Stefan, I'm already ...( 5 months ago by heywoodjablohme)
Stefan, I'm already there! I agree! But there's still no good reason you give not to walk a precinct for Ron Paul. First off, because it allows you to find people who "don't want you shot". Moreover, democratic elections decreased the suffering from what it was in dictatorship, and provide an alternative to the worst suffering. As such, it makes sense to take a small amount of one's time and vote for any candidate that wants a net reduction in the total amount of government.
One thing about Ron ...( 5 months ago by kulza23)
One thing about Ron Paul is that he is promoting freedom. The reason I am now an anarcho-capitalist is because of RP. So, the educative factor of the movement is pretty valuable.
RP converted you to ...( 5 months ago by stefbot)
RP converted you to a/c? How?
Well, I was ...( 5 months ago by kulza23)
Well, I was introduced to libertarianism by virtue of his campaign. I started reading Milton Friedman and Hayek. Then I found LRC and started reading the articles. At that point I was a minarchist, and after actually seeing the anarchist argument I had to agree with it.
All in all, it was just a progression from ignorance to logic (I used to consider myself a Democrat).
By the way, this ...( 5 months ago by kulza23)
By the way, this video is really good. Thanks for adding a new dimension to the debate!
I've used "Against ...( 5 months ago by RLore18)
I've used "Against Me" many times. It forces a choice between one radical end to total acceptance of a flawed morality. And you're right, it's a bomb. People reluctantly say "Yes, I think that violence should be used against you." to which I reply, "Would you like to use the phone to turn me into the police for admitting that I smoke pot?" They always say no, but that final conclusion never rings in their head. They just say "no" and go back to old platitudes and propoganda.
That's great - what ...( 5 months ago by stefbot)
That's great - what do you do then?
Property is based ...( 4 months ago by cliffracerslayer)
Property is based upon violence. The State (body with monopoly on violence) decides what property everyone owns. Without the use of violence, there is no property, since there is no means to enforce it. You support Property, you support violence, oppose all forms of Property and you can't live. The question is then to whom should property rightly go morally. The only moral basis of property is labour, labour is collective, thus the only moral system of property is Communism.
Whose keyboard did ...( 4 months ago by stefbot)
Whose keyboard did you type that with? Madness...
Not Madness but ...( 4 months ago by cliffracerslayer)
Not Madness but Truth. When you think about it, what you actually own is what the State says you own. Unless you can defend what is yours by initiating violence against the Thief, then you don't own anything at all. The State, by virtue of possessing the might to do so, decides what everyone has and doesn't have. So what you are left with is not the question of who owns what, but what people should own, which is itself decided by the State also.
If ownership = ...( 4 months ago by cliffracerslayer)
If ownership = justification, then the State owns everything anyway. The fact the State does own everything, because it can decide which of it's property to allocate to what individual by writ of Law. You have therein a moral question of what should the individual have, rather than a question of defending the nothing that people have against the State that owns everything.
This is shown by ...( 4 months ago by cliffracerslayer)
This is shown by the material reality that one's Property is treated by the State as it's property (for instance Taxation) and only owned by virtue of Law, which means that the State is in the buisness of deciding what everyone owns, because without a legal means of protecting their property against thieves, they own nothing.
So tell me Stefbot ...( 4 months ago by cliffracerslayer)
So tell me Stefbot why I am wrong. Why shouldn't the State own everything (as it so assuredly does at the moment). Once I know your moral basis of ownership, then I will see what I can do.
"Whose keyboard did ...( 3 months ago by kimuraftw)
"Whose keyboard did you type that with?"
With his mom's, obviously...
So what should we ...( 3 months ago by Analfracture)
So what should we do with the people who disagree with the non-agression principle?
Stefbot,
I think ...( 2 months ago by RPFS2008)
Stefbot,
I think you have hit the nail on the head when you propose personalising political discussions. It is much more hardhitting and longlasting than wheeling out statistics that people forget 10seconds later.
Maybe I am missing something however since I cannot see how still being forced to pay taxes to support things I don't believe in makes me free at all. Sure, I can make my personal life and friendships 100% truthful and based on decency etc but still, its not making me free.
tbc
On a side note. I ...( 2 months ago by RPFS2008)
On a side note. I feel it a neccessary to ask you to try and lessen up on the condescending air you tend to bring to those things that you dont believe, many with very good reason I may add, dont work.
Myself, being a supporter of liberty (in any form , whether it be a philosopher , statesman or document) , I found it abit taxing to carry on listening to your advice. I was close to just turning it off - hey, who wants to spend time being semi-ridiculed? but I had the foresight to carry on (tbc)
because I thought ...( 2 months ago by RPFS2008)
because I thought you had something worthwhile to say ... and I was correct.
You're an intelligent guy, and Im sure you already know in yourself that you could work on some of your delivery to maximise your endeavors.
I have no problem with you being confident and proud of your ideas etc , infact I am similar to Rand in this sense, they are worthy of being so.
I guess the only ...( 2 months ago by RPFS2008)
I guess the only time a person can be 100% free is when they are dead (probably after a shoot out with the feds for trying to be free of theft and slavery)
(I already posted a similar message to this, but it didnt post for some odd readon.... its supposed to follow on from my 1st post)
If brevity is truly ...( 2 months ago by prof5759)
If brevity is truly wit, this guy is the most witless guy I've ever heard.
I hear blaa blaa ...( 2 months ago by prof5759)
I hear blaa blaa blaa blaa. God what a waste of time
I think it is quite ...( 2 months ago by stefbot)
I think it is quite wise of you to stop listening... :)
I didn't really get ...( 1 month ago by tetraedronico)
I didn't really get it.
...Wow.
Just f'ing ...( 4 days ago by Melkolmr)
...Wow.
Just f'ing wow.
That really put it in a very different perspective for me. While I had used that tactic before, it was always something that just happened organically, not a strategy. It never even occurred to me.
This could be an incredible tool. Thank you, Stefan.
