Liberty in a nutshell: 3 quick arguments to make you think about smashing the state
A peaceful society
My idea of an ideal society is where threats of violence aren’t necessary, and people respect each other because they want to, not because they’re being threatened.
Are you a civil person? If you’re a civil person, then you must value peace, and you must value the creation of peace where previously there was coercion.
Is limiting the amount of necessary threats of violence a worthy goal, or not? Should we move towards a society that uses less threats of violence? If there are things done today that are done by the threat of violence, should we do everything we can to find ways of doing them without threats of violence, before we throw up our hands and say “let’s just make people pay for it, let’s just make people do it”?
Restriction of the freedom of innocents
It is fundamentally unjust to restrict the freedom of innocent people.
Do you agree? Or would you say that there must be restrictions on freedom for practical reasons? If so, say the words clearly, be certain in your position. Don’t hide from it. Own it. Tell me: “we must punish innocent people as a matter of course. Civilisation depends on the punishment of innocents.” Then imagine what quantity and nature of horrors have been justified by that mentality, though they be dressed up and masked in poetry and academia.
If you find you can’t refute the statement in good faith, very well. Follow it to its logical conclusion. Put it in the front of your mind whenever you think about public policy - about gun control, the War on Drugs, taxes, employment benefits. Is the person, whom you would consider punishing, guilty because they have harmed or defrauded someone? Or is the person guilty just because someone has declared them guilty - that is, is that person innocent?
What prevents abuse of the power to tax?
You might say taxes are good and necessary, because they allow the government to provide protection and safety nets for society. Yet, apparently it hasn’t occurred to you that they might use that money for military purposes, and then use that military to go to war, to kill people whom they shouldn't and take things that aren't theirs.
What will stop them? The watchful eye of a vigilant populace? Great, then what stops the government from using those taxes to launch propaganda campaigns to convince the people that war is just and necessary?
Is it their top-notch government education, which has taught them to question authority to determine its legitimacy? Is it their nuanced understanding of patriotism, which has taught them pride in their nation, but skepticism of those who try to manipulate that pride? Is it their practical knowledge of history, which shows them what can happen when you allow the wrong people in power, and continue to give them power? If not, then what?
The answer is, there is nothing to stop them. Give someone power to take your money without need to ask for your consent, and they will use that money to attain more power. If you think that government is necessary to control the greedy, then turn your your critical eye to the people who take your money without asking, and ask yourself if those people can possibly be devoid of greed, when everything in their institution rewards them for it.
"I'm not a plagiarist!" notice
I originally posted these pieces on my Tumblr, and on Facebook... maybe somewhere else as well.
About me
My name is Kurt Robinson. I grew up in Australia, but now I live in Guadalajara, Jalisco. I write interesting things about voluntaryism, futurism, science fiction, travelling Latin America, and psychedelics. Remember to press follow so you can stay up to date with all the cool shit I post, and follow our podcast where we talk about crazy ideas for open-minded people, here: @paradise-paradox, and like us on Facebook here - The Paradise Paradox
Some other cool posts
Here are some other posts of mine to check out:
Freedoms fought for are worth the fight and some of those very freedoms can easily slip away if we don't educate ourselves and sift through all the noise and get to the truth.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
There are lots of people who are innocent but were put to jail due to its less influence in the community. In this case, how should we differentiate innocents to influence?
I don't know exactly, but idea is to explore that question through experimentation. One thing I can say is, in a centralised system, it's much easier to manipulate a system, either by allowing guilty people to go free, or putting innocent people in a cage. A system without central points of failure offers us much more opportunities to make the correct decision.
Freedom is beautiful. Is the fitting connecting pieces that appear less desired when looked at from certain angles. But other angles look much better. Looking at different angles also reveals various levels of potential freedom in different environments.
Well put. I think it's valuable to try to formulate condensed arguments like these. Maybe they can even be compressed further.
Thanks @bitbutter, I appreciate it. I guess in this age, the closer to a bumper sticker I can get them, the better.
La libertad se la permite uno mismo, uno decide si quiere tener paz . Buscar el camino donde uno sienta respirar mejor para poder sentirse bien. Puro oxigeno!
Y apartar el chantaje osea; no dar el derecho para que lo chantajeen! Simplemente uno se puede acercar a las personas que la hacen sentir mejor en ese sentido.
Freedom allows it yourself , you decide if you want to have peace . Find a way where you feel you breathe better to feel good. Pure oxygen !
And aside blackmail bone ; the right to not give him blackmailed ! Simply one can bring people that make you feel better in that regard.
This might be a better translation:
Sí, la libertad es un estado de mente en muchas maneras... y una decisión para vivir en la manera correcta. Gracias por tu comentario
Followed and liked you on facebook, enjoyed this very much, cheers
Cheers!