Reputations by their very nature are ideas in other people's heads about you, and cannot be legitimately owned or controlled via violence.
Does this imply there are no repercussions to someone that falsely hurts your reputation? No, it simply means that the battle should be waged with words, not bullets.
2010-07-12
2010-06-29
Tyranny by the Ignorant
The problem of tyranny does not stem directly from the minds of the power hungry, but the ignorance of those that allow it to exist and propagate. It is a mistake to believe that tyranny can be overthrown without reshaping the ideas of the populous that ferments the tyrants.
So the solution is not to fight the tyrant face on but use tactics that teach others about the inherent evil in the system.
Propagate peace, not anger.
So the solution is not to fight the tyrant face on but use tactics that teach others about the inherent evil in the system.
Propagate peace, not anger.
Make Friends Not War
The idea of government and society being at war is simplistic and incorrect. Government is a pattern of society, not a separate entity from society. It should be viewed as a belief, not as a structure to be fought.
Government will disappear as the relationships that exist are replaced with voluntary alternatives, and the way to do this through direct one-on-one interaction in the name of liberty. Build relationships that foster civility and reasonableness.
Government will disappear as the relationships that exist are replaced with voluntary alternatives, and the way to do this through direct one-on-one interaction in the name of liberty. Build relationships that foster civility and reasonableness.
2010-06-19
Double Bladed Knowledge
After a certain point, most things simply can't be forgotten. This is the knife that cuts both ways. Ignorance can be bliss. With knowledge comes sadness, as well as power.
Would you want to know of all the suffering that goes on, even if you couldn't do anything about it? What would be the point?
Sometimes it's better to give up a little knowledge in order to gain more happiness.
Would you want to know of all the suffering that goes on, even if you couldn't do anything about it? What would be the point?
Sometimes it's better to give up a little knowledge in order to gain more happiness.
2010-06-18
Stupid Roads
Roads need only be a monopoly if you can't think outside the box. What is a road really? It can be thought of as property used for travel. There is nothing about it that says it has to be above ground, or even on the ground.
Roads run by a monopoly government are unsafe and inefficient. They are bumpy, feature no car-to-ground interface, and have thugs with lights on the tops of their cars that will run you off the road if you do not follow their diktats.
Think of all the time wasted sitting in front of a steering wheel. How difficult would the construction of smart roads be, ones that communicated with cars to tell them the position of the lanes and other cars, and then automate the driving?
Roads run by a monopoly government are unsafe and inefficient. They are bumpy, feature no car-to-ground interface, and have thugs with lights on the tops of their cars that will run you off the road if you do not follow their diktats.
Think of all the time wasted sitting in front of a steering wheel. How difficult would the construction of smart roads be, ones that communicated with cars to tell them the position of the lanes and other cars, and then automate the driving?
2010-06-17
Absence versus Failure
Is the absence of something the same as failing at it?
One really can't claim that government can be efficient at a task. There simply are not the incentives for productivity and resourcefulness like there are for individuals in the free market. The real question is whether not doing something is worse than restricting it for others and then failing to properly do it anyway.
For instance, government is a monopoly on force, supposedly necessary because without a centralized military people wouldn't self-organize to provide for the demands of security. Never-mind that freedom offers the best way to innovate ourselves out of a problem, it is too important to have a failing entity than one that might not appear.
One really can't claim that government can be efficient at a task. There simply are not the incentives for productivity and resourcefulness like there are for individuals in the free market. The real question is whether not doing something is worse than restricting it for others and then failing to properly do it anyway.
For instance, government is a monopoly on force, supposedly necessary because without a centralized military people wouldn't self-organize to provide for the demands of security. Never-mind that freedom offers the best way to innovate ourselves out of a problem, it is too important to have a failing entity than one that might not appear.
2010-06-16
Statism Virus
The mind of an individual can be harnessed by government through mandatory schooling to conform to the will of people in power and to reject out-of-hand the idea of a stateless society.
The task at hand is not removing power structures themselves, but illuminating the hazard caused by the power structures. Help people understand the slavery they live under and how more liberty is the solution, and the power structure dissolves.
A structure requires support from something. In this case, it is support from the vast masses. Overcoming this inertia is terribly difficult, but small steps get the ball rolling in the right direction.
The task at hand is not removing power structures themselves, but illuminating the hazard caused by the power structures. Help people understand the slavery they live under and how more liberty is the solution, and the power structure dissolves.
A structure requires support from something. In this case, it is support from the vast masses. Overcoming this inertia is terribly difficult, but small steps get the ball rolling in the right direction.
2010-06-15
Stolen Money
It has been said that accepting something not rightfully yours is theft. The problem with this simple is determining when something is rightfully yours.
If someone loses something for 10 years and you find it, is it rightfully yours? What if they die?
Ownership is a trickier subject than is usually realized. The best solution is to allow a free market in the market of property rights. Allow people to organically decide what is legitimate for them, and it will filter out and become a standard in law.
If someone loses something for 10 years and you find it, is it rightfully yours? What if they die?
Ownership is a trickier subject than is usually realized. The best solution is to allow a free market in the market of property rights. Allow people to organically decide what is legitimate for them, and it will filter out and become a standard in law.
2010-06-13
Do One Step
Get things done, one small step at a time. If the hurdle is motivation, you should cleanly organize a plan of action and implement it, starting now.
Achieving great things is rarely made of one large step. It is many, many small steps done on a regular basis.
How does this apply to the advancement of liberty? Ask yourself what you personally can do to raise awareness. A small step a day keeps the government away.
Achieving great things is rarely made of one large step. It is many, many small steps done on a regular basis.
How does this apply to the advancement of liberty? Ask yourself what you personally can do to raise awareness. A small step a day keeps the government away.
2010-06-12
Setting Up Freedom
The time to set up a free society is now. Unfortunately there is very little space left in the world for this to happen, so it seems we are stuck choosing certain attributes of an area, such as population size and relative size of the government, in determining where to go.
There is a place that this is being attempted in now. New Hampshire was chosen by the Free State Project as the place for freedom activists to be.
Moving your life is never easy. It costs time, money, and sometimes relationships, but the rewards could far outweigh the penalties. Creating a free society requires a certain concentration of like-minded people, of this there is no doubt.
There is a place that this is being attempted in now. New Hampshire was chosen by the Free State Project as the place for freedom activists to be.
Moving your life is never easy. It costs time, money, and sometimes relationships, but the rewards could far outweigh the penalties. Creating a free society requires a certain concentration of like-minded people, of this there is no doubt.
Complaining For Freedom
Complaining about others working toward freedom in unorthodox ways is nothing new. People started new countries to get away from past governments, and this will likely happen again.
However complaining accomplishes very little in the way of real change. Actually doing something to improve the situation is much appreciated.
For instance, some hate on the idea of civil disobedience. They seem to be fine when it is black people sitting in a restaurant, but women going topless, or individuals smoking cannabis at a protest is deemed outrageous. Why the discrepancy?
Eventually we will look back on all this tyranny and laugh at the incredible silliness of these ideas.
However complaining accomplishes very little in the way of real change. Actually doing something to improve the situation is much appreciated.
For instance, some hate on the idea of civil disobedience. They seem to be fine when it is black people sitting in a restaurant, but women going topless, or individuals smoking cannabis at a protest is deemed outrageous. Why the discrepancy?
Eventually we will look back on all this tyranny and laugh at the incredible silliness of these ideas.
2010-06-11
Pro-Liberty Government
The idea of a government being pro-liberty is strikingly absurd in the current environment. Perhaps the definition of government could be redefined, from a monopoly on force, to a provider of security.
A "state" would be a monopoly on force, and "government" would be more general and mean any organization that governed the violators of rights.
This way, instead of anti-government, it would be anti-monopoly. Monopolies are already fairly despised, but some people still see them as necessary in the provision of certain goods.
A "state" would be a monopoly on force, and "government" would be more general and mean any organization that governed the violators of rights.
This way, instead of anti-government, it would be anti-monopoly. Monopolies are already fairly despised, but some people still see them as necessary in the provision of certain goods.
2010-06-10
Free to Good Home
The value of giving a gift is not merely the price you could get from selling it. There is also value gained by the giver and recipient in the form of good will.
Gifting, while not normally seen as a capitalistic act, is definitely part of the voluntary market. Whenever two people exchange things of value, even a physical for a non-physical thing, it is part of the free market.
Don't reduce liberty to its basic features, let it shine for all it is and can be.
Gifting, while not normally seen as a capitalistic act, is definitely part of the voluntary market. Whenever two people exchange things of value, even a physical for a non-physical thing, it is part of the free market.
Don't reduce liberty to its basic features, let it shine for all it is and can be.
2010-06-09
Free Market Scamming
The voluntary interactions between humans comprise the free market. Some voluntary actions still can have negative outcomes, such as in the case of scams. Depending on the amount of freedom a society values, these outcomes can then be dealt with violently or nonviolently.
A scam is a confidence trick: "an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence."
Fraud is a serious issue. It is theft by deception, but does not necessarily require the same response as physical aggression. If violent people cannot be reasoned with, then violence may be the answer. When fraudulent people cannot be made to stop their fraud, and return the money, then either violence or a strong reputation system may be the solution.
Fear of imprisonment may be a deterrent to crime, but physical incarceration is a blunt tool hitting a unique situation. Having systems in place to track the goodness of an individual in society is the future of civilization, and even workable now.
A scam is a confidence trick: "an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence."
Fraud is a serious issue. It is theft by deception, but does not necessarily require the same response as physical aggression. If violent people cannot be reasoned with, then violence may be the answer. When fraudulent people cannot be made to stop their fraud, and return the money, then either violence or a strong reputation system may be the solution.
Fear of imprisonment may be a deterrent to crime, but physical incarceration is a blunt tool hitting a unique situation. Having systems in place to track the goodness of an individual in society is the future of civilization, and even workable now.
2010-06-08
Regulation Decreases Competition
Pass a law requiring stricter standards and the natural inclination toward innovation is hampered.
Competition occurs due to the number of suppliers in the market. Regulation increases the cost of business and destroys marginally profitable companies, reducing the number of market suppliers.
These stricter standards are only beneficial for certain subsets of society, never for the whole population. If they were, the people would have put their money where their mouth is and paid for higher quality goods and services.
We have corrupt politicians acting in the interest of lobbyists and ultimately their own visions of power. As long as individuals stay in the mindset of government being a necessity this is an unfixable problem.
Competition occurs due to the number of suppliers in the market. Regulation increases the cost of business and destroys marginally profitable companies, reducing the number of market suppliers.
These stricter standards are only beneficial for certain subsets of society, never for the whole population. If they were, the people would have put their money where their mouth is and paid for higher quality goods and services.
We have corrupt politicians acting in the interest of lobbyists and ultimately their own visions of power. As long as individuals stay in the mindset of government being a necessity this is an unfixable problem.
2010-06-07
Regulating Efficiency
Whenever people bring up the issue of specific industries such as utilities needing special government treatment it makes me weary.
For instance, some suggest that market efficiency can be increased by adding regulation. Then when markets suffer, they clamor for more regulation to "solve" the problem. Perhaps the reason for the markets not performing well is the regulation in the first place?
I think the idea of utilities being so different from everything else is only true because the government defines them to be different and then forces people to act in that (mistaken) framework.
Regulation increases efficiency only when it comes about in a free market of justice.
For instance, some suggest that market efficiency can be increased by adding regulation. Then when markets suffer, they clamor for more regulation to "solve" the problem. Perhaps the reason for the markets not performing well is the regulation in the first place?
I think the idea of utilities being so different from everything else is only true because the government defines them to be different and then forces people to act in that (mistaken) framework.
Regulation increases efficiency only when it comes about in a free market of justice.
2010-06-06
The Movement of Statism
Statism, being generally a belief in the necessity of government, may not appear to exactly resemble a social movement. It does not have grassroots organization, but I still think it can aptly be described as a movement.
"A social movement is a type of group action that seeks to achieve or resist societal change."
This has to do with liberty because people are educated to believe government is necessary, and some end up promoting idiotic ideas. As long as a majority of people in a given geographical place use these mistaken ideas to advance their unjust causes, we suffer.
"A social movement is a type of group action that seeks to achieve or resist societal change."
This has to do with liberty because people are educated to believe government is necessary, and some end up promoting idiotic ideas. As long as a majority of people in a given geographical place use these mistaken ideas to advance their unjust causes, we suffer.
2010-06-05
Supply and Demand
"The problem is that when there is a disparity between the value of a product to the buyer and the cost of production to a seller, if there is natural competition (cereal, gasoline, etc. are relatively close to natural competition), the actual price will tend towards the cost for the sellers, since companies will keep undercutting each other until the price drops to the lowest they can accept without losing money on each sale. OTOH, if there is a natural monopoly (or something close to it), the actual price will tend towards the value for the buyers, since the lack of competition allows the price to rise as high as the buyer will tolerate."
-- w1ntermute
Prices are ultimately determined by what buyers are willing to pay, never at what sellers are willing to sell at. The only way for this not to be true is if sellers are paying people to take away product, and then they are actually buyers of a removal service.
Demand must precede supply. Having a bunch of product that no one wants to buy means the product is not worth anything. The supply only comes into the picture after people are demanding something.
-- w1ntermute
Prices are ultimately determined by what buyers are willing to pay, never at what sellers are willing to sell at. The only way for this not to be true is if sellers are paying people to take away product, and then they are actually buyers of a removal service.
Demand must precede supply. Having a bunch of product that no one wants to buy means the product is not worth anything. The supply only comes into the picture after people are demanding something.
2010-06-04
Ending Aggression
What's the point of judging right and wrong? Does it make you happy to feel you are superior to others?
The issue should not simply be about the aggression in the system. Aggression is not evil in-and-of-itself, it is made evil because of the impact it has on real people. The distinction is subtle but valid: the cart can't pull the horse.
Put the fear from actual individuals in the picture and it becomes much bleaker. This aggression must stop, man.
The issue should not simply be about the aggression in the system. Aggression is not evil in-and-of-itself, it is made evil because of the impact it has on real people. The distinction is subtle but valid: the cart can't pull the horse.
Put the fear from actual individuals in the picture and it becomes much bleaker. This aggression must stop, man.
2010-06-03
Denying Possibility
Some out there deny the possibility of humanity soon escaping from tyranny. They just don't think it can happen.
I don't see the profitability in that line of thinking, not because it offers nothing of value, but because it does not seem to me to be beneficial to plunge a movement, no matter how small, into further obscurity.
How can one be motivated to act if action is stifled by lack of hope?
I don't see the profitability in that line of thinking, not because it offers nothing of value, but because it does not seem to me to be beneficial to plunge a movement, no matter how small, into further obscurity.
How can one be motivated to act if action is stifled by lack of hope?
2010-06-02
Both Have and Eat the Cake
The secret to both having and eating your cake is arbitrage. Trade your current cake for a greater size cake that someone will give you in the future. You'll still get to eat it, just not right yet.
Make your wealth produce earnings for others, and you can both have and eat your cake. Figure out how to use your accumulated capital in the pursuit of other people's happiness.
The more you can put off your own pleasure in favor of some one else's, the more you will be desired, and therefore you will earn more.
Make your wealth produce earnings for others, and you can both have and eat your cake. Figure out how to use your accumulated capital in the pursuit of other people's happiness.
The more you can put off your own pleasure in favor of some one else's, the more you will be desired, and therefore you will earn more.
2010-06-01
Never Give Up
Until you draw your last breath, always understand that you have not lost the war. You can still forge ahead and make your life a success.
No matter what happens as long as you can communicate you can continue to make the world a better place. Serve yourself by serving others. Be good to others and build genuine relationships, and enjoy life.
Don't think that you have the answers, or that you don't need to learn anything else. Life is dynamic, and you need to be too.
No matter what happens as long as you can communicate you can continue to make the world a better place. Serve yourself by serving others. Be good to others and build genuine relationships, and enjoy life.
Don't think that you have the answers, or that you don't need to learn anything else. Life is dynamic, and you need to be too.
2010-05-31
Folly of Fanaticism
There is a sense of fanaticism that many experience when confronted with the facts of government's immorality and unnecessary existence. It is defended like a religion, except this particular belief involves mass enslavement of other individuals.
No system or absence of a system deserves such rigid adherence. Practice the principle of absolute doubt: free your mind from fanatical beliefs. Tell the truth, what do you have to lose?
You may lose your fear, you may lose your hope, but I don't believe you will suffer for very long before something new takes its place. Your mind needs space then form to arrive at function.
Give a man a place to express creativity, and he will fill it. Take it away and he will be crushed until it is replaced with a bigger space, then he will be delighted. Such is the way it is with statism and voluntaryism.
No system or absence of a system deserves such rigid adherence. Practice the principle of absolute doubt: free your mind from fanatical beliefs. Tell the truth, what do you have to lose?
You may lose your fear, you may lose your hope, but I don't believe you will suffer for very long before something new takes its place. Your mind needs space then form to arrive at function.
Give a man a place to express creativity, and he will fill it. Take it away and he will be crushed until it is replaced with a bigger space, then he will be delighted. Such is the way it is with statism and voluntaryism.
2010-05-30
Tool Toward Peace
Peace and civility are exist right there alongside liberty. This is not a mistake, for when a new liberty is established, the people rush to provide for one-another.
So what can be done to expand the purview that the heart so longs for? I imagine the tool itself lies within your own being. It is the power of desire. The more desire you have for something to occur, the faster and more readily it does.
A sense of urgency is necessary for the establishment of freedom, yet that is not the only thing that we have to strive for. Actual work in the name of liberty is required, but common decency while doing that work leads to a more accepting populous.
So what can be done to expand the purview that the heart so longs for? I imagine the tool itself lies within your own being. It is the power of desire. The more desire you have for something to occur, the faster and more readily it does.
A sense of urgency is necessary for the establishment of freedom, yet that is not the only thing that we have to strive for. Actual work in the name of liberty is required, but common decency while doing that work leads to a more accepting populous.
2010-05-29
Dreams
Dreams tell us life is worth living. Without hope from dreams we don't have the persistence to finish what we start, the balls to finish what we find scary and hard.
So why not live like you'll accomplish your dreams? Don't have an attitude of "I'll give it my best shot for 3 years, and if it doesn't work out, I guess it wasn't meant to be!", have an attitude of being buried doing what you enjoy, where you enjoy doing it.
Subjugating your long-term fulfillment for your short-term euphoria is a recipe for disaster, but don't think it will be too hard.
Determine your goals, and the plans required to reach them. Starting now is important.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
-- Lao-tzu
So why not live like you'll accomplish your dreams? Don't have an attitude of "I'll give it my best shot for 3 years, and if it doesn't work out, I guess it wasn't meant to be!", have an attitude of being buried doing what you enjoy, where you enjoy doing it.
Subjugating your long-term fulfillment for your short-term euphoria is a recipe for disaster, but don't think it will be too hard.
Determine your goals, and the plans required to reach them. Starting now is important.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
-- Lao-tzu
2010-05-28
Overthrowing Ideas
"My argument with the pure anarchists is they think the oblivion is the path, from which will spring a healthier society. And I completely disagree with that. It would take decades, and millions of lives, if it were pushed over the brink tomorrow. We would never live to see the new 'better' society that would theoretically grow from god-knows how many civil wars, and an incalculable amount of chaos that would arise in all the major cities, generations of hostile MadMax civilization."
-- Bill Brasky
The above quote is fundamentally missing the point. My view is that government should not be thought of an existing power separate from man, but as a meme: an idea that spreads from one mind to another.
Remember: government is a particularly nasty mind virus because of the 12 years of indoctrination that virtually every student goes through.
Mr. Brasky is misunderstanding that instead of government being violently reduced in power and influence, it should be sidestepped by undermining the very legitimacy itself.
Aggression is imposed upon society by society. It does not exist in a vacuum of individuals.
-- Bill Brasky
The above quote is fundamentally missing the point. My view is that government should not be thought of an existing power separate from man, but as a meme: an idea that spreads from one mind to another.
Remember: government is a particularly nasty mind virus because of the 12 years of indoctrination that virtually every student goes through.
Mr. Brasky is misunderstanding that instead of government being violently reduced in power and influence, it should be sidestepped by undermining the very legitimacy itself.
Aggression is imposed upon society by society. It does not exist in a vacuum of individuals.
2010-05-27
Anger and Fear
Some respond with anger, some respond with fear; the best respond with calculated optimism.
You shouldn't be angry, it accomplishes less than reasoned thought. Spend the energy expanding your mind, instead of obscuring useful thoughts with hostility.
Fearing for the future also leads to little progress. Fortune favors the brave, not the cowardly.
Calculated optimism is the view I recommend. It is the realization that life is getting substantially better throughout time, and this trend is likely to continue if we work toward it.
Your mind is your most powerful asset against a harsh reality, so use it wisely.
You shouldn't be angry, it accomplishes less than reasoned thought. Spend the energy expanding your mind, instead of obscuring useful thoughts with hostility.
Fearing for the future also leads to little progress. Fortune favors the brave, not the cowardly.
Calculated optimism is the view I recommend. It is the realization that life is getting substantially better throughout time, and this trend is likely to continue if we work toward it.
Your mind is your most powerful asset against a harsh reality, so use it wisely.
2010-05-26
Sign of Truth
To know an argument is true requires something humans simply don't have: infallibility.
The brain is too fragile, the universe is too random, for a reasonable mind to accept anything as Absolute Truth.
However, that doesn't mean there aren't signposts that can point us toward better and more rational thoughts. Having the ability to discern the shades of gray is part of what makes me happy to be human.
Underestimation of this power leads us down dangerous paths. Always doubt your theories, but put them to the test by implementing them. You shouldn't be absolutely convinced of what works, but you may be convinced of what doesn't.
"I only look at backtested results to see what didn't work. It can't prove anything going forward."
-- craigr
The brain is too fragile, the universe is too random, for a reasonable mind to accept anything as Absolute Truth.
However, that doesn't mean there aren't signposts that can point us toward better and more rational thoughts. Having the ability to discern the shades of gray is part of what makes me happy to be human.
Underestimation of this power leads us down dangerous paths. Always doubt your theories, but put them to the test by implementing them. You shouldn't be absolutely convinced of what works, but you may be convinced of what doesn't.
"I only look at backtested results to see what didn't work. It can't prove anything going forward."
-- craigr
Annoying Argument
Some arguments are annoying.
One of these is the idea that because we have always done things a certain way, that must be the right way for them to be done.
The mistake is thinking history was planned out and then implemented. History is the culmination of people's experiences, and the reason things are the way they are is mostly just an accident.
Don't expect to hear this viewpoint from people any time soon, though. The conclusion is the trashing of the idea that some institutions aren't fundamentally illegitimate.
Government shouldn't be seen as a moral institution, any more than outright slavery should.
One of these is the idea that because we have always done things a certain way, that must be the right way for them to be done.
The mistake is thinking history was planned out and then implemented. History is the culmination of people's experiences, and the reason things are the way they are is mostly just an accident.
Don't expect to hear this viewpoint from people any time soon, though. The conclusion is the trashing of the idea that some institutions aren't fundamentally illegitimate.
Government shouldn't be seen as a moral institution, any more than outright slavery should.
2010-05-24
Peace, Liberty, and Civility
Do not be mistaken by some that claim to desire peace, for often times their 'peace' is at the expense of liberty.
For instance, if everyone was locked in a padded cell, there would be extreme peace. The issue is not merely desiring peace but instead the balance between civility and liberty.
Civility is a defining characteristic of secure minds. Insecure minds, such as minds that do not ever bow to a more correctly reasoned argument, are rarely civil.
When one is unafraid of being shown wrong, civility is easy.
For instance, if everyone was locked in a padded cell, there would be extreme peace. The issue is not merely desiring peace but instead the balance between civility and liberty.
Civility is a defining characteristic of secure minds. Insecure minds, such as minds that do not ever bow to a more correctly reasoned argument, are rarely civil.
When one is unafraid of being shown wrong, civility is easy.
2010-05-23
Free Your Mind
Your mind is the most important thing in your enjoyment of liberty. You may be physically restrained, but mental freedom is harder to confine.
Think of the person you want to be. Write it down, and take a step in that direction every day.
There's no sense arguing with others when you don't have your own mind made up.
Don't be afraid of what others think in your personal pursuit of freedom.
Think of the person you want to be. Write it down, and take a step in that direction every day.
There's no sense arguing with others when you don't have your own mind made up.
Don't be afraid of what others think in your personal pursuit of freedom.
2010-05-22
Reputations
The desires of others to interact with you are influenced by your reputation. Being mean makes business suffer.
There is a difference between feedback of transactions, and reputation ratings. Feedback, such as on eBay, serves as a way for the buyer to help or hinder the seller.
A reputation rating can be as complex as a system designed to boil down many different interactions into a concise statement, or it could be as simple as a number 1 through 10.
A rep rating is more abstracted away than one-off feedbacks.
What system, I wonder, will evolve to fill this need of knowing reputations?
There is a difference between feedback of transactions, and reputation ratings. Feedback, such as on eBay, serves as a way for the buyer to help or hinder the seller.
A reputation rating can be as complex as a system designed to boil down many different interactions into a concise statement, or it could be as simple as a number 1 through 10.
A rep rating is more abstracted away than one-off feedbacks.
What system, I wonder, will evolve to fill this need of knowing reputations?
2010-05-21
No Government Yes Law
When first hearing the proposition of no government, some immediately think people could kill without recourse, because there will be no law against it.
Law is not necessarily bad, the problem is when far away men create it and subject you to it.
Law instead created through voluntary agreement and subsequent codification is valid.
The problem is not law, but a monopoly government being the creator, maintainer, and enforcer of law.
Law is not necessarily bad, the problem is when far away men create it and subject you to it.
Law instead created through voluntary agreement and subsequent codification is valid.
The problem is not law, but a monopoly government being the creator, maintainer, and enforcer of law.
2010-05-20
Liberty and Justice
Justice should not be based upon the rules of old men many miles away, enforced by young men with a gun on their hip and an authoritative glean in their eyes.
No, justice is a personal thing, and should be ironed out between individuals every day in the ways they interact. Justice should evolve, just as all human relationships evolve.
Liberty is the power to do what you want with the things you have so long as you do no injustice to others.
To give lip-service to 'liberty and justice' via the Pledge of Allegiance without understanding them numbs the mind to useful concepts.
No, justice is a personal thing, and should be ironed out between individuals every day in the ways they interact. Justice should evolve, just as all human relationships evolve.
Liberty is the power to do what you want with the things you have so long as you do no injustice to others.
To give lip-service to 'liberty and justice' via the Pledge of Allegiance without understanding them numbs the mind to useful concepts.
2010-05-19
Disservice
When people choose the easy way out, the way nobody would laugh at, they do themselves and humanity a disservice.
Satisfying desires by appealing to the lowest common denominator, the thing that most would find amusing, yet almost never enlightening, leads from intellectual poverty to physical poverty.
Push the edge of the envelope and the envelope will get bigger and you will become more resilient.
Don't and your mind will wither and your liberty will be taken from you.
Satisfying desires by appealing to the lowest common denominator, the thing that most would find amusing, yet almost never enlightening, leads from intellectual poverty to physical poverty.
Push the edge of the envelope and the envelope will get bigger and you will become more resilient.
Don't and your mind will wither and your liberty will be taken from you.
2010-05-18
Freedom Roads
In a purely voluntary society, can roads function to meet the demands of the populous?
The fact is, roads really are just long stretches of property. There is nothing inherent to them that makes having government-run roads more efficient.
So why do so many people have a disinclination toward roads being privately run?
One issue may be because of the idea that there is only one shortest path to somewhere. The problem with this reasoning is that the shortest is not necessarily the quickest.
If too many people take a particular route, it becomes clogged, even if it is the shortest. By having different prices for different pieces of roads, they problem is solved. Liberty creates prosperity.
When incentives are not aligned with the people, they suffer unnecessarily.
The fact is, roads really are just long stretches of property. There is nothing inherent to them that makes having government-run roads more efficient.
So why do so many people have a disinclination toward roads being privately run?
One issue may be because of the idea that there is only one shortest path to somewhere. The problem with this reasoning is that the shortest is not necessarily the quickest.
If too many people take a particular route, it becomes clogged, even if it is the shortest. By having different prices for different pieces of roads, they problem is solved. Liberty creates prosperity.
When incentives are not aligned with the people, they suffer unnecessarily.
2010-05-17
Trade Deficits
A trade deficit occurs when imports are greater than exports.
The concept relies on the erroneous idea that statistics from arbitrary political boundaries are valid.
For instance, no one talks about the trade deficits between cities within a country, or between two households.
"If U.S. imports are greater than exports, they must be paid for somehow, and the way they are paid is that foreigners invest in dollars, so that there is a capital inflow into the U.S. In that way, a big trade deficit results in a zero payment deficit."
-- Murray Rothbard, Making Economic Sense
However there is a point that needs to be understood: so long as government is in the immoral business of dictating to the people what they must use as money, there will exist economic problems.
What individuals do not freely choose does not benefit them.
The concept relies on the erroneous idea that statistics from arbitrary political boundaries are valid.
For instance, no one talks about the trade deficits between cities within a country, or between two households.
"If U.S. imports are greater than exports, they must be paid for somehow, and the way they are paid is that foreigners invest in dollars, so that there is a capital inflow into the U.S. In that way, a big trade deficit results in a zero payment deficit."
-- Murray Rothbard, Making Economic Sense
However there is a point that needs to be understood: so long as government is in the immoral business of dictating to the people what they must use as money, there will exist economic problems.
What individuals do not freely choose does not benefit them.
Eating Gold
In the event of a worldwide economic collapse, how useful are precious metals as money?
For instance, there is an often made criticism against gold: in the event of Armageddon, it is better to hold guns and food rather than gold.
The problem with this argument is not the first part, where it recommends a personal supply of goods. The problem is that economic collapses don't ever last, and lead bullets and MREs aren't worth much in a prosperous time.
The truest thing said is Time Marches On.
The yellow metal has been used as money for 5000 years, and has been a part of history for as long as it has been recorded. It is valuable because of its rarity, beauty, and metal qualities.
In the first days of a terrible event, gold may not be the best. But as the days go on, the value of an ounce grows.
Is there a better medium of exchange?
For instance, there is an often made criticism against gold: in the event of Armageddon, it is better to hold guns and food rather than gold.
The problem with this argument is not the first part, where it recommends a personal supply of goods. The problem is that economic collapses don't ever last, and lead bullets and MREs aren't worth much in a prosperous time.
The truest thing said is Time Marches On.
The yellow metal has been used as money for 5000 years, and has been a part of history for as long as it has been recorded. It is valuable because of its rarity, beauty, and metal qualities.
In the first days of a terrible event, gold may not be the best. But as the days go on, the value of an ounce grows.
Is there a better medium of exchange?
2010-05-16
Four Systemic Changes
There are likely four ways the governmental system can change: Buildup, Breakdown, From Within, and From Without.
Buildup is the creation of a new system from scratch. Seasteading is an example.
Breakdown is what can occur before buildup. It is the violent refusal to be a part of an existing system, and is often a result of war.
From Within refers to changing the system by using its own laws to decrease the power it holds.
From Without means changing the minds of the masses so the very legitimacy of the system is called into question.
Buildup is the creation of a new system from scratch. Seasteading is an example.
Breakdown is what can occur before buildup. It is the violent refusal to be a part of an existing system, and is often a result of war.
From Within refers to changing the system by using its own laws to decrease the power it holds.
From Without means changing the minds of the masses so the very legitimacy of the system is called into question.
2010-05-15
Authority Should Be Earned
No one inherently deserves authority over another. Authority should only exist when freely earned.
The current structures do not operate this way, however.
If hundreds of years ago men signed a document removing your right to choose who you want to protect your property, how can that be legitimate?
Government, if it is to exist, is only reasonable when it is 100% backed by every individual it governs.
It's possible for that to be so, but only if the monopoly status is removed.
The current structures do not operate this way, however.
If hundreds of years ago men signed a document removing your right to choose who you want to protect your property, how can that be legitimate?
Government, if it is to exist, is only reasonable when it is 100% backed by every individual it governs.
It's possible for that to be so, but only if the monopoly status is removed.
2010-05-14
Government as an Idea
Government is not merely systematic violence, it starts as an idea.
The idea is that there needs to be a central power that orders people to interact in a certain way.
The end of government does not come in facing off against the individuals inhabiting it, but cultivating a new idea of liberty to supplant the old.
Instead of government, a free market in protection would solve the many injustices created by having a monopoly managing security.
The idea is that there needs to be a central power that orders people to interact in a certain way.
The end of government does not come in facing off against the individuals inhabiting it, but cultivating a new idea of liberty to supplant the old.
Instead of government, a free market in protection would solve the many injustices created by having a monopoly managing security.
Free Market Money
Money is a medium of exchange for products and services.
It necessarily must originally evolve from a commodity.
This commodity should be easily divisible and nonperishable, such as gold or silver.
Today we have a fiat money, one that is only backed by the guns of government, and not by the wants of everyday individuals. These paper dollars themselves are intrinsically worthless.
Given current technology, the future of sound money likely will be a card linked to an account that is 100% backed by gold or other precious metal. This would easily enable small transactions. Imagine trading .02 grams of gold for a loaf of bread.
It necessarily must originally evolve from a commodity.
This commodity should be easily divisible and nonperishable, such as gold or silver.
Today we have a fiat money, one that is only backed by the guns of government, and not by the wants of everyday individuals. These paper dollars themselves are intrinsically worthless.
Given current technology, the future of sound money likely will be a card linked to an account that is 100% backed by gold or other precious metal. This would easily enable small transactions. Imagine trading .02 grams of gold for a loaf of bread.
From Here To There
How do we get from here to there?
Agorism, education, civil disobedience, political action; each benefits from the others.
Awareness of slavery is crucial to squashing it.
A problem with agorism is that most see underground markets as illegitimate and scary.
Political action, while derided by agorism, can serve as a method of change, albeit slow and difficult. Government did not become massive overnight, and to expect it to become tiny overnight is naive.
Education, through direct interaction of individuals as well as through the media, should only be the first step toward greater action.
Civil disobedience definitely brings issues to the forefront. Without a solid vocal minority backing up the civilly disobedient, though, how could it accomplish much?
"Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison."
-- Henry David Thoreau
Agorism, education, civil disobedience, political action; each benefits from the others.
Awareness of slavery is crucial to squashing it.
A problem with agorism is that most see underground markets as illegitimate and scary.
Political action, while derided by agorism, can serve as a method of change, albeit slow and difficult. Government did not become massive overnight, and to expect it to become tiny overnight is naive.
Education, through direct interaction of individuals as well as through the media, should only be the first step toward greater action.
Civil disobedience definitely brings issues to the forefront. Without a solid vocal minority backing up the civilly disobedient, though, how could it accomplish much?
"Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison."
-- Henry David Thoreau
Institutionalized Violence
No reasonable person wishes to plunge humanity into chaos.
However, many unreasonable people wish to subjugate humanity to institutionalized violence in the form of government.
The problem is not merely that they don't understand, but that often times they will refuse to.
Favoring voluntary interaction over what ultimately amounts to slavery is not absurd.
However, many unreasonable people wish to subjugate humanity to institutionalized violence in the form of government.
The problem is not merely that they don't understand, but that often times they will refuse to.
Favoring voluntary interaction over what ultimately amounts to slavery is not absurd.
Be Reasonable
The best way to get someone to accept an idea in the long-term, is to show the reasonableness of the idea.
Another way is to show the unreasonableness of all other ideas.
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
-- Arthur Conan Doyle
The philosophy of reasonableness precludes arrogance.
Don't trust those that won't admit when they are wrong.
Another way is to show the unreasonableness of all other ideas.
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
-- Arthur Conan Doyle
The philosophy of reasonableness precludes arrogance.
Don't trust those that won't admit when they are wrong.
Monopolies Fail
A monopoly is an organization with an enforced right to produce a certain product or service.
Another company cannot compete, not because it lacks the ability in and of itself, but because it is forcibly stopped by the guns of government.
Without competition the quality of the good served has no pressure to increase.
Even the threat of competition drives innovation.
If that's so, how could government, which economically is defined as a monopoly on violence, be beneficial?
Another company cannot compete, not because it lacks the ability in and of itself, but because it is forcibly stopped by the guns of government.
Without competition the quality of the good served has no pressure to increase.
Even the threat of competition drives innovation.
If that's so, how could government, which economically is defined as a monopoly on violence, be beneficial?
2010-05-13
Education - Solution and Problem
General ignorance, sloth, and widespread belief in the necessity of government, stem not from western philosophy, but from an inherently corrupt education system.
Mull this over for a moment: Government educating the masses.
The monopoly on legitimatized force, teaching the adults of tomorrow how and what to think. Disturbing.
Education should be a liberation of the inconsistencies and falsehoods in one's mind, not just a building up of static information.
Mull this over for a moment: Government educating the masses.
The monopoly on legitimatized force, teaching the adults of tomorrow how and what to think. Disturbing.
Education should be a liberation of the inconsistencies and falsehoods in one's mind, not just a building up of static information.
Stop and Think
If a better system exists, why should tyranny be afflicted upon individuals?
Be it slavery or the unnecessary evil of government, it is senseless to continue a horrible system.
Be it slavery or the unnecessary evil of government, it is senseless to continue a horrible system.
No Last Word
"In truth, no man knows enough about any worth-while subject to entitle him to feel that he has the last word on that subject."
-- Napoleon Hill
In order to achieve a free society, you must understand liberty.
Afterwards to merely sit on the sidelines, though, is fruitless.
To win the game you must play.
1. Find out what you don't know.
2. Seek out the truth.
3. Collate the knowledge.
4. Share it with others.
-- Napoleon Hill
In order to achieve a free society, you must understand liberty.
Afterwards to merely sit on the sidelines, though, is fruitless.
To win the game you must play.
1. Find out what you don't know.
2. Seek out the truth.
3. Collate the knowledge.
4. Share it with others.
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