'Tis The Season....

....To start voting. For which candidate you wish to place a noose around your neighbor's neck. Have a nice time....I'm out.

Nearly Everyone In America is Guilty Of Armed Robbery(Though You Might Not Know It)....

Is there a cut-off point at which one can have a portion of the fruits of their labor taken from them at gunpoint without being considered a slave? Is it as high as 80 or 90 percent? Is it as low as 20 or 30? 10? 5? Why is it that I am forced to do this to secure legal, gainful employment? If I try to work outside this system, I risk fines or imprisonment, and if I speak out against it, I become a traitor and enemy of the state. There has been a different way to fund the legitimate functions of the state since the beginning of the country, which are fewer by far than are currently being performed, yet we continue to do it, and wonder why we're faltering. Armed robbery by proxy is still armed robbery, which is what every person who is in favor of continuing the income tax system is guilty of.

As We All Fade To Grey....

I've mentioned this before, but I thought I'd reiterate.....social justice is not justice. It is, in fact, the opposite of justice. It fails, entirely, to account for individual merit and places more value on desired outcomes for socially acceptable groups. It devalues individual effort and leads to a depressing, grey homogenity of humanity that is, by design, easily controlled. It is a manipulative, devisive tactic of population control when the use of physical violence has become passe. But not to worry...I'm sure that's just tinfoil hat stuff and has no bearing on what's actually happening.

Freedom?

What is freedom? As we leave this Memorial Day behind us, it's a question that....gnaws at my mind. My Dad died on Memorial Day 2004, and he also served for many years in the military, so it has a special significance besides the obvious. Is freedom the ability to do what you want, when you want? In theory that sounds great, in practice, it has some hurdles to clear, not least of which is having a cushion for missteps. What if what I wanted to do was rob a bank? Some would say "More power to ya", because the banks are crooks anyway, and they're insured. Yet that money belongs to someone else. I would be breaking my own rule of "depriving no one of their life, liberty, or property without their consent". Is freedom the ability to live your life as you so choose and in whatever manner you can provide for, so long as you are depriving no one of their life, liberty, or property? I would say that's close, but we in America are not at that point. Not even close. "Bollocks", you say. We have the rights and protections that brave Americans have fought and died for and can live in whatever manner not proscribed by the Constitution. Well....about that. That may be the case in theory. In practice, it is more like....we live in whatever manner not proscribed by politicians intent on maintaining power, as indicated by whatever business they're in the pockets of and as it coincides with the social agenda of the day, in no particular order of importance. In America, you cannot own land, you cannot transport yourself without permitting, you cannot fish or hunt, i.e. provide for yourself, without permitting, you cannot earn money without remitting a portion to the government, and the way you earn it shall be in accordance with the will of the state. Failing to capitulate to these demands give one a hard row to hoe, and leads to injustice in a land where justice is, ostensibly, blind. Justice in America is NOT blind, and has favorites. It goes where the money is, or to who is adept enough to see through the volumes and volumes of law that is used to bind you to the will of the state. Is that kind of "freedom" worth fighting and dying for? Make no mistake....I appreciate the efforts of our soldiers thus far in securing the rights we do have, which many take for granted. But if this is the brand of freedom that can be expected as a result of your efforts, it might be better not to waste your time and lives, and start considering other alternatives.

Troubleshooting The World....

Surely I was not born to troubleshoot all of the world's problems, however...it seems to me that if you want to end certain behaviors, the answer is more freedom....not less. Most profit comes from risk. Without risk, there is no profit. Therefore, decriminalization of all victimless crimes.....prostitution, drug sales and use, black market items, etc., might seem to be the way to go. Pretty much the opposite of what we've been doing. Of course, actually taking that course of action would be likely to start a war, as there are elements on both side of that argument who profit from the continued battle against behavior, though some are unlikely to admit as much. Plus, nobody wants to see their own kids walk that kind of path, but I'm not sure fighting it continually is going to put an end to it. Those who are apt to do that sort of thing do it regardless of it's legality, and in fact may do it simply for the thrill of doing something their not supposed to. I'm jus' sayin'.

Bitcoin...What I Know Of It

I've been hearing a lot about Bitcoin over the last couple of years, and I'm still not sure what to think of it, though its popularity seems to be waning. It's rather hard to tell, though, because for every story claiming Bitcoin's eminent demise, there is another debunking it. I'm on the fence about a digital currency whose value appears to be rooted in it's novelty, rarity, and inherent decentralization. I'm distrustful of any currency that is not backed by something tangible, though in that regards it is probably on better footing than the US dollar. Perhaps through the adoption of crypto-currencies, central banks will be forced to change their methods and actually back up what they print. I have to admit I'm somewhat leery of a currency that exists only in cyberspace...I still like to have something in my hand I can feel. There's also the threat of it being a new way to fund illegal practices given its deregulated nature. I'm still a little unclear on how bitcoin transactions are traced and authenticated. I'd like to see the success of Bitcoin and its ilk if for no other reason than to force a change in banking practices and a move back to currencies backed if not entirely by precious metals, then at least tied more closely to GDP. Perhaps that would help rein in some government spending in a way that was not previously possible.