aren't compelling you to come back, read more, engage me a little, it's not your fault. I'll go ahead and peck out another missive though, for my own edification.

Ahem, the past few weeks I've solidified an idea that's been with me, but hazy, for a year or so now. It's a realization that I'm living in my ideal world. When arguing for markets, one has to concede to his audience that other consumers will greatly influence the products they have access to. Sometimes there's a good product that people don't buy, the manufacturer goes out of business, and that's that. You all have no problem with involuntary service to the state, so it's incredibly difficult for the few like me, who think it's nonsense, to resist it. Unless I want to go underground, or get violent, I'm stuck in servitude, because of you. I'm not allowed to choose who I want to pay for certain services, vital services like the education of a child, because all of you mindlessly shoulder the yoke of the various states' bureaucracies. So my mission is not to promote a free market revolution. It's to persuade you, my friends, that slavery is immoral. In my own small way, I want to help create an intellectual consumer base for free societies, free association, consensual relationships.

There's an important difference though, between say a restaurant and the City of Asheville. If you choose not to eat at said restaurant, they'll spend money on advertising or promotional events to try to change your mind. Contrast this model with the City's: if you own property inside the limits of what the mayor and the city councillors consider to be their domain, they use violence to get your business. George Washington says it best: "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

So that's number one. There are countless examples of state suckitude, but first and foremost, you cannot choose to opt out. If you try, men with guns will take you away and lock you up. You can't say no thank you, I'd rather not pay for D.A.R.E. officers to waste my children's time, I'd rather not encourage class strife vis a vis the welfare state, I'd rather not pay for Marines to fly halfway around the world and kill brown people, I'd like to try some other solutions.

Do I exaggerate? Listen, I can be persuaded. I've been wrong about lots of things, and I'll be wrong about lots more. Please, school me.

How Does Any Of This (The Philosophy Of Liberty) Apply To The Real World?

(For those that don't know, I'm responding to Dr. Ben's question on the 27 September post comment page. I've given a general answer to a general question, as I did with the other excellent questions, but I'd love to try and answer more specific ones. Thank you again Dr. Ben.)

Ahem, how does any of this apply to the real world? A lot of us living in the real world subscribe to the philosophy of liberty. A lot of us, like me, advocate liberty, and a few of us, the Free State Project I think is the most promising example, are acting on their convictions. Don't be too surprised to find that I'm not the only freedom nut out here. I see the message of liberty resonating with young people and the forward-looking internet culture. Ron Paul kicks ASS on the internet.

Liberty is here now in dribs and drabs. Liberty was the cornerstone of the early American republic, and you should know what it really means. (The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution had radical new ideas.)

Here's another take on the question. Ending the War On Drugs, the War On Poverty, reducing spending, cutting taxes; these goals are all in keeping with the philosophy of liberty, each on its own proves beneficial, and each is achievable.

I guess that's all I have to say about it right now. The coffee I drank earlier is making me anxious.

Did another mystery. It went fine. Other than that I've been listening to a lot of freetalklive. It's awesome. On a related note, I went over to the Board of Elections the other day to change my registration so's I could vote for Ron Paul in the Republican primary, but I didn't need to, so I didn't.


EDIT: I wanted to lead off the post with a picture of Trena Parker, head of the County Board of Elections. Every picture I've ever seen of her has me convinced she's hot as hell, but I couldn't find any on the internet, so I went with Dr. Paul.




He does have a kickass necktie.

Two neato speed runs: