Friday, October 5, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
The ideal government
If I must have a government.
The government I want:
The government I got:
The one I could accept:
The one forced on me:
What I would be willing to let them have:
What they have stolen from me:
The average American lives here:
Their servant quarters are here:
The government I want:
The government I got:
The one I could accept:
What I would be willing to let them have:
The average American lives here:
Their servant quarters are here:
Saturday, August 25, 2018
The Painting of Peace
Thanks to Randy who mentioned this on the show today
In the medieval times there was a king that wanted a painting in his room portrait representation of peace. He wanted to glance at it in bad times to become peacefully inside his soul so he declared a contest by decree to all paint artists in his kingdom to make a painting that resembled peace and the winner would have a good reward. All artists turned their work for the king to examine. The king saw a painting of a lake and children calmly wetting their feet in the lake. The next was that of a sea with no waves and a fisherman calmly sleeping in his boat. The next painting enraged the king. It was that of a storm. The king had thought someone was making fun at his authority and he was made to be brought forward before the king. It was an old man and the king asked him if he was making fun of him. He wanted paintings of peace and you bring a painting of a storm. The old man looked at the king in the eye and told him to look carefully in the painting. The king did so and he understood for there was a nest in the rocks of a cliff where the storm was passing through with a bird hugging the newly born. Indeed that was peace and the king declared this painting the winner by decree.
In the medieval times there was a king that wanted a painting in his room portrait representation of peace. He wanted to glance at it in bad times to become peacefully inside his soul so he declared a contest by decree to all paint artists in his kingdom to make a painting that resembled peace and the winner would have a good reward. All artists turned their work for the king to examine. The king saw a painting of a lake and children calmly wetting their feet in the lake. The next was that of a sea with no waves and a fisherman calmly sleeping in his boat. The next painting enraged the king. It was that of a storm. The king had thought someone was making fun at his authority and he was made to be brought forward before the king. It was an old man and the king asked him if he was making fun of him. He wanted paintings of peace and you bring a painting of a storm. The old man looked at the king in the eye and told him to look carefully in the painting. The king did so and he understood for there was a nest in the rocks of a cliff where the storm was passing through with a bird hugging the newly born. Indeed that was peace and the king declared this painting the winner by decree.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Smoked Moose Perfection
If you don't know it, I live in Alaska. And we Bennett's live for the month of September.
Moose season.
Moose has little to no fat, so some people don't like it, as it can be a challenge to cook and come out with a good meal.
My family doesn't have this problem. A long cook in the crock pot, and moose is amazing. My wife's moose pepper steak is out of this world, and, chicken fried moose steaks are dangerously good, don't get any of that on your forehead, you will knock yourself out with your tongue trying to lick it off.
But what about bbq or smoking moose?
I love smoking meat, smoked salmon is a king's delicacy. But moose is a little more difficult because it will dry out pretty easily.
But, we here at Patriot's Lament are here to help. Knowledge is power, and the knowledge of how to smoke moose meat, is the only kind of power you should strive to want.
I have a traditional smoker, where you have to build a fire, and I also have a huge smoker that uses propane for the heat that my sons bought me for christmas a couple of years back.
So, through trial and error, I feel I have pretty much perfected smoking a large (or small) hunk of moose meat.
And now I will share it with you.
First, take a large (or small) chunk of moose meat, like a roast, and brine that baby. Moose is tough, so you want to chill it out a little with a brine. This is a brine that has turned out good for me.
Before you decide this isn't worth it, I have had over 150 people try this after I made it, and it was a 100% smash hit.
Put your chunk of moose in a large pot, and cover it with a salt water brine. I used 1 cup of salt for every quart of water I needed to cover the meat. Add a couple cups of sugar too if you want, and add Worcestershire sauce. Don't know how much to recommend, cause I have never measured, just brown the water should work.
Cover the pot and put in a cool spot or in the fridge. Brine for at least 12-18 hours, more if you want. This is going to loosen the meat up to take the smoke that's coming.
When you are ready, take the meat out of the water and rinse it off good. Pat it dry too. Now, cover it with your favorite dry rub, if you want. I make my own, but I am not sharing that info!
Fire your smoker up to 250-275 degrees and set your meat in there. Use whatever kind of wood you like for smoke, and for fun, soak the wood in a mixture of water, beer, and apple cider vinegar. It really does do wonders.
I like a smokey flavor to my meat, so I keep the wood chunks on the whole time it takes to cook, which is about 5 hours or so. Every hour or so, get a spray bottle and spray the meat with either apple juice or cider, or apple cider vinegar mixed with water and sugar. Get your meat up to at least around 170 degrees on the inside (use a food thermometer) and pull that baby out, cover it, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, but I usually let it sit for an hour. Cut it open and prepare your mind to be blown away.
Everyone is different, but I do think you will love it.
As lovers of Liberty, we should be able to offer the world something better than what it knows. A good smoked meat maybe the difference to converting a Statist into a full blown Anarchist.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Moose season.
Moose has little to no fat, so some people don't like it, as it can be a challenge to cook and come out with a good meal.
My family doesn't have this problem. A long cook in the crock pot, and moose is amazing. My wife's moose pepper steak is out of this world, and, chicken fried moose steaks are dangerously good, don't get any of that on your forehead, you will knock yourself out with your tongue trying to lick it off.
But what about bbq or smoking moose?
I love smoking meat, smoked salmon is a king's delicacy. But moose is a little more difficult because it will dry out pretty easily.
But, we here at Patriot's Lament are here to help. Knowledge is power, and the knowledge of how to smoke moose meat, is the only kind of power you should strive to want.
I have a traditional smoker, where you have to build a fire, and I also have a huge smoker that uses propane for the heat that my sons bought me for christmas a couple of years back.
So, through trial and error, I feel I have pretty much perfected smoking a large (or small) hunk of moose meat.
And now I will share it with you.
First, take a large (or small) chunk of moose meat, like a roast, and brine that baby. Moose is tough, so you want to chill it out a little with a brine. This is a brine that has turned out good for me.
Before you decide this isn't worth it, I have had over 150 people try this after I made it, and it was a 100% smash hit.
Put your chunk of moose in a large pot, and cover it with a salt water brine. I used 1 cup of salt for every quart of water I needed to cover the meat. Add a couple cups of sugar too if you want, and add Worcestershire sauce. Don't know how much to recommend, cause I have never measured, just brown the water should work.
Cover the pot and put in a cool spot or in the fridge. Brine for at least 12-18 hours, more if you want. This is going to loosen the meat up to take the smoke that's coming.
When you are ready, take the meat out of the water and rinse it off good. Pat it dry too. Now, cover it with your favorite dry rub, if you want. I make my own, but I am not sharing that info!
Fire your smoker up to 250-275 degrees and set your meat in there. Use whatever kind of wood you like for smoke, and for fun, soak the wood in a mixture of water, beer, and apple cider vinegar. It really does do wonders.
I like a smokey flavor to my meat, so I keep the wood chunks on the whole time it takes to cook, which is about 5 hours or so. Every hour or so, get a spray bottle and spray the meat with either apple juice or cider, or apple cider vinegar mixed with water and sugar. Get your meat up to at least around 170 degrees on the inside (use a food thermometer) and pull that baby out, cover it, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, but I usually let it sit for an hour. Cut it open and prepare your mind to be blown away.
Everyone is different, but I do think you will love it.
As lovers of Liberty, we should be able to offer the world something better than what it knows. A good smoked meat maybe the difference to converting a Statist into a full blown Anarchist.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Patriot's Lament Podcast # 002 What would Murray Rothbard do?
In our second podcast, we discuss the question, "What would Murray Rothbard do?" and explore whether or not this question is valid when evaluating "libertarian" ethics and morals.
In the same line of thinking, we ask why self-directed personal change isn't "enough" for some libertarians, even when they claim to be about radical individualism. What more would they seek to do? Act politically? Even when the political means are involuntary?
Thursday, May 31, 2018
The State will gladly protect you from Freedom of Conscience.
For hundreds of years, western cultures have been refining what is known as Freedom of Conscience.
One of the outcomes of this refinement is Freedom of Speech, a Liberty that is relatively new to the human political experience.
Not long ago, being critical of a government, for instance, could get you killed by that government. Merely speaking out of turn or having critical thought towards the State religion meant torture or death.
But, we have advanced through time to understand that free thought and critical speech is something that a free people must protect and encourage. Thomas Jefferson went as far as to say that repressing Freedom of Conscience was a “Sin against God”.
Suppressing Freedom of Conscience though, was and is seen by the State as self preservation.
Today, we have access to information that only 20 years ago was other-worldly. Anyone with a cell phone can post a rant or share information to literally the whole world. Because of this information access, people take the information they get from the State influenced main stream media with a grain of salt, or immediately disbelieve it, and usually, rightfully so.
This is dangerous for the State’s propaganda machine, but the State realizes what is even more dangerous to it, would be for the State to appear to suppress it. Whether on the Left or the Right of the political spectrum, people tend to cherish what we now call, “Free Speech”, and rightfully so.
So what is the State to do? What States always do. Make the people fear their Liberty more than Itself.
Instead of immediately passing laws suppressing and/or silencing free speech, the State is manipulating the political fears people have to make them feel threatened by what they may think is opposing speech to their beliefs. And the fear the State has spread between opposing political speech has resulted in what not long ago would have been mocked as fairy tale superstition.
"Words can hurt you. People who disagree with you want to hurt you. You need your feelings protected against all invasion. Dissenting speech or thought is violence towards you.”
Instead of using dissenting views from our own to refine our beliefs and convictions, and to encourage discussion for the betterment of overall society, we are not only growing to fear Opposition of Thought, we want to be protected from it.
Enter the State.
From legislating pronouns, to aggressive threats of imprisonment for incorrect thinking, the State has moved in against Freedom of Conscience to suppress nonconformist. And some cheer this behavior by the State, seen to protect them from all harm. Others see it as a shield to advance their own political agenda opposition free.
But, as Bastiat explained, while all wish to live at the expense of the State, the State lives at the expense of all.
No one's political or personal thoughts or actions, are safe from this aggression by the State. While the State will pick winners and losers in the short run, it’s only a matter of time before the State silences everyone.
Before you cheer the State for destroying your opposition’s Freedom of Conscience, remember when your opposition is gone, you will be alone, and no one will be there when the State marches you into the rail car that you have built.
One of the outcomes of this refinement is Freedom of Speech, a Liberty that is relatively new to the human political experience.
Not long ago, being critical of a government, for instance, could get you killed by that government. Merely speaking out of turn or having critical thought towards the State religion meant torture or death.
But, we have advanced through time to understand that free thought and critical speech is something that a free people must protect and encourage. Thomas Jefferson went as far as to say that repressing Freedom of Conscience was a “Sin against God”.
Suppressing Freedom of Conscience though, was and is seen by the State as self preservation.
Today, we have access to information that only 20 years ago was other-worldly. Anyone with a cell phone can post a rant or share information to literally the whole world. Because of this information access, people take the information they get from the State influenced main stream media with a grain of salt, or immediately disbelieve it, and usually, rightfully so.
This is dangerous for the State’s propaganda machine, but the State realizes what is even more dangerous to it, would be for the State to appear to suppress it. Whether on the Left or the Right of the political spectrum, people tend to cherish what we now call, “Free Speech”, and rightfully so.
So what is the State to do? What States always do. Make the people fear their Liberty more than Itself.
Instead of immediately passing laws suppressing and/or silencing free speech, the State is manipulating the political fears people have to make them feel threatened by what they may think is opposing speech to their beliefs. And the fear the State has spread between opposing political speech has resulted in what not long ago would have been mocked as fairy tale superstition.
"Words can hurt you. People who disagree with you want to hurt you. You need your feelings protected against all invasion. Dissenting speech or thought is violence towards you.”
Instead of using dissenting views from our own to refine our beliefs and convictions, and to encourage discussion for the betterment of overall society, we are not only growing to fear Opposition of Thought, we want to be protected from it.
Enter the State.
From legislating pronouns, to aggressive threats of imprisonment for incorrect thinking, the State has moved in against Freedom of Conscience to suppress nonconformist. And some cheer this behavior by the State, seen to protect them from all harm. Others see it as a shield to advance their own political agenda opposition free.
But, as Bastiat explained, while all wish to live at the expense of the State, the State lives at the expense of all.
No one's political or personal thoughts or actions, are safe from this aggression by the State. While the State will pick winners and losers in the short run, it’s only a matter of time before the State silences everyone.
Before you cheer the State for destroying your opposition’s Freedom of Conscience, remember when your opposition is gone, you will be alone, and no one will be there when the State marches you into the rail car that you have built.
Patriot's Lament Podcast #001 Cultural Marxism, Tom Woods, and Jordan Peterson
In our debut podcast, we discuss Tom Woods Podcast Episode 1164
featuring Paul Gottffried. Their topic was Cultural Marxism, is it real,
and what does it mean?
We address this by asking, how would we best interact with so-called
Cultural Marxists?
We then discuss the possible outcomes of treating these people with
mercy and kindness instead of adversarial tension.
Finally, we discuss the story of Job and how his struggle is similar to
the disillusionment the younger generation of today has with the world.
Richard Maybury joins us to talk about school shootings
I forgot to mention, Richard joined us on our 7th year anniversary of doing the radio show. Thanks for all the great years of calling in and the great conversation we have had.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Richard Maybury on School Shootings, prepare for more, and why.
Maybury on public school shootings. Many more to come?
This is an excellent article, he points out the structure of the public school system is basic Socialism.
This is an excellent article, he points out the structure of the public school system is basic Socialism.
Friday, May 18, 2018
A Message to Libertarians - Past and Present
Part 1 – Let Go
I recently saw Jordan Peterson speak in Detroit. His talk was on Rule 6 - Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world. This talk was an extended version of his YouTube video message to school shooters, past and present:
In his Detroit talk, he emphasized the choice of looking inward to save the world instead of looking outward. As he expanded on this idea, I began to realize that if you look outward, you also place blame outward. You begin to ascribe all the ills of the world to "others". But if you look inward will find that there is endless improvement to be made in your own life. You begin to realize that the problems of the world are all within your own soul, and that you have real work to do.
These realizations reflect my own journey through libertarianism and anarchism. The first thing that appealed to me about libertarianism was its stance against war. Then its stance against aggression (NAP). I waved signs. I "participated". I burned out. I became bitter. I became resentful. Nothing changed. I gave up. I spent years there, at the bottom.
I also ran from myself and my fears during this time. I became a "move into the woods" libertarian. The line of thought being, "I am good. The world is bad. I will remove myself from it and wait for it to fix itself. I will (not so) secretly hope for it to burn and will throw rocks whenever possible."
Peterson talks about "falling in love with your own ideas". His message applies to libertarians when he says the following:
If the world you are seeing is not the world you want, it's time to examine your values. It's time to rid yourself of your current presuppositions. It's time to let go.
Let go. Let go of being right while your life falls apart. Stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself if you are all you can be. If the answer is no, then you have work to do. And it's not the work of blaming the world for being imperfect.
The value structure that you inhabit determines what you perceive. It doesn't just determine what you expect or want. It bloody well determines what you SEE.
Do libertarians see a beautiful world of possibilities for the peace and prosperity they claim to seek? I rarely see it in their writings. I rarely hear it in their talks. I usually hear bitterness and hopelessness. Maybe their value structure need examining?
Being wrong gives you control to make things better. If you are right there is no way to make things better.
Humility is freedom. The freedom to grow. The freedom to improve. Libertarians too often seem to believe they know how society should be structured, and yet their own lives are a mess. Mine certainly was. And it still is. But I have begun the journey of making it better. And that journey has no end. I am now free to learn and to grow, without bounds. I do not know how the world should be structured, but I have begun to work on how my own life is structured. And that's a bigger undertaking than any political cause.
It's time to sacrifice who you are for who you could become.
Sacrifice is the precondition for transformation. Transformation of yourself. Transformation of your relationships. Transformation of the world around you. Instead of pontificating, consider what you need to give up. It starts with you. And it ends with you too. Stop pointing fingers.
The gateway to wisdom and the development of personality is directly through the portal that you do not want to go through.
Consider this when preparing to use the "against me" argument to alienate your next group of "worthless statists". What other behavior are you using to avoid understanding those you disagree with? To listening to them with honesty and sincerity? You'll find meaning and purpose in whatever you are running from. You just have to be strong enough to face it, instead of always trying to smother it or run from it.
It's by virtue of necessity that what you need is where you don't want to look, because that's where you've kept it.
What if there is truth in the existing structure of society? What if better understanding this structure is the path to improving it? What if ignoring the reality of how people around us interact has caused us to become so alienated that we can no longer function within the time and place that we occupy (HERE and NOW)? Would we be better off without our heads in the clouds?
Ask yourself, "What sacrifices do I have to make to make things better?"
Could refraining from NAP rants and deciding instead to listen strengthen your friendships? Could it result in becoming a person that your community respects, instead of avoids?
You have to sacrifice that which is most valuable to you currently which is stopping you. And God only knows what that is. It's certainly the worst of you. And God only knows to what degree you're in love with the worst of you.
Do you value your ideology so much, that you've stopped working, stopped living? Are you in love with your own ideas? I know I was. And the downward spiral from that way of thinking is nearly terminal.
If you're not moving forward in your life, there's a high probability that you have some idea or mode of action or habit that you're so in love with that you won't let go of it. Sometimes it's even something you love now.
Let go of building the perfect society. Begin building the perfect self. Begin building a somewhat passable self first. It's a lot harder than pontificating about the ideal geopolitical structure of the world. It's also a lot more rewarding. Your friends, family, and community need you and need your ideas. But they need you to be a high functioning member of society who is an exemplar of excellence first. They will gravitate to you and ask for your advice as you become an excellent human. No pontification needed.
Let go.
Grow.
The world needs you to be your best self.
Self-improvement is the only path to peace.
I recently saw Jordan Peterson speak in Detroit. His talk was on Rule 6 - Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world. This talk was an extended version of his YouTube video message to school shooters, past and present:
In his Detroit talk, he emphasized the choice of looking inward to save the world instead of looking outward. As he expanded on this idea, I began to realize that if you look outward, you also place blame outward. You begin to ascribe all the ills of the world to "others". But if you look inward will find that there is endless improvement to be made in your own life. You begin to realize that the problems of the world are all within your own soul, and that you have real work to do.
These realizations reflect my own journey through libertarianism and anarchism. The first thing that appealed to me about libertarianism was its stance against war. Then its stance against aggression (NAP). I waved signs. I "participated". I burned out. I became bitter. I became resentful. Nothing changed. I gave up. I spent years there, at the bottom.
I also ran from myself and my fears during this time. I became a "move into the woods" libertarian. The line of thought being, "I am good. The world is bad. I will remove myself from it and wait for it to fix itself. I will (not so) secretly hope for it to burn and will throw rocks whenever possible."
Peterson talks about "falling in love with your own ideas". His message applies to libertarians when he says the following:
If the world you are seeing is not the world you want, it's time to examine your values. It's time to rid yourself of your current presuppositions. It's time to let go.
Let go. Let go of being right while your life falls apart. Stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself if you are all you can be. If the answer is no, then you have work to do. And it's not the work of blaming the world for being imperfect.
The value structure that you inhabit determines what you perceive. It doesn't just determine what you expect or want. It bloody well determines what you SEE.
Do libertarians see a beautiful world of possibilities for the peace and prosperity they claim to seek? I rarely see it in their writings. I rarely hear it in their talks. I usually hear bitterness and hopelessness. Maybe their value structure need examining?
Being wrong gives you control to make things better. If you are right there is no way to make things better.
Humility is freedom. The freedom to grow. The freedom to improve. Libertarians too often seem to believe they know how society should be structured, and yet their own lives are a mess. Mine certainly was. And it still is. But I have begun the journey of making it better. And that journey has no end. I am now free to learn and to grow, without bounds. I do not know how the world should be structured, but I have begun to work on how my own life is structured. And that's a bigger undertaking than any political cause.
It's time to sacrifice who you are for who you could become.
Sacrifice is the precondition for transformation. Transformation of yourself. Transformation of your relationships. Transformation of the world around you. Instead of pontificating, consider what you need to give up. It starts with you. And it ends with you too. Stop pointing fingers.
The gateway to wisdom and the development of personality is directly through the portal that you do not want to go through.
Consider this when preparing to use the "against me" argument to alienate your next group of "worthless statists". What other behavior are you using to avoid understanding those you disagree with? To listening to them with honesty and sincerity? You'll find meaning and purpose in whatever you are running from. You just have to be strong enough to face it, instead of always trying to smother it or run from it.
It's by virtue of necessity that what you need is where you don't want to look, because that's where you've kept it.
What if there is truth in the existing structure of society? What if better understanding this structure is the path to improving it? What if ignoring the reality of how people around us interact has caused us to become so alienated that we can no longer function within the time and place that we occupy (HERE and NOW)? Would we be better off without our heads in the clouds?
Ask yourself, "What sacrifices do I have to make to make things better?"
Could refraining from NAP rants and deciding instead to listen strengthen your friendships? Could it result in becoming a person that your community respects, instead of avoids?
You have to sacrifice that which is most valuable to you currently which is stopping you. And God only knows what that is. It's certainly the worst of you. And God only knows to what degree you're in love with the worst of you.
Do you value your ideology so much, that you've stopped working, stopped living? Are you in love with your own ideas? I know I was. And the downward spiral from that way of thinking is nearly terminal.
If you're not moving forward in your life, there's a high probability that you have some idea or mode of action or habit that you're so in love with that you won't let go of it. Sometimes it's even something you love now.
Let go of building the perfect society. Begin building the perfect self. Begin building a somewhat passable self first. It's a lot harder than pontificating about the ideal geopolitical structure of the world. It's also a lot more rewarding. Your friends, family, and community need you and need your ideas. But they need you to be a high functioning member of society who is an exemplar of excellence first. They will gravitate to you and ask for your advice as you become an excellent human. No pontification needed.
Let go.
Grow.
The world needs you to be your best self.
Self-improvement is the only path to peace.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Jordan Peterson, Hans Hoppe, Sacrifice, and Time Preference
Last Saturday we discussed the overlap between the archetypal significance of the Cain and Abel story (expanded on by Jordan Peterson) and the economic significance of Time Preference (from Hans Hoppe). It was fun to use these two different perspectives to create a "3-dimensional" view of society and civilization.
Libertarians often create 2-dimensional (flat) caricatures of society, then get lost in their own logic (they fall in love with their own ideas). These caricatures so removed from actual experience that they discredit the idea of liberty. Hybridizing rationality with the rich meaning that Peterson is re-introducing to western thought makes for a stronger footing - one that works in practice (it can be lived) and in theory (it makes sense).
For more reading, check out our 3 part blog series on the same topic:
Part 1 - That which you value most
Part 2 - A bargain with the future
Part 3 - God's blessing
Libertarians often create 2-dimensional (flat) caricatures of society, then get lost in their own logic (they fall in love with their own ideas). These caricatures so removed from actual experience that they discredit the idea of liberty. Hybridizing rationality with the rich meaning that Peterson is re-introducing to western thought makes for a stronger footing - one that works in practice (it can be lived) and in theory (it makes sense).
For more reading, check out our 3 part blog series on the same topic:
Part 1 - That which you value most
Part 2 - A bargain with the future
Part 3 - God's blessing
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Can I live it? Part 1 “Angry Joe”
One thing people tend to do, and I often do the same, is think of the world in the ought to be, and we imagine how things should be or could be, or just how we want it to be. When we talk through these things, whether it's economics, private property societies, (or voluntaryist society), we often project what we see as the perfect, without asking if we could live such a thing. I have read many writings on economics where after reading I think to myself, "well, this person has never actually ran a business", or, "this person has never actually had to deal with employees".
Some thing may sound great, but if it's not livable in your everyday life, then it's crap, worthless.
One of these things is something I have come across on Target Liberty, a site I read daily. I like the format and the author is someone I respect whose ideas make me think.
Except for one thing.
In his explanation of a Private Property Society, he says that in a true society such as this, that for there to be true justice, then everyone makes his own rules for his property. Of this I agree. If I invite someone over to my home, I may tell them, there is no smoking in my house, or stay out of my fridge unless you ask, or even something arbitrary, such as, if you come into this house, you have to stand on your head the whole time you are here, and if you don't, I will punch you in the face. While the last example is stupid, it's still livable if I instruct my guests to the rules before hand. I may never get any guests, but that doesn't matter.
The Target Liberty's author says that in his view, a property owner's rule over his property go beyond this. The following is an example that he uses, although I don't think he calls the subject, "Angry Joe".
Angry Joe has signs up all around his property: if you trespass, you will be shot. No excuses. He goes on to say that, even if a 5 year old boy wonders onto his property in some misadventure, Angry Joe can certainly kill the boy and is justified in doing so.
One of the justifications for this, is that even in the world we live in today, we stay away from the "bad" sections in town, and we don't let our children go to those places either. That's true, and it sounds great.
A real Private Property Society. Every man is king and tyrant of his own domain.
But can you live it?
Exactly how long will Angry Joe live, after he has shot the first born son of a young father who's whole life revolves around this boy? The father, in what I think would be righteous wrath, would destroy Angry Joe and everything he owns. Angry Joe would cease to exist. The Private Property Society would break down as sure as it was created, because humans cannot live this way.
If some things are always right, then some things are always wrong.
A lot of intellectuals can blather away on the perfect society and tell of the harshest of terms for that society, until they look into the eyes of their own child. They could not live it.
When you hear someone tell you that everything is relative, and nothing is absolute, then ask what's to keep you from taking a gun and blowing their head off?
No human with his head on even partly straight, can live this. And a community, or society, is itself just individual actors. If the single actor cannot live it, then the society most certainly cannot either.
Some thing may sound great, but if it's not livable in your everyday life, then it's crap, worthless.
One of these things is something I have come across on Target Liberty, a site I read daily. I like the format and the author is someone I respect whose ideas make me think.
Except for one thing.
In his explanation of a Private Property Society, he says that in a true society such as this, that for there to be true justice, then everyone makes his own rules for his property. Of this I agree. If I invite someone over to my home, I may tell them, there is no smoking in my house, or stay out of my fridge unless you ask, or even something arbitrary, such as, if you come into this house, you have to stand on your head the whole time you are here, and if you don't, I will punch you in the face. While the last example is stupid, it's still livable if I instruct my guests to the rules before hand. I may never get any guests, but that doesn't matter.
The Target Liberty's author says that in his view, a property owner's rule over his property go beyond this. The following is an example that he uses, although I don't think he calls the subject, "Angry Joe".
Angry Joe has signs up all around his property: if you trespass, you will be shot. No excuses. He goes on to say that, even if a 5 year old boy wonders onto his property in some misadventure, Angry Joe can certainly kill the boy and is justified in doing so.
One of the justifications for this, is that even in the world we live in today, we stay away from the "bad" sections in town, and we don't let our children go to those places either. That's true, and it sounds great.
A real Private Property Society. Every man is king and tyrant of his own domain.
But can you live it?
Exactly how long will Angry Joe live, after he has shot the first born son of a young father who's whole life revolves around this boy? The father, in what I think would be righteous wrath, would destroy Angry Joe and everything he owns. Angry Joe would cease to exist. The Private Property Society would break down as sure as it was created, because humans cannot live this way.
If some things are always right, then some things are always wrong.
A lot of intellectuals can blather away on the perfect society and tell of the harshest of terms for that society, until they look into the eyes of their own child. They could not live it.
When you hear someone tell you that everything is relative, and nothing is absolute, then ask what's to keep you from taking a gun and blowing their head off?
No human with his head on even partly straight, can live this. And a community, or society, is itself just individual actors. If the single actor cannot live it, then the society most certainly cannot either.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Jordan Peterson's Biblical Sacrifice and Hans Hoppe's Time Preference: Part 3 - God's Blessing
A big part of the Cain and Abel story is God's blessing
on Abel's sacrifice ... and God's lack of blessing on Cain's sacrifice. In the
story, God tells Cain that:
"For whether you offer well, or whether you do not,
at the tent flap sin crouches and for you is its longing, but you will rule
over it."
Peterson takes this to mean that Cain's heart is not in
his sacrifice. He is sacrificing for gain only. He is sacrificing with
sin in his heart (ill intent, not good intent). He is trying to buy into the
next ponzi scheme and be in early enough to win, and he's pissed that his
brother who is doing the hard work is being rewarded.
God's blessing is only granted when the heart is in the
right place. Intent matters. It matters more than material actions
themselves. The world is made of meaning, not of stuff. This is Peterson's main takeaway from this part of the story.
Hoppe also highlights this truth, but in his own
value-free way. He notes that societies that are free of oppressive state
oversight will have a healthy culture of saving, capital accumulation, and
overall honesty in trade. However, if the society is one of parasitism and
authoritarianism (profit through exploitation and deception), time preference
becomes very high and civilization begins to crumble. The sacrifice isn't from
a pure heart and it will not receive God's blessing.
Again, it's the intent that determines the structure of
the society. It's not the amount of accumulated wealth, it's the way
in which people interact with each other. Is it through good will, or through
deception? The world is made of meaning.
Conclusion:
The value-free axioms of classical economics and the
meaning rich landscape of the Biblical stories reflect each other. Or, perhaps
more accurately, we could say that our observations of economic behavior
reflect the deeper realities of humanity as found archetypical Biblical
stories.
Remembering that economic activity is an outgrowth of
human nature, and not the other way around, keeps our thinking grounded and
provides humility. It keeps the rational thinker from saying how things
"should" be. It reminds us that for society to be better in the
future, for it to be lower time preference, we must in our lives as individuals:
- Act with good intention (God's blessing is only for the
pure in heart)
- Make honest bargains with our future selves (Make an
honest bargain with the future)
- Sacrifice our immediate desires in each moment (That
which you value most)
When we each live our lives in this way, the society
improves as a natural consequence of our actions. No political action is
necessary. All that's required to build a low time preference
society that becomes ever more peaceful and prosperous is to clean up our
rooms, a little bit more, every day.
-David Giessel
Jordan Peterson's 12 rules referred to in David's post
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back
- Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping
- Make friends with people who want the best for you
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
- Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
- Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world
- Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
- Tell the truth – or, at least, don't lie
- Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't
- Be precise in your speech
- Do not bother children when they are skateboarding
- Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street
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