Be the light, not the darkness

Jonathan Pageau posted an excellent video today on the Christian's role in a rapidly de-generating society. It is to continue to be the little lights in the darkness. To trust that what Christ told us was true, and to avoid being drawn in to accelerationism, to the desire to "push things over the edge." Because when you participate in the destruction of something, you will be sucked in behind it and destroyed also.

His message applies equally to secular Libertarians who want peace between men, and to Christians who want to see the Kingdom of God manifest in their daily lives and on earth.

Jordan Peterson v Kathy Newman debate

I think this is a great video to watch. This really shows how the politically correct socialist try to trip up rightful thinking people. The truth isn't to be shared, according to the socialist.
Political correctness was a tactic of the communist party of the Soviet Union, to shut up critics, and to take out opposition, and it has found it's way here to the States, to great effect.
When debating, make sure you are right, and don't back down. Watch for word games, and be vigilant in your responses. But, as I said, don't back down.

Also, I highly recommend the Target Liberty website, Robert Wenzel has been a guest on Patriot's Lament radio several times, and he is absolutely a great Private Property advocate.

Jordan Peterson debate.

Jeffrey Tucker on Patriot's Lament

Jeffrey Tucker joins us to talk about the Liberty.me kickoff.
We also talk about the future of the internet, the information age and the wonderful world of technology.

Becky Akers joins Patriot's Lament

Becky Akers joins us on Patriot's Lament for both hours! We talk about the evils of the State, Romans 13, Christian participation with the State,(or rather, how we wish Christians didn't participate) wars, and her books. This was a great show, enjoy!

The new Radicals

Gary North has an excellent article on the new Radicals in America.

The home schooler.

"The basic form of education in much of the colonial period as well as for a long time thereafter was the home school. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony there was an attempt to limit colonization to townships to keep the population concentrated. Some of those did have formal schools in the form of a building where all of the children came. But apart from that, it was private or home schools that prevailed in most of the colonies. There was a limited amount among the wealthy southerners of tutorial schooling, but for the most part it was home schooling. This continued for a good many years thereafter in much of the United States, particularly on the frontier."

 "When you have bet the political farm on a system that cannot get good students in the doors free of charge, and which has lost the power of compulsion to get them in the doors, your movement is comparable to the Congregational Establishment in (say) 1800. MENE, MENE, TEKEL, URPHARSIN. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Your days are numbered."

Read the rest of the article here, those radical homeschoolers.

Home schooling in my mind is a perfect example of Anarchy. How? The simple absence of the State in my home, the simple absence of the State in the education of my children. And guess what? Even without the State being in our home, we amazingly have managed to learn, and not to kill each other in the process.
All without the State.

Patriot's Lament June 30, 2012: Say No and Refuse to Give Consent...DON'T VOTE!!!

In this show we talk about both saying no and withdrawing consent. If you can't say no you are a slave! We also systematically dismantle the idea of voting from a logical, ethical, and moral standpoint. Voting not only makes no sense, but it can also be argued that in all but the most exceptional circumstances it is unethical and inconsistent with even the most simplistic moral framework.

Stop groveling at the feet of your slave masters. Stop getting on your knees and voting for your own enslavement. It's pathetic and disgusting. Have some self respect for once! DON'T VOTE!!

Rome Will Burn

Ron Paul is out. We can already hear the cry, "What will we do now?!" Leonard Read's "How to Advance Liberty" provides some insight. In my opinion, Rothbard had a massive non-sequitur which was advocating the use of politics to end the state. I am unaware of any state that has ended this way (my little resort to a historicism fallacy). Logically in terms of means and ends, it is impossible for political means to result in non-political ends. Historically, states end themselves. All political action then is the velvet glove over iron fist. For example, no state income tax (velvet glove), state spending out of control squeezing the main industry out (iron fist). What good is no income tax if your job is eliminated? Conversely what good is a job if the state is legally entitled to take as much as they wish? The catch-22 of statism. Obviously the practical answer is that not ALL jobs are eliminated and/or that not ALL income is taxed. Politics is then the practical question of degrees of violence. One who believes in non-violence must then walk away to the maximum extent possible, being mindful to go about this in a peaceful way so as to avoid creating a ratchet effect where the state then escalates its violence.

Political thinking and political action necessarily accepts the premise of the state, so of course it is divisive. It is by nature "us" against "them." Voluntary action benefits both parties. State action benefits one at the expense of the other. Always. The division and futility of libertarian activity in Alaska is a fascinating story and history with a lot of useful takeaways, but for me the most fascinating part is that the ideologically pure ones who went directly after the state as Mike notes accomplished nothing for themselves or others. See also Schaeffer's thing. Same result. The de La Boetie essay suggests something different. Walk away. There are oh-so-many ways of doing this without stepping in the beehive of the state (which it considers to be violence against it). You won't find tax protestors at the Mises institute. Attacking the state is an exercise in futility. Selling ideas to those who are "shopping" is the only method consistent with the desired ends of a voluntary society. This obviously excludes "successful" politicking. To use Ron Paul as an example, he has never claimed that he can make a difference or that him being elected would make a difference. His reply is always, "When the people decide to change the nature of government, that's when things will change." Since he's the only one presenting an alternative for people to consider, how would they ever learn of another way if he weren't out there being unelectable (and not caring about being unelectable)?

You'll note how much time I spent advocating state action vs. individual action when I went on Duke's show (none). I don't care about the borough or the state or the feds except to the extent which I must adjust my action based on their decisions. I can far more effectively free myself from the state by spending my time doing other stuff. Anything done in a political sphere is a compromise. It is those who don't understand this who find politics frustrating. Again, it comes down to means and ends. Political means will never lead to voluntary or non-political ends. Ever. Most people accept this, so they accepts political action as useful (believing that voluntary ends are a largely unattainable goal). This is consistent with their premises. In that context it makes sense.

I don't really have any use for the velvet glove or the iron fist. I don't have to stay anywhere. I don't care about "my" country or state or any of that stuff (probably because they're not "mine" in any logical sense). Furthermore, I can be the most useful to society not through political action but through market action and education. No one is better off because I convinced them to vote for Ron Paul in 2008. Some people are better off because they learned about the risk of holding dollars in 2008 (and since). Steve Jobs has created more prosperity for mankind than Ronald Reagan. Bill Gates than Bill Clinton. Etc.

My initial idea for the Austrian Economics book club was to read about econ and investing so that people wouldn't get wiped out. No one can or will save us but ourselves. This has always been true. No one is really interested in that tho. The "liberty movement" in America is wrapped up in the myth of collective salvation. Tragic yet funny. I can safely say that there are only a couple of us with significant positions that will weather the coming storm very very well. Everyone else, two years later, has been completely wrapped up in politics even tho they now KNOW what is coming economically. What do they have to show for it? They are frustrated, tired, and poorer than they were two years ago. The state wins. All the money and effort spent on Joe Miller, for example. There was a lot of money to be made (or at least preserved) in that time. This would facilitate a lot of families being able to pull their kids out of public school. This would reduce a lot of people's dependence on their state job, or the PFD, etc. What is there to show instead? Nothing. What would there be to show had Joe won? Nothing. A shame and a waste. And for what?

Probably my favorite "place" to hang out is the Daily Anarchist site/forums, because no one there advocates anything political. It is calm, the discussions are civil yet deep, and no one is getting tweaked about political trivialities. There is a Ron Paul thread, but no one cares if any of the others participate or do not participate in the election. The overwhelming recognition is that for questions of "what do we do" the answer will be unique for each and every one of us (indeed this is the basis of voluntaryism). Therefore we can share ideas and personal courses of action without crossing so-called Ego Boundaries. This is simply not possible in a political context because people who think politically are 1) collectivist to some extent and 2) authoritarians to some extent. Since I do not like being pushed around, to be consistent I have to refrain from pushing others around. So very few get that. I never expect it to be more than a very few. But a whole lot are indifferent (terrific!). I try to minimize exposure to those who my buddy Jake and I call the "True Believers." Those who believe that shoving people in the right direction somehow makes things better. If the cause of liberty is futile, then sanctioning authoritarianism is certainly more futile. States forever and always eventually revert back to the only way feasible in the long term: they cease to exist. Sort of a liquidation of counterproductive action.

The Caesars have already de-based the money and sent the young men to go die for the empire. All that remains is for Nero to burn Rome. All those dependent on Rome will be in trouble when this happens. This includes the Borough itself. It does not include me. It no longer includes my family. It no longer includes some of my friends. It no longer includes at least one guy I work with. While we wait, we can go about our lives without fear. That is a success. Let Rome Burn. It's going to anyway.

Patriot's Lament May 26, 2012: Do you hate the state? Jeff Berwick does.

In the first hour Josh asks the question, "Do you hate the state?" We also discuss the morality of theft and the possibility that those whose ultimate goal is simply LESS theft and not the abolition of theft entirely stand on the same philosophical foundation as those who advocate for MORE theft. We challenge one of the callers on his justification for some stealing in certain instances (how much and when?).

In the second hour we have our first return guest Jeff Berwick. Jeff talks about how the state of affairs in the United States has evolved in the last few months, what the options are for Americans, and some of the services he offers to help diversify internationally. We also discuss living abroad and the freedoms that are enjoyed by foreigners outside the U.S. and especially Americans living as Perpetual Travelers or Permanent Tourists (P.T.s) outside of their home "farm."

Perpetual Traveler: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_traveler

Jeff Berwick's Dollar Vigilante blog and newsletter: http://www.dollarvigilante.com/
Aca Condos: http://www.acacondos.com/
Anarchast: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAnarchast

Patriot's Lament May 12, 2012: Parental Rights and the State Oppressing You

In the first hour we discuss parental rights versus the state and in the second hour discuss the state's oppression of the individual (you!).

Freedom in Mexico and Seth King on BitCoins

In the first hour David and Josh call in to discuss their discovery of freedom in Mexico (without trillion dollar wars to "keep it free").

In the second hour Seth King from DailyAnarchist.com discusses BitCoin, Anarchism, and the fact that so-called rights are not what make us free.



In the first hour Wake Up Call, Aaron and Josh discuss the American and Alaskan cows and how they do what the farmer wants. In the second hour they discuss the socialist oil dependency that Alaskans have growing on them like a giant tumor.