01 December 2010
Panarchy
There comes a time in everyone's life that a new idea is interjected into one's life that changes it dramatically. I had one of these occur to me today.
Today while cruising the world wide web I found the idea called 'Panarchy'. The idea summerized, briefly, is a government for everyone by their own choosing. I can not live under the current government that I am forced to live under. There being no better form of 'cancer' to move to. The idea is that instead of tearing down existing governments, against the will of others, in order to create the world in our own images. We instead create our own governments that can exist side by side between each other. This is currently done at many different levels today. Municipalities coexist with each other, counties coexist with each other, States coexist with each other, Federal governments coexist with each other.
Most governments have more in common then they have different. Most of the governments that one might create for one's self would have common themes. In the land mass called the United States, you'd see governments that support the rights of life, liberty, and property. That believe that violating these rights is criminal, and those who violate these rights are punished. So we aren't talking about governments that would be dramatically different from each other.
There might be pockets of smaller governments that have at its core ideas that are dramatically different, however they would be subject to the same forces that all governments are, that being the force of economics. If the people of the Socialists Regime are unable to fund the government they like, then they would be for ever be insignificant and powerless against larger ones.
This sounds impossible to start, you say? Is it really? Don't we already have in place certain governmental functions that could see to such a system? Do you register to vote? Your 'voter registration card' could be your new ID card.
When a Enforcer of Laws contacts you, you show them your 'Political Membership Card' and he could instantly call up your political branch of Enforcer of Laws, and run your ID as he does today. Based on that he could issue his ticket or whatever to you and you'd take it to your local Enforcer of Laws to be processed in whatever way they handle such affairs.
I say to anyone that is a naysayer to such an idea is to view the idea in a similar context. Imagine for example the four existing political parties being governments on to themselves. I for one don't believe there to be much difference between the Democrats and Republicans, however imagine both parties getting everything they ever wanted, within reason, but doing so as to make both political followers happy, instead of constantly fighting against each others ideology. Then you have the Libertarian party who's founding had the same goals as the roots of the big two parties founding. however in the current light appear to be nothing more then 'Republican Lite'. The fourth party is the all the other smaller parties, the non-parties, and so called 'independents' who we could all agree currently have no voice, but should be allowed to.
So, reader, how do we get from here to there? Perhaps the biggest and best way is to remove the rules that stifle the creation of parties. The big two parties have long since created roadblocks to stop the formation of new parties, to make people think there can only be two parties anymore, and a litany of other complaints, as well. Create rules that abolish the rules that de facto allow only two parties. As David toppled Goliath, if every smaller party made it a priority to get these rules removed, then we could see them removed.
Once this roadblock is removed then we have set the stage for the formation of political independence. It starts at the local level, as all things should. We could see a reformation of local governments that would create rules not to bound people, but to bind the governments. It would be up to the local political parties to create an environment that is conducive to everyone getting what they want via their own political power. Once local freedom has been created, then we can see similar changes to the regional power within a state via the same process of freeing people from one single government to multiple parties. From there it would be very simple to change the State government as well, and move on from there to a Federal level, however I think that thinking beyond the local level at this moment is premature. Like all experiments, we should try them at a local level first.
Step out of yourself for a moment and view your existing idea of government from this point of view. Instead of your local 'representatives' constantly infighting about which way to go, they would be able to go both ways utilizing their own parties funds as they see fit. Rather then your local 'representatives' representing you, they'd be representing the party. We'd see the reformation of local governments to a 'united nations' kind of concept, except here we would hope to see more freedom then we see tyranny, it is hoped. The number of seats on our councils would change from being territorial to one of political power, so that each party has equal representation, in a one party, one vote, kind of system.
It isn't a perfect idea, we don't have perfect human beings, and the world isn't perfect, but none the less shouldn't we try to obtain perfection for all, rather then the current system of one size fits all?
For more information on Panarchy, please see the Panarchy Website. I recommend as a primer the article from Paul Emile De Puydt.
07 August 2008
Free Market Solution to Roads
Often times when an objection to the free market is raised, it is raised about roads. The debate is usually fairly simple, the free market side says that roads can be handled by the free market, and the other side saying that only government can handle roads.
Roads are important for commerce, and as such shouldn't commerce be the one dicating where roads should exist, how they should be built, how they should be maintained, and so on and so forth? If government should create roads, maintain them, and the like, how does government know where, how, why, and what roads ought to be built and how they should be maintained if it recieves no input from anyone else about them? Since government builds roads like they build everything else, poorly, do you want your hard earned money not only stolen from you, but mis-spent?
So how to transition from government roads to private roads? As one who likes to experiment, if I had the power to make the decisions, I'd do it this way. First we take a secondary street of some 5 blocks, not a main street, and we say to the owners on this street, for a period of six months, you will be responsible for the maintaince and upkeep from your property to the middle of the road, including sidewalks. We will see what the road looks like six months from then. If it works, then we pick another secondary street, or another 5 blocks of our first street. Continuing forward till we reach about 25 percent of public roads then we move to phase two. If it fails, then we try it with a different 5 block section. If it fails again, then we can decide what to do from that point. This is the process that the free market does when figuring things out.
The idea here is to make sure we try it before we buy it. The point is not to dictate how each business will take care of the street, nor punish them for their lack of taking care of the street. If we treat them as if they own the street, they will better take care of the street. The punishment for failing to maintain the street will in how the customers feel about the owners, in a commerical zone, this would be their customers deciding that the buisness doesn't care about its own property, and not want to shop there.
For residental property, punishment would be in home values.
What if the owner doesn't want to maintain their property? Then they can hire someone to do it for them, or they can allow their neighbors to take care of the property. Here in Anchorage, Alaska, some parts of the downtown are maintained mostly by a group of businesses together who pay for people to walk the streets every morning picking up garbage and also to have security personnel walk/bike the streets.
Phase two would be along the lines of moving from public ownership/private 'lease' to transfering the actual roads to the private owners. Again using the formula of a little bit at a time and reviewing the results and then adjusting the next step after seeing the effects of the first step, until all roads are privately owned.
What about new roads? First and foremost new roads could be created quickly, starting with basic roads and then moving toward higher capacity roads, such as highways and byways. Who is going to pay for them? Obviously that is left to the private owner, perhaps he will take out a loan to build his road. Perhaps he will charge a toll to use his road. Perhaps he will group with his neighbors and do one of the above or perhaps something not even expected. The point is, if there is a need for a road you can bet your dollar that you will get your road, just as you get your gallon of milk, your gallon of gas, your home built, your car built, all without government creating them, and then delivering them to you.
COMMENT05 August 2008
To Protect and Serve....whom?
Often times when I am heard speaking about so-called Law Enforcement Officers(LEO), I get accused of being a 'cop hater'. While I disagree with the severity by which the accusation is tossed, the message of the accusation is true. I do not like LEOs, and with good reason.
While many of the LEOs I have dealt with over the years have been good natured people, their reason for interacting with me has been bad. Almost all of these men and women have figuratively pointed a gun at me and demanded money for some perceived crime.
I know many will not ask these so-called protectors very simple questions, not that it matters since they can not answer them at any rate. What is a crime? What is a law? What is statute? LEOs are not trained in the most basic arts of law.
So they can not tell you that a crime is when one party's rights are violated and damages have occurred due to that rights violation. They can't tell you that a law is a truth that has been upheld for so long that it has the effect of being binding to all. They can't tell you that a Statute is a rule that has the effect of law upon a society.
When asked the simple question, 'have I committed a crime' when pulled over for speeding they can not tell you properly why it is or even why it isn't a crime, but will write a ticket just the same. When you ask them is this a commercial instrument, they will look at you as a deer stares into the head lights of an on coming car.
When was the last time you asked someone for protection and they were the perpetrators of the crime against you? If you have ever been stopped by a LEO, you have been a victim of a crime. Of course you can't bring suit against these people for committing a crime against you, because they are an instrument of the State, just as the judge claims to be impartial and unbiased at the same time receiving a paycheck from the same entity that is prosecuting you for your 'crime'.
Who do LEO's protect? The United States Supreme Court has ruled that they have no duty, no obligation, no responsibility to protect you the individual citizen. If they don't protect you, then what is their job? What is their function? Obviously, you can find the answer to this when you go to the court room and try to ask questions, rather then just simply follow the judges orders. The will use force against you in whatever manner that the judge orders them to do. Ask them, who do they serve? The judge of course. So in the end a LEO protects the State. From whom? Well you and I of course!
Those who are 'government' know that they are out numbered 50 to 1, that's why they work so hard to keep you under control, to not rock the boat too much, so you don't raise an objection. This so-called republic wasn't even finished being created before the right to alter or reform the 'government' was made into a crime. Rebellion is a crime, after all.
14 June 2007
Are we a nation of laws?
Time and time again we hear, 'we are a nation of laws', if this is true, which I have a major doubt, then it would seem to me that laws which are in violation of the law should be automatically struck down and should not have to wait for challenge by anyone.
I submit in to evidence the 2nd Amendment, which states in part, 'the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed'. If this is law, and the law itself proclaims itself to be 'the law of the land', then no law can be made that would violate this law. The word infringed and its root, were not chosen by chance or mouth feel, but by understanding the exactness and well understood meaning that the word represents. If we say, shall not be infringed, it means nothing may limit in any way, the said right. So to require a permit or license to own, or have a arm is in violation of the law. To limit the rank or type of arm, is a violation of the law.
While I do not disagree individuals who wield such arms as nuclear weapons, large scale bombs, or other arms of destruction are perhaps not what the founders have in mind, that the law does allow these weapons to be 'kept and bared'. If you have a problem with the law, you change the law, you do not pass a law that obviously is in violation of the law just because you don't agree with it.
I personally find that people are far more inclined to leave 'well armed individuals' to their own devices, and in turned peace is maintained. It is when these 'well armed individuals' violate the natural rights of others that they should be stood up to with defensive force.
So back to the statement, 'we are a nation of laws', in fact I can prove we are not. Men in suits create laws. Men in uniforms enforce those laws. Men in robes punish those who violate those laws. If we are a nation of laws, then the law itself would be followed by everyone because it is in their best interest to do so. In fact we are not a nation of laws, we are a nation of men. Men decide what is and isn't law. Men decide what laws are to be enforced and not enforced. Men punish others who violate those laws that were found sufficiently 'good' to be enforced, regardless if the law is just or not.
So I say on to you, we are NOT a nation of laws, but a nation of men. So long as we are a nation of men, ruling over other men, we will be slaves to these men. It is only when man is free from other men, and their passing of laws, that we will be free.
In freedom comes the ability to freely associate with whom you want to, without being forced by the point of violence to comply with a law, even when that law is immoral and/or illegal. Freedom means being able to own anything one wants to own without any regard to its purpose that one wishes to own. Freedom means being able to travel anywhere one wants to go without any regard to how one chooses to transport ones self. Freedom means being able to believe in the God or Gods you want to, or to not believe in those same God or Gods.
However with freedom comes equal responsibility. For you can not have an action without a equal and opposite re-action. If you have the freedom to own anything you want, you have the responsibility to maintain, hinder, or otherwise protect others from that thing. Having the freedom to associate with anyone you wish to, also means that you are judged by the actions of that other individual. The freedom to travel anywhere by any means also includes the responsibility of making sure you don't go where you are not welcome, nor that you damage others or their property in doing so. Your God or Gods, or lack thereof, are also your responsibility in that you have the freedom to spread the word of your ideology, others do not have to listen to you.
In short, or long as it is, we are not a nation of laws. We are nation of men. So long as we are a nation of men, we will not be free. We will continue to be their slaves until such time as we decide otherwise. While we may not agree in how this happens, we ought to support those that wish to cast of the yoke of servitude and help them in our own ways to achieve their goals. Normally I would say that 'man is at his best when he is thinking of himself first because in doing so, he will naturally help society as a whole'. With this in mind, I ask, is it not in your best interest to help those who desire that which all free men seek, that being the state of freedom? Grab this show Subscribe to the show COMMENTS
13 October 2006
Trust, but verify
From The Alaskan Command Center
'Trust, but verify' said President Ronald Reagan. Now more then ever these words are never more true. In today's high-speed broadband world where you can click a button in Japan and receive a document in New York, there is more information available to everyone about everything.
The problem today it seems is that the information quantity overloads the mind, so you look to other people to gather the information, chunk it into easy to swallow chunks, and filter out what you don't want. You call these people the Media, and you trust them, so much so that you tune in everyday to hear what they have to say. You expect them to tell us the truth, to be honest, and to be accurate. Why would they lie? Why would they lead you astray? Why would they mislead you? The media provides you information in return for you to listen to their advertisers. They know you have different choices in what you can watch so they say things in a certain way, or cover the stories they think you will pay attention to the most, all in order to capture ratings and market share. After all ratings and market share are what they base their pricing on. More viewers means more money. They are pimping the news to you.
You have become lazy. You don't look for another view point, you don't take the time to check the media and assure they are accurate, that they are being honest.
The media speaks today about a gay congressman who sent sexually explicit instant messages to children and how he will be in jail for a long time. Is the congressman gay? Is asking for a photo of a 17 year old male sexually explicit? Is the age of sexual consent 18 in the District of Columbia? Has the congressman been charged with a crime? The answer to all of these questions are 'no'. The media tells you what you think you will respond the most to. Its not about telling the story its about hooking you into their program so they can charge a high price for their advertising.
Facts, the only person who can answer if he is gay is Mr. Foley. Asking a young person for a photo could be nothing more then wanting to see how someone is doing and taking an interest in their life. The age of sexual consent is 16 in the District of Columbia. And the last time I checked, you are not guilty of a crime till you are pronounced so in a court of law, and not the court of public opinion So the next time you hear a story, I want to follow the wise words of 'trust, but verify', before you go off tell someone you just heard something that isn't true, isn't honest, and isn't accurate.
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