Adam Kokesh, Glorified Troll Sapping Steemit and Libertarians for All They're Worth.
Yeah, shots fired and all that. Don't care anymore.
It is no longer only myself getting cop out, bullshit dismissals and knee-jerk, emotional reactions when it comes to raising valid criticism regarding Kokesh's upcoming bid for president and how it relates to/contradicts voluntaryist principle such as the axiom of individual self-ownership. Now the trolling on the part of this "future president" has begun to find new targets.
This is a dead giveaway that something is seriously wrong, folks. Say I am crazy. Call me a "purist." I don't care. When someone (who claims to be running for president, no less) refuses to even take the first step in clarifying ideas for those asking legitimate questions about their cause, or have honest discussion about libertarian and voluntaryist property ethic while claiming to be a voluntaryist, and just gets angry and starts slinging mud instead, that's a big red flag waving right in your face.
He's now taken his 100-dollar-comment-self-upvoting troll game to a recent post by @larkenrose.
Instead of addressing any of the points actually raised in the post, he calls the OP a "coward."
When I raised objections to some of the ideas contained in Kokesh's presidential platform I was told to "step up to the plate" and later simply dismissed as an "ignorant and annoying troll" in a strange knee-jerk emotional reaction. I have personally invited Kokesh to debate but I guess that since I am not very well-known, it wouldn't be worth his while. You see, full time activism isn't always about ideas. It's about bringing in money to continue doing full time activism (not just my words here, Kokesh and other "celebritarian" types have said so much themselves). Much of which, I hate to say, looks an awful lot like trying to get into jail again and again, sensationalizing it, and then asking for donations.
Kokesh’s comment to @larkenrose. The “future president” self-upvoted his comment at over 100 dollars. Great for the Steem rewards pool. Good grief.
Others feel the same way I do, and are asking calm and rational questions, only to inevitably be redirected to Kokesh's website and his very vague "platform" description.
Even one of Kokesh's self-described friends--who largely disagrees with me told me he thought that my questions were valid, and would like Kokesh to answer them. Other users, such as the one in the screenshot below understand what communication, and actual address of criticism is all about.
"EO" here means "executive order." Kokesh maintains that he will issue an executive order to dissolve the federal government, but that's not even how executive orders work. No worries. Keep supporting him. It's only trolls that point out these annoying realities anyway.
Do you get that?
Even if he magically infiltrated the government as a highly publicized vocal opponent of said government, assumed a high seat of power and illegitimate authority via the rigged electoral process, and then attempted to execute his “executive order,” he still couldn’t do it, even if he played by the rules, BECAUSE THAT’S NOT HOW EXECUTIVE ORDERS WORK. There are specific things they can and cannot do, and congress and the constitution control these things (ostensibly). One of the things they cannot do is end the government.
So not only is the plan immoral according to voluntaryist standards, it is also delusional and impossible according to statist standards.
Oh well, no need to address that. KEEP THOSE DONATIONS COMING FOLKS!
Some further thoughts and final questions.
Kokesh’s attacks often take on the same gaslighting, narcissistic pattern:
YOUR ____ SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR ____.
For example:
2.
3.
The pattern is clear. It’s your problem if you question me, and means something is wrong with you. What can he possible know about my motives? What a weird thing to say. Regarding his platform, I have read it multiple times. He is simply deflecting criticism and attempting to divert the attention away from the actual issue, by way of calling into question the character of the questioner, apropos of nothing. It’s really sad, actually.
Questions for Kokesh:
- Why won't you debate, if voluntaryism is so important to you?
- Why won't you answer questions about your platform without resorting to knee-jerk reactions/name calling?
- How much money was raised in total in the last "Free Adam" drive? Was the money that @thejohalfiles sent for your bail ($6,000 USD) used to bail you out? What about the other funds raised from the drive? Is there a breakdown of how the money was used somewhere?
- Why was your imprisonment used to sensationalize and sell the presidential campaign, when you may have been simply pulled over for speeding and license plate issues?
- Why did you and your team claim you did not know the charges against you when they were readily researchable and available to anyone who called into the jail/did an internet inquiry?
- Have the Shield Mutual financial discrepancies been rectified yet?
- If it is important that folks fighting the state remain unified, as you said to Larken Rose, why attack him verbally for stating his opinion? Is that the "non-violent communication" you are always talking about?
- Why does asking specific questions about your platform "say a lot" about my character or "credibility"?
- Why are you self-upvoting at 100 dollars on your own comments? In a way it's none of my business and more power to you, but that SP is being sent to you via votes from your supporters and a simple high power upvote of one or two bucks would place your comment at the top. Do you care about the Steemit community and the other authors writing full, rigorously thought-out posts in order to earn SP? Again, I don't really give a shit about the "fairness" of this shit as I am an anarcho-capitalist, but just...why?
Alright, well. I'm out of the closet all the way now (FABULOUS!). I don't like Kokesh and I don't think he is an honest person.
I used to be a huge fan back when I had heroes. Now, with the way he is treating folks who actually care about voluntaryism, and the questions he refuses to answer, something smells too fishy to ignore.
Let's debate, Adam, if you are confident in the voluntaryist nature of your presidential platform. You wish to debate Rose. Why not take me on, a small fish you should easily be able to fry?
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Thanks for the feedback kafkanarchy84.. I'm not taking sides, but I do see obvious cause for concern over the self-voted comments you pointed out. I'm concerned too over the bickering and timing of these votes.
I delegated SP to Adam and we are about to have a talk about this ;).. Until I have a chance to speak to him, I have flagged some comments in question just to removed the rewards (that $100 dollar post for example).
If you see anything else that is unfairly rewarded please let me know and I'll help fix it. Again, I'm not taking sides nor will I, but I do expect that we keep our whits and have productive conversations. I'll make this clear moving forward, anyone with SP like that needs to be responsible, we should not have to clean up after them like this..
Yes, I understand that and wouldn’t expect anyone to take sides, really. Just to honestly examine what’s going on. I appreciate it.
Hey, @jamesc. I wasn't sure how to contact you, so I came back to this comment. A few folks have reigned in some of the 60 - 80 dollar meme upvoting now, and Kokesh has stopped upvoting copy/pasta YouTube vids at 80 as well, for the time being. I think you may want to see this, though: https://steemit.com/anarchy/@kafkanarchy84/more-bizarre-and-threatening-behavior-from-adamkokesh-kokesh2020-record-for-steem-blockchain
I still don’t understand why anybody would want to run for the presidency. The President isn’t in charge of anything, it’s a dog and pony show. You can’t change a criminal system like the one currently running America from the Oval Office.
Adam should run for Director of the CIA ( he has about as much chance of getting into that job as he has President after all ) he’d have a better chance of doing something good by closing it and all it’s insipid operations down.
Email me a time and you can interview me and call it a debate if you want. I will address all your accusations. I take all comers. End this nonsense. [email protected]
What? No $100 upvote? 😂
Nope. Want a fair debate with a moderator we both agree on. Otherwise I’ll just be interrupted and browbeaten.
This is nonsense, though, you are correct, and you should end it, by not making everything a personal insult, and just answering people’s honest questions, if you are actually seeking to be a leader.
What do you have against a fair debate?
Nothing. Set it up. I don't have a problem with a moderator.
Great.
@lukestokes said I should ask you some questions directly.
So before we do this debate, just to make sure there is a real disagreement, and since it seems you may actually answer this time:
In your view, is becoming President via the American Electoral Process a legitimate (as per voluntaryist property ethic) means by which to assume control and authority (even if temporary) over lands and resources?
Would the non-profit organizations which will be taking ownership of national parks and keeping them “open to the public” (as per your platform) also allow the parks to be homesteaded and turned into private property either in part or in full? If so, how could said properties be considered “open to the public”? If not, how could a plan which prohibits homesteading be considered “voluntaryist”?
Presidential executive orders are placed under limitations by congress and the 2nd amendment of the US constitution. As such, a dissolution of the fed gov not being an option provided by these “authorities,” how will you make a “special case,” executive order/edict outside the bounds of current law/governmental protocol?
If you can answer these questions, and we still disagree, I will immediately get to work on setting up the debate.
I've already addressed all of these issues publicly and on the record and some in a video I'm uploading right now. 1. Yes 2. Yes. By the ownership process. By the process of homesteading. 3. That's in the video. If you really want to get into then deeper, please schedule a time with me.
We definitely disagree, then.
I will find a moderator, send a resolution to make sure it’s good by by you, and set up the debate.
As far as time/scheduling, I’ll confirm via the email you provided in the first comment.
Thank you for agreeing to engage here. Looking forward to it.
If this isn't about me, why do you keep mentioning me?
You've been caught in the...
Image Source
Is he controlled opposition or is his ego just writing cheques that his body (or brain) can't cash? (That was a Top-Gun reference for anyone under 30).
I was a bit confused when I heard he was running for POTUS because I thought he knew enough about the way the system works to know that running for POTUS would be a pointless excercise that legitimises a system that should really be ignored as much as possible.
It's sad but the people that want to be the leaders and sometimes have the skills to be so, more often than not have a massive ego.
Adam appears to have exposed his true self with the way he dismissed your valid points and critisisms as well as others. I've not seen what happened with Larken Rose but I will check it out now.
We need less Kokesh's and more Corbett's (James) in my opinion.
Edited - I just checked out the Larken post and the debate between you and Luke Stokes. Could be a post of its own. While scrolling down I noticed that Adam's $100 self upvoted post was voted back to zero by jamesc in case you were interested.
Haha. Yeah, wish @lukestokes wouldn’t have dropped out of that one. We were finally getting somewhere, and he vanished.
That is the million dollar question. I feel sorry for him, honestly, but this shit has to be called out. Hope he comes to his senses.
Agree on the Corbett thing for sure.
I didn't vanish, I just have more important things to do. I devoted about three days to discussing this with you across multiple posts which is really time consuming.
I was chatting a bit with Adam today via text message, and he directly said his platform does allow for homesteading with regards to national parks. If that's the basis for your argument, then your argument is flawed to begin with, and it's not worth any more of my time at this point. If you have issues with Adam, take it up with him directly.
I have taken it up with him directly. What are you missing here? I’ve told you this multiple times.
What you claim was written in your “text message” exchange is not written in the platform to which he directs everyone.
If you wish to be a part of the fraud, then have at it.
It’s a scam.
As for “more important things to do.” BS. You were dogging me on it until we finally got somewhere and then you stopped responding.
Adam’s plan even absent the parks issue (which is still an issue) is illegitimate for reasons I have delineated elsewhere to you, time and time again.
It is also impossible even playing “by the rules” of the established governmental system. Are you aware of the limitations on executive orders?
Other folks are asking similar questions.
The truth is that logic is not your strong point Luke, and you use all sorts of veiled jabs to pretend to be open, caring, and kind in dialogue, but subtly write people off. If it’s not important to you, then stop commenting.
@adamkokesh, anybody can homestead the non-profit owned, “open to the public” national parks per your presidential platform? Is this true?
Good luck with getting him to actually discuss anything, many in the patriot community years ago saw thru the lies he was spewing and pulled all support for or towards him. I really had hopes he had changed, guess the fame and grandiose ideas took over what little human was left in him.
That's interesting. Are you referencing that armed march on D.C. he was ostensibly going to put on? I'd like to know more about that.
The more he outright refuses to honestly address anyone's questions, the more he seems like a liberty troll/conman to me. Combine that with all the questionable business/financial conflicts he has been involved with in the past, and the constant donation begging, and the picture doesn't look too pretty.
He does the typical narcissist thing when questioned, which is to deflect, place blame on the questioner, and gaslight. It's pretty fucking creepy and I hate writing shit like this, but damn. If there's a rat in here I think someone should say something.
Hope he comes back to his senses.
Define which march he was going to do, from what I remember there has been about half a dozen.
Read some of your recent posts about this issue. I’m not to much aware what is going on over there but I’m getting the idea.
Looks like you are getting a lot of promises which in the end nobody will remember.
Clear case of “no follow no leader”!!
There are always "leaders" in anything, but using one's own mind to see if this person or that is worth following. That said, Politics is stupid and a waist of time... Spent eight to nine years doing the political game.
Wow, I didnt go through all these things before,but from your post ,i come to know about the real character of that hero,if things were happening like that way,we should awear the people about the true character of the people.we should not disobey the glory of our beautiful community.Thanks for sharing .
So glad that I drop the politics and am just focusing on investments. I'm making more money by studying investments and making investment moves than focusing on politics.
Good for you man. You're doing it right.
Those all seem like valid questions. I feel bad for the guy, I don't think he is getting arrested intentionally, I think he has PTSD pretty bad and as a result has problems with impulse control. The upvoting thing is funny, I posted something on one of his posts the other day that may not have been overly complimentary so he upvoted all these other posts and his own comments. Frankly I don't mind that, I think that is the honorable way to try to suppress posts or comments that upset you, to up vote the ones you like above it. Sort of funny though, I can see why it would be upsetting to keep posting and then to have my post keep coming out on top. I may have actually won a copy of his book the other day for this one:
"please tell me a convicted felon didn't just have ammunition in his possession. You make a great point though, no one has ever been in a gun fight and then after wished their gun didn't hold so many bullets. "
Very Interesting Post @kafkanarchy84