Recent comments

Brilliant!   Doug, you keep on getting better. "The self-driving car was invented for snowflakes" explains the otherwise inexplicable. And "the entire alphabet of sexes" is a phrase deserving of a copyright.

[Re-posted as a Reply. Sorry.]

The only thing I see as having been "proven" is that anarchists and libertarians are normal, emotional, egotistical human beings -- just like everyone else. One thing I've learned (hopefully and with some pain), however, is to try always to refrain from "acting out". Not quite as easily done as said, I'm 'feard. Somehow I get the feeling that, with all this new and about-face knowledge, I've become your classic "shmexpert". I have the truth. Nobody else does. And that is that. It's the attitude that drives away the very people I need to augment and sustain my newfound liberty. I'd like to see STR once again become the active, vibrant site for liberty and freedom it once was -- with many dozens of participants, all with their own non-dogmatic (well, some dogmatists, I suspect) essays regarding liberty. Sam

And once again, folks, my point is proven for me.  :-D

Alex's savage, hysterical ad-hominem slurs are beneath contempt, but I will point out that TOLFA is far from being "just" a web site. Any who visit just its home page, and are literate, can see that it is a self-driven, interactive academy for freedom; a school, a place to learn; and having learned, a resource to which to bring others.   No harm in supplementing it with good material found elsewhere, but its 18 segments suffice alone to show any genuine student the intellectual necessity of anarchism, and to spread that knowledge throughout society and so cause the withdrawal of all government labor. Hence the slogan: Nothing less will do, nothing more is needed.

As one who did languish in a cell over income tax, I appreciate the insights offered by Jim Davies. I think his analyses of the concept of freedom is convincing and useful for practical decisions. The Online Freedom Academy is priceless. Nowhere else have I found such a complete construct.

Looking "beyond-the-state" is a challenge indeed. Probably one of the most enigmatic of challenges, since virtually all of us have cut our eye teeth on "statism" (as we now recognize it -- but could never have even understood the term just a few short years back). Recently I began going through the hundreds -- yea, thousands -- of various articles and books I had downloaded while I had internet at home. I "DC"'d internet at home several months ago, for several sound reasons. As I've gone through ancient files, editing (my eyesight has become quite poor, and I've been enlarging the print as I go), I've also taken to outlining certain words and terms used by so many of my libertarian guru's and friends. That gave me to recognize just how difficult it has been to divorce one's thinking 100% from early childhood state inculcation. How easy it is to think in terms of "our leaders", "our betters" (usually in jest, but still using the possessive plural pronoun "our", which tells me the writer has not totally given up collectivist thinking), "the president", et al. And the profusely used "we" word -- even among "libertarians". It's difficult to remember that I can be free. Here. Today. Where I'm "at". The first order of business is to purge my head of collectivist words and phrases. A near second is to recognize what I have power to do, and what is totally out of my control (your behavior and thinking is one of those -- although, since you're here at STR I have to presume your mind is much more pliable to new ideas than it was before you arrived). I have to relegate pesky coercers into the realm of rattlesnakes. Except, of course, the rattlesnake serves some useful purpose in the overall scheme of things. Which means that I need to be aware of defensive actions I can take at all times. I can't end the state. It's everywhere. Even vestiges linger with highly respected family, friends and libertarian guru's. The enormity of the truth is incredible.

And, my dear friend, I could have anticipated you'd lump me with those "...languishing in my cell..." However, I've become a student of the art of eliminating the "cell" from my life -- without fellowshipping or complying with the beast. In fact, the art I think of as "freedom" includes the ability to sidestep and circumnavigate the beast. For now. The white man is ignorant at best, stupid on down the scale; but aware his hold is constantly at risk of slipping from his grip. His stock in trade is keeping you in the syndrome of feeling the need to change others in order for you to be(come) free. Matter of fact, I understand that the place you're probably referring to as "...the good ole US..." has currently become the largest police state anywhere on earth, in all of recorded history -- with more folks incarcerated (per thousand, or 100 thousand, or however you're estimating population) than Iraq, Iran or Communist China. In the science of rulership it's never good to incarcerate and/or murder too high a percentage of those who make up your robbery ("tax") base; so inroads must be made by those lunatics in winding down "the-drug-war", which has given rise to a large percentage of the lockups. Of course I'm old, my hide is tough from a lot of chewings over the years. The beast likes younger, more tender meat -- more easily coerced into being "...a 'citizen'" (a tame, compliant citizen at that). I've never nor will ever fit that category. A fun time to be alive. I fully plan to live to see anarchy in my time. We're already seeing a sort of model in Somalia -- but, that's shaky at best, due to tribal and other factions attempting to work within the science of rulership "to-bring-order" where there is virtually no disorder. Please refrain from attempts to be combative with those who are trying to become free -- today, now, where they're "at". Encourage 'em. Doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to conduct your "courses". But freedom will come for many who are now just starting to conceive liberty -- without my help, or yours. Sam

Seems I've said forever: If I choose to be free, I shall be free. Today. Here. Where I'm "at". So can you if you so choose. "...So which is it; have humans evolved in ways suited to slavery, or to liberty? Or if you prefer to say there's a creator, has that Creator made humans for servitude, or freedom?..." Makes no difference whether I "evolved" or "got created". The choice for my liberty is still mine, and no body else's. Actually, I began to learn freedom as a snot-nosed kid, enslaved ("drafted" ha ha) into the white man's army of murderers. Later I took a graduate class "in the hole". If you don't know what the white man's "hole" is, you're no doubt still struggling with liberty. The choice might be easier if a critical mass of my neighbors and friends would cease submitting confessions ("filing returns" ha ha) and voluntarily complying with psychopaths hiding under the mantle of that brainless abstraction we've come to combatively call "the state". But I can't wait for that to happen. The clock is ticking. Sam

An excellent suggestion, dhowlandjr.   The "bureaucratic bully" will keep bullying for ever - Paul's right - if he has anyone working for him, to carry out the coercion. But what if nobody will work for him? What would it take, to cause everyone to quit such work?   More, probably, than just the QuitGov site. But that's a start, it may help.  It's a free gift, use it as you wish.   One thing continues to puzzle me, though, about those who think that "America, 2017" is a permanent condition, that no solution or escape exists for you or me or anyone else to find. Why bother, in that case, thinking about freedom or discussing freedom or writing about freedom or reading about freedom, here on STR or anywhere else? Why not just go away and eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?    Well, there's a second puzzle too, closely associated: writers, readers and comment-posters about liberty usually say that freedom is the condition properly and ideally suited to human beings, that it's the right and natural condition for our species (in those words or some like them.) But if in practice freedom were unobtainable, an ideal beyond human reach for the indefinite future, that cannot be true. Thus, a contradiction exists. So which is it; have humans evolved in ways suited to slavery, or to liberty? Or if you prefer to say there's a creator, has that Creator made humans for servitude, or freedom?

Well, which one is it for you? fugitive, prisoner or slave?This would be a good article if you thought your readers were worthy of knowing what you perceive to be the solution. Let's look for ways to exemplify our vision of moving towards something better, please.

"Find your own little Higgs boson bubble, and make the most of it." Exactly, Alex. It is extremely difficult to remain hopeful that others will seek liberty, much less enlightenment, when so many repeatedly choose security, and willful ignorance, instead. However, liberty will survive and flourish when the existing state system collapses of its own weight and the parasites die along with the host. The remnant survives because of the individuals that retain self-sufficiency, self-responsibility, a sense of family, community and brotherhood that comes voluntarily from within, not imposed by far-away authoritarians. So, the key to human survival is liberty-minded individuals networking among themselves and not going down with the ship of state. The greatest difficulty typically arises when the rats realize the ship is sinking and they begin to scavange among remnant resources forcing hard choices and conflicts of conscience as to who to save and who to let drown.

Excellent, Saul, and because they come from you, an "expert", the suggestions about health care in a free society will carry all the more weight. Then, it's cumulative. A ZGS would deliver better A, better B, better C and so on; and when they see them all add up they begin to ask Yes, maybe, but how could we possibly get all this?   The answer is ready.    

Robert Higgs' well-crafted article in EVC is so blatantly false that I suspect he wrote it so as to shake libertarians awake, to stimulate rebuttals. If so, he will have been sorely disappointed by the pathetic response above, here on "Strike the Root." Today I tried to repair the damage in the Zero Government Blog, subtitled Half Full. Santé!

Thanks, Alex, for the contribution of your thoughts in this essay. It's easy to lose sight of the freedom each of us "rugged individualists" (thanks, Ludwig von Mises) at STR have achieved -- naysayers be damned. Not a whole lot most of us can do for the superstition that besets almost all of our neighbors and friends -- even family members -- that often seems to keep the beast at our doorsteps. Was recently reading an old (1972) von Mises piece: "What restricts the individual’s freedom is not other people’s violence or threat of violence, but the physiological structure of his body and the inescapable nature-given scarcity of the factors of production. It is obvious that man’s discretion to shape his fate can never trespass the limits drawn by what are called the laws of nature. "To establish these facts does not amount to a justification of the individual’s freedom from the point of view of any absolute standards or metaphysical notions. It does not express any judgment on the fashionable doctrines of the advocates of totalitarianism, whether “right” or “left.” It does not deal with their assertion that the masses are too stupid and ignorant to know what would serve best their “true” needs and interests and need of a guardian, the government, lest they hurt themselves. Neither does it enter into a scrutiny of the statements that there are supermen available for the office of such guardianship". ~Ludwig von Mises, 1972, “The Anticapitalistic Mentality” (pdf file) Von Mises was perhaps not "anarchist" as most of us today view anarchy; but he was definitely not "statist". He opened the door to much, much liberty and freedom of thought. One of the things my absence from internet service at home has accomplished in my months of rehab has been my review of hundreds -- yea, thousands -- of files, comments, and entire books I had downloaded over a period of years; and never taken the time to peruse thoroughly. This was merely one of many I've taken this opportunity to study in depth. Seems every day for years I would paste and copy into "word" and "pdf" files essays and books and threads of comments to essays; always with the intention of coming back and reading more comprehensively. Then, dozens of downloads later, would forget I had even put them into "read later" files and folders. Included are also many old essays by my would-be (but jocular, for the most part) antagonist and friend, Mr. Davies.

But wait - there's more! http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/health-risks/

Glad anyway, Sam, to see you back; and thanks for sharing the story of your misfortune. I was kidding, of course, about the necessity of "leave", and hope the time remaining to your life is long.   Since you don't agree to something which is objectively obvious (that a slave, however free he feels and rightly should be, is absolutely not free) I fear there's nothing I can do to persuade you. In this respect, you are beyond the reach of reason.

"...To claim that is ridiculous and confusing. Agreed?..." Absolutely not. Why agree to a "ridiculous and confoozing need" to change others in order for me to become "free"??? How you process "freedom" in your own life is your responsibility. I suggest a reread of this: http://antislavery.eserver.org/narratives/narrativeofthelife/narrativeof... And perhaps even this: https://archive.org/details/236222899TheMostDangerousSuperstitionLarkenR... I was hospitalized as the result of an accident for 3rd degree frostbite and hypothermia last year and had to make some temporary changes in living situation. Upon return decided to scuttle internet connection -- for a number of sound reasons (sound to me). Of course I abandoned television nearly 50 years ago, and have been car-free for nearly 10 years now -- reasons of which might not appear sound to others, but I am a free (yes, free) individual. So, now use government ("public" ha ha) library compooter for web connection, and my "allotted time" is running low or I might have additional comments to your assessment of my "freedom". Sorry for the absence (without leave???). Sam

True. I just can't wait for everyone else to catch up and start believing what I know to be true, I have time preference for living as free as possible, right now (even "where I'm `at`"). I wish those willing and able to do the proper convincing much luck.

Hi mishochu!  Well, understand that not only are you in a fairly limited group of people who have or can reasonably obtain that flexibility, but your ability to stay obscure and avoid direct taxes on your earnings still only gains you some greater freedom from states.  There are still plenty of other taxes you're subjected to -- including, of course, the artificially elevated costs of everything from soup to nuts as a result of governmental intervention (regulations, corporate taxation, inflation, etc.).     Then comes your physicality.  You are still not shielded from the potential actions of the police wherever you may happen to be -- whether at a governmental checkpoint (border, airport), or just out and about living life.   Only total abolition can deliver actual freedom.  Mindset, extra passports, cryptocurrency, etc. all help -- but they are not final answers, unfortunately.

Sam, first of all you went AWOL last year, and I never asked what happened. You fell ill, perhaps? You seem to have recovered, yes?  What was the story, if you'd care to tell it?   Then, I wonder if you'd like to engage in a thought experiment. Imagine that you are an antebellum slave. No doubt about it: you have no choice, but to do what Massa says, for it's that or a whipping. Escape is not an option, for those pious anti-slavery Northerners will catch and send you right back.   So in real reality, you are truly not free. Agreed so far?   Then you hear a visitor (named Rummy Bardroth, perhaps) speak about liberty, as a result of which you come to a Damascus Road epiphany: you realize that by your natural human right, you truly are free and self-owning, and that all those who deny you freedom in practice are usurpers and liars. This discovery has enormous good effect on your self-respect and -esteem, and makes you almost a happy man. You still have to say Yes Massa, but now you can do it with tongue in cheek, treating him like "rattlesnakes -- gingerly, but not fearfully." I don't wish to belittle at all the radical change this realization brings about in you.   But are you really free in practice? Of course you are not. To claim that is ridiculous and confusing. Agreed?

Hi Sam!  I understand what you mean, at least in terms of mindset, but physically, how are we to "live the benefits" given the realities of State aggression?

Just in case there are any here who still subscribe to STR's raison d'etre ("The mission of STR is to advance the cause of liberty") I'll remind readers that TOLFA remains the only necessary and sufficient way to cause a free and voluntary society to come about.

Reading this, I am left with the question "can mankind undergo the kind of awakening that would allow for the wholesale liberalization of society?" I think that is what it would take for people to turn their backs on statism, en masse. I pose it as a question, because I don't know if it can happen, but I wouldn't rule it out either.