The State is Plunder; The State is Slavery

The State is Plunder; The State is Slavery.

Nothing appears more surprising to those, who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission, with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers. When we enquire by what means this wonder is effected, we shall find, that, as FORCE is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is therefore, on opinion only that government is founded; and this maxim extends to the most despotic and military governments, as well as to the most free and most popular.

—David Hume

But what gives rise to such popular opinion? Surely, it must be that there is some real or perceived benefit.

One must realize the extent to which the foundation of tyranny lies in the vast networks of corrupted people with an interest in maintaining tyranny.

—Étienne de la Boétie

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Happy (Belated) Birthday!

Happy (Belated) Birthday!

As January 3rd comes to a close, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a last minute paean to both my youngest sister and my favorite fiction writer (J.R.R. Tolkien), both of whose birthday is/was today.*

I was reminded (I am sure, that as an ultimate fan boy I knew this at one point already) that it was the latter’s birthday because of this IHS graphic making the rounds on the web:

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Brief Thematic Note

Brief Thematic Note.

The theme of the site, beyond the mere promotion of libertarian ideals, is discussion of the most desirable and effective ways of propagating those ideals, as well as making those ideals workable and sustainable in the real world. The key things here are “personal responsibility” (“moral restraint” or “self-governance”) and “charity” (in the broadest possible sense: love, kindness, respect). Whether we base these off of normative preferences, deontological ethics, faith and theology, the laws of nature and economics, or pure self-interest, makes comparatively little difference as to how things would actually play out in society.

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On Good Intentions

On Good Intentions.

In honor of former Mayor of NYC, Michael “Nanny” Bloomberg:

If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with a conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.

—Henry David Thoreau

My contention is that good men (not bad men) consistently acting upon that position would act as cruelly and unjustly as the greatest tyrants. Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.

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Tom Woods Show: Favorite Episodes So Far

Tom Woods Show: Favorite Episodes So Far.

Within the last couple weeks days I’ve managed to finish up the audiobook version of Mises’ Human Action, catch up on 50 or so episodes of the Tom Woods Show, and start taking the Liberty Classroom Courses. I just thought I would share a few of the Tom Woods Show Episodes I found most interesting.

Interview with Lew Rockwell on October 17th Some interesting anecdotes on the early days of the Mises Institute.

Interview with Gary Chartier on October 25th Gary Chartier patiently picks apart at the edifice of the statist consensus (I actually caught this one the day it was broadcast).

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Out With the Old, In With the New

Out With the Old, In With the New.

Friends, subscribers, fellow bloggers! I would like to cordially invite you all over to the new website. If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been blogging of late, it’s because I’ve had another project I’ve been working hard on (soon to be six months in the works). The first day of the new year is as good a time as any to announce it. No, better. It’s far from being fully operational, but it is functional and (I hope) user-friendly. The main thing I’m not too sure about is the navigation menu. But improvements are being made daily, and I welcome any input.

You’re probably wondering why I chose to do this, and what is going to happen to the old site.

As to the first, I have many reasons. With the new platform (a self-hosted site using WordPress software), I am able to customize site features on a whole new level, among other things.

And as far as this site (the old one) goes, I’ll probably just keep it around indefinitely, or at least as long as it takes to transfer as much good content and as many subscribers as I can to the new site. I will likely even keep blogging here just as one more medium for getting my thoughts out there.

More info to trickle in soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

Henry Moore