You know, it takes a lot more brainpower to write long, thoughtful, personal posts than it does to toss out a little news (maybe accompanied by a bit of snark or righteous indignation). So while I continue working on the “Perspective” Blog Tome, news (and one really good laugh) it is for today. “Anonymous has left the building.” “The logic of surveillance.” (H/T JG) This isn’t exactly nooz. It’s from last month. But it makes me proud that the Northwest is a national center of anti-surveillance activism. You go, monkeywrenchers! This pertains to yesterday’s “Perspective” blog. Gretchen Rubin of The…
Author: Claire
Over the winter, I lost perspective. I did precisely what I warn against: I let other people — evil, agenda-driven, elitist, even downright moronic people — control my mind. From the day of the Newtown shootings, I felt braced against some invisible force, as though I were trying to push back against something powerful but at the same time something not there. Something that had to be resisted, that would be resisted, but was too formless to resist. Eventually, the force took shape, as we all knew it would: the media onslaught of lies, ignorance, and strident demands about firearms…
Working on a Blog Tome right now. In the meantime, here’s something to make you smile and maybe bring a tear to your eye. It’s “just a commercial,” but … (Source for those who can’t see the embed) H/T to L.
I’ve been really remiss in reporting on the new Libertas Media Project — the amazing Brian Wilson’s answer to the cravens who canned him from his regular long-time radio-hosting gig a few months back. Libertas is part of the big, glorious, and increasingly successful effort to take information out of the hands of corporate gatekeepers and put it back where it belongs. Despite my woeful neglect ;-), Libertas Media podcasts are going strong. So far some have featured solos by Brian while others have been interviews with Lew Rockwell and Tom Woods. Look for Judge Napolitano and (no doubt) Jim…
Nothin’. Well, mostly nothin’. I did use up the rest of last year’s amazing apple crop making two kinds of chutney and lots of applesauce (some of which will turn into apple butter). But I’m done with that phase of my life now. The dogs are glad it’s over. Boiling chutney makes them sneeze. The tang of fruit cooked in vinegar with pungent spices makes the house smell really nice for days (IMO; NSM in the dogs’ O). Other than that, nothin’. —– I did start re-reading Atlas Shrugged, which I got last Christmas. Hadn’t visited it in maybe 10…
Fifth question: Envision the state of freedom in your world (or your children’s world) 25 years from now. Some possible things to consider: What will have improved? What gotten worse? Will people be happier with their lot or more miserable? More prosperous or poorer? Will government be more dominant or will it have been forced to retreat? Will people be in a numb, controlled, frightened, surveilled condition, or will they have declared overt or covert independence? What key events will have led to whatever state of freedom you envision? Define “your world” any way you like. It could be the…
The following is a question I know we’ve all pondered. Yet in a way it’s imponderable. So we tend to come up with glib, macho, chest-thumping answers. Or we don’t answer at all because silence is the wiser choice. Still, it’s on a lot of minds. UnReconstructed asked the question in its fullest, most individual (and most ironic) form. I’ll try to paraphrase it into more mundane, more cautious, reality. Fourth question: At some point, political Intolerable Acts become truly, personally intolerable. The long train of abuses has to halt. We’ve already seen people (including perhaps ourselves) submit to more…
Even as the armed individual remains the key to self and community defense, sophisticated societies inevitably develop specialization. It seems likely that even Libertopia would end up with a professional class of protectors, bounty hunters, or armed “insurance agents” (ala L. Neil Smith’s North American Confederacy). Which brings us to the ancient dilemma, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Third question: In this or any other society, is it possible to ensure that armed, organized enforcers respect the rights of individuals and hold themselves to the fundamental rules of civil society? If so, what would put such a check on their behavior…
I’m borrowing this idea from puptent and Pat, who posted similar, but not quite the same, questions: Second question: Is it possible to make freedom (including the aspect of personnel responsibility) attractive? Is it feasible to inspire people to see that the free will of a thinking individual is more noble than obedient citizenship? If so, what are some ways this might be done?
Thanks for all the input on the “five questions on the state of freedom” project. I’ll be laying low this week (though I will be checking in to approve comments that slip into the moderation queue). So here you go, Commentariat: solve the problems of the world. 😉 First question: Now that tyranny and its accompanying economic destruction have come so far, do you believe that there is likely to be any peaceful solution for restoring freedom? If so, what solutions do you envision? And specifically how do you see them working? I’m talking about political freedom here — not…