tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86610756783000956462024-02-19T04:26:23.445-08:00Trocki's WorldThe world as I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-52555847032598179182017-01-17T13:28:00.002-08:002017-01-17T13:28:23.880-08:00The Block Party<br />
The recent presidential election, in a nutshell:<br />
<br />
Host: <i>"We're having a block party! Since you live on our block, you get to be part of it whether or not you want to, or we'll put you in a cage. We're about to vote on which kind of pizza to order."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs0a4KbFxTWWNpzzA-rn2n1P6XY9ZC20ErGb-Hu3PpN4pP1Yn3L13AYTX6FZLjhj0OKIxznEUjQQpxkFTSdzO69cIZ6aH0fR0B3i3KjJcmS7ecNigKPqRmr9yPw3XnWeUlrmmQUNgajo/s1600/PIZZA-PARTY-VOTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs0a4KbFxTWWNpzzA-rn2n1P6XY9ZC20ErGb-Hu3PpN4pP1Yn3L13AYTX6FZLjhj0OKIxznEUjQQpxkFTSdzO69cIZ6aH0fR0B3i3KjJcmS7ecNigKPqRmr9yPw3XnWeUlrmmQUNgajo/s320/PIZZA-PARTY-VOTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the option for "No party"?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Republican A and Republican B both shout: <i>"I vote pepperoni! Also, everyone should pay the same percentage for the pizza, regardless of income. If my vote wins, everyone has to eat my pizza choice whether or not they want to. We'll force it down their throats!"</i><br />
<br />
Democrat: <i>"I vote vegan pizza! Also, the richest people at the party should pay for everybody's pizza. If my vote wins, everyone has to eat my pizza choice whether or not they want to. We'll force it down their throats!"</i><br />
<br />
Anarchist: <i>"I don't want to participate in this block party, and I don't want pizza. So I'm not participating in this vote. Why don't we all just order what we want, pay for our own food, and share what we can with anybody who can't afford to get anything?"</i><br />
<br />
Host: *Orders pepperoni pizza*<br />
<br />
Republican A and Republican B: <i>"Yeah, that's right! We won! Now everybody eats pepperoni because it's the best! Pay up, bitches!"</i><br />
<br />
Democrat: <i>"I can't believe that I lost. Pepperoni and cheese are so bad for you and immoral on so many levels. I only like to eat vegan pizza. This pizza is not legitimate. How can you force me to eat it? Why am I being forced to pay for it?"</i><br />
<br />
Anarchist: <i>"Why did you guys order a pizza anyways? Since nobody could agree on the best kind of pizza, and some didn't want pizza at all... Not only am I being forced to participate in the block party in the first place, but I am being forced to eat pizza that I didn't want. Now I am being forced to pay for it? Hey Republicans, how is it ok to force me to pay for and eat your pizza choice because you won a vote that I didn't participate in? Hey Democrats, how would the pizza choice, and forcing me to eat and pay for it, be legitimate if you won?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-1314329309260298302014-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:002016-11-04T21:29:42.621-07:00Killing Small BusinessI love to support small businesses. I do it whenever I can. When shopping online I always look for specialty shops, check ebay, or Amazon looking for merchandise being sold by small internet retailers. I tend to go to my local card shop for Magic: The Gathering cards instead of buying from one of the giant department stores.<br />
<br />
In fact, I hear the same all the time, from just about everyone. I have a hard time remembering any time anyone has ever told me that they do not like to support small businesses, or at least, believe that small businesses should be given a fair chance in the market.<br />
<br />
What boggles me is that so many people want small business to have a fair chance and/or want big business to fail, yet these same people support government intervention in the market that hurts small business and, by extension, helps big business.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitp7ycp3p0vSeIXjTWhxjcYw9NYRCmOrED5cjnS5gTkiUPjzpjjeVyF1uJ89MuzzolMX6bEccQxKobI931LjzI0fGbZy7MoLnKn3zQLR5mjsA1vaysbH9rdUY74FH1A5IYL61p39lw6aM/s1600/raise-min-wage-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitp7ycp3p0vSeIXjTWhxjcYw9NYRCmOrED5cjnS5gTkiUPjzpjjeVyF1uJ89MuzzolMX6bEccQxKobI931LjzI0fGbZy7MoLnKn3zQLR5mjsA1vaysbH9rdUY74FH1A5IYL61p39lw6aM/s320/raise-min-wage-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, not all of us...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Most might support a minimum wage, or even raising the one we have in place now, because it makes the super rich pay higher wages to the super poor. People need to be able to live off of what they earn. That must be a good thing, right?<br />
<br />
You see, a retail giant like Walmart, can handle a jump in government mandated minimum wage. Cut some hours here or there, raise a few prices by a few pennies, even terminating a high paid employee or five does the trick.<br />
<br />
But, a small business owner cannot handle forced changes to their payroll. Generally speaking, a "mom & pop shop" is that family's only source of income. A small business with only a few employees makes just enough for the owners to live comfortably, if they're lucky. A locally owned retail store with twenty employees is in the same boat, though the owner may be a little better off financially, they're still not easily able to handle a change like that being forced on them. For these stores, any price changes that they make are significant, because they have to be. Instead of raising a few items in their store by a few mostly unnoticeable pennies, they need to raise all of their items, much more noticeably. Losing one employee hurts a business like this significantly.<br />
<br />
Minimum wage is actually really bad for the economy, especially for the middle and lower classes. Check out <a href="http://trockisworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/minimum-wage-has-to-go.html" target="_blank">this post</a> for more on that.<br />
<br />
What about the other types of regulations put on businesses?<br />
Licensing is required<br />
Permits must be obtained<br />
Codes must be followed<br />
Taxes must be paid<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcI_9tmbQFTJp4pKec3nH_sAa7LaKgZWOqwmMlXiWSvWt5vvi4zjwsB0E9MwNVQg4VHj37kkNrqNahvUE7HJXrvomUtbmYCTaM_o8hBJUMa6Ru9Z2bGRDFIv-8lMbcigsZR5LfdQZDtg/s1600/RED-TAPE-390x285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcI_9tmbQFTJp4pKec3nH_sAa7LaKgZWOqwmMlXiWSvWt5vvi4zjwsB0E9MwNVQg4VHj37kkNrqNahvUE7HJXrvomUtbmYCTaM_o8hBJUMa6Ru9Z2bGRDFIv-8lMbcigsZR5LfdQZDtg/s320/RED-TAPE-390x285.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Government is a red tape factory. You pay them to wrap red tape around everything.<br />
Walmart has a building full of people whose only job is cutting red tape, <br />
but they get just as much tape as your local business owner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Who is responsible for these regulations? The city, the county, the state, the feds. Sometimes you, as a business owner, are required to pay all 4 of them for the same thing. But you are always responsible for knowing which regulations to follow and who to pay for something that your business could run just fine without. This all adds up to massive overhead, cuts in expected profit, and a serious headache. For a guy who works hard at keeping his small business afloat, finding out that he is being fined $10,000 when he only brings home $65,000 is a life changing event. For a big business, finding out that you were fined $10,000 when your personal income is in the millions, not that big of a deal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tTmWhL0ILDeaZLpOV2xb7o08RUUQtw7Wf9RjAUBBWAEz08K39hDMDNbAvVjmLbqivASa4t664gm9xFSzodUcwGmy5da9xYEYIW7bhYxFHiijAa5NrXhTcxlyebsI68a_U-C68oxG-W8/s1600/fence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tTmWhL0ILDeaZLpOV2xb7o08RUUQtw7Wf9RjAUBBWAEz08K39hDMDNbAvVjmLbqivASa4t664gm9xFSzodUcwGmy5da9xYEYIW7bhYxFHiijAa5NrXhTcxlyebsI68a_U-C68oxG-W8/s320/fence.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not about choosing the right order to "regulate" things. <br />
It's about realizing that government is the fence.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div>
If we want a booming economy, where everyone gains wealth, we need a market that is fair for everyone. The only way to have a fair market, is to remove government "regulation" completely. No minimum wage, no codes, permits, or licensing. Get rid of it all. Then, and only then, will we live in a place full of opportunity for all.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's the way I see it.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-78616336733537147162013-11-24T22:11:00.000-08:002013-11-24T22:11:11.663-08:00Why Everyone Should Want AnarchyWhat is your political position? How many people do you know who share your views, <b>exactly</b>?<br />
<br />
Although you may find small groups of people who share you political ideology exactly, you are much more likely to meet people in your day to day life who differ from you in some way. This is true even if you meet people who hold very similar beliefs. Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists... we have all experienced it.<br />
<br />
Imagine six people get stranded on an island and want to form a government.<br />
<br />
Joe is a libertarian.<br />
Gary is a communist.<br />
Stacie is a conservative.<br />
Jay is a liberal.<br />
Louis is a monarchist.<br />
Felicia is a constitutionalist.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybbq3m6azN_NT7h35RHi7YAVz1zYcKRTHR9ZFoLF05zzHualzqchrmfbpti4F2OHJsXbyUzM9OeqZF0LxvQ1xAJQr5sPOLIY198iTvfS-MMZTGH0j6tjrb331iQ37KGRzt2JUODONh5g/s1600/030310gilligan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybbq3m6azN_NT7h35RHi7YAVz1zYcKRTHR9ZFoLF05zzHualzqchrmfbpti4F2OHJsXbyUzM9OeqZF0LxvQ1xAJQr5sPOLIY198iTvfS-MMZTGH0j6tjrb331iQ37KGRzt2JUODONh5g/s320/030310gilligan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First thing we need to do is figure out who is going to build the roads!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is impossible to create a government that would make all of the above people happy. It just can't be done.<br />
<br />
Now imagine that each person listed above is representing a large group of people. Instead of six people on the island it's actually six thousand.<br />
<br />
Democracy is not the answer here. With a democracy <i>(or democratic republic)</i>, even the group that "wins" <i>(the largest group) </i>still loses, since they will never truly have the government they want. They will be forced to compromise with the other groups. And even if they did get the government they wanted, at the expense of all of the other groups, there will always be disagreements within that group. Small subsections of the group who agree on certain points that the group settles on, but disagree on many others. This is evident in the amount of bickering that can occur when you put a group of people together who all consider themselves part of the same political "party".<br />
<br />
Now imagine that, instead of putting it to a vote, something else happens.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIf13LA5uUnZxx1an6V2Xc27mA7xZWvtjO0OOK4hiMzbS-3tZQhcSKtyNk9qCfsOrhfSdWHUeL491lcj_tq0297NDNykKTbMjBrKLONJ83xrfptht19ctkYE3gZZ3t37ohKOld6vCB14/s1600/agree-to-disagree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIf13LA5uUnZxx1an6V2Xc27mA7xZWvtjO0OOK4hiMzbS-3tZQhcSKtyNk9qCfsOrhfSdWHUeL491lcj_tq0297NDNykKTbMjBrKLONJ83xrfptht19ctkYE3gZZ3t37ohKOld6vCB14/s320/agree-to-disagree.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not every argument can be won. Let's agree to disagree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The libertarians created their own libertarian government just for them, then the communists created one just for them, then the conservatives created one just for them, and so on. If at any time, you decide you don't agree with any of the rules, regulations, ideas, etc... of a group that you have joined you can feel free to step away. Join with another group, or no group at all, or start your own group. You have the freedom to do so. Nobody is forcing you to be part of their group. It's anarchy!<br />
<br />
What matters in that last scenario is that everyone on the island gets to be happy with the government (or lack of government) that they have. Nobody is forced to live under the rule of a government that they disagree with. Everybody is as free <i>(or unfree)</i> as they want to be.<br />
<br />
You want to live in a commune? Go for it. Pure democracy your thing? There's a group over there that likes that. You consider yourself libertarian, but you want to be part of that one libertarian group that gets free toilet paper. That works, too. You don't want to be part of a group? Sure thing. Do as you like, but know that if you use force, fraud, or coercion to violate another persons rights then there will be consequences, since most people do have groups that back them up, and the ones that don't, probably have the resources to hire a group that will.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMliZrAWjSYPzgxXGjAFweGJ5g8cDQeuw5JPy7jQhGoO9lmuR12Whdl2pByDc4BhQAfzcEzJynTfJcwq60Gtq2yH6JSK8a0FHqdOmWOnx6IJf-yhc39c9wnwH23jBqtgjMVwSq8WzomsE/s1600/Master+Blaster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMliZrAWjSYPzgxXGjAFweGJ5g8cDQeuw5JPy7jQhGoO9lmuR12Whdl2pByDc4BhQAfzcEzJynTfJcwq60Gtq2yH6JSK8a0FHqdOmWOnx6IJf-yhc39c9wnwH23jBqtgjMVwSq8WzomsE/s320/Master+Blaster.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I heard there is a group that does cage matches with this guy when you <br />get caught watering your lawn on Tuesday before 3 p.m. <br />Nobody wants to join that group for some reason...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Only with anarchy can everyone live with the government of their choice without having to use force, fraud, or coercion on others to get it. Imagine that. <u>Voluntarily</u> choosing the government that is right for you, while simultaneously allowing others to do the same.<br />
<br />
Would some people get hurt? Absolutely. In this scenario there is room for mistakes. I think living in a communist or socialist society is a terrible idea, and that anybody who lives that way is making a huge mistake. But that's ok. I'd rather we be free to make mistakes than not. I just wish others felt the same way.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-84968052629187492262013-03-19T13:57:00.000-07:002013-03-20T18:49:04.082-07:00Let's Play a Game!<br />
We all love games, right? Whether you're an organized sports fan, a board game geek, a video game crazy, or even if you just love to do a crossword puzzle every once in a while, everybody loves a good game.<br />
<br />
But what makes a game <i>good</i>? The game has to be <i>fair</i>. It doesn't matter if it is a game of skill or luck (or both), the game has to have rules in place that make it fair for all players. <i>You have to have some chance at winning</i>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDzkbEAlvbjhSx1UArm2Ae6SQN_Hh8HSimMBknDWy3PJuQrOIVSOn92EB2z9ND9GdmqvPcK4DWxDt_Qs9PpSV-JJIPTOHh8yB4bad0_-e9M4jLDiImhO9M2RWRxx5glwPxkFWrbVtUbc/s1600/trivialpursuitimage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDzkbEAlvbjhSx1UArm2Ae6SQN_Hh8HSimMBknDWy3PJuQrOIVSOn92EB2z9ND9GdmqvPcK4DWxDt_Qs9PpSV-JJIPTOHh8yB4bad0_-e9M4jLDiImhO9M2RWRxx5glwPxkFWrbVtUbc/s320/trivialpursuitimage1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wouldn't expect to win a game of Trivial Pursuit against Google.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Politics is a game. The object of the game is to get law makers in play who will create laws you like, and/or get rid of laws you don't. The rules are simple. Just vote for the guy you want to win.<br />
<br />
Everybody who plays gets together and votes for law makers. But what about the few who don't want law makers at all? There isn't an option to not have a law maker, so we lose every time. The rules state that you have to pick a law maker. That sounds like a rigged game.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqUTuAVXihw9acoVPt4QHQknCRDd0bYnW-Sr0IYGRA-cLXgCOl-gCQxGUB-WMjbFAY1y2v-3hHK0lHqLN5seAVtHks7792ns3ypeonvJUQeyf0heaqPLgJBDmNNWQx2zwlPQWqqW_8Cg/s1600/1008151_coin_flip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqUTuAVXihw9acoVPt4QHQknCRDd0bYnW-Sr0IYGRA-cLXgCOl-gCQxGUB-WMjbFAY1y2v-3hHK0lHqLN5seAVtHks7792ns3ypeonvJUQeyf0heaqPLgJBDmNNWQx2zwlPQWqqW_8Cg/s320/1008151_coin_flip.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heads I take 10 dollars out of your wallet, Tails you give me 10 dollars out of your wallet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, you can choose not to play the game of politics <i>(as I have)</i>, but that still doesn't change the fact that the players <i>(voters)</i> are constantly playing the game. This is something I normally wouldn't have an issue with. Live and let live. But... the nature of the game that they play is such that <b>it uses force on those who don't participate. </b><br />
<br />
Think about that...<br />
<br />
Imagine getting a phone call from your next door neighbor.<br />
<br />
"Hey buddy, the whole neighborhood is coming over and we're about to have a vote between Chris and Ron. Chris wants a 50% share of your car but promises only to use it for charity work, Ron only wants a 20% share of your car to make deliveries for his new business."<br />
"Very funny, Bob. I'm not sharing my car."<br />
"Sorry, but you don't have a choice. Don't worry though, you can come over and vote too. If Ron wins you only have to share 20% of your car..."<br />
"I'm hanging up now, Bob."<br />
<click><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7dZDH033gFcBtppUZElvVhNj3fZ9mUeUWFBD4OTF3cnrsV2G7zC2HYaWeSyWVHLAUyZeKNxY9DfIx8cgVKkcrFFu_lGYvc81CGZBLFu-UF5_Mp-y_U8uutvuYdZIKAx9UkkQy43nwA0/s1600/FerrisBueller_051Pyxurz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7dZDH033gFcBtppUZElvVhNj3fZ9mUeUWFBD4OTF3cnrsV2G7zC2HYaWeSyWVHLAUyZeKNxY9DfIx8cgVKkcrFFu_lGYvc81CGZBLFu-UF5_Mp-y_U8uutvuYdZIKAx9UkkQy43nwA0/s320/FerrisBueller_051Pyxurz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pardon my French, but you're an asshole."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two days later, Chris, the winner of the vote, shows up at your house demanding keys to your car so that he can drive to a homeless shelter to volunteer for the afternoon. He won the vote, and believes that he is now entitled to a 50% share of your car. When you refuse <i>(I know I would)</i>, he comes back with cops who now <b>demand</b> you give up the keys, or they will kidnap you at gunpoint, lock you up with murderers and rapists, and give your car to Chris permanently.<br />
<br />
Don't try to plea to the neighbors for help either. Chris has made sure that you've already been branded as the evil selfish guy down the street who doesn't care about the homeless.<br />
<br />
I won't play the unfair game, because I see it for what it is. I lose no matter the outcome. The day needs to come when more people see it as I do, and stop voting to take away other people's freedoms and property.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-50307701579327608952013-01-24T22:11:00.004-08:002016-11-10T10:50:42.916-08:00Gambling with Freedom<br />
When you vote in an election you're not just choosing who you want to lead, or who gets to write laws. You're taking part in a system that may or may not get you the freedom or benefits that you want.<br />
<br />
You are, in effect, actually gambling with your freedom. That's what democracy really is... a gamble. You're rolling the dice, flipping the coin, spinning the wheel, all in the hopes it will fall in your favor. I don't know about you, but I dislike gambling with anything of any real value, and my freedom is very valuable to me.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBsevnl0tPA4PxgPhnek7JEMT3sEZ41E6e6cPsVvVL0cpNl9rEhxQolq-WQA16sGiId6Pq0MsVtsa7e7y1EBOhMt2BAQj1Omw1VIiCtNxMvzW-E1yHYkvsxDm1nsylJ9gvpm0QcgeXjc/s1600/casino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBsevnl0tPA4PxgPhnek7JEMT3sEZ41E6e6cPsVvVL0cpNl9rEhxQolq-WQA16sGiId6Pq0MsVtsa7e7y1EBOhMt2BAQj1Omw1VIiCtNxMvzW-E1yHYkvsxDm1nsylJ9gvpm0QcgeXjc/s320/casino.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many freedom chips did you lose at the voting booth?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Think about it. You have<i> no idea</i> what the outcome will be! Sure, you voted for the guy or gal that you thought was best suited to be a leader. But too bad, so sad, 51% of the people playing the same game thought that there was somebody better suited for the job. What happens when the one that was picked goes against everything you stand for? Oh well. Maybe next time. Where is the logic in this?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
What other extremely important and valuable things do you gamble with like this? When buying a house or a car do you pick what you want based on specific criteria that is important to you, or do you spin a wheel and hope you get what you want?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35QbmN9xc5sFGDpLIvwfjuZQCts9SZcmRghaNdNwPxbRsCNirsC4ZGtzy96fWuED-0gEg3gwrG8zGjB-xJ7YsD-okustdhwEbKA4PHVHJY5TGGtdd2sFr5EudkBPeXmY8WtzflALQWKI/s1600/gambling-problem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35QbmN9xc5sFGDpLIvwfjuZQCts9SZcmRghaNdNwPxbRsCNirsC4ZGtzy96fWuED-0gEg3gwrG8zGjB-xJ7YsD-okustdhwEbKA4PHVHJY5TGGtdd2sFr5EudkBPeXmY8WtzflALQWKI/s1600/gambling-problem.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nah... it's cool. My candidate won.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I just don't get it. Here are your options:<br />
<br />
<b>1) Choose your own leaders (or lack of).</b><br />
With this option you get what you ask for, nothing more. It is a voluntary agreement, between you and said leader. Anytime you decide you no longer want to follow, you back out of the agreement.<br />
<br />
<b>2) Pick a leader from a hat.</b><br />
With this option, you may end up with someone else's leader of choice. This is involuntary, of course. If you decide you do not like the way this person leads there is no real recourse. You're stuck with them until the next lottery.<br />
<br />
Isn't this a no-brainer?<br />
<br />
Please, don't get me wrong. You have every right to gamble away your freedom, just like you have every right to gamble away your paycheck. My issue is that <i>I did not give you the privilege of gambling away mine</i>. And that's what really irks me the most. People don't just like gambling with their freedom. They like to think that, because they lost, you lost too. How would you feel if your bank account was empty tomorrow because I gambled your money away and lost. You'd be furious! How the hell did I get access to your bank account? Who do I think I am gambling away your money?! This is basically how I feel when people participate in elections to choose a leader for me. You're gambling with my freedom, and I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq4ZKWv-e5FoJsP2laRwS81ojc0FMj0w8JwiprJK4Ea_s0GYk_0OH7ISafKHbIFt6n4p2Ly98_VVLPmlXOan3mj2j6a_VOGVw2GsxqBJpC5XnwnDPM9I1q7OAFcD5XonCTA0NaEAPMCE/s1600/Stop-Gambling1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq4ZKWv-e5FoJsP2laRwS81ojc0FMj0w8JwiprJK4Ea_s0GYk_0OH7ISafKHbIFt6n4p2Ly98_VVLPmlXOan3mj2j6a_VOGVw2GsxqBJpC5XnwnDPM9I1q7OAFcD5XonCTA0NaEAPMCE/s320/Stop-Gambling1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, please. It's not just your life you will ruin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I would like nothing more than to live in a society that truly understands how unacceptable it is to gamble with someone else's freedom. Give me a world where each individual is responsible for their own actions, their own choices, including the leaders they choose for themselves. Only then will we truly be free.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-64322083160972912032012-12-16T11:16:00.000-08:002012-12-16T11:28:06.174-08:00I Just Wanted to Buy Beer.<br />
I consider myself a beer connoisseur. Some would even say I'm a beer snob.<br />
<br />
I went to the liquor store today to buy beer and they were closed. So I went to the other liquor store to buy beer and they were closed too. I finally went to the gas station where I know they sell beer and asked the lady there...<br />
<br />
<i>"Can you sell me beer?"</i><br />
<i>"Not until <looks at the clock>... well, right now actually."</i><br />
<i>"Wait, so if I walked in here 5 minutes ago you couldn't sell it to me?"</i><br />
<i>"Right. It's stupid, I know. But it's the law."</i><br />
<i>"Is that why the liquor stores are all closed?"</i><br />
<i>"Right. They're not allowed to open today."</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KL3Vw4S1ck2YQdTtDZeBEG0u6cnJI1rDkfNY2Z-NmObVR7fgRdikhKduVqdfKYiVX3KI51YDHD2a5FyKSaXe4X818ptdPOWD_8GBWHnWK9SN-nyp2YyOdGyMGiLjLxCN_OBV-W-vaX8/s1600/sorry-its-the-law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KL3Vw4S1ck2YQdTtDZeBEG0u6cnJI1rDkfNY2Z-NmObVR7fgRdikhKduVqdfKYiVX3KI51YDHD2a5FyKSaXe4X818ptdPOWD_8GBWHnWK9SN-nyp2YyOdGyMGiLjLxCN_OBV-W-vaX8/s200/sorry-its-the-law.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd love to take your money in a voluntary, mutually beneficial<br />
transaction that doesn't harm anyone, but I can't.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I found out that there is a similar law that says liquor stores cannot sell beer that is below 6.7% abv. For that, I have to go to grocery stores or gas stations. And grocery stores and gas stations are not allowed to sell beer that is over 6.7% abv. The result? Any beer worth a damn that is below that 6.7% abv is absolutely unobtainable here, since grocery stores and gas stations carry Budweiser or Miller products almost exclusively.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUxz05W1IRnhXfq6FV3KbxKtB65pf1Miq9fHLYh1lnNIUhB6uDx_E51zjUzJFKoIYyOCcK0HE56Tp0kCYyaneYyG58Z8e2wGjaYI_8U_X2LFqr0BWQRGFP3g5viXzb6C71SaOhkqb-oU/s1600/oharas-irish-red-e1332037992359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUxz05W1IRnhXfq6FV3KbxKtB65pf1Miq9fHLYh1lnNIUhB6uDx_E51zjUzJFKoIYyOCcK0HE56Tp0kCYyaneYyG58Z8e2wGjaYI_8U_X2LFqr0BWQRGFP3g5viXzb6C71SaOhkqb-oU/s320/oharas-irish-red-e1332037992359.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.carlowbrewing.com/beer_detail.php?Pid=24" target="_blank">I miss you so much!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What the hell is going on here? If you've read my blog before you already know (or suspect) that I do not think we need laws at all. But with most laws there is, at least, some poor misguided claim that it somehow protects the rights of one person or another. What right is supposedly protected by this law? None.<br />
<br />
It just doesn't make any sense to me. You would be hard pressed to find anyone at all who feels as if this law is a good one. If so many people disagree with this law, why do people let it slide? You can find hundreds of similar laws just like this. Some "law maker" decides that something should be forbidden, or mandated, and even though almost nobody agrees, most people still comply with the "law".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This isn't just about beer, either. Government interference ruins more stuff than most of us could imagine. They have their noses in everything, and they're making it worse at every turn. And they're using your money to fund it. We would be driving better cars, taking better showers, eating better food, and drinking better beer, and all of it for a lower cost then we do now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2b1eP7K_xva4y6VLL8UmpGC7H8_mQ5mfA3dmKMSMfcnPMGGKZwfPkfS8_jDA9V4n5KtItrYCcHlCkbh69WVSn7QjVaAxNYNaLcH50VjzhEt3TFVGhkaFl3v9B5novPpvq9ijSzYxE1A/s1600/Head-Shrug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2b1eP7K_xva4y6VLL8UmpGC7H8_mQ5mfA3dmKMSMfcnPMGGKZwfPkfS8_jDA9V4n5KtItrYCcHlCkbh69WVSn7QjVaAxNYNaLcH50VjzhEt3TFVGhkaFl3v9B5novPpvq9ijSzYxE1A/s320/Head-Shrug.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But what could I do? I have no choice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Get rid of government, and you get rid of government interference in the marketplace. Do that, and find out how easy it is to find the beer you want.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-69388011885777772462012-11-07T00:12:00.000-08:002016-11-09T06:17:01.631-08:00Did You Vote?Yesterday was the day!<br />
<br />
"Everyone get out there and vote!" was being pushed at us from every direction. Celebrities, Facebook, Google and more were pushing us to get out there and cast our ballot. Often this slogan or line was pushed with a picture of one or both candidates in the background.<br />
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The thing is...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3He_A43zJFK6ELjTGcokzaNgGgexx4WN_LKzhyonFOP7wWD6lPmH2904j6awDPd7Nnzwf45pwBGMShVz9unRMZp5AMNiD_QKxNgGt984uYY-cOpzBVPcG5XfU3ED50xtoXCacaf8AlU/s1600/GTY_trump_clinton_jef_150617_16x9_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3He_A43zJFK6ELjTGcokzaNgGgexx4WN_LKzhyonFOP7wWD6lPmH2904j6awDPd7Nnzwf45pwBGMShVz9unRMZp5AMNiD_QKxNgGt984uYY-cOpzBVPcG5XfU3ED50xtoXCacaf8AlU/s320/GTY_trump_clinton_jef_150617_16x9_992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick one of these two!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
About half of the voters were telling you that a vote for Trump was a bad idea, because he will ruin the country. At the same time, about half of the voters were telling you that a vote for Clinton was bad idea, because she will ruin the country.<br />
<br />
For once, I agree with all voters. Not half of them, all of them. I believe that both halves of the voters were right. No matter which of those guys you voted for, you voted for the wrong guy.<br />
<br />
"But my guy is the lesser of two evils!"<br />
<br />
I'm sorry... Did you just admit to voting for ... evil? Wow.<br />
<br />
The worst part of this, of course, is that you voted knowing that if you won, you were actually forcing more than half of the country (if you count the voters who voted for the other guy, and those who didn't vote at all) to live with a president that they didn't want. They screamed "That person will ruin us!" and you laughed in their faces like it was a sports game and your team scored a touchdown or a grand slam. I don't care if your guy won or your guy lost. That doesn't matter. In these elections we all lose. You should be ashamed.<br />
<br />
Unless of course, like me, you chose not to vote.<br />
<br />
I don't believe I have the right to force my will upon others, through "election" or any other way.<br />
<br />
You see "I'll lower taxes!" - I see "I will steal less!"<br />
They're still stealing.<br />
<br />
You see "I'll create jobs!" - I see "I'll get government even more involved in the market, destroying small businesses and forcing business owners to find jobs working for large corporations!"<br />
They're destroying small businesses.<br />
<br />
You see "I will end the war soon!" - I see "I will only kill those people until I find other people to kill!"<br />
Still murder.<br />
<br />
You see "I will make a law that says you can marry anybody you like!" - I see "You can't marry anybody unless I say it is ok first!"<br />
Still government getting involved in the most personal aspect of our lives.<br />
<br />
I have no right to steal, so I don't vote for someone who will steal. I have no right to kill, so I do not vote for someone who will kill. I have no right to tell you who you can or cannot marry, so I will not vote for someone who thinks you have to ask for permission. I have no right to get involved in how small business owners run their business, so I won't vote for someone who will "regulate" them into oblivion.<br />
<br />
I can't help it if you choose to use elections as a way to passively force your will on others through "government". I'll have no part in it.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-20661618624598209452012-10-21T04:33:00.000-07:002012-10-21T04:33:55.188-07:00Dems and Reps Rule the Political Arena<br />
Democrats and Republicans rule the political arena in America. No secret, right? Democrats and Republicans are murderers and thieves <i>(I'd love to hear from you if you disagree with that fact)</i>, and it's your fault that they're still at the top of the political food chain.<br />
<br />
It's clear that those who vote Democrat or Republican in the elections are major contributors to the seemingly neverending rule of these two parties. But I would like you to consider that there is another problem, and if you do not vote for the two major parties then YOU are that problem, just as I am.<br />
<br />
I'm talking now to anyone who likes to call themselves libertarian, voluntaryist, anarchist, minarchist, sovereign, constitutionalist, tea party, etc... because it is people who belong to these political philosophies that have refused to band together and out the bad guys. We have quarreled over petty differences for long enough while the "demons run amok".<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshKiXO5_kpj_OIVkghn8Pg1Gq9csLzGVchsY-D8qU7SVy9WbzB3g_gIee4C7bAq_b91P9LU983cEtnRKxbTaqGb9O1iNvrcTQyfi-MitIbhy_qAdip3nRmU-C2w-TltTci_KCbKrtyhc/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshKiXO5_kpj_OIVkghn8Pg1Gq9csLzGVchsY-D8qU7SVy9WbzB3g_gIee4C7bAq_b91P9LU983cEtnRKxbTaqGb9O1iNvrcTQyfi-MitIbhy_qAdip3nRmU-C2w-TltTci_KCbKrtyhc/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Hicks warned us about those demons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"We need to follow the constitution!"<br />
"We only need federal government for armies!"<br />
"We only need government to fund schools!"<br />
"We need to rid ourselves of government!"<br />
"We need to reduce the size of government!"<br />
"We need a voluntary government!"<br />
"We need to write in Ron Paul!"<br />
"We need to vote Gary Johnson!"<br />
"We need to not vote!"<br />
"We need to vote for Romney/Obama because he's better than Obama/Romney!"<br />
<br />
I'm sick of hearing it. What we need to do is come together, and realize that our differences, as much as they do mean to us, mean nothing when our country is under the political control of the Democrats and Republicans. These two parties do not care about us. They don't care about you. They don't care about me. They don't care about our philosophical differences, because it is thanks to our inability to settle those differences that we have absolutely no impact on them or their policies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUcXq_rTcZB9yyMZ0eyDbMzNeJtQiwDmdzpIMQBZ3QwHljDttxDdqYnndJn8h78vEoYSDSCDZf_thipoUxUOLKkb1nmb6U2dCbwoSNTBHKBjBYdJ-Be-9mWifEY5CuZy_QAInJYEb94M/s1600/george-carlin-sooner-or-later-the-people-of-this-country-are-going-to-find-out-the-government-doesnt-give-a-fuck-about-them-government-doesnt-care-about-you-all-they-are-interested-in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUcXq_rTcZB9yyMZ0eyDbMzNeJtQiwDmdzpIMQBZ3QwHljDttxDdqYnndJn8h78vEoYSDSCDZf_thipoUxUOLKkb1nmb6U2dCbwoSNTBHKBjBYdJ-Be-9mWifEY5CuZy_QAInJYEb94M/s320/george-carlin-sooner-or-later-the-people-of-this-country-are-going-to-find-out-the-government-doesnt-give-a-fuck-about-them-government-doesnt-care-about-you-all-they-are-interested-in.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sure, the people who vote for Democrats and Republicans are to blame, but not as much as we are. We are the ones who see through the bullshit. We are the ones who once were blind but now see. We are the ones who are awake. We are the ones who haven't figured out how to work together and stop this from happening time and time again.<br />
<br />
<br />
We are the ones who can't keep supporting this system. We just can't. Ron Paul insists that the system in its current state is going to bankrupt our country, I disagree. It's not going to bankrupt us... It's going to kill us. You and I, and everyone we care about. It's going to kill people you've never met, people in other countries <i>(does that somehow make it ok?)</i>. More people than you can imagine. Gone. Dead.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-87433767332919569802012-09-15T03:15:00.001-07:002012-09-15T03:37:06.194-07:00Welcome to Freedomville!<br />
It finally happened! Alien visitors from another planet finally arrived on earth. And they landed in Freedomville. Below is a transcript of the alien's first conversation with the farmer whose back yard he landed in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nxpJGGsLNyjoO3j3fazF60Y8GfYTIJQ-ZEh2rooV_zXEGDsV1MLoqXxOMZfeDPW7EeqUWEuIEJo8F9A1hx-ZXjgKn7lpy1VlxsDl3jvBp_NRK2bO3_R1nulcZgaJCEHcgF_6G51TIxA/s1600/galaxy_quest_movie_image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nxpJGGsLNyjoO3j3fazF60Y8GfYTIJQ-ZEh2rooV_zXEGDsV1MLoqXxOMZfeDPW7EeqUWEuIEJo8F9A1hx-ZXjgKn7lpy1VlxsDl3jvBp_NRK2bO3_R1nulcZgaJCEHcgF_6G51TIxA/s320/galaxy_quest_movie_image3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We come in peace!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>"Welcome to Freedomville, the best place in the world!"</b><br />
<br />
<i> "Why do you call this place Freedomville?"</i><br />
<br />
<b>"Because, unlike some places you could live, we actually have elections where we choose which group rules over our territory!"</b><br />
<br />
<i> "I don't get it, what do you need these groups for?"</i><br />
<br />
<b>"Well, you see, the <span style="color: lime;">green</span> group likes to determine how much they steal from people by tracking how much money they earn, then they like to tell you how you are allowed to spend what money they let you keep. Also, when they get into fights with groups in other places that are really far away, they like to use tanks that sometimes run over old ladies in the streets! Stupid <span style="color: lime;">greens</span>."</b><br />
<br />
<i> "That's terrible! Why would anyone vote for them?"</i><br />
<br />
<b>"That's what I keep saying! Smart folks like me always vote for the<span style="color: purple;"> purple </span>group. You see the <span style="color: purple;">purple</span> group likes to determine how much they steal from people by tracking how much they spend, and they like to tell you how you're allowed to earn your money. Also when they start fights with people that are really far away they like to attack them with planes that drop bombs on their cities."</b><br />
<br />
<i> "Hmm... That doesn't sound much better. Why not vote for a group that doesn't steal from anyone, doesn't tell people how to spend or earn money, and doesn't start fights with people that live really far away?"</i><br />
<br />
<b>"Hahahahaha! We don't have any groups like that. That would be ridiculous. Besides, if we did that, who would build the roads in Freedomville?"</b><br />
<br />
<i> "Well, the road builders would."</i><br />
<br />
<b>"That's dumbest thing I ever heard! You obviously don't love freedom. You must be one of those stupid<span style="color: lime;"> greens</span>."</b><br />
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And with that, the aliens got back into their ship, and flew away, back into space.<br />
<br />
Although this conversation may not have ever happened, it certainly could.<br />
<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-71065474575592192442012-09-13T16:38:00.001-07:002012-09-13T18:16:26.794-07:00Born in the USA!<br />
If you're born in the USA, you get the US federal government. If you're born in California, you get California's state government. If you're born in Illinois, you get Illinois' state government. If you're born in Chicago, you get Chicago's city government. If you're born in Cook county, you get Cook county's government. If you're born in Hong Kong, you get Hong Kong's government. And so on...<br />
<br />
Why does being born in a certain geographic area automatically place you under the rule of a government elected (or not elected) by other people? Sometimes you get stuck with multiple governments all claiming some kind of power over the land you walk on. Why must you pay taxes to other people or follow laws concocted by other people (sometimes hundreds of years before you were even born), just because of where you were born or where you live? What the hell does geographic area have to do with anything? What if I don't agree?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLmrk-M5d9S8UXb0lr9Mju-iVmo8MKGTZ_3r_AS-estzLadvVLMO6mAs7Xh30SwAppeT3wGFy5PbHy9uVuCJl5YRVseJ47_1G8AEr_EVz_e7cTKPSJqHj6wB3-VqbFM3zPoQmKKaYQ5Q/s1600/129057438967161310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLmrk-M5d9S8UXb0lr9Mju-iVmo8MKGTZ_3r_AS-estzLadvVLMO6mAs7Xh30SwAppeT3wGFy5PbHy9uVuCJl5YRVseJ47_1G8AEr_EVz_e7cTKPSJqHj6wB3-VqbFM3zPoQmKKaYQ5Q/s320/129057438967161310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't even count how many times I've heard this.</td></tr>
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<br />
What if I like where I live, but I don't like the government that was forced over me? Why should I have to change my location to change how or if I'm governed by others? Where could I possibly go where I don't have a government that lays claim based on geographic location? Does nobody else see a problem here?<br />
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It amazes me that people have a generally recognized freedom of religion, or freedom <i>from</i> religion in the United States and elsewhere, but the same can't be said of government. Imagine if being born in the USA meant that you had to be a christian, no choice in the matter. Your religion is chosen for you, because of where you're born. People will recoil at the very thought of this forced religion idea. That is why we have "freedom of religion" in the US, right?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBVDusaMTit-u7N1UFBwvuqguRH49kCpo8X3wBTGFlx70bMF3Y4thOjYYgHmyGFnvTi-m4yNSzbwnmSxU2oevJ9rvdteVVUCghePcwc26t7alG6qzC2cXellnADtEykwQxUPAYymuIE8/s1600/cross+and+flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBVDusaMTit-u7N1UFBwvuqguRH49kCpo8X3wBTGFlx70bMF3Y4thOjYYgHmyGFnvTi-m4yNSzbwnmSxU2oevJ9rvdteVVUCghePcwc26t7alG6qzC2cXellnADtEykwQxUPAYymuIE8/s320/cross+and+flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, you are in America, so you have to be christian.</td></tr>
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Imagine if, like governments, religions had claim over every single geographic region on the planet that was worth living on. What if you don't like the religion where you live? Where does an atheist go? Are they forced to worship some god or another, since everywhere you go there is forced religion?<br />
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I argue that government affects a person's life just as much as religion, if not more. So why is it we don't have freedom of government or freedom<i> from</i> government?<br />
<br />
Think about how the US seceded with the Declaration of Independence. Some people talk about how the states have the right to secede from the federal government. Why does it take a group of people to secede from another group of people? Why can't <u>one</u> person secede from the whole mess?<br />
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It's about time people stop thinking of government as having the privelege of forcing others to obey because of where they are. You want a socialist government? Fine. You pay for it and you get the benefits of it. You want a libertarian government? Sure thing. You pay for it and you benefit from it. Just don't think you have the right to force me to do it just because I live next door to you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrto2CwgNIN6_FRdp34aLHRjsRp93slgyKEBsiSrmxue5WUzFR932Cd7oNfTgK7CAPWx9wzoBE9VNQzDgz_FSOwhZVxheLL7_gf9LbuIaeluL7n8tzT6d5vCLAvjh8hoVVRvRez1J0CE/s1600/obama-crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrto2CwgNIN6_FRdp34aLHRjsRp93slgyKEBsiSrmxue5WUzFR932Cd7oNfTgK7CAPWx9wzoBE9VNQzDgz_FSOwhZVxheLL7_gf9LbuIaeluL7n8tzT6d5vCLAvjh8hoVVRvRez1J0CE/s320/obama-crown.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You want a monarchy? Go ahead.<br />You can have your king or queen, just don't expect me to bow to them.</td></tr>
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<br />
That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-38980022372007959412012-09-10T19:51:00.000-07:002012-12-16T11:30:03.401-08:00Tyrants Love Democracy<br />
If you're reading my blog there's a good chance that you already understand why democracy is a bad thing. If not, please read on, I'll explain a bit. If you disagree, please comment below. Either way, I'd love to hear from you.<br />
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Democracy is majority rule.<br />
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<i>"Imagine if all of life were determined by majority rule. Every meal would be a pizza. Every pair of pants... would be stone-washed denim. Celebrity diet and exercise books would be the only thing on the shelves at the library. And — since women are a majority of the population — we'd all be married to Mel Gibson."</i> - P.J. O'Rourke<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL0wPH0KuHe7uvE4jiW3VUPUzNFubhsF3TQQID6aAYTcAzyGzcoapvVdaeFk3phKUKWgCRm7HN6LijHr1o3339N-XDRPKSdmq8C8PVjIvFEGeDboX8W9tKMRBvROKtM_RviN55yrXM-Q/s1600/84813122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL0wPH0KuHe7uvE4jiW3VUPUzNFubhsF3TQQID6aAYTcAzyGzcoapvVdaeFk3phKUKWgCRm7HN6LijHr1o3339N-XDRPKSdmq8C8PVjIvFEGeDboX8W9tKMRBvROKtM_RviN55yrXM-Q/s320/84813122.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry Mel, I'm taken.</td></tr>
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I think we can all agree with P.J. there. Using democracy to choose which pants we wear or which foods we eat or who we marry is just a ridiculous concept. Why is it ok then, for democracy to play a role in who we go to war with, or who we tax, or what we use those tax dollars for? I argue that it is just as ridiculous.<br />
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The absolute worst part of democracy? That's easy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlj_FG5coCM4ldf_fdFAKRzIVH3tdoeWU4_beK91NQuCqP2AIxQzbtUWjS5NrkNORIqZUJYntvtC1TH09ynZUO8wF_If7hYZSGVLpkDwrZ0UprRsYmSiGcy4bYJV6r1G9_GCZ4Jhkr2g/s1600/george_carlin_main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlj_FG5coCM4ldf_fdFAKRzIVH3tdoeWU4_beK91NQuCqP2AIxQzbtUWjS5NrkNORIqZUJYntvtC1TH09ynZUO8wF_If7hYZSGVLpkDwrZ0UprRsYmSiGcy4bYJV6r1G9_GCZ4Jhkr2g/s320/george_carlin_main.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!</td></tr>
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Think about that. If half the people who vote on something are stupider than the average person, you have to imagine that that end result has a 50% chance of being... stupid. I don't like to gamble at all, and I certainly don't like to gamble on a coin toss.<br />
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Now I know what some of you might say. "America is not a democracy, it's a republic!" While that may be true to a point, we do see democracy in action by people voting for someone who will do things they want. In fact, most Americans think our government is a democracy. Of course, our politicians prefer it that way.<br />
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The idea of a republic is that we vote for "leaders" using a democratic method, and then those leaders pass laws. In a republic, the laws can't be anything that would violate the rights of the governed. In a democracy, there is no such protection. That's the big difference. That's the idea anyhow. Most anyone can agree that it is complete hogwash. Republic or democracy, your rights are in jeapordy. That politician is going to offer to violate your rights to get the vote of your neighbor in a democratic election.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedyQCqFYNchrtj39WAqAlS7I2FBgpyVKnkDNh67CnHWBVQz6lzzTaoHRbmKXTO3RU7xfzm8ANa9ZbX4sNU1KFrEJZA07rgVjLlVSyHK26MpAFU5dtUv2CHZ-cy8zRm3bPEG3Lc6fNQqE/s1600/obamneyjpg-0afc371243b2ad93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedyQCqFYNchrtj39WAqAlS7I2FBgpyVKnkDNh67CnHWBVQz6lzzTaoHRbmKXTO3RU7xfzm8ANa9ZbX4sNU1KFrEJZA07rgVjLlVSyHK26MpAFU5dtUv2CHZ-cy8zRm3bPEG3Lc6fNQqE/s320/obamneyjpg-0afc371243b2ad93.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't matter which tyrant you vote for, you still vote for a tyrant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And that's why tyrants love democracy. They can make laws that violate your rights, and they get away with it. It's all done in the name of "greater good" or the "will of the people" or "democracy". Tyrants can use this collectivist idea to violate the rights of the individual. But really, it's not the politician who is the tyrant, it is the voter that put them in office, the voter who gave them the power to do the things they do.<br />
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-91583935220386382832012-09-04T20:21:00.000-07:002012-09-04T20:21:30.036-07:00Freedom to Grow<div>
Over the past 10 years or so, there has been a big boom in the number of people who want to grown their own food. It makes sense, too. In these rough economic times, people will do anything to save a buck. But it's not just the economy!</div>
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<div>
My family and I follow a diet that is more or less in line with the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com//welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/" target="_blank">primal blueprint</a>. For those who aren't familiar with it, and don't want to click the handy dandy link, it is a diet that requires eating healthy (big surprise, right). And a lot of people are eating this way now. Not this exact plan, but healthy eating, organic foods, local foods, are gaining in popularity. More and more people are realizing that fad diets, are just that, fads. What<i> really</i> counts is eating real food. Unprocessed food. Food that grows in the ground. From the ground to your plate, without a factory in between or man made chemicals getting mixed in. The best part about that? <i>You can grow your own. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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If you have a house, you have the land. It doesn't take much land to grow some fruits and veggies. A tomato plant here, a berry bush there, some carrots over there...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3mTXFSPa0jZEuGhyphenhyphenAtKMdUlkeePkV-m3tEgheTLpLdTb83oSGdqYoffnsgSQ_sxf_xP46l4zHICYJcCHJZNjz2vsnBVBPUJebH7nNhwRZwisSFAkilcaSaU3zLWmu-a96Or-0o4_mKk/s1600/suburban_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3mTXFSPa0jZEuGhyphenhyphenAtKMdUlkeePkV-m3tEgheTLpLdTb83oSGdqYoffnsgSQ_sxf_xP46l4zHICYJcCHJZNjz2vsnBVBPUJebH7nNhwRZwisSFAkilcaSaU3zLWmu-a96Or-0o4_mKk/s320/suburban_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And while you're at it, you might as well make it look better than grass, right?</td></tr>
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<div>
Here's where the problem comes in. Here's where the<i> government</i> comes in.</div>
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<div>
Like this poor lady who decided to turn her front yard into an edible garden. She was <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2012640/Woman-faces-jail-growing-vegetables-yard.html" target="_blank">threatened with jail time and hefty fines</a>. For growing food on her own land? That can't be right... What the hell does the government have against people growing their own food? Nothing she grew was illegal, but apparently the city has gardening laws... Yes, you heard right, gardening laws, to prevent someone from making full use of the land they live on.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now, this actually happened some time ago, and has since blown over, sort of. The city dropped the charges against her, and she was allowed to keep her garden without further threat of fines and/or imprisonment for now. However, the law that was causing all of this trouble has not been changed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The law is an issue, of course. But so is the person who reported her. Somebody decided they didn't like that she had a garden in her front yard and reported her. They couldn't leave her alone. That person is a problem. Just as much as the ridiculous law is the problem. That person just couldn't mind their own business. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPyEAMzU8iZfTe_JxIFuknYBdt_y540I3AO3lcW_D51e8cJFLOhAt67IJWiTCKT7_YMygK13-chEqGISYE70IQYSlevFnxNMWqbe8G5TMke1IRNmMPSJhoWg5uvbUG3XD10fg1kkjQk0/s1600/524552_425949764107198_1519927820_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPyEAMzU8iZfTe_JxIFuknYBdt_y540I3AO3lcW_D51e8cJFLOhAt67IJWiTCKT7_YMygK13-chEqGISYE70IQYSlevFnxNMWqbe8G5TMke1IRNmMPSJhoWg5uvbUG3XD10fg1kkjQk0/s320/524552_425949764107198_1519927820_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now when I start growing food, I'm going to need protection.</td></tr>
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<div>
And that is just someone trying to grow <b>food</b>. Think about what happens when someone tries to grow hemp.</div>
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You know what hemp is, right? It's <a href="http://www.globalhemp.com/1999/01/hemp-agro-faq.html" target="_blank">this plant</a> that is easier to grow than cotton, better for the environment than cotton, better for making clothing than cotton, great for making rope, and a better source of vegan protein than soy could ever hope to be. It's also useful for some other stuff like fuel, medicine, recreation etc... In fact, it's been called "<a href="http://www.green-organic-world.com/hemp-plant.html" target="_blank">a gift to humankind</a>", and is considered by many to be the most versatile plant on the planet. </div>
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When the US was still young, there were actually laws in place requiring that some land owners grow a certain portion of this plant, for the sake of the economy. There are some states that have tried legalizing industrial hemp, but they don't succeed thanks to the federal government. </div>
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<div>
So why would we have laws that keep people from growing these plants in their yard? What harm could come of it? We have laws about what kind of plants you can grow and where you can grow them. It seems to me this is just another one of those crazy laws that the state likes to use to call innocent people criminals. How can we allow crimes with no victims? </div>
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The government has laws against nature. </div>
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<i>"Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit... unnatural?"</i> - Bill Hicks</div>
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Keep in mind that it is perfectly legal for you to purchase processed hemp that was grown in China (they grow more than anyone else), and bring it back here to manufacture products with it. You just can't grow it yourself. </div>
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We need freedom to grow.<i> (there's a double meaning there)</i></div>
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That's the way I see it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-29419282227873330432012-09-02T19:13:00.000-07:002012-09-02T19:13:58.119-07:00The Real Price of GovernmentWhen I bring up the price of government most people consider taxes. Sales tax, property tax, and income tax come to mind, but that's about it. If you know roughly how much you pay in taxes, then you know how much government is costing you. It's a number that can be figured out. It's right in front of you. Pretty simple, right?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
People always think about lowering taxes as one way, some think of it as the only way, to lighten the financial burden of government for the average person. Politicians use this to their advantage. If they can convince you that they will lower taxes more than the other guy, maybe you'll vote for them. Isn't it funny how every single politician ever to run for office has claimed, at one time or another, that they would lower or cut taxes, yet somehow taxes aren't at zero?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhl0gilllfejeAIhaF48nvhZ12Rb0z5Ve75molgAZ4DbsNnW5fpHzZ0GpKmZqjrQkMgBZyBVvPF1to5yMhGtkhKFYrsTKI60-SN7ipl6uEBDThAfM7e8Y-0rpn_6qtsD7_nKiSmrg1t0/s1600/Comparing-tax-rates-for-Obama-Romney-and-you-8V23T08J-x-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhl0gilllfejeAIhaF48nvhZ12Rb0z5Ve75molgAZ4DbsNnW5fpHzZ0GpKmZqjrQkMgBZyBVvPF1to5yMhGtkhKFYrsTKI60-SN7ipl6uEBDThAfM7e8Y-0rpn_6qtsD7_nKiSmrg1t0/s320/Comparing-tax-rates-for-Obama-Romney-and-you-8V23T08J-x-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sure there are voters in both camps who think their candidate will bring lower taxes than the other.</td></tr>
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What voters don't realize is that it is often not the tax that is the biggest cost of government!<br />
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Here's the deal: Austrian economists have been pointing out the<i> hidden costs</i> of government for quite some time now. Unfortunately, the average American is completely blinded and these hidden costs remain hidden. Most Austrian economists will describe inflation as a hidden tax. That's Ron Paul's favorite, I think. There are others, too.<br />
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Think about how much your car cost to purchase when you bought it. Now imagine you could get the same car for half the cost, or maybe twice the car for the same cost. Well you probably could, if it wasn't for government getting in the way.<br />
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At some point some politician (probably one that promised to lower taxes) thought it would be a great idea to force car manufacturers to have a certain safety system. For this example, let's use airbags. So all car manufacturers have to put airbags in their cars because of a government regulation. They are forbidden, by law, to sell a new car without this particular safety feature. But airbags cost money, and that cost is paid by you, the consumer. So now all cars that are sold in the united states have a new safety feature, whether you want it or not, and they all cost more to purchase as a result.<br />
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Of course, it doesn't stop with air bags. There are dozens of government regulations on cars that all cost money, and you pay for each and every one of them anytime you buy a car. Think about the mandatory fuel economy that government forces auto manufacturers to meet. Some people aren't even aware it exists. My new friend <a href="http://ericpetersautos.com/2012/09/01/55-mpg-is-going-to-cost-you/" target="_blank">Eric Peters</a> talks about it in his last blog post. If you like the idea of driving a car with a V8 you might be in for a shock. There is a very good chance you won't be able to afford that car unless you have plenty of money to throw around. In fact, the next time you think of buying a new car you might be very disappointed with the options available.<br />
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Of course, you don't have to buy the car with the V8, you can always opt to purchase a less expensive car. but that's not the point. The point is: Thanks to government, you cannot afford to purchase something you might otherwise be able to purchase. It is a hidden tax on the cost of a premium vehicle. The standard of living is now lowered thanks to government. Instead of everyone who wants to buy one being able to afford a premium vehicle, now only the special elite who can afford to shell out big bucks will be able to do so.<br />
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It doesn't stop with cars, either.<br />
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Another example: Thanks to government regulations via the EPA we're forced to purchase shower heads that shower us with less water than they used to. They actually passed a law regulating the amount of water that is allowed to go through the shower head per minute. Anyone who is as old as I am or older must certainly remember a time when a shower was a wonderful feeling of hot water cascading all over your body. It was a wonderful massage. Nowadays it feels like water dribbling out onto you. Every time I shower I feel like I have left over soap and shampoo on my body and in my hair. What I wouldn't give to have that old shower head back. Sure, I could do it if I had enough money to put together a few shower heads and make a super shower head, but it didn't used to be necessary to do that.<br />
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Again, not exactly a tax, but we pay for government by living a life of lower quality than what we used to live. The cost is in a reduction in standard of living.<br />
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The next time a politician swears that they will lower taxes in order to get your vote, pay attention to the other hidden costs that we all might end up paying. If voters don't start looking for them soon, only the elite super rich will be able to afford to buy new cars or shower more than once a week.<br />
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-19714292833995496732012-09-01T19:22:00.001-07:002012-09-01T19:29:14.552-07:00The Forgotten MinorityMinority rights...<br />
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LGBT rights, Women's rights, African-American rights, 99%, Religious rights, etc...<br />
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Did I miss any? I bet I did. And here's why: When you create groups and assume that those groups have rights you are bound to miss somebody. What happens to the person who isn't part of any of those groups? They get left out of some right that the groups claim they have.<br />
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That is why it is important to realize that each and every individual has the same rights as each and every other individual.<b> No exceptions.</b> I don't care what group you belong to, you only have the rights that all <i>individuals</i> have. That is where equality comes from.<br />
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<i>"Remember also that the smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders of minorities."</i> - Ayn Rand<br />
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That statement by Ayn Rand is so very true and so very important, because so very often are individuals forgotten when minorities are concerned. Advocating "minority rights" can infringe on the rights of the smallest minority, the individual, when people aren't careful. And people are very seldom careful when it comes to getting what they want.<br />
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Quite often, politicians play on this very weakness to infringe on the rights of each and every individual. And it usually goes unnoticed by most, because it is done in the name of "minority rights".<br />
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One very recent example is Barack Obama "coming out" in support of gay marriage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ2sIJ6oh4Cy4-eo94etFdVvJm_yZbEWA66vU28kHA5lrEYd8klFQovV79L4Y_j4T4RoBEXuOtDiZ-72_XlU4u4qacNUJWl09GIRFn6nu7Q4aBFHZLGd6rNzPmrFKUuj03Q2qJrkKwiA/s1600/6a00d8341caaa953ef011571a33186970b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ2sIJ6oh4Cy4-eo94etFdVvJm_yZbEWA66vU28kHA5lrEYd8klFQovV79L4Y_j4T4RoBEXuOtDiZ-72_XlU4u4qacNUJWl09GIRFn6nu7Q4aBFHZLGd6rNzPmrFKUuj03Q2qJrkKwiA/s320/6a00d8341caaa953ef011571a33186970b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh! Was this good for his campaign or what?</td></tr>
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Obama said he supports gay marriage, and the LBGT community along with many who support "LBGT rights" flocked to his campaign.<br />
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But how does this infringe on the rights of the smallest minority? A couple of ways.</div>
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As far as I am concerned, the government has no say in my marriage. My marriage is a voluntary (I love that word) agreement between my wife and I, as<i> individuals</i>. If they made it illegal for me to be married to my wife tomorrow I would still consider myself married to my wife. So who cares what they say? I would much rather the LGBT community give the government the finger when it comes to marriage, insisting it is a right they already had. But instead, they are empowering the government, and helping to encourage government regulation of every individual's marriage.</div>
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Not all, but a huge majority of the LGBT community and its friends now support Obama and each and every one of his policies, no matter how damaging they are to individuals.</div>
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Ask any Obama or Romney supporter, you tend to find they lean towards ignorance of any policies that don't affect a group they belong to, or ignorance of how damaging those policies can be. This is beyond dangerous.<br />
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The real question is: "Why do people think that government can pick and choose what rights we have and/or what group gets them or doesn't?" And that is not a question I am seeing asked much, especially by those who are part of a recognized minority group, or supporters of "minority rights". I think that's a real shame.</div>
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That's the way I see it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-13028973601431561792012-08-28T21:33:00.001-07:002012-08-28T21:33:40.976-07:00Anarchist for Ron PaulThat's right, I'm an Anarchist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsU-NEtSh_PpfKe3Waz12BJ87TYHuPPZxmhPPYMBqRBL9-e1vb7OW2SXdrufEDBNoLiIqquALfXDL4wemiAcH1lBw2X9t3q3B64Mf_Ep7j9rHnvgOse8bSmrBEnYMOeAwOHr4nN5z1LM/s1600/Anarchy+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsU-NEtSh_PpfKe3Waz12BJ87TYHuPPZxmhPPYMBqRBL9-e1vb7OW2SXdrufEDBNoLiIqquALfXDL4wemiAcH1lBw2X9t3q3B64Mf_Ep7j9rHnvgOse8bSmrBEnYMOeAwOHr4nN5z1LM/s320/Anarchy+Logo.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's that symbol again.</td></tr>
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I believe in free markets, voluntaryism, capitalism (real capitalism, not corporatism), I believe in treating people equally and I believe there is never a a good excuse to use violence, fraud, coercion or force, except in self defense.<br />
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I also believe that there is no way in hell I'm going to see what I would consider an ideal government (or lack thereof) in my lifetime. Not unless someone like Ron Paul get's elected for president, of course.<br />
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Simply put: Too many fear the idea of anarchy. There is way too much uncertainty. Too many people are used to government being there. Too many believe that even <i>bad</i> government is better than <i>no</i> government or <i>too little</i> government.<br />
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The United States started out as a great experiment. The government was small enough and the checks were in place. They set up what they believed was the best kind of government, a limited government. We all see how that turned out. Somehow that limited government isn't so limited anymore. The government we have now is the government they were trying to prevent.<br />
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I believe that just as government has taken power inch by inch, slowly eroding liberty, that the best way to gain it back is by slowly reversing the process, inch by inch. Ron Paul would be a good kick start. I know some think that the government he advocates is very close to perfect, but I think of it as just better than what we have, and a start in the right direction.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of my favorite Ron Paul pics.</td></tr>
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The right direction of course being the direction that leads us towards true liberty and anarchy. He is an Austrian economist, of course. Which means he would do things like ending the federal reserve, bringing us sound free market competing currencies, eliminating the minimum wage, ending senseless wars, and getting the government to stop obsessively regulating small businesses. I like the idea of having more money, since, you know, freedom isn't free.<br />
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I really do think that if we had someone like Ron Paul in office it would pave the way for someone who likes governing even less to come in afterwards, and then again even less after them and so on, until we eventually have an ideal society in which an individual can live.<br />
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So I'll vote for Ron Paul, or any other presidential candidate who understand Austrian free market economics. If Ron Paul doesn't get on the ticket I may vote for Gary Johnson, but last I heard <a href="http://youtu.be/aTch7InkZjo" target="_blank">he doesn't understand Austrian economics</a> at all. Which is a real shame.<br />
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-9683752790131760922012-08-27T21:57:00.003-07:002012-08-27T21:57:30.059-07:00Minimum Wage Has to GoWhen the government insists that employers pay a certain amount per hour, it restricts both the employers, and the people who are seeking employment.<br />
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If an employer has to pay $10.00 per hour for any employee, what happens to the person who is not skilled enough to make that much? What happens to the person is not worth that much? Like the high school student who wants to work a part-time job during the summer to help pay for movie tickets. What can they do when nobody wants to pay them the required minimum wage? As an employer, if you could get an inexperienced 17 year old to flip burgers for $10.00 an hour or a veteran burger flipper for the same, who do you pick? It just so happens that it is becoming harder and harder for inexperienced young adults to find someone who can afford to pay them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg433Q3lb7WRn0x_AbNpNTeLiM0U05_YHkbGnIxZYz7SoQU69dCfpONDoGuPKT_Kj37io4rnIiABqFo8LhyphenhyphenLi13-jH2Q8qdXEH0X06wbPoqA7xJkxJkdtutl8bzpobo8W_BcpadeaMLP8c/s1600/1335923360_broke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg433Q3lb7WRn0x_AbNpNTeLiM0U05_YHkbGnIxZYz7SoQU69dCfpONDoGuPKT_Kj37io4rnIiABqFo8LhyphenhyphenLi13-jH2Q8qdXEH0X06wbPoqA7xJkxJkdtutl8bzpobo8W_BcpadeaMLP8c/s320/1335923360_broke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He must be paying for his teen's movie tickets.</td></tr>
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If you have the budget to hire 5 people at $10.00 an hour you have the budget to hire 6 people at $7.00 an hour and save money. What does that mean? It means one more person gets a job and you can lower prices without hurting your bottom line. It's always a good thing to have lower prices.<br />
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Now imagine that you run a business and you have exactly enough in your budget to employ five people at $10.00 per hour. What do you do when the government<i> raises</i> the minimum wage? Your options are pretty limited. You can raise prices letting the consumers pay the extra cost, you can terminate an employee, or you can take a loss on the bottom line of your business. No business owner wants to do any of these things, but if the government <i>forces</i> you to do it... you probably end up raising prices of your product/service or terminating an employee to pay for the new cost of employing the other four. The four employees that are left are happy now, because they got a free pay raise! Thanks government! But... remember those raised prices that affect the consumer? <i>Everybody</i> is a consumer. Now you have four employed people who are paying higher prices for everything they do (since you're not the only employer out there who does this), and one unemployed person who couldn't even afford the old prices, and especially can't afford the new ones.<br />
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That unemployed person now has to seek help from any source they can find it. Fortunately for them, the government that put them out of work is willing to help. And they have the money to do it, because they can tax the business owners and their employees (the ones that still have jobs) in order to do so. Government has mastered the art of breaking a leg and supplying a crutch to walk on.<br />
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People who advocate raising minimum wage are actually advocating that prices get raised and/or someone else loses their job. Seems kind of counterproductive, doesn't it? Somehow they never realize that they are the ones who eventually pay the cost in raised prices, and sometimes they're the ones who lose their job.<br />
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A government enforced minimum wage hurts the employer, the employee, and the consumer. Removing it benefits the employee, the employer, and the consumer. Seems like a no-brainer to me. We need to get rid of this widely accepted practice of government market regulation. An Austrian free market solution is the answer.<br />
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-60980809987104609582012-08-26T16:41:00.000-07:002012-08-26T16:41:41.546-07:00Property CountsThink about your property, and where it comes from. You work hard for some of it, some of it comes easily or without work at all. Either way, it is yours. You own it.<br />
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What does it mean to own something?<br />
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It means that you control it. You possess it. It means that any economic benefits of owning the property are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it as you please. You can modify its appearance or function, you can keep it, you can give it away, you can even destroy it.<br />
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You might own a car. If you want to put nice rims on it you can. If you want to change the paint to a sportier color you can do that too. If you want to change the engine to make it faster that is your choice to make. If you want to transfer ownership to someone else either by way of sale, trade, or a gift you can do that too. If you want to junk it you can do that.<br />
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You do own a body. You're in it right now. It's <i>yours</i>. Nobody else can lay claim to your body. You control it. You possess it. Any economic benefits of owning that body are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it anything you please. You can modify it any way you like. You can even destroy it.<br />
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Apparently there are millions of people out there who do not agree. They believe that you do not own your body.<br />
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According to them, you do not have a right to any economic benefit that comes from being the owner of your body. Or rather that they have a right to a portion of it, to be determined by them, not you. They call it taxation.<br />
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They also don't believe you have a right to "destroy yourself" by driving without a seat belt, or ingesting things like recreational drugs. They must protect you, at your expense, of course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder how many kids got beat up by cops to "protect" them from recreational drugs each year.</td></tr>
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And recreational drugs are just the big thing. The thing they're most open about. What you rarely hear about is the government "protecting us" from things like vitamins and herbal supplements, or raw milk.<br />
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If the masses agree that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies by ingesting things, how long is it before the masses decide that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies with tattoos or piercings? How long before it is illegal to dye our hair? How long before you have to wear safety gear to walk down the street? Where does it end?<br />
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You don't think it could ever happen? Yeah, the Amish never thought they would <a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/15/10418406-amish-farmer-targeted-by-fda-raids-shuts-down-raw-milk-business?lite" target="_blank">have their farm raided</a> by government thugs because they sold raw milk, either. I bet New Yorkers never expected to have a <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0724/New-York-soda-ban-proposal-Public-hearing-gets-impassioned" target="_blank">ban on soft drinks</a>.<br />
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These are all examples of the masses choosing what you are allowed to do with <i>your</i> property.<br />
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Even if nothing I discussed in this post affects you directly, it affects all of those around you, and creates a precedent for things to come. Once the precedent is set, there's no limit to how much of your business, your personal property, or your body, they can lay claim to. Because however bad it is, there's always someone out there who wants to make it worse.<br />
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That's the way I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-79534478075751338162012-08-25T23:40:00.000-07:002012-08-25T23:40:37.484-07:00I Hate Hybrid CarsI hate hybrids and I hate electric cars, too.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sure is an expensive logo.</td></tr>
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I mean, I understand why everyone is attracted to the idea. We want to use less gas when we drive. We <i>need</i> to use less. Gas is expensive. Pollution is bad. Hybrids can help, but they don't always. In many cases you could end up spending more money on gas with a hybrid than without, depending on your driving habits. Electrics aren't much better, since the environmental impact and cost of getting the car on the road outweighs any benefits.</div>
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I just think we're going about it the wrong way. I don't think we need to use less gas. I think we need to use a different kind of gas.</div>
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Gasoline is actually a pretty crappy fuel source. It burns slow, so we lose a lot of power when we burn it... that's lost horsepower. It also pollutes quite a bit. And it's expensive thanks to scarcity. </div>
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Guess what happens when you use hydrogen as fuel in an internal combustion engine like the one in your car? It burns fast. It actually burns a lot faster than gasoline. Because it burns faster, you get a lot more horsepower. And... It actually<i> cleans</i> the air as you drive. Polluted air goes into your engine, clean air and water vapor come out of the tailpipe. Also, scarcity isn't an issue at all.</div>
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Wow, your hybrid seems pretty silly at this point, doesn't it? I mean, sure you might pollute less, but you still pollute. So if I'm driving a hydrogen powered car and you're driving a hybrid gasoline/electric, I'm cleaning the air that you pollute, and I'm getting way more horsepower out of my engine while I'm doing it. And I didn't have to buy an expensive car to make it happen...</div>
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There is a guy who actually developed <a href="http://www.switch2hydrogen.com/h2.htm" target="_blank">a system</a> that you keep in your garage and hook up to a solar panel or wind turbine that sits in your back yard or on your house. You literally just add water and this thing makes hydrogen for you. What that amounts to is virtually free fuel for your car. Your super horsepower car that cleans the air as you drive. Wait... </div>
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Free fuel... for life? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eB1Jxazd3la6RfVGgk0Wd5IvAfJl1pKGSlZLU4Av_RmWT3FqMFanUFN9ZvgrJL8BOk6ssj2NaFjpVg9wGApKT0di9m5nB6xDK80u91MKsq1_RBOUlU3l-xMml0gsmOyl4bVbWq8p7to/s1600/oil_field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eB1Jxazd3la6RfVGgk0Wd5IvAfJl1pKGSlZLU4Av_RmWT3FqMFanUFN9ZvgrJL8BOk6ssj2NaFjpVg9wGApKT0di9m5nB6xDK80u91MKsq1_RBOUlU3l-xMml0gsmOyl4bVbWq8p7to/s320/oil_field.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">That's got to piss somebody off, right?</span></td></tr>
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The best part? You actually put this system on your car. It would work with almost any engine on the road. Not buying a new car is better for your wallet, and the environment. Unfortunately, this system is not available to the public. But I sure wish it was. Maybe if more people were informed and talking about it we might see enough of a push from the market to get it out to us. I'm not sure it will happen anytime soon, with all the focus on hybrids.</div>
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That's the way I see it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-76493777924681911142012-08-24T23:45:00.000-07:002012-08-24T23:45:59.637-07:00Because I Said So<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Because I said so" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you ever heard a parent say that to their kid? Or maybe even say it to your kids yourself? When I was a kid I heard that from time to time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why?" ... "Because I said so" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was never one to do things, or not do things, just because some authority mandated it. Whether that was my parents, school teachers, or any other designated "authority figure".</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-uLk8Aj40CArOpzhMWYxNp1-2QDOuBpOhxlQhZyhkT3sLlDTSuRPopwnrybx7R0W-Le1bPdKgyT7DVwcwOhkZgWuADJbKkAwYoUc8uPwXp-KGkH3MVBbw2DV4KZoTacgTSeykRt9Y68/s1600/angry-teacher-with-ruler-and-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-uLk8Aj40CArOpzhMWYxNp1-2QDOuBpOhxlQhZyhkT3sLlDTSuRPopwnrybx7R0W-Le1bPdKgyT7DVwcwOhkZgWuADJbKkAwYoUc8uPwXp-KGkH3MVBbw2DV4KZoTacgTSeykRt9Y68/s320/angry-teacher-with-ruler-and-book.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do as you're told!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always asked "Why?". I swear it was my favorite question to ask. I hated not getting a real answer, like the kind an adult would or should expect. It was the worst. I hated being treated<i> like a kid</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I think most people don't realize is that using that easy out too often is actually conditioning a child to do what they're told, anytime an authority figure demands obedience, and <i>to do</i> <i>so</i> <i>without question</i>. Because, after a while of hearing the same "Because I said so" over and over again, you might start to expect that answer so much that you don't even bother asking the all important question.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's an important question, because someday an authority figure might tell them to do <i>something you don't approve of</i>. If/when that happens wouldn't you prefer they ask <u>the</u> question? The alternative, of course, is that they just do as they're told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And last I checked, we sure do have a lot of that going on nowadays. Not enough people ask why they're being told to do things, or not to do things. A sheep never asks the shepherd why it's being pushed around by that stupid dog, it just goes where it is told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's <i>always</i> a better answer.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you have a good reason for telling them what to do or what not to do? <i>Tell them what the reason is.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not the right time/too busy? <i>Explain that to them.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Would the answer be too inappropriate for a child of that age? <i>Explain that to them.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A kid will respect you more, because they'll like that you respect them enough to explain things. They'll respect that you're being honest. Most of all they like to feel grown up, and they sure as hell don't feel grown up when they hear "Because I said so".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But most of all, it encourages them to ask questions. It encourages them to ask <u>the</u> question. "Why?" And maybe, just maybe, they'll dislike not being given an answer enough to someday tell some authority figure "No, I will not comply". And that is a beautiful thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the way I see it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-22865190845636934912012-08-23T16:34:00.001-07:002012-08-26T14:40:15.507-07:00A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was about 12 or 13 years old I got my first job. I was as excited as could be! I was well on my way to buying all the video games, comics, and skateboarding gear I could ever want. I was a paperboy. I delivered newspapers all around my neighborhood. To me, this was really hard work. But it was well worth it. I was going to get my first paycheck from my first job and paint the town red.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhbjTUaDKEssDaY9mjGaJvwEkoNxTlNg6qDert9O16HAT8f6VXt9YT-i-cGa9ZRpOICqtEIw7tesGGGMUAM3Peza5jTjgfKcN6jO6l7NsP3K-vDRjRATkrsQaaxnlFRg0iMmSArnOz80/s1600/IMG00220-20110402-1307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhbjTUaDKEssDaY9mjGaJvwEkoNxTlNg6qDert9O16HAT8f6VXt9YT-i-cGa9ZRpOICqtEIw7tesGGGMUAM3Peza5jTjgfKcN6jO6l7NsP3K-vDRjRATkrsQaaxnlFRg0iMmSArnOz80/s320/IMG00220-20110402-1307.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let the party begin!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I knew how much to expect. The math wasn't too hard for me at that age. I made what was then minimum wage, and I worked X hours. So I knew that once I got my check, I could give it to my dad and he would give me cash that I could use to go buy the new video game I wanted, and still have money left over for comics, and a movie ticket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day came! I got my check in the mail. One of those crazy envelopes with the perforated sides. I can't stress how cool it was. Not only was this my first paycheck, but it was also the first time I had ever been mailed something so... different. I cracked it open and looked at the total. It was less than I had expected. But how can this be?! I did the math! The math was sound! "Dad! They didn't pay me enough!" My dad took the check from me and looked at the stub. Laughing, he explained that they did pay me what they said they would, but that taxes were taken from the check. I was furious! "Well, I want my money back, they didn't ask for it." I'm sure you can figure where the story goes from there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided right then and there that I could never approve of that behavior. Taking money from people, <i>stealing</i> money from people is just plain wrong. Even I knew that and I was a kid... My dad didn't seem to mind, which confused the hell out of me. But this isn't a post about taxes, really. I just thought I'd let you know where my dislike for government started. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I listened to a lot of punk rock back then, and it was through that scene and the music that I learned about anarchy. What a concept! No rulers! I liked it! I started scribbling anarchy signs everywhere. My desk at school, my skateboard, my skate spots, my furniture in my bedroom, my clothes. Anarchy signs everywhere</span>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT7slafr5dxrdKbCC55ckRm8FbcMBGwZ_JR-VLVIpEQiD_98gAjPCWAn13K33-xLONhW2VuYxLiGc2V47ADIOotIW6qLsJAu9Wx2HLUdhOwTNt-h3MvTyA4MNSLiYLDpLjGKgnc0j_8c/s1600/final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT7slafr5dxrdKbCC55ckRm8FbcMBGwZ_JR-VLVIpEQiD_98gAjPCWAn13K33-xLONhW2VuYxLiGc2V47ADIOotIW6qLsJAu9Wx2HLUdhOwTNt-h3MvTyA4MNSLiYLDpLjGKgnc0j_8c/s320/final.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mine usually looked like the one on the top-left.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I eventually grew out of the graffiti phase, and stopped putting those everywhere. But I never stopped believing. I really never did. I firmly believe with all of my heart that we do not need rulers. That we (not just me, everyone) should be left to live out our lives peacefully and without the interference of force or fraud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep in mind, anarchy isn't about living without rules or laws, but living without rulers. It is the way nature works. It is <i>natural</i>. Order from chaos. A school of fish swim together not because they're afraid of getting a traffic ticket, but because it is what works. Same with a flock of geese flying in a V pattern. People can work that way too. Rulers and government are supposed to be here to protect us from force, fraud and coercion, but their very existence is one of force, fraud and coercion. As far as I'm concerned, we would have less of those things if we were to rid ourselves of Monarchy (the rule of one) and Oligarchy (the rule of many) and instead embrace Anarchy (the rule of none).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact, I feel so strongly about it, that I have posted hundreds of anarchy pictures in my lifetime. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, that's a lot of anarchy promotion!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the way I see it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8661075678300095646.post-41790572199563939642012-08-22T23:28:00.002-07:002012-08-25T00:09:47.590-07:00It Has Begun!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally decided to start a blog. It's something I've put off for some time now, even though I've been pushed to do this for a few years now, and by more than a few people.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3kC3hwJyxkvFEKmkZFk7_5CPp7rf448CQR2JSDZMqBllZl4LGhtIh7DYfdK53PxS8Hag53LbX0ztTEOyvTxo-utO9Ek6ZoemxGXFpP0MFKiKvIPYMHKWPpQzMtMuhlr3fDcp71SW0_E/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3kC3hwJyxkvFEKmkZFk7_5CPp7rf448CQR2JSDZMqBllZl4LGhtIh7DYfdK53PxS8Hag53LbX0ztTEOyvTxo-utO9Ek6ZoemxGXFpP0MFKiKvIPYMHKWPpQzMtMuhlr3fDcp71SW0_E/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How can I say no to this?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll discuss a wide variety of topics here: <a href="https://mises.org/store/Economics-in-One-Lesson-P33.aspx" target="_blank">Austrian economics</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_k93op7_Pc" target="_blank">voluntaryism, anarchy or anarcho-capitalism</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muHg86Mys7I" target="_blank">philosophy of liberty</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling" target="_blank">unschooling</a></span>, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">primal living</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coJLmkC2-lw" target="_blank">why I think most people suck</a>. You're probably also going to see some influence from comedy greats like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKhPOkw7egk" target="_blank">George Carlin</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvs2g5Nj0NI" target="_blank">Bill Hicks</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm guaranteed to bother some people with some of my views or opinions, and especially with some of the facts I present. In fact, I'm pretty sure most people who visit my blog more than a few times will find some things that they love about me and some things that they hate about me. It should be fun!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFE9-PCFxe2iDBsHAnEcifwcMGXaAh-MtrdPwM6KDtUHqQphWH7xs1cpjWfd448aujd7DQfhgidj6mqIn3BUUzMAc6sZAdEyL7eat8u1R6sfmEUwSh-9JT-1nMBIkBJ7GshyphenhyphenRfug-2Qg/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFE9-PCFxe2iDBsHAnEcifwcMGXaAh-MtrdPwM6KDtUHqQphWH7xs1cpjWfd448aujd7DQfhgidj6mqIn3BUUzMAc6sZAdEyL7eat8u1R6sfmEUwSh-9JT-1nMBIkBJ7GshyphenhyphenRfug-2Qg/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe this is what fun looks like.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please don't hesitate to ask questions or make topic suggestions. At the very least it will give me something to talk about, or give you an idea of how much you love and/or hate reading my blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the way I see it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00431712915049080825noreply@blogger.com0