tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post8647241773463368404..comments2024-03-28T09:59:13.754-07:00Comments on bionic mosquito: bionic’s Hierarchy of Needsbionic mosquitohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-89205377219704249482017-01-09T13:12:56.345-08:002017-01-09T13:12:56.345-08:00UC, any comment on Foldvary?UC, any comment on Foldvary?bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-15210975314643980002017-01-08T09:06:40.306-08:002017-01-08T09:06:40.306-08:00Thank you for the kind comment.
"And economi...Thank you for the kind comment.<br /><br />"And economically you are now far more dependent from outsiders."<br /><br />This problem of trading with outsiders without the outsiders living inside is already solved. It is of no concern to me.<br /><br />Therefore I see no trouble with continued decentralization. <br /><br />"...at some point, you will have to say that decentralization is enough, and begin to argue against more of it."<br /><br />From your lips to God's ears - I hope I (or my great-great-grandchildren) live to have this problem.<br /><br />I say decentralization to the family level - family defined narrowly or broadly will be the choice of those living in it, I suspect. I already argue against decentralization further than this.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-41056487258382011442017-01-08T08:29:26.249-08:002017-01-08T08:29:26.249-08:00Anonproof, the one with bad english..
First.. I ...Anonproof, the one with bad english..<br /><br />First.. I like your blog, your thinking and your writing.<br /><br />Second.. If libertarianism is decentralization, than at some time you will be in trouble. There will be a moment (we all hope) when decentralization will be gone far, and reached the level of communities made by few families, or by few hundreds of people, when you will find that, yes, your community is kind of homogeneous, but the other communities, that admit the things and the people you've banned, are few steps from yours. And economically you are now far more dependent from outsiders. If you don't believe in the possibility of a society where everyone can do everything* until he doesn't violate the nap, than, at some point, you will have to say that decentralization is enough, and begin to argue against more of it. If racism, omophobia, bigotry, misogyny, etc.. are connected to aggressive behavior towards others people, they will still be a problem in a decentralized world, and a threat for liberty.<br /><br />*I'm speaking of human law, for sure there are everywhere other sources of limits, as the laws of nature, and the laws of economy, and the need for the consensus of others in a society build on voluntary relations..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-32754916736193022952017-01-08T08:14:39.534-08:002017-01-08T08:14:39.534-08:00Anonproof yes I'm from Italy and my english is...Anonproof yes I'm from Italy and my english is bad.. i'm sorry for this..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-14895662322063799422017-01-07T05:52:56.078-08:002017-01-07T05:52:56.078-08:00Matt, there are reasonable examples: Switzerland, ...Matt, there are reasonable examples: Switzerland, Hong Kong, Lichtenstein. It is worth considering what makes them different than the states under-which 98% of the world's populations live.<br /><br />In this examination, one might conclude that there is a difference of "government" and "state." <br /><br />One might also conclude that smaller, decentralized political bodies offer a better chance of protecting liberties than do larger political entities. Knowing your neighbors might have a chilling effect on the man in charge and the decisions he makes (or the power he attempts to usurp).bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-17052292005808225892017-01-06T18:13:47.519-08:002017-01-06T18:13:47.519-08:00BM, I hesitate to answer about the taxes because I...BM, I hesitate to answer about the taxes because I was really only saying that the peaceful states exist. That said, Hong Kong has had a long term tax rate of 15%. I don't know whether that can be considered a state as it has been under the thumb of other states for a long time.Matt@Occidentalism.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395220402283030311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-11798501491352137852017-01-06T10:43:33.671-08:002017-01-06T10:43:33.671-08:00"I got a little confused reading this because..."I got a little confused reading this because I was trying to figure out if it was a needs pyramid for society or for ideology."<br /><br />The post is nothing more than clarification of my view of what it means when someone says "I am..." or "so-and-so" "...is a libertarian."<br /><br />A bit mixed up as this proclamation always requires parsing regarding: is it theory or application? A tough thing to keep straight, sometimes.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-31329170911080940062017-01-06T09:02:44.455-08:002017-01-06T09:02:44.455-08:00"Can you identify a geographical area, of any..."Can you identify a geographical area, of any size, whose CURRENT population could sustain a stateless order?"<br /><br />A homeowners association, a large hotel or resort property, Disneyland.<br /><br />http://bionicmosquito.blogspot.com/search/label/Fred%20Foldvary<br /><br />bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-6935125848068610032017-01-06T08:53:07.933-08:002017-01-06T08:53:07.933-08:00anonymous
As I regularly write that I categorical...anonymous<br /><br />As I regularly write that I categorically accept the NAP, and I categorically reject the state as it is currently understood and with its current power and authority, the one definition you chose to use most certainly cannot be the definition I use - whatever my usage might imply.<br /><br />In any functioning society there will be governance: markets provide governance, family provides governance, social relationship provides governance, generally accepted cultural norms provide governance, the church provides governance.<br /><br />Of course, the state tries to destroy each of these in order to ensure that we are forced to rely on the state for governance.<br /><br />I do not advocate for state governance. I advocate for voluntary - or if not completely voluntary, at least privately provided (e.g. family, church, social) governance. Some call my advocacy of this "thick." I call it life in a world occupied by humans.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-37100187612424829072017-01-05T21:49:29.225-08:002017-01-05T21:49:29.225-08:00BM,
When I was taking development economics class...BM,<br /><br />When I was taking development economics classes in college I always got some lulz from people trying to explain that Africa would be on the level of the first world if they only had _____ (insert the ideological proscriptions of a liberal capitalist or a central planner). Their egalitarian worldview simply does not allow speaking the truth which is that the mean IQ in Sub-Saharan Africa is 70 and that is going to limit the level of complexity that they can sustain. Throw in the (biological) negro proclivity to violence and high time preference, wa-la- Afrika.<br /><br />When you ask for examples of a Just State in the world you have to take into account the needs of the specific people ("Hows your wife?" "Compared to what?"). African countries need to be governed a certain way (really there shouldn't be "countries" at all in that part of the world), that is befitting their people. Unrealistic expectations are going to lead to disaster (or the inverse which would be holding a people back which we have in the West).<br /><br />I think Duterte is doing great things for his people in the Philippines, but that doesn't mean what is appropriate for the Philippines is appropriate for the Anglosphere. Same with Gaddafi, he was great for Libya. Its not hard to come up with examples of that sort.<br /><br />Just as different people call for different forms of State so do different Historical Necessities. When you are under existential threat from communists it makes sense to have an aggressive State to physically remove them before they can take over and genocide you.<br /><br />Also, the reason that so many States are of the same character is that they are all owned by the same people. If all the present Western States were destroyed (as they deserve) we would see a lot more "diversity" in the forms taken by States around the world.<br /><br />I would like to flip your question to Matt around on you.<br /><br />Can you identify a geographical area, of any size, whose CURRENT population could sustain a stateless order?<br /><br />Besides Switzerland.Unhappy Conservative (2.0)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05647440445427537430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-44730157939506599572017-01-05T20:52:17.045-08:002017-01-05T20:52:17.045-08:00"I would say that most of the libertarians th..."I would say that most of the libertarians that say that they "hate the state" actually hate this particular state, and with good reason."<br /><br />This.<br /><br />It is very difficult to hate a pure abstraction (have you ever met anyone with a hatred for triangles?). We only learn to do so when it becomes associated it with something bad in the world of things.<br /><br />Unlike many libertarians I do believe there is such a thing as the common good (of the nation/volk) and a State should be in service of it. It is nothing more than a tool. If it does not serve this purpose, it should be destroyed.<br /><br />Of course I understand why libertarians are cynical about the common good since it has been used cynically by the State to advance the interests of its owners.<br /><br />IMO, this is a baby and bathwater situation.Unhappy Conservative (2.0)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05647440445427537430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-15091937341900642432017-01-05T20:12:14.412-08:002017-01-05T20:12:14.412-08:00As a racist-sexist-homophobic-antisemite I am deep...As a racist-sexist-homophobic-antisemite I am deeply offended by your poor spelling and grammar. I would say that its understandable if English isn't your first language, or if you are dictating this to your Guatemalan maid, but my intense hatred of foreigners clouds my judgment and cuts me off from feelings of empathy.<br /><br />Unhappy Conservative (2.0)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05647440445427537430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-42836182371366732152017-01-05T19:33:18.667-08:002017-01-05T19:33:18.667-08:00"he might say I have my pyramid exactly upsid..."he might say I have my pyramid exactly upside down"<br /><br />I lol'd. I also lol'd at this.<br /><br />"I shouldn’t make fun of this wanna-be Trekkie convention for finally admitting what they want to be: a Trekkie convention."<br /><br />The libertarian-trekkie connection is deep. Star Trek is the ultimate liberal Mythos. End of History? Check. Blended humanity? Check. Xenophilia? Check. White Mans Burden? Check. Liberal Imperium? Check. Intervening while spouting platitudes about non-intervention? Check.<br /><br />Anyways.<br /><br />So this pyramid is essentially a model for libertarian ideological purity, no? (plz no one sperg out on the term purity)<br /><br />I got a little confused reading this because I was trying to figure out if it was a needs pyramid for society or for ideology. It seems apparent now that its the later but I had to reread it a few times. The reason for the confusion is that the purpose of political ideology is to affect the organization of society. So the two are never wholly separate. If you are a libertarian you are going to take it as a given that libertarian ideology would be good for society and you are also going to be concerned about clarifying exactly what that means (i.e who is and is not a libertarian) FOR THE PURPOSE of affecting society.<br /><br />So with that said, its true that what you put at the top of your pyramid would be at the bottom of mine and there wouldn't really be much on top of it. So I guess it would be a trapezoid? It would be a trapezoid with the word Blood written on it.<br /> <br />Civilization is transmitted through blood. Volkways are blood. The Spirit moves through blood. Nothing is more essential.<br /><br />A passage from Tom Wolfe's novel Back to Blood comes to mind.<br /><br />"A phrase pops into his head from out of nowhere. “Everybody . . . all of them . . . it’s back to blood! Religion is dying . . . but everybody still has to believe in something. It would be intolerable—you couldn’t stand it—to finally have to say to yourself, ‘Why keep pretending? I’m nothing but a random atom in a supercollider known as the universe.’ But believing in by definition means blindly, irrationally, doesn’t it. So, my people, that leaves only our blood, the bloodlines that course through our very bodies, to unite us. ‘La Raza!’ as the Puerto Ricans cry out. ‘The Race!’ cries the whole world. All people, all people everywhere, have but one last thing on their minds—Back to blood!” All people, everywhere, you have no choice but—Back to blood!"<br /><br />And this Johnny Cash song, because, why not?<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LCBl_IMEEU<br /><br />Lyrics (I actually think Nick Lowe wrote this for him but I am not going to bother to look it up):<br /><br />From the hands it came down<br />From the side it came down<br />From the feet it came down<br />And ran to the ground<br />Between heaven and hell<br />A teardrop fell<br />In the deep crimson dew<br />The tree of life grew<br /><br />And the blood gave life<br />To the branches of the tree<br />And the blood was the price<br />That set captives free<br />And the numbers that came<br />Through the fire and the flood<br />Clung to the tree<br />And were redeemed by the blood<br /><br />From the tree streamed a light<br />That started the fight<br />'Round the tree grew a vine<br />On whose fruit I could dine<br />My old friend Lucifer came<br />Fought to keep me in chains<br />But I saw through the tricks<br />Of six-sixty-six<br /><br />From his hands it came down<br />From his side it came down<br />From his feet it came down<br />And ran to the ground<br />And a small inner voice<br />Said "You do have a choice"<br />The vine engrafted me<br />And I clung to the tree<br />Unhappy Conservative (2.0)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05647440445427537430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-24445972490573830462017-01-05T16:18:11.161-08:002017-01-05T16:18:11.161-08:00@bionic mosquito: I searched your site for what yo...@bionic mosquito: I searched your site for what you mean by governance and found nothing. In general usage the word 'governance' is used to include almost all of human behavior among groups. Such a wide 'definition' will allow any individual to use the word to mean exactly what they want it to mean when used. If you have a meaning that you mean when you use the word I will use your definition on your blog. Until then, I stand by my definition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-56573322709439011042017-01-05T15:46:00.921-08:002017-01-05T15:46:00.921-08:00More people are understanding better about inflati...More people are understanding better about inflation, which they now understand as money printing. Ron Paul also forced liberty into the Internet conversation. His historical record in Congress exposed the looting for what it is, too.InfoCoderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07680766721151830938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-77437341120793568522017-01-05T12:45:54.560-08:002017-01-05T12:45:54.560-08:00Anonymous...spend some time reading first. This i...Anonymous...spend some time reading first. This is not what is meant by governance.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-2155687918746488772017-01-05T12:39:35.027-08:002017-01-05T12:39:35.027-08:00Kojak is a lucky boy to have such a wise father!Kojak is a lucky boy to have such a wise father!bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-86033826981326698282017-01-05T12:06:13.095-08:002017-01-05T12:06:13.095-08:00If culture matters, then culture must be imposed f...If culture matters, then culture must be imposed for liberty to exist.I rather believe that liberty depend on free persons who are ok with their neighbors being free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-42385609380900367872017-01-05T12:01:29.752-08:002017-01-05T12:01:29.752-08:00All governments are evil and destructive. You cann...All governments are evil and destructive. You cannot begin to be free until you free your mind of the idea that government is necessary.Believe it or not, your neighbors do not desire to kick in your door, rape and murder your children, slit your throat and steal all of your stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-37206701712547404672017-01-05T11:55:18.438-08:002017-01-05T11:55:18.438-08:00"we do not reject governance" Governance..."we do not reject governance" Governance involves those in power hiring thugs with guns to stick them to my head and force me to do what those in power deem 'right'.That has nothing to do with liberty; in fact it is the opposite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-5133048309289581462017-01-05T09:33:47.622-08:002017-01-05T09:33:47.622-08:00I think there is a great danger in portraying libe...I think there is a great danger in portraying libertarianism as a solution to problems or the philosophy that will make us all richer ad happier. It is merely the opportunity to find solutions to problems, because freedom allows experimentation and thus discovery. But freedom does not guarantee success, neither of individuals nor of societies. An individual who uses his freedom to drink booze, smoke pot, and inject opiates all day is highly likely to fair poorly in health and wealth. An entire society made up of such individuals will be a poor and nasty place to live versus a society run by a benevolent dictator who enforces temperance and productive endeavors. <br />Does that mean freedom fails and dictatorships are preferable? Obviously not. Freedom, combined with right choices, will allow for the discovery and delivery of wealth and well-being better than any other condition...almost always, but not guaranteed. The critical element to wealth and happiness in an entire society is the predominance of appropriate cultural mores in a freedom context.<br /><br />Kojak's Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05716171865564466707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-79994550436776674942017-01-05T08:10:03.370-08:002017-01-05T08:10:03.370-08:00Rockwell is a genius, yes. And every time I learn...Rockwell is a genius, yes. And every time I learn something more, I appreciate how much more of a genius he is.bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-44184282517476247252017-01-05T05:18:37.483-08:002017-01-05T05:18:37.483-08:00Dear Bionic Mosquito, I am a fan and read your ess...Dear Bionic Mosquito, I am a fan and read your essays off and on all the time. We are fellow nap libertarian travelers. So let me ask, did Orwell or anyone come up with a word that describes the shock, the stunned moment of realization when something of the world you THOUGHT was a straight forward intuitive, but found to your sudden surprise that the answer was COUNTER intuitive? Like the stunned shock one must have had long ago after realizing that the sun did not revolve around the earth, but rather the earth traveled around the sun. Or the shock of a first year liberal econ student when he realizes that at the margin, raising min wage adds to unemployment. Anyway, as a fellow nap libertarian fellow traveler, evolutionist, atheist, .....What ever that word is, I have been so stunned. The book that did it is called THE GLOBAL BRAIN by Harold Bloom. Its perhaps ten years old now, but I strongly suspect that much like Darwin's 'Origin of the Species', its powerful theory will grow stronger each passing day. Its lonely out here... so please find the time to read and write about it... Treg Loyden (on facebook "Political Zoo")Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-46108285302439434092017-01-05T04:44:13.567-08:002017-01-05T04:44:13.567-08:00Excellent discussion, I've been coming across ...Excellent discussion, I've been coming across this sort of topic sort of by accident, but not really. This constant blather of sjw's and how pervasive a small minority of people's views is becoming lead me to looking into it. Which leads you to the Frankfurt school, or as more commonly called cultural Marxism. Then I read a post like this with joy, because a lot of the stuff you read about Social Justice is either a) reckless statism or b) tends to have some racial undercurrent and I find it repulsive.<br />I hope you keep writing on this subject as I find myself perhaps not as nuanced as yourself BM along a similar path to where a more realistic idea of liberty can be achieved. Anti war, Anti State, Pro Market, Rockwell is a genius no? Schueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04232403843503910978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648884752216444797.post-78158463666031288382017-01-05T03:55:08.926-08:002017-01-05T03:55:08.926-08:00Matt
Can you identify such a state in this world?...Matt<br /><br />Can you identify such a state in this world? You might get close with Switzerland, until you add the requirement "A state that had a tax rate that it could not exceed?"<br /><br />Making law, defining punishment, and carrying out administration: holding the levers to all three makes for too tempting a target for the mischievous.<br /><br />bionic mosquitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002548958078731031noreply@blogger.com