Why No One Should Become President
In this week’s subscriber newsletter James outlines why voting for a nicer slavemaster is not going to solve the problem of political slavery. Also, this week’s recommended reading, listening and viewing includes an OKC anniversary primer and a handy guide on how to learn anything.
This content is restricted to site members. If you are an existing user, please log in. New users may register here.
Filed in: Newsletter
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Hey James –
Can I send this to my son and my daughter?
– Joe
I find the “how can you delegate a right you don’t have yourself” angle to be one of the most efficient I’ve tried when talking to statists.
I used to give examples of how much suffering governments causes, false flag attacks, lies, wars, corruption, how they always achieves the opposite of what they (claim to) intend. It doesn’t work. Even if written in msm, the statists I talk to just say my sources are wrong without bothering to check for themselves, just crazy conspiracy stuff. Or say it’s honest mistakes, or just a bad apple etc etc.
But Larks stuff normally doesn’t require sources. It’s just logic, they can’t get away.
Ah life and it’s synchronicities, thanks for the article and the material on teaching/learning, Corbett. I’ve had my attention on teaching and learning all night and day after watching your Common Core video yesterday morning, which made my tears water with the Children Full of Life snippet. Tjeerd Andringa’s website was pretty helpful, and flipping through The End of Ignorance by John Mighton. I actually came here for a break from it lol… Rigorous, but all praise to God regardless. Thanks again tho bruh, very generous.
“But Larks stuff normally doesn’t require sources. It’s just logic, they can’t get away”.
Not sure if I agree about not needing sources – but you’re absolutely correct about pure logic not needing a source. That comment of his blew me away. After reading so extensively, over about 20 years, every modern and not so modern philosopher I found remotely readable after the first 100 page, that summed up why government and rulers are completely irrelevant. It’s a superb insight.
I haven’t voted in over 35yrs. Not easy in a country like Australia, where it’s compulsory to turn up to a voting a station and get your name crossed off the compulsory register. I moved around a lot, which helped. Finally I think they just gave up and stopped chasing me. Now I don’t live there anymore. I’ve tried to use banks as little as possible, grown my own food, and avoid all social media outlets. Must admit, being somewhat isolated, I do buy books via Amazon. They are my food and drink and I don’t know how to get the books I want any other way.
Growing your own food, interacting only with your own kind are the best way to start. then try earning money by working directly for someone, and by-pass the government and corps. And just keep going from there.
Thanks James for introducing to me the self-generated debit note in one of you past podcasts I’m just catching up with “the cross of gold”. Another brilliant idea.
james i have enjoyed and learned from everything you’ve published. this is my favorite. thank you sir. obviously preaching to the choir. i would have added a wee quote or 2 from bastiat. but that’s me……i’ll link it tho.http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html
peace and love groovy baby!
In terms of practicality, making freedom a voting issue, a platform, a philosophy will get society-at-large closer to self-rule than waiting for a sea change in the hearts and minds of most. And god forbid some dire scenario where anarchy would be a societal default in the near-term.
Case and point, Ron Paul. He made liberty a talking point on the national stage and the message is more broadly broadcast and better articulated today than it has ever been in human history I’d wager.
I too dream of funky tree houses in every back yard, community vegetable gardens, and freedom sounding off in the concert halls, but I want to get there safely and a pragmatic approach which certainly entails voting is the only way I can see getting there with my few belongings intact.
James, agree/ disagree? Does the secession movement interest you in that it is the chipping away at the whole to make smaller more autonomous regions that better represent local communities? Do you really think that leaving voting to everyone else is a safe measure given the current state of affairs? And would you consider running for office?
Thanks,
Greg
Cheers!
I think a time is coming when people need to truly internalize this message, perhaps like never before. In the dawning of an age of technology, we’re left with a class granted its ‘super-human’ rights because of their super-human powers, like omnipresent surveillance and push button missile launchers. This doesn’t leave the individual powerless, however.
Being young and having children makes this a very personal battle of wills and minds. For every man or woman I interact with whose eye dull at the subject of their own sovereignty, my throat clenches. “Don’t you understand you’re losing the battle for us all if you submit?” I want to tell them, and sometimes do.
I’m certainly no model for independent living, practically in the middle of the city in a condo with meager herbs on my HOA sanctioned porch. Being subject to such circumstances make it all the more apparent, without the means to do so, simply abstaining might be a lofty goal rather than a place to start for many. Almost more importantly though, I don’t let this affect my attitude, goals, or how I steer a polite(-ly phrased) conversation.
I truly believe we can create a culture which would drive fourth the capacity for mankind to (very simply) live, and let live. I’ve noticed with myself, that when we withdraw from the propaganda which makes us fear and distrust each other, when we focus on the possibilities and not the limitations, and when we truly internalize the idea of the “Golden Rule†we shine like a light that others recognize!
I have so much love for poor, misguided, angsty, self-destructive mankind – because just like a sad teenager, we’re all just starting to figure out that we can’t rely on our ‘parents’ (authority/government) and we wish someone loved us. Just like that teenager, to become a healthy society, we need to learn to love ourselves.
Thank you so much James for all your work and creating this forum.
Here are some links if people haven’t seen these videos:
Toby Hemenway – How Permaculture Can Save The Earth and Humanity, But Not Civilization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nLKHYHmPbo
Hildy Gottlieb – Creating the Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_yuwypm2Qc
Greg, you said “but I want to get there safely and a pragmatic approach which certainly entails voting is the only way I can see getting there with my few belongings intact.”
Can you cite me one instance when voting brought you this safety??
lincolnlea,
I have a real concern for where this country is heading. We all do. The federal government is certainly out of control and rapidly approaching a police state by many peoples estimation. The potential for flash points are greater now than in the 1960s. And the chaos agents seem to antagonize this further with the race baiting, the 1% rhetoric, and more. Instability only serves them.
On the other hand we live in a country that is more in tune with the plights of others than in any time in the past. More aware of the banking system, police brutality, runaway intelligence agencies, and institutionalized class warfare. We’re also more aware of solutions, what other nations do with similar problems, and so on. We have the internet to discuss problems and whatever creative solution we come up with can be spread across the world in seconds. This is an opportune time.
Whatever camp you fall into, pessimistic or optimistic, we all seem to feel that change is coming whether we want it to or not. The peaceful transition to whatever the future may hold is where our efforts should be. I choose to hold out hope that the government can be culled to a reasonable size and be governed by reasonable people. In theory this should be easy to do, especially on the local level. There are some great people out there. These are the sheriffs and judges that refuse federal pressure or the school superintendents speaking out against common core. Voting can bring safety and security if you get the right people on board. They fall under the groupings of Constitutionalists, Oathkeepers, but are generally just decent people that want to help their communities and we should support them when they offer to lead.
I support the philosophy of anarchy but I want it to shine when everyone is ready for it. Hearts and minds, plenty of practice sessions, and great leaders lending their guidance is what we need if want it to work and be as great as we know it can be. Donning a gas mask while standing over a burning flag doesn’t seem to be too good of an idea because it falls right in line with the instability that would further a police state or alienate good people from their neighbors. Frankly, I think it is a bit irresponsible to advocate given how edgy some Americans feel about the current state of affairs. Voting offers a chance and is accepted by all. Shirley Chisholm anybody? Ron Paul? Jello Biafra? If things change drastically then we have to change with the times, but it is still our country as far as I am concerned and I’ll vote to keep it that way.
You got a better idea? I’m all ears.
Greg
OK. What’s it gonna cost to get all the dvd’s from day one?