We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizdata quote of the day

Once we take measures to not be threatening to the government, it should finally stop harassing us. And then maybe we can learn to live together in peace, simply paying the government whatever tribute it demands and abiding by whatever rules it decides to impose. And while we may witness the government committing some atrocities in the form of spending excesses and insane regulations, we will have to resist the urge to once again try to invade it and fix things. Because any future political attacks on the government will only give it reasons to come after us. So we’ll have to ignore the minor slights so we don’t anger it into lashing out in more extreme ways. Any attempts to reduce the government’s power will only make it worse — unless, you know, we completely obliterate it, reducing the government so much that it barely has any power over its citizens whatsoever.

Oh, actually, now that I think about it, I kind of like that obliteration option better than appeasement. Forget what I just wrote; instead let’s get a sledge hammer and smash apart this government until all those bureaucrats who think they can bully us are completely powerless to do anything but whine at deaf ears. Rubble don’t make trouble.

Frank J. Fleming

8 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • Paul Marks

    Hollywood (where the doctrines of the “intellectual” left are put into crude terms for “the masses”) has recently made clear that even leaving the planet does not mean people are not subject to the demands of “Social Justice” – people must still (for example) provide “free” health care, for any “Earther” who demands it.

    And if the people who have left the planet do not provide all the “Social Justice” the masses of Earth demand – then it is O.K. (indeed a moral duty) to kill the people who have left the planet, and destroy all they have created.

    Well the great Matt Damon has spoken – and, no doubt, the “libertarian” left agree with Hollywood (at least in the more “intellectual” language of the university academics – i.e. Plato’s bastard children).

    So it will come to bloodshed

    No matter how hard pro private property people try to avoid bloodshed.

    There is no limit on the demands for taxes and no limit on the demands of regulations.

    And no peaceful escape will be tolerated.

    Ask the leaders gathering in Ulster right now.

    The Prime Minister of Canada is about the only one of them who has any doubts about international (world) statism.

    And the bursting of the Canadian credit bubble (created by Mr Carney – soon to be head of the Bank of England) will destroy Prime Minister Harper.

  • Laird

    “unless, you know, we completely obliterate it . . .”

    Which, of course, is the only safe thing to do. You can’t just wound the beast, you have to kill it outright or it will come back and destroy you.

  • guy

    The Prime Minister of Canada is about the only one of them who has any doubts about international (world) statism.

    Should read “who is currently playing the other side of the fence for as long as it suits him.

    Putting your faith in any politician is a recipe for disaster. The ones who say things you like are the ones to watch most closely.

  • Paul Marks

    I half agree with you Guy.

    I do not put faith in any politican.

    However, it is not true that the ones to watch most closely are the people who say the good things.

    On the contrary – the truly evil often make it quite clear what they are planning, but people refuse to listen to them.

  • Mike

    Paul wrote: However, it is not true that the ones to watch most closely are the people who say the good things.
    On the contrary – the truly evil often make it quite clear what they are planning, but people refuse to listen to them.

    Well said.

  • Paul Marks

    Yes – someone who is saying the right things, such as Rand Paul, may be a let down in office. But they are not likely to turn 180 degrees.

    It is (logically enough) people who use collectivist language who normally turn out to be collectivists.

    However, Guy is correct – careful observation is important (someone may not give themselves away in words, one may have to watch body language, facial expression, who they associate with…..)

    However, it is odd how often people betray themselves.

    For example, someone will openly state that they support Social Justice, despise the nonaggression principle, think libertarians are racists and sexists (the whole leftist tapdance).

    One does not need to torture them to get them to admit all these things (no electric shocks to the testicles or anything like that) – just listen them, and it all comes pouring out.

    The only problem is that I find it incredibly painful to listen to.

  • Julie near Chicago

    In some cases, the shark barely needs to open its mouth in order to be recognized.

    Read my mind.

  • Paul Marks

    One thing I have to struggle to remember is that people sometimes start with good intentions – they are not enemy agents in an infiltration exercise.

    They can start off saying to themselves “I will use the language of academia” (which is the language of the collectivists) “but for a good purpose”, or “I will work with the left for the common cause of liberty – where we agree”.

    It sometimes starts that way – then they can be led (step-by-step) to becoming leftists themselves.

    “But why does it work that way round – why do they not win over the left in left-and-right-join-hands”.

    Because that is not the nature of the universe – of objective reality and the laws of reason.

    The “right” (for want of a better term – although, come to think of it, I mean the word in its literal sense) only wins openly, the way of deceit is the way of evil (evil means leads to an evil end). What starts off as a mask – becomes the face.

    For all my disagreements with them on various things – the Randian Objectivists understand all of the above (which is why they can be relied upon).

    The forces of liberty can only win openly – openly or not at all.