Category Archives: Politics

On Why Voluntaryists Can Support Ron Paul

FreeKeene does a nice job in this video. Can AnCaps and Voluntaryists support someone seeking “election”? It seems like there could be a maybe that can be debated.

Ron Paul has been very effective at spreading the liberty message.  Free Market Anarchists and Voluntaryists ought to think twice about discounting this opportunity.

I’m still torn between adhering to the non-aggression principle vs. voting and bringing validity to a system I refuse to support. There are miles of work related to these subjects so I don’t think I’m going to get into it here. This video makes a good case but for now I am still an Anarcho-capitalist through and through.

Voting is violent but there is some room for debate. If he gets the nomination I will revisit the question of voting.

Not to Quote a Communist But…

I see no redeeming value in communism. I don’t support any form of socialism or collectivism. That’s not what I’m here to argue though. I am here to bring attention to a quote from the former Premier of the Soviet Union:

“It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.”
– Josef Stalin

Why bring a communist quote to an anarcho-capitalist/libertarian blog? Because if you think about it in terms of American elections you will quickly realize Ron Paul is doomed.

While I cannot vote from a moral standpoint, I do support the scholarly Dr. Paul as a beacon of hope for liberty. The issue that arises is the fact the mainstream media and big government will never tolerate a “President” Paul. Let’s not forget big business and special interest — both are strongly opposed by Dr. Paul.

If you believe your vote counts then you are a fool. If you believe “voting” is acceptable then you are violent.

Must Watch: Ron Paul Predicts the Future in 2002

Friend to the site Reason and Liberty writes:

“Hey, wanna give this video a watch to see whether it’s worthy of being on your website? It literally left me crying and frozen to death.”

I spent six minutes watching this video and then fifteen minutes picking up my jaw. I am a known Ron Paul supporter. He is a champion of liberty and a fantastic scholar on austrian economics. Up to this point though, I had no idea he could see the future.

The following video is from April 2002. Yes, you read that correctly… 2002! Like a true Austrian he doesn’t give specific dates, that can’t be known — he does offer a time frame though.

“…the next five to ten years.”

The next six minutes of your life will be eye-opening.

Equality is a Myth, Equality is Empty

Here’s the sagacious Rothbard on the foolishness that is equality:

“Human life is not some sort of race or game in which each person should start from an identical mark. It is an attempt by each man to be as happy as possible. And each person could not begin from the same point, for the world has not just come into being; it is diverse and infinitely varied in its parts. The mere fact that one individual is necessarily born in a different place from someone else immediately insures that his inherited opportunity cannot be the same as his neighbor’s. The drive for equality of opportunity would also require the abolition of the family since different parents have unequal abilities; it would require the communal rearing of children. The State would have to nationalize all babies and raise them in State nurseries under ‘equal’ conditions. But even here conditions cannot be the same, because different State officials will themselves have different abilities and personalities. And equality can never be achieved because of necessary differences of location.”

– Murray Rothbard

Today’s Lesson: Rothbard on the Difference Between “Society” and “The State”

A very important theory to understand. This little two-minute video is something you should watch. Rothbard, a master of philosophy is on point again!

A Letter to Walter Block

Professor Block wrote a great article about what he calls “self hating libertarians” and some of their criticism of Dr. Ron Paul. I responded with the following:

Thank you for the great post. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have but a simple question in response:

If Dr. Paul were to become President wouldn’t he now head up the very state that voluntaryists and An-caps oppose? Personally I love Dr. Paul but I can’t mindfully bring myself to voting for him as this one action would mean that I am accepting the state as legitimate. Voting for Dr. Paul and having him win would mean that I am no better than a democrat or republican. Mad at the system when “my guy isn’t running things” but thrilled when he is.

Would this not mean after all of my reading from Rothbard to Hoppe, I would merely be ignoring everything I hold dear so I could use a broken system of democracy as my own “failed god” to force others into my ideal version of majority rule?

How then, can one support him in his electoral campaign? Again I love and support Dr. Paul — I have read a majority of his books and followed his career since the early 2000′s. He is the true libertarian philosopher of our time but a head of state is still a head of state. No?

Much respect to you sir, you have been a source of inspiration for many years. Just my two cents.

Regards,
Jaison De Montalegre

Sent from my iPad

More as it develops. I really hope I get to speak with him on this subject. I have a really had time rationalizing this whole “voting is violent”, “democracy is a failed god”, but “vote for Ron” mess I find myself in. I realize Block isn’t an An-Cap but he is sort of calling us out, no? And for the record none of his reasons provided even remotely apply to me in terms of why I wouldn’t vote.

My Occupy Wall Street Post, James Altucher’s Brilliance, and New Haven Democracy

James Altucher is one of my favorite bloggers and authors. He has a fabulous way of thinking critically and cutting through the hype and crap of the media. Maybe that’s because he doesn’t even pay attention to the media. Anyway he posted in one of his recent Q&A posts on an Occupy Wall Street question. Here is the exchange:

Question: @KarimGuessous asked what is my stance on Occupy Wall Street

Answer: I thnk a lot of people, including myself, have been badly hurt by the financial crisis that occurred in 2007-9 but really began in 2000-2002 and can be argued, began much earlier.

The problem is this: I used to live right on Wall Street. So I know the people who actually work there. Many of those people lost their jobs, their pensions, their homes, their savings, their 401ks, etc.

I hate to think now that along with all that they already lost they have to deal with thousands of people shouting at them and shoving signs in their faces as they try to get to work. A shit job they have to go to feed their families.

I understand “Wall Street” is symbolic but the reality is that “Wall Street” moved to Park Avenue between 45th and 57th Street many years ago. I used to live in the same building where JP Morgan worked (it got converted to rentals). Now Jami Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan works on 45th Street near Park Avenue. And the hedge funds are all in Greenwich, Connecticut. And the SEC and the Federal Reserve are in Washington DC. Why protest in the face of hard working Americans when the real culprits who should be put on trial live and work elsewhere.

Now, while I don’t agree with Mr. Altucher’s stance on everything I do agree that he has this quite right in terms of the location and outlook of the protests. In not as many words I think it’s vital to note that the Federal Reserve is “that” way. Go protest where it matters. Throwing a bunch of signs and slogans in the face of a bunch of hard-working people isn’t the way to go — these people don’t shape the financial sector. They are pawns just like you and I.

I will say that the media is doing an excellent job on not reporting the developments of the #OWS movement. This of course is done on purpose to keep it from being discussed properly. No one in the embarrassing (read: crooked) Mainstream Media wants to talk about the masters of monetary policy being threatened. Of course if you read here you know that these monetary overlords have already made their protection investment in the NYPD. The media is the puppet of the government — they won’t bite the hand that feeds.

The gripe I have is I am almost glad mainstream media is nearly ignoring this movement — I tuned into the livestream and caught a glimpse of what is going on there… sick. One old educated looking man on a soapbox with hundreds of people around him. He was preaching and after every pause the crowed of students and professionals would repeat his last line. The lines I managed to catch were something out of a Marxist textbook! Capitalism did this, and capitalism did that!

And thus we find my true gripe — capitalism has done nothing because capitalism doesn’t exist! We live inside a very corrupt corporatism. A fusion of big government and big business operating as one unit. This and only this is the reason we are in the financial and political turmoil we are in. Blaming capitalism for these issues is backwards and wrong! Capitalism is the fix! Capitalism would drive these issues out! However communicating that to these Vendetta Mask wearing buffoons would be nearly impossible. They are too busy being brainwashed by Michael Moore DVD’s.

I tried to see what was going on locally in my state of Connecticut. Have a look below at the Occupy New Haven page. Occupy what I’m not sure but nonetheless a bold movement — I was intrigued until the end of the description.

Again, these people, kids, students, adults… they just don’t get it. Do you want to see what a Democracy looks like? Do you want me to show YOU what a democracy looks like? Democracy: rule of the majority (no matter if you agree with the majority or not, you are subject to their will) so take a look at your democracy that you thump at every turn.

You don’t have the guts to click this. It’s a Google Image search and it is very not safe for work. So I hope these puppets of democracy celebrate their overlord’s decisions to murder Americans, and non-Americans all over the globe with their wars. Democracy: rule of the majority. If you take part in the system — even if you oppose the majority now — you are legitimizing these actions, legitimizing the system, and that makes you responsible.

No more from me on the #Occupy movement. Occupy a nice book, or two.

Political Turmoil Has JP Morgan in a Panic

Global elite banksters JP Morgan have made sure to cover their collective asses from any sort of pending backlash. How you ask? They have invested in the police:

JPMorgan Chase recently donated an unprecedented $4.6 million to the New York City Police Foundation. The gift was the largest in the history of the foundation and will enable the New York City Police Department to strengthen security in the Big Apple.

So incase there was any doubt (which there shouldn’t have been) the global elite are primed and ready to have you suppressed in the event you attempt to run on your money. Government and global elite banksters are one in the same and now they have secured the protection of New York’s police force. While people “occupy” Wall Street these people are positioning themselves.

Stop foolishly attempting to occupy and begin to get to the root of the problem — the state. Opt out. Forget ending the Fed, stop using Federal Reserve paper! What good is their money if hundreds of thousands of people stop using it? Stop fighting the oppression and ignore it.

Hackers Leak Personal Information of Goldman CEO

CNET Reports:

Hackers today released personal information for Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein.

The document, posted to the Pastebin Web site, includes the CEO’s age, recent addresses, details of litigation he has been involved in, as well as registration information for businesses, but no sensitive information such as financial data.

Hackers have really started to push the envelope with high level hacks. Groups like WikiLeaks, Anonymous, LulzSec, and The Script Kiddies all have made a heavy impact on government, media, and pop-culture as of late. Of course there is a price to pay for that as we have seen but the fact remains although you can arrest a person you cannot arrest an idea.

The obsession with information in this day and age stems from the fact it is initially kept from the public. It is held hostage. We are the sheep in this sense and the sheep herders decide where we can march and what we can see. Police brutality has become common place and financial terrorism perpetrated by the same people installed to run companies begs a response from those with these skills.

These hacktivists have taken their fight to a new level and to some degree I applaud them for being so brave. The war for information will likely never end but in the meantime we are all in-store for an interesting battle. The war of tomorrow will be fought over the Internet. The battlefield is obsolete.

Why I Wouldn’t Vote Against Hitler

Wendy McElroy writes:

…the power of the state does not rest on its size – the number of laws on the books or the extent of the territory it claims. A state’s power rests on social conditions, such as whether people will obey its laws and how many resources it can command to enforce obedience.

Voting implies that the State is legitimate. This at any given time is more dangerous than any elected king. Something to keep in mind next time you cast a vote.

It’s not about “I voted for the other guy” when something goes wrong and the “opposition” gets in office — the mere fact you took part means you condone what is done in the name of “democracy”.