Even if anarchy means chaos, I still prefer absolute chaos and lawlessness over the sacred cow we all worship called government. If you live in a town run by the mafia, the mafia at least has the decency to not pretend they are the good guys. The mafia are much more honest and the government. They openly identify as crooks and murderers. Now the police on the other hand, because there is little to no accountability, you are not allowed to resist abuse of power at the point of abuse. What exactly is a police officer? A police officer is a person who is legally allowed to murder you or injure you if you look at them in the wrong way. Even if you comply and make a point of not resisting, they will still cook up something to charge you with. Your entire week is ruined. You are irreparably traumatized. The arresting officer or officers get to keep their job. Even if you win a lawsuit, the money comes from the taxpayer, not the power abuser. To reiterate, if anarchy means chaos, bring it on.
I didn't know! Passio is great but his blind side, as with all anarchists, is legitimate governance in alignment with natural law, such as the English constitution.
At the current rate we are headed to chaos in any case, made so much worse by the power that has been accumulated from millions of slaves to be used for lawlessness by the worst among us. Like you Joshua I really kinda welcome the chaos that puts those of us with ethics and self sufficiency and courage ahead of the game that is usually rigged against us. It should be the impetus to bringing together the honest and caring people to take a stand against the narcissists and unethical people who lust after power because they have no personal inner power at all. I remember, I think it was Harry Browne, or maybe Robert Ringer who said "the only difference between the government and the mafia is that most people are under the impression that the government is necessary and the mafia is not." Of course we don't need either, but as you say the hypocrisy and dishonesty is all the worse for the sanctimonious pretense on the part of "government" that we do.
Those types of POLICY ENFORCERS need to be victims of the War of the Flea. If that starts happening I bet you hear more of them say yes sir, yes mam...
I've been fined for crossing the street on red. Israeli cops treat you like a murderer even though there is clearly no victim. Israelis are brainwashed from birth to think that "the state" and "society" can be a victim.
So are Americans. The charges are totally commercial based in statutory Babylonian bull crap. THE STATE OF ARKANSAS vs MARK REYNOLDS. Both fictions. Except the one fiction CAN be a victim of the prosecution by the state corporation.
Do we, as a people, love freedom enough to boldly and fiercely fight for it?
“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn , The Gulag Archipelago
The US National Anthem - which has its own problem within the constructs of an evolution of our society you speak of - gets a fundamental requirement for freedom exactly right when it associates the "land of the free" with the "home of the brave." The former doesn't exist without the latter. The Nanny State, "Caution, coffee is hot" society can never be free.
Wow! This is one of your best yet Chris! We need to also emphasize something that needs to be understood and seems to be overlooked by most. I asked an EIGHTY SEVEN year old man yesterday that if he was on a jury and the man had been charged with having an unregistered short barrel shot gun and the judge told the jury that they could only judge the facts in the case, would he be a liar? The fellow said, I'd expect no, that he is telling the truth!" I told him that the "judge" was a BOLD FACE LIAR! That one of the major reasons the founding fathers put the jury system in place, which by the way, in Grand Juries has been usurped as they are SUPPOSED TO BE CITIZEN grand juries NOT prosecutorial grand juries. That's another subject. THIS is the proper definition of a CRIMINAL Jury as well as civil in the 1828 Websters dictionary:
JU'RY, noun [Latin juro, to swear.] A number of freeholders, selected in the manner prescribed by law, empaneled and sworn to inquire into and try any matter of fact, and to declare the truth on the evidence given them in the case. Grand juries consist usually of twenty four freeholders at least, and are summoned to try matters alleged in indictments. 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, consisting usually of twelve men, attend courts to try matters of fact in civil causes, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. The decision of a petty jury is called a verdict.
THIS NEEDS TO BE WIDELY KNOWN! It would put a major hamper in their unlawful prosecutions for VICTIMLESS Crimes. BTW...the "state" can't be a victim. PERIOD. Unless you are in a contract with it that you know about and full disclosure took place for the contract to be valid. http://fija.org
One of the worse tradjadies recently caused by a lying "judge" was the Matt Hoover case. The youtuber behind CRS Firearms who was hawking a novelty item called Auto Key Card. A piece of metal with an etching on it that the vaunted ATF deemed to be a "machine gun". The judge told the jury that if the ATF says it is a machine gun it is. And the DUMB ASS jurors fell for it and convicted Matt. He is in appeal process while his wife and two daughters are trying to make ends meet without Matt's presence since he is in a rape cage for possessing a piece of metal...
I vital point which if widely understood would change the whole situation in our world. There are the people who do try and they are the ones among whom I want to be counted.
Positions of power always attract the psycho's, slowly, slowly more and more psychos join, they build their little rats- nests and build an empire ( always on the backs of others ). The insanity takes control and spreads.. like cancer.
All "led", governed or ruled societies ended up crashing because they got too powerful and unchecked, greed, arrogance and ignorance. Group dynamics change people, we see that in teenagers.. lol.. one of them is usually harmless but put two or more together... hahahaha
And even the good ones get corrupted, coerced and misled at some point.
A normal human being with good intentions, a conscience, the awareness of this burden, to be responsible for literally millions of lives, will shy away from it.
Imagine just one child dying on your watch because you made the wrong decision.. even if you mean well and all other choices would have been worse... people with a conscience/ empathy know what it means to feel guilt and remorse.
And to have the humility and honesty to say: oh hail to the NO, I can barely manage my own life ( wich is true for all humans I believe ).
I cannot possibly tell others how to live theirs or make rules for their life..
The epitome of all insanity is thinking that one human gets to decide who lives and who dies.
Hurt people hurt people.
So we cannot heal human kind by inflicting more pain and more punishment.
The real psychos are but a few, demoted and put in their place, they will not get far in a stable and healthy community that is based on kindness and mutual respect.
Our power is directely related to how much responsibility we take for our own life.
We ( too many ) have become lazy, complacent.. have started to take no responsibility ( not for their lives, their livelyhood, not even for their own words or actions ) to the point of ignoring reality and the ensuing consequences.
This whole situation is a wake up call.
"When you give people the power to do things for you, you give them the power to do things to you."
The parasitic behavior has trickled all through the ranks...
excuses, lies, justifications and all kinds of bs are being used.
However, consequences can be managed and hidden only for so long.. it becomes a house of cards.
Lies have short legs and karma does not negotiate.
1) Your last two posts have sent me back to my extended studies in anthropology during my undergraduate years. It is starting to seem to me that we evolved from what were probably gatherer/scavengers (sort of halfway between baboons/chimpanzees, with whom we share the most commonality of DNA) and hyenas, into hunter/gatherers and then, by the Pleistocene, more hunters than gatherers; more like wolves (which may explain why wolves were the first animals we domesticated). During both of these periods we lived in small family/tribal groups, led by alpha males and females.
With the advent of the agricultural revolution and domestication of herd animals like sheep and cattle, we could support larger populations who devolved, taking on the herd qualities of their domesticated animals while the alpha males and females devolved into the socio/psychopathic leaders we have today.
If we don't wake up and break this trend, we will either see ourselves thrown into something like Comac's "The Road" or continue devolving until we become Wells' Eloi, the domesticated food of the Michael Moorelocks...
2) Even worse than the conscript soldier/slave is the mercenary who willingly sells his freedom for three hots and a cot...
After the agricultural revolution there was the industrial revolution and the internet revolution. Some say were are now at the beginning of the AI revolution. There is hope but, more than hope, we need a strategy, toward which it seems that you are working...
You offer some good points. It is the system that enables psychos to flourish. Change that to a system that severely reduces the enabling factor and psychos are no longer in control.
Or...is it that many in government don't necessarily enter their position as psychos, but due to the ease with which they can gain power and control eventually evolve into full blown psychos? Or, just say the hell with it and join the rest of the psychos which is the coward's way out of being a responsible leader.
I personally believe the government (US) is starting to crack on its own. The DC Swamp is getting more desperate as the deficits grow, the divisions grow and the deep state's demand that the depopulation agenda swing back into full gear. That is why the Prep Act and the EUA are still in full force as this gives the government massive powers to murder more citizens...with no one to stop them other than the citizens.
I do believe in cycles whereas we have been in a "public" cycle for several decades and are now going to revert to a "private" cycle as the public cycle is rift with socialism and Marxism and is failing majestically....thus the desperation in the DC Swamp.
I give the US about 10 years at most before it turns ugly on its own. This is where the new systems can step in while the old system is in chaos. You know, some days I just want to get a pitchfork and have at this clown show called government. It certainly is not deserving to continue one day longer.
"Or...is it that many in government don't necessarily enter their position as psychos, but due to the ease with which they can gain power and control eventually evolve into full blown psychos? Or, just say the hell with it and join the rest of the psychos which is the coward's way out of being a responsible leader."
—Unfortunately, I think it is all of these, and more.
"This is where the new systems can step in while the old system is in chaos."
—Got to be ready!
" You know, some days I just want to get a pitchfork and have at this clown show called government. It certainly is not deserving to continue one day longer."
—Indeed, they would deserve nothing less. I don't think that will be the most practical approach, and it is fraught with moral pitfalls, but they would certainly deserve to be resisted and removed in this way.
"Anarchy" means no rulers, not no rules. And as such does not mean pandemonium. "Chaos" is what the moneyed psychopaths conflated "anarchy" to mean, in efforts to keep Us on the farm, but even chaos has infolded seed parameters which emerge ordered in time - nature is chaos, fractals are chaos.
Be that as it may, I will not consent to any forced system. Yes, alone I may be bullied, but I aim for enough of Us to stand sovereign and protecting One anOther from bullies such that They have little power. And when the power of money (which draws Them as much if not more than controlminds) is removed by virtue of obsoleting the foundational function...
Then We ALL will truly be free, accessing the wealth that is Ours, necessary work no One WANTS to do automated, freeing Us to do any Ethical thing We choose - the rules of anarchy are the three Laws of Ethics. Ridding the planet of poverty, and effectively returning to Us, Humanity, the wealth that is Ours (presently in Cestui Que Vie "TRUSTS" (legal caps) with the moneyed psychopaths in control on Our planet as "TRUSTEES;" "Own nothing; control everything," as John D. Rockefeller said).
I only have time to skim it. It looks well-thought-out. I did see enough to at least state that while I believe whatever minarchist idea you have come up with would likely be an improvement,
1. I cannot support any form of involuntary governance whatsoever, since it suffers from the fundamental moral problem of ex ante violation of consent, and
2. I believe that market anarchism can solve the problems of security and justice, so a minarchist government is not needed, and
3. I do not believe that any limited government can be kept limited.
No need for us to argue on it; I respect and understand your minarchist position (and shared it until comparatively recently), but I just fundamentally disagree at this point.
Others’ mileage may vary!
(Also, I share some of the same concerns about the uber-high-tech nature of the network state concept. That is one of the reasons why my my idea for a distributed nation is more low-tech.)
Well said, Chris. The reality is that freedom—whether you call it free markets, statelessness, libertarianism, or anarcho-capitalism—is not just a preference, it’s the only morally just and defensible position. All other systems ultimately rely on granting some people the right to initiate force against others who have done no wrong—whether through taxation, regulation, legislation, or conscription. We shouldn’t excuse or normalize that. We should resist it.
Yes, it's true that designing the practical workings of a truly free society can be complex. But we shouldn't default to “just let the state do that” every time we can’t immediately imagine how something might function without centralized control. The world is already full of decentralized, self-organizing systems that work beautifully without a master plan—or a master.
Take English, the very language we're using now. No central authority created it or commands it. And yet it thrives. Sure, there are influential figures and institutions—dictionary publishers, linguists, content creators—but they don’t control English. They respond to it, document it, and contribute to it. English evolves, adapts, and serves billions without coercion. It's messy. It's decentralized. It's anarchy. It works.
Free societies are the same. We don’t need to understand every detail of how a stateless society would function to recognize that it’s the morally superior path. We don’t ask for a blueprint before affirming our belief in justice, or peace, or love. So let’s stop demanding perfection before accepting liberty.
For those interested, here are a couple of articles I have written on this topic:
My hesitation at believing that anarchism can work for any extended period of time, is not wickedness but laziness.
People will choose the best performing and most virtuous voluntary services. Those companies or franchises or whatever will gain a near monopoly. These monopolies will become the ‘government’. Eventually (this could be two or three generations of owners) grifters will gain control of said organization. They will grift on the reputation of the organization, and because people are lazy, enough people will still keep sending money to keep them afloat during their devolution. Then they will use force to preserve their monopoly.
I don’t know the solution, and I love to point out to leftists that America had a society that worked quite well on voluntary associations in the 1800’s and 1900’s to take care of social needs.
Thus far, monopolies have only been possible with the help of government. In the absence of government, could they form or be sustained? I don't know for sure, but I suspect they would have a tough time forming or sustaining one.
I might fear more a de facto monopoly forming—yeah, there are ten different competing private security agencies, but they're all basically the same, etc.
But even if that, or the full-blown monopoly scenario were a possibility, is that reason not to try?
I do think we should try. I think the more freedom the better. Voluntary organizations and businesses are the best way to get optimal performance. I guess I wonder if there are any things to be done to preserve anarchy.
It seems Adam’s ‘our government is only for a good a virtuous people’ would apply to anarchy too.
I will argue that Sears had an inordinate influence on standardization of lumber and kitchens. They kept brand loyalty from the majority of the public until the 80’s. Amazon is similarly influencing things now. Neither had/has a pure monopoly, they had/have competitors but they do their job so well it’s difficult to compete and they can create regulations by default.
I have seen charities that used to do excellent work historically coast on brand loyalty when they start failing their mission then when that ran out lobby for government funding to send men with guns to our houses to keep the grift going.
By the way, I am thinking of starting to showcase certain illuminating discussions as posts. This one would be a good choice. Do you prefer that I mention you by name and cite your comment verbatim or make you anonymous and paraphrase your comment? (Or some other combo of those choices.)
Sure, use TurquoiseThyme, I publicly posted this, although I think I wandered through a number of ideas. I’ve actually offended a number of young people when I point out that charity done by the government is done at the point of a gun. They don’t even want to engage with the idea, and just tell me I’m wrong.
“ Neither had/has a pure monopoly, they had/have competitors but they do their job so well it’s difficult to compete and they can create regulations by default.”
—I was just talking with my wife about this vis-a-vis Amazon. But the thing is, they really are doing an amazing job. One might fairly argue that they deserve their success. Things arrive on time, you can return just about anything, prices are good. And ultimately, what they are doing is providing something people WANT. And unlike government, they are doing it all without any coercion.
You are right that Sears is an interesting case study too. Retail stores, catalogs, houses. One might argue that they too deserved their success. And yet look at them now. They are basically gone. Market forces got ‘em in the end—something we cannot say of any government.
Amazon and Sears do/did have a large market share, but even those extreme cases are pretty rare. I have a Lowe’s nearby, and they are great too. It is kind of sad that they drove the local hardware store out of business, but the fact is, they are better than the local hardware store was. And they have competitive pressure from Home Depot. Governments face and allow no competition.
Naturally, things will get more complicated if/when these private agencies also offer protection/security/etc., since that involves force. But still, I would rather take my chances with agencies that face competition and market forces, and do not begin with a presumption of monopoly and legitimate rule. Governments, by default, face none of that.
"My hesitation at believing that anarchism can work for any extended period of time, is not wickedness but laziness."
Look at history. Before nation states we had an order where essentially anarchic societies thrived for centuries. A considerably "extended" period of time. We let it go, not because we couldn't defend it but because we stopped thinking it was worth defending. See here for details: https://appliedlibertarian.substack.com/p/successful-statelessness-in-history?r=ad948
Even if anarchy means chaos, I still prefer absolute chaos and lawlessness over the sacred cow we all worship called government. If you live in a town run by the mafia, the mafia at least has the decency to not pretend they are the good guys. The mafia are much more honest and the government. They openly identify as crooks and murderers. Now the police on the other hand, because there is little to no accountability, you are not allowed to resist abuse of power at the point of abuse. What exactly is a police officer? A police officer is a person who is legally allowed to murder you or injure you if you look at them in the wrong way. Even if you comply and make a point of not resisting, they will still cook up something to charge you with. Your entire week is ruined. You are irreparably traumatized. The arresting officer or officers get to keep their job. Even if you win a lawsuit, the money comes from the taxpayer, not the power abuser. To reiterate, if anarchy means chaos, bring it on.
The fear of chaos is the fear of freedom
https://youtu.be/SMDJlDLXlLc?si=H4v2SfCYlLLK4RXL
How did you know that I'm a Mark Passio fan? Have you been spying on me?
I didn't know! Passio is great but his blind side, as with all anarchists, is legitimate governance in alignment with natural law, such as the English constitution.
Some good points.
At the current rate we are headed to chaos in any case, made so much worse by the power that has been accumulated from millions of slaves to be used for lawlessness by the worst among us. Like you Joshua I really kinda welcome the chaos that puts those of us with ethics and self sufficiency and courage ahead of the game that is usually rigged against us. It should be the impetus to bringing together the honest and caring people to take a stand against the narcissists and unethical people who lust after power because they have no personal inner power at all. I remember, I think it was Harry Browne, or maybe Robert Ringer who said "the only difference between the government and the mafia is that most people are under the impression that the government is necessary and the mafia is not." Of course we don't need either, but as you say the hypocrisy and dishonesty is all the worse for the sanctimonious pretense on the part of "government" that we do.
Thank you for that. Warning, my articles are not for the faint of heart. I think you'll be fine.
Those types of POLICY ENFORCERS need to be victims of the War of the Flea. If that starts happening I bet you hear more of them say yes sir, yes mam...
BTW...you'll like this one...https://www.courageouslion.us/p/problem-psychopathic-control-freaks
I've been fined for crossing the street on red. Israeli cops treat you like a murderer even though there is clearly no victim. Israelis are brainwashed from birth to think that "the state" and "society" can be a victim.
So are Americans. The charges are totally commercial based in statutory Babylonian bull crap. THE STATE OF ARKANSAS vs MARK REYNOLDS. Both fictions. Except the one fiction CAN be a victim of the prosecution by the state corporation.
Do we, as a people, love freedom enough to boldly and fiercely fight for it?
“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn , The Gulag Archipelago
The US National Anthem - which has its own problem within the constructs of an evolution of our society you speak of - gets a fundamental requirement for freedom exactly right when it associates the "land of the free" with the "home of the brave." The former doesn't exist without the latter. The Nanny State, "Caution, coffee is hot" society can never be free.
Wow! This is one of your best yet Chris! We need to also emphasize something that needs to be understood and seems to be overlooked by most. I asked an EIGHTY SEVEN year old man yesterday that if he was on a jury and the man had been charged with having an unregistered short barrel shot gun and the judge told the jury that they could only judge the facts in the case, would he be a liar? The fellow said, I'd expect no, that he is telling the truth!" I told him that the "judge" was a BOLD FACE LIAR! That one of the major reasons the founding fathers put the jury system in place, which by the way, in Grand Juries has been usurped as they are SUPPOSED TO BE CITIZEN grand juries NOT prosecutorial grand juries. That's another subject. THIS is the proper definition of a CRIMINAL Jury as well as civil in the 1828 Websters dictionary:
JU'RY, noun [Latin juro, to swear.] A number of freeholders, selected in the manner prescribed by law, empaneled and sworn to inquire into and try any matter of fact, and to declare the truth on the evidence given them in the case. Grand juries consist usually of twenty four freeholders at least, and are summoned to try matters alleged in indictments. 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, consisting usually of twelve men, attend courts to try matters of fact in civil causes, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. The decision of a petty jury is called a verdict.
THIS NEEDS TO BE WIDELY KNOWN! It would put a major hamper in their unlawful prosecutions for VICTIMLESS Crimes. BTW...the "state" can't be a victim. PERIOD. Unless you are in a contract with it that you know about and full disclosure took place for the contract to be valid. http://fija.org
I remember learning about FIJA back in the 90s. What an eye-opener!
You'd love the quash podcast. He talks about how DAs and judges lie to juries about their right to nullify.
One of the worse tradjadies recently caused by a lying "judge" was the Matt Hoover case. The youtuber behind CRS Firearms who was hawking a novelty item called Auto Key Card. A piece of metal with an etching on it that the vaunted ATF deemed to be a "machine gun". The judge told the jury that if the ATF says it is a machine gun it is. And the DUMB ASS jurors fell for it and convicted Matt. He is in appeal process while his wife and two daughters are trying to make ends meet without Matt's presence since he is in a rape cage for possessing a piece of metal...
I vital point which if widely understood would change the whole situation in our world. There are the people who do try and they are the ones among whom I want to be counted.
🔥❤️🍄
Positions of power always attract the psycho's, slowly, slowly more and more psychos join, they build their little rats- nests and build an empire ( always on the backs of others ). The insanity takes control and spreads.. like cancer.
All "led", governed or ruled societies ended up crashing because they got too powerful and unchecked, greed, arrogance and ignorance. Group dynamics change people, we see that in teenagers.. lol.. one of them is usually harmless but put two or more together... hahahaha
And even the good ones get corrupted, coerced and misled at some point.
A normal human being with good intentions, a conscience, the awareness of this burden, to be responsible for literally millions of lives, will shy away from it.
Imagine just one child dying on your watch because you made the wrong decision.. even if you mean well and all other choices would have been worse... people with a conscience/ empathy know what it means to feel guilt and remorse.
And to have the humility and honesty to say: oh hail to the NO, I can barely manage my own life ( wich is true for all humans I believe ).
I cannot possibly tell others how to live theirs or make rules for their life..
The epitome of all insanity is thinking that one human gets to decide who lives and who dies.
Hurt people hurt people.
So we cannot heal human kind by inflicting more pain and more punishment.
The real psychos are but a few, demoted and put in their place, they will not get far in a stable and healthy community that is based on kindness and mutual respect.
Our power is directely related to how much responsibility we take for our own life.
We ( too many ) have become lazy, complacent.. have started to take no responsibility ( not for their lives, their livelyhood, not even for their own words or actions ) to the point of ignoring reality and the ensuing consequences.
This whole situation is a wake up call.
"When you give people the power to do things for you, you give them the power to do things to you."
The parasitic behavior has trickled all through the ranks...
excuses, lies, justifications and all kinds of bs are being used.
However, consequences can be managed and hidden only for so long.. it becomes a house of cards.
Lies have short legs and karma does not negotiate.
1) Your last two posts have sent me back to my extended studies in anthropology during my undergraduate years. It is starting to seem to me that we evolved from what were probably gatherer/scavengers (sort of halfway between baboons/chimpanzees, with whom we share the most commonality of DNA) and hyenas, into hunter/gatherers and then, by the Pleistocene, more hunters than gatherers; more like wolves (which may explain why wolves were the first animals we domesticated). During both of these periods we lived in small family/tribal groups, led by alpha males and females.
With the advent of the agricultural revolution and domestication of herd animals like sheep and cattle, we could support larger populations who devolved, taking on the herd qualities of their domesticated animals while the alpha males and females devolved into the socio/psychopathic leaders we have today.
If we don't wake up and break this trend, we will either see ourselves thrown into something like Comac's "The Road" or continue devolving until we become Wells' Eloi, the domesticated food of the Michael Moorelocks...
2) Even worse than the conscript soldier/slave is the mercenary who willingly sells his freedom for three hots and a cot...
My top-level takeaway from this is that there is hope. If we underwent major evolutions before, we can do it again!
After the agricultural revolution there was the industrial revolution and the internet revolution. Some say were are now at the beginning of the AI revolution. There is hope but, more than hope, we need a strategy, toward which it seems that you are working...
Doing all I can, the best way I know how. Thank you for helping!
You offer some good points. It is the system that enables psychos to flourish. Change that to a system that severely reduces the enabling factor and psychos are no longer in control.
Or...is it that many in government don't necessarily enter their position as psychos, but due to the ease with which they can gain power and control eventually evolve into full blown psychos? Or, just say the hell with it and join the rest of the psychos which is the coward's way out of being a responsible leader.
I personally believe the government (US) is starting to crack on its own. The DC Swamp is getting more desperate as the deficits grow, the divisions grow and the deep state's demand that the depopulation agenda swing back into full gear. That is why the Prep Act and the EUA are still in full force as this gives the government massive powers to murder more citizens...with no one to stop them other than the citizens.
I do believe in cycles whereas we have been in a "public" cycle for several decades and are now going to revert to a "private" cycle as the public cycle is rift with socialism and Marxism and is failing majestically....thus the desperation in the DC Swamp.
I give the US about 10 years at most before it turns ugly on its own. This is where the new systems can step in while the old system is in chaos. You know, some days I just want to get a pitchfork and have at this clown show called government. It certainly is not deserving to continue one day longer.
"Or...is it that many in government don't necessarily enter their position as psychos, but due to the ease with which they can gain power and control eventually evolve into full blown psychos? Or, just say the hell with it and join the rest of the psychos which is the coward's way out of being a responsible leader."
—Unfortunately, I think it is all of these, and more.
"This is where the new systems can step in while the old system is in chaos."
—Got to be ready!
" You know, some days I just want to get a pitchfork and have at this clown show called government. It certainly is not deserving to continue one day longer."
—Indeed, they would deserve nothing less. I don't think that will be the most practical approach, and it is fraught with moral pitfalls, but they would certainly deserve to be resisted and removed in this way.
"Anarchy" means no rulers, not no rules. And as such does not mean pandemonium. "Chaos" is what the moneyed psychopaths conflated "anarchy" to mean, in efforts to keep Us on the farm, but even chaos has infolded seed parameters which emerge ordered in time - nature is chaos, fractals are chaos.
Be that as it may, I will not consent to any forced system. Yes, alone I may be bullied, but I aim for enough of Us to stand sovereign and protecting One anOther from bullies such that They have little power. And when the power of money (which draws Them as much if not more than controlminds) is removed by virtue of obsoleting the foundational function...
Then We ALL will truly be free, accessing the wealth that is Ours, necessary work no One WANTS to do automated, freeing Us to do any Ethical thing We choose - the rules of anarchy are the three Laws of Ethics. Ridding the planet of poverty, and effectively returning to Us, Humanity, the wealth that is Ours (presently in Cestui Que Vie "TRUSTS" (legal caps) with the moneyed psychopaths in control on Our planet as "TRUSTEES;" "Own nothing; control everything," as John D. Rockefeller said).
Legal and Lawful (article): https://amaterasusolar.substack.com/p/legal-and-lawful
Maybe this could be a transitional arrangement...or some kind of viable compromise?
Very keen to hear people's thoughts.
https://actionabletruth.substack.com/p/confederate-constitutional-republic
I only have time to skim it. It looks well-thought-out. I did see enough to at least state that while I believe whatever minarchist idea you have come up with would likely be an improvement,
1. I cannot support any form of involuntary governance whatsoever, since it suffers from the fundamental moral problem of ex ante violation of consent, and
2. I believe that market anarchism can solve the problems of security and justice, so a minarchist government is not needed, and
3. I do not believe that any limited government can be kept limited.
No need for us to argue on it; I respect and understand your minarchist position (and shared it until comparatively recently), but I just fundamentally disagree at this point.
Others’ mileage may vary!
(Also, I share some of the same concerns about the uber-high-tech nature of the network state concept. That is one of the reasons why my my idea for a distributed nation is more low-tech.)
Thanks Christopher.
Very much appreciate your thoughtful response.
Well said, Chris. The reality is that freedom—whether you call it free markets, statelessness, libertarianism, or anarcho-capitalism—is not just a preference, it’s the only morally just and defensible position. All other systems ultimately rely on granting some people the right to initiate force against others who have done no wrong—whether through taxation, regulation, legislation, or conscription. We shouldn’t excuse or normalize that. We should resist it.
Yes, it's true that designing the practical workings of a truly free society can be complex. But we shouldn't default to “just let the state do that” every time we can’t immediately imagine how something might function without centralized control. The world is already full of decentralized, self-organizing systems that work beautifully without a master plan—or a master.
Take English, the very language we're using now. No central authority created it or commands it. And yet it thrives. Sure, there are influential figures and institutions—dictionary publishers, linguists, content creators—but they don’t control English. They respond to it, document it, and contribute to it. English evolves, adapts, and serves billions without coercion. It's messy. It's decentralized. It's anarchy. It works.
Free societies are the same. We don’t need to understand every detail of how a stateless society would function to recognize that it’s the morally superior path. We don’t ask for a blueprint before affirming our belief in justice, or peace, or love. So let’s stop demanding perfection before accepting liberty.
For those interested, here are a couple of articles I have written on this topic:
https://appliedlibertarian.substack.com/p/thinking-outside-the-state?r=ad948
https://appliedlibertarian.substack.com/p/might-does-not-make-right-a-libertarian?r=ad948
I agree with every word. I will be checking out your articles later this week.
Beautiful Christopher - Thank you! I fully agree!
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Such a critical topic!
My hesitation at believing that anarchism can work for any extended period of time, is not wickedness but laziness.
People will choose the best performing and most virtuous voluntary services. Those companies or franchises or whatever will gain a near monopoly. These monopolies will become the ‘government’. Eventually (this could be two or three generations of owners) grifters will gain control of said organization. They will grift on the reputation of the organization, and because people are lazy, enough people will still keep sending money to keep them afloat during their devolution. Then they will use force to preserve their monopoly.
I don’t know the solution, and I love to point out to leftists that America had a society that worked quite well on voluntary associations in the 1800’s and 1900’s to take care of social needs.
Thus far, monopolies have only been possible with the help of government. In the absence of government, could they form or be sustained? I don't know for sure, but I suspect they would have a tough time forming or sustaining one.
I might fear more a de facto monopoly forming—yeah, there are ten different competing private security agencies, but they're all basically the same, etc.
But even if that, or the full-blown monopoly scenario were a possibility, is that reason not to try?
I do think we should try. I think the more freedom the better. Voluntary organizations and businesses are the best way to get optimal performance. I guess I wonder if there are any things to be done to preserve anarchy.
It seems Adam’s ‘our government is only for a good a virtuous people’ would apply to anarchy too.
I will argue that Sears had an inordinate influence on standardization of lumber and kitchens. They kept brand loyalty from the majority of the public until the 80’s. Amazon is similarly influencing things now. Neither had/has a pure monopoly, they had/have competitors but they do their job so well it’s difficult to compete and they can create regulations by default.
I have seen charities that used to do excellent work historically coast on brand loyalty when they start failing their mission then when that ran out lobby for government funding to send men with guns to our houses to keep the grift going.
By the way, I am thinking of starting to showcase certain illuminating discussions as posts. This one would be a good choice. Do you prefer that I mention you by name and cite your comment verbatim or make you anonymous and paraphrase your comment? (Or some other combo of those choices.)
Sure, use TurquoiseThyme, I publicly posted this, although I think I wandered through a number of ideas. I’ve actually offended a number of young people when I point out that charity done by the government is done at the point of a gun. They don’t even want to engage with the idea, and just tell me I’m wrong.
“ Neither had/has a pure monopoly, they had/have competitors but they do their job so well it’s difficult to compete and they can create regulations by default.”
—I was just talking with my wife about this vis-a-vis Amazon. But the thing is, they really are doing an amazing job. One might fairly argue that they deserve their success. Things arrive on time, you can return just about anything, prices are good. And ultimately, what they are doing is providing something people WANT. And unlike government, they are doing it all without any coercion.
You are right that Sears is an interesting case study too. Retail stores, catalogs, houses. One might argue that they too deserved their success. And yet look at them now. They are basically gone. Market forces got ‘em in the end—something we cannot say of any government.
Amazon and Sears do/did have a large market share, but even those extreme cases are pretty rare. I have a Lowe’s nearby, and they are great too. It is kind of sad that they drove the local hardware store out of business, but the fact is, they are better than the local hardware store was. And they have competitive pressure from Home Depot. Governments face and allow no competition.
Naturally, things will get more complicated if/when these private agencies also offer protection/security/etc., since that involves force. But still, I would rather take my chances with agencies that face competition and market forces, and do not begin with a presumption of monopoly and legitimate rule. Governments, by default, face none of that.
“ Adam’s ‘our government is only for a good a virtuous people’ would apply to anarchy too.”
—I think that’s probably true in any endeavor. Bad apples are a problem in any barrel.
"My hesitation at believing that anarchism can work for any extended period of time, is not wickedness but laziness."
Look at history. Before nation states we had an order where essentially anarchic societies thrived for centuries. A considerably "extended" period of time. We let it go, not because we couldn't defend it but because we stopped thinking it was worth defending. See here for details: https://appliedlibertarian.substack.com/p/successful-statelessness-in-history?r=ad948
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Well stated