Response to Common AnCom Criticisms of Anarcho-Capitalism

By Shaheen the Anarcap


On a tweet, I claimed that anarcho-communists are different from us because they view private property as statism. I got these replies:

“State arises because of class conflict. Anti-statism must eradicate class”

States arise because someone who powerful claims authority over a certain territory, but a state stays because the governed view the state as a legitimate power and don’t fight back against its aggression. Many phony philosophers and fake intellectuals actually embracing the state doesn’t help fight it either.

Should those being governed, the civilians, in large numbers wake up to the tyranny imposed on them, the legitimacy of that state crumbles. Education (alongside counter-economics AKA agorism) is what destroys the state.

Keep in mind that when communists say they’re anarchists, they believe the word anarchy to mean anti-hierarchy, not lack of rulers, which is the correct definition, and what us ancaps use. So when an ancom says they want to establish an anarchic society, they would actually need to use force and coercion to make everyone equal in social class, as hierarchies are part of nature. Thus, anarcho-communism (which still has central economic planning, only in decentralized communes instead of a large central government) is inherently statist. I know, a real shocker. Continue reading “Response to Common AnCom Criticisms of Anarcho-Capitalism”

As You Wish

A Libertarian Anarchist Perspective on Voting

By Adam Tobias Magoon


Man in Black: All right. Where is the corruption? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both vote, and find out who is right… and who is dead.

Vizzini: But it’s so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the corruption into his own candidate or his enemy’s? Now, a clever man would put the corruption into his own candidate, because he would know that only a great fool would vote for who he was told. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the candidate in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the candidate in front of me.

Man in Black: You’ve made your decision then?

Vizzini: Not remotely. Because political parties come from Washington, as everyone knows, and Washington is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the candidate in front of you.

Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

Vizzini: Wait till I get going! Now, where was I?
Man in Black: Washington.

Vizzini: Yes, Washington. And you must have suspected I would have known the candidate’s origin, so I can clearly not choose the candidate in front of me.

Man in Black: You’re just stalling now. Continue reading “As You Wish”

On Consumerism, Corporatism, Time Preference, and Modernity

By Insula Qui Consumerism Capitalism is often blamed for consumerism. It is almost a certainty that whenever leftists run out of other arguments, they will make an argument related to consumerism. Consumerism is almost universally despised by people who have higher ideals, so it is easy to point out consumerism and then act as if it is an argument against capitalism. One reason for this is that socialism, the other major economic system in the modern world, eventually leaves people with nothing to consume, so capitalism is an easier target. But socialists make multiple critical errors in blaming capitalism for consumerism. While it is certainly true that capitalists benefit from a consumer culture, and that the capitalist system will not be toppled when people are attracted to consumer culture, this does not mean that capitalism as a system of free enterprise and private property is by necessity a cause of consumerism or oriented around consumerism. Furthermore, the capitalist class itself will be subject to consumerism and themselves be as hurt by it as anyone else. When we look at why people engage in consumerism, we can see several major trends that cause consumerism. The first is having a corporate structure when it comes to enterprise. This means that for there to be consumerism there must be people who advance consumerism. There would be no consumerism if there were no beneficiaries of consumerism, and honest businesses do not need consumerism. Corporations are not honest businesses, as they hide behind a legal fiction created by the state. Without corporate structures, which are entirely constructed by the state, there is no party who would advance consumerism. Second, there must be people who are willing to engage in consumerism. Whereas people who have their lives figured out and have purpose beyond themselves do not turn to consumerism, these must be people who have nothing better to do than to consume. Such people see their lives as a series of capital transactions in which they seek immediate gratification. Consumerism cannot develop within healthy societies where people have cares beyond their own immediate interests. Third, consumerism requires that these people have money, as they cannot consume without first gaining access to a sufficient amount of capital. Thus, consumerism requires an abundance of consumer goods and services. Fourth, there must be a high social time preference within the society because people need to seek immediate gratification to value consumerism instead of being personally disgusted by engaging in consumerism. Finally, it is not only necessary that people have personal abundance, but that the capital structures that produce consumer goods are well-maintained. These capital structures will be maintained when people consume, but high time preferences will necessarily cause a form of stagnation, as there is insufficient investment to facilitate growth. Read the entire article at ZerothPosition.com

The post On Consumerism, Corporatism, Time Preference, and Modernity appeared first on The Zeroth Position.

Source: Reece Liberty.Me – On Consumerism, Corporatism, Time Preference, and Modernity

A Note on Minarchism

By Andrew Kern of the Principled Libertarian


Many notable minarchist thinkers have emphasized that the purpose of law is to enforce justice. We can extend this to say the role of the state is justice.

The most workable definition of a state I have been able to find is: a compulsory territorial monopolist of ultimate decision making, or arbitration.

This presents a problem for the minarchist who declares the role of the state is to bring about justice. Sooner or later the state will be party to a dispute. It will then claim the authority to mediate the dispute.

This is clearly not just.


Not only does this situation necessarily result in injustice, it actually incentivizes the state to seek out disputes so that it may rule in its own favor.

Ironically, while the intention is to have a state which secures justice, the presence of an ultimate arbitrator not only results in injustice, it encourages it.

For more content like this, please check out the Principled Libertarian on Facebook. Give them a like and tell them Actual Anarchy sent ya!


For the history you didn’t learn in school, check out Liberty Classroom:

Get the equivalent of a Ph.D. in libertarian thought and free-market economics online for just 24 cents a day….

Music and liberty, with Nick Pecone

We have a timely episode, considering the recent shift in content, with Nick Pecone.  Our musical and political tastes seem to align pretty well, so this makes for an entertaining conversation.

Songs featured in this episode:

Pillars, by Nick’s heaviest project he’s done, called Carriedbysix

Walk Away, by Nick’s solo effort, Burns to the Soul

Orson Wells, by Purveyors of Fiction from the album Hollow Notes

Source: Subversion – Music and liberty, with Nick Pecone

FPF #111 – Support H.Con.Res 81

On FPF #111, I discuss House Concurrent Resolution 81. H.Con. Res 81 is a bill invoking the War Powers Act to end US support for Saudi Arabia’s war against the people of Yemen. The US is currently providing vital support to Saudi Arabia’s war effort. The US is selling Saudi Arabia billions of dollars worth of weapons, providing ships to support the blockade, and providing mid-air refueling to Saudi warplanes. Ending the US support will help the people of Yemen and weaken al-Qaeda in Yemen. 

Articles 

  • Kuwait’s Prime Minister announces his resignation. [Link] 
  • The Taliban kill 15 Afghan police in two attacks. [Link]
  • The US coalition in Afghanistan killed two civilians at an engagement party. [Link]
  • The Syrian army continues to liberate areas around Deir Ezzor from the Islamic State. Around 1,500 civilians remain in IS-held areas of the city. The Syrian army and allied forces continue to kill civilians with bombs. [Link]
  • A man, who traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State then was captured, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. [Link]
  • Harvard-Harris polling that showed 70% of Americans support renegotiating the Iran nuclear deal was based on a biased question. [Link]
  • Raytheon won a $1.5 billion contract from the Pentagon. [Link] 
  • The IAEA Cheif confirms Iran is living up to the nuclear agreement. [Link] 
  • The Spanish government has dismissed the Catalan Parliment, president, the president’s cabinet, and chief of police. [Link] 
  • A US service member was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. [Link] 
  • The US gave the Afghanistan military 6 additional A-29 attack planes. [Link] 
  • The leader of the Kurdish Regional Government, Barzani, will resign from office. [Link] 
  • Moon of Alabama highlights inconsistencies in the UN report on the April 4th chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun. [Link] 
  • The Syrian government killed 11 civilians and destroyed a school outside of Damascus. [Link]

Source: Foreign Policy Focus – FPF #111 – Support H.Con.Res 81

News from the Madhouse – The war against the police

Recently there has been a string of very high profile attacks targeting the police.

Police station in Helsingborg bombed

Police officers home shoot at

Bombing at police station in Hallstahammar

Attempted kidnapping of police officers wife

A police officer heading a group against organized crime got his car blown up

It is becoming obvious that the police is under siege in a lot of places in Sweden, they are getting attacked not only when conducting their job but also in their homes and even the families of police seems to be fair game. The mayhem is no longer confined to the criminal suburbs in the three big cities, it is spreading all over the country. One can perhaps theorize that after the gangs consolidated their control of the “no-go zones” they are now expanding outwards and it makes for a very interesting situation. For the longest time the Swedish middle class has been able to ignore what is going on, simply because comfortable middle-class areas have not been touched by the increase in crime, the question is how long can the situation stay like that?

Given that the violence is now escalating to the point that the police are targeted everywhere it’s not hard to assume the crime wave is about to spill out for real. Quite obviously the gangs are not satisfied with running their small fiefdoms in the ghettos. How will the average Swede react when crime moves into their areas? What does it take to wake this sleepwalking nation?

Already some politicians in one of the mainstream parties want to commit the military to stabilize the no-go zones. Such a suggestion would have been laughed at just a year or two ago, certainly when considering that the motion is coming from members of the same party whose leader just a few years ago begged the Swedish population to open our hearts to immigrants.

Some might think this situation is good, as an anarcho-capitalist I should perhaps want the state to break down so that voluntary and more efficient solutions can take its place and restore law and order. If Sweden had the same kind of gun laws as many US states I would maybe think along those lines, but given how restricted the right to self-defense is in Sweden it just isn’t feasible. The police might not have the resources or will to strike down on large-scale criminality, but they are still more than willing to crack down on normal people that just want to ensure their own safety. It is after all much easier and less risky to chase hunters and other legal weapon owners than it is to try and get hand grenades out of the ghettos.

As usual, I can’t claim I have any suggestions on how to improve the situation, I can simply say it gets more and more interesting for every day that passes.

 

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Disclosure, I might earn a small commission if you purchase something through one of the Amazon links in this post.

Source: In the Madhou.se – News from the Madhouse – The war against the police

Mainstream media protects alleged pedophile while rebuking athlete for racist gestures

The evening of Sunday, October 29, 2017 was one of the most bizarre in this writer’s life. Not only did I observe the Los Angeles Dodgers suffer an agonizing defeat in the 10th inning of game 5 of the World Series (even though it was one of the best baseball games I have ever seen), I also witnessed an incredible story develop on Twitter over Anthony Rapp’s accusation that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him when he was 14 years old.

On the surface, neither story should relate to one another. However, if one compares how the media addressed Rapp’s accusation against Spacey with how it covered an earlier incident in the World Series, their actions speak volumes about their priorities.

Before comparing how the media reacted to these stories, let us briefly review the facts about each of them.

Rapp accuses Spacey of sexual assault

BuzzFeed summarizes Rapp’s accusation against Spacey this way:

In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Rapp is publicly alleging for the first time that in 1986, Spacey befriended Rapp while they both performed on Broadway shows, invited Rapp over to his apartment for a party, and, at the end of the night, picked Rapp up, placed him on his bed, and climbed on top of him, making a sexual advance. According to public records, Spacey was 26. Rapp was 14.

Hours after BuzzFeed published the story, Spacey posted the following response on Twitter:

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As an aside, Seth MacFarlane, who appears to have been Hollywood’s human version of the Advanced Warning System, included this snippet in an episode of “Family Guy”:

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Now that the basic facts of Rapp’s allegations against Spacey have been established, let us now turn to the World Series incident.

Yuli Gurriel makes racist gestures towards Yu Darvish

During game 3 of the World Series, Houston Astros catcher Yuli Gurriel hit a home run against Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish. After returning to the Astros’ bench, Gurriel made two insulting gestures towards Darvish, who is part Japanese.

In the article Yuli Gurriel’s offensive gesture provokes outrage among Asian Americans, the Los Angeles Times reports:

After hitting a home run off the Dodgers’ Yu Darvish, Gurriel put his fingers to the sides of his face, lifted the corners of his eyes and mouthed the word “chinito,” Spanish for “Chinese boy.” Darvish, who was born in Japan, is of Japanese and Iranian descent.

In response to his actions, Major League Baseball suspended Gurriel for five games. However, his suspension will occur at the beginning of the next regular season; Gurriel has been able to continue playing in the World Series.

How the mainstream media covered these stories

Now let us compare how the mainstream media portrayed these two stories. To the extent possible, I want to focus on two things: 1) media outlets that published articles on both stories, and 2) the original articles the media published in response to the Spacey story.

ABC News

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Reuters

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New York Daily News

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What is the media really worried about?

Not only is the mainstream media far more upset about Gurriel’s gesture to Darvish than they are about Spacey’s possible sexual assault against Rapp, they are helping Spacey by focusing on his sexual orientation rather than the far more serious nature of the accusation against him.

Spacey made the same move Harvey Weinstein made when he responded to a New York Times’s exposé that documented Weinstein’s payouts to sexual harassment accusers for decades. In his statement, Weinstein vowed to go after the National Rifle Association and Donald Trump, and give millions of dollars to help women directors. Fortunately, Weinstein’s shameless attempt to signal the right virtues did not gather any significant liberal support for him.

However, as can be seen above, Spacey’s disingenuous move was far more successful than Weinstein’s, at least with the media.

The mainstream media is actually more upset with a baseball player making racist gestures than with a Hollywood star allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager.

Or is it that the media is far more concerned about the implications that a Hollywood star sexually assaulted a teenager than a baseball player making racist gestures?

No wonder no one trusts them anymore.

 

The post Mainstream media protects alleged pedophile while rebuking athlete for racist gestures appeared first on A Simple Fool.

Source: A Simple Fool – Mainstream media protects alleged pedophile while rebuking athlete for racist gestures