Take Your Bone and Like It!

Wow. Read this.

So many in the media are so quick to point out the errors and corruption of private businesses. Media figures like Bill Gephardt make their living solely from the pursuit of corrupt business practices. These folks tout themselves as "Consumer Advocates".

But who acts as our advocate when the government does us wrong? It seems like our ONLY recourse is with a vote; our only voice is our own. But voting as a means to end government corruption is fickle at best. It seems like being easily corrupted, or "bought", is absolutely necessary for someone pursuing a career in politics. More often than not, our choices at the ballot box amount to "corrupt" or corrupter". Nowadays it seems we are simply voting for the lesser of two evils. But evil is evil, and even if we get there a bit later, we're still going to hell in a handbasket.

There's not a damn thing you or I can do about it.

Who Owns You?

Butler Shaffer explores the slave mentality in this wonderfully profound article.

As I read this, I am constantly asking myself if this is the ideals that our Founding Fathers had in mind as they battled the British for the independence of the colonies. Did the framers of our Constitution wish to empower the central Federal government the ability to effectively enslave the population?

Slavery by taxation is by far the cruelest form of slavery. Taxation astronomically increases the amount of effort required to earn enough income to not only live, but actually improve one's standard of living. The rags-to-riches American dream is systematically being undermined and destroyed by America's elected representatives and the bloated bureaucracy which they have created and empowered with OUR money.

An ever-increasing percentage of the population is employed by and seeking employment of government institutions. The funding for these jobs, whether they are needed or not, comes from taxpayer dollars. YOUR DOLLARS. All government employees are essentially YOUR employees. Their job is to serve YOU. Have you been to the DMV lately?

In reality, you, a taxpaying citizen, are a slave to the whims of government employees. You are, in most cases, subject and victim to their whims, desires, bad hair days, poorly designed policies and procedures, incompetence, etc. Generally, you avoid dealing with government employees unless you are compelled to do so by law. The law guarantees these jobs, and taxation funds them.

I support all petitions to eliminate taxation by any government entity. I support consistent application and defense of property rights. I support unconditional and unlimited rights of secession. It is these fundamental principles, and ONLY these which guarantee our rights to life, liberty, and pursuits of happiness.

The Politics of My Brother's Keeper

Sofreh-ye Pretta Aghd makes a good point in her article Social Engineering University. Whenever we set out to become our brother's keeper, we strike a definitive and irreparable blow against the liberty of everyone. This is necessarily true, as we must restrict some freedom in order to impose security from some "evil" or perceived injustice.

And of course, more freedom, more liberty is NEVER discussed as an option. Deregulation is never the solution. Surely repealing the laws, regulations, restrictions, standards, guidelines, and quotas that created the problems to begin with is no way of treating this cancer!

You know, we say smoking causes disease and the obvious solution is to stop smoking. But no one is calling attention to the obvious cause of the most profane disease of our society: the government. We can see the disease, but we argue when someone points out the cause (and the cure). Not only do we deny the true causes, but we suggest band-aid solutions that may provide a bit of immediate temporary relief, but inevitably speed the growth of the tumor. (Medicare reform comes immediately to mind.)

This is akin to the crotchety old smokers who continue to puff down three packs a day and think that a good dose of broccoli will keep lung cancer at bay.

I'm afraid that this disease is terminal.

Justice in a Natural Order

Recently I found myself in a lively debate over how criminal justice systems would work in a Natural Order (stateless) Society. I had to gracefully accept defeat as I was not fully read in this particular area. After a quick email to Professor Hoppe, I found a wealth of information on this topic. I have linked a few of the most profound arguments below.

Order Without Law: Where Will Anarchists Keep the Madmen?
By John D. Sneed
Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 1. No. 2, pp. 117-124.

Punishment and Proportionality: the Estoppel Approach
By N. Stephan Kinsella
Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 12. No. 1, pp. 51-73.

Inalienability and Punishment: A Reply to George Smith
By N. Stephan Kinsella
Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 14. No. 1, pp. 79-93.

The Private Production of Defense
By Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Essays in Political Economy from the Ludwig von Mises Institute

Natural Order, State, and Looting
By Hans-Hermann Hoppe
LewRockwell.com

Now I know this is weighty stuff, but if you commit yourself to read through an article or two, I'd really like to hear your thoughts. Please comment.

Special Thanks

My sincere thanks and appreciation go out to Gary North for this wonderful speech on Murray Rothbard. It is Mr. North's passionate call to action which has inspired the return of The FreeDawg.

Thanks also go out to a few folks who emailed me to express concern over the dissolution of this blog. It is you to whom this volume is dedicated.

You may notice a few new features of the blog. You may now comment on any posting you wish. All I ask is that you keep your comments relevant and intelligent. Please feel free to use profanity when appropriate, this is a site for adults.

If you are offended, good. If you are educated, better. If you wish to argue, please feel free. This is an open forum.

Please enjoy the new blog, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please comment and suggest them.

Thank you,
FreeDawg