Let’s get the jokes out of the way. “You’ve called yourself a libertarian in the past.” “You share memes that say libertarian on them.” “You host a libertarian podcast.” And the most obvious one; “You’re the managing editor at the Libertarian Institute!” And then there’s my favorite comment, “You change your mind more than you change your name.” Anyone who makes that comment doesn’t understand the culture and can enjoy a block until they wake the fuck up. But as to the first comments, yes to all of those. But with new information I also change my mind. And with the last 8 months clear in my psyche a change in thinking and approach is needed.
SPOT ON, PETE! Like you, I've been around a while (OK, fine, me even longer 😎) but while I fervently believe in freedom, I prefer Jeff Diest's "personal secession" approach as each individual can take actions on their own and not wait on some percentage of the general population to agree and overthrow the ruling class. That just ain't gonna happen anytime soon… at least not in my lifetime. I love the idea of state secession but even a small state is composed of many people who will not agree. To quote a guy we all like, "Only the individual thinks. Only the individual reasons. Only the individual acts. —Ludwig von Mises
Pete, in all honesty, this sentiment/progression of introspective thought is exactly why I follow your work. Since the Ron Paul campaign days I've went from a squishy Libertarian to recent AnCap, but always hated the autist screeching about capitalism...then COVID happened and has seriously radicalized me. I felt even more helpless than ever until I heard the word Agorism...from your mouth. Then a whole different world was opened to me. I've never felt more in-tune/at-ease with an idea as its been something I've always practiced but never had language to structure/model. It's authentic, so I feel you brother. This is the way.
At times, I think the only reason I entertain monarchy is because I am experiencing, in real time, the culmination of the "Enlightenment" project. The luciferian world order paradigm is upon us and it took the nihilism of the enlightenment to bring man to this point. We either erect another Tower of Babel, or we react against such folly. My rebellious nature is not because I condone the revolutionary spirit of Bacchus, rather I reject it so much the only reaction left is to be repulsed by it. Historically speaking, Monarchies at times acted as a bulwark against the atheist tendencies of man to erect heaven on Earth which is purely humanist dogmatism.
As much as I have never believed the society would be changed quickly, I feel like this year is making it plain how society can drastically change overnight. If there is a possibility it could drastically change for the worse overnight then there is a possibility it could change for the better overnight just as drastically. My main thing is to work on getting more self reliant. Maybe I am a classic Emersonian. Maybe I am an agorist. I took this little thing about 10-20 ways to avoid or resist the NWO and I look at it like a work in progress for almost everyone. I think we could all move in our own lives in some tiny baby steps every day toward what we see as the righteous way of doing things. It turns out it’s better for nature, better for the planet, better for our bodies, better for the systems of the world. The less we use the systems the more obscure the bad ones become or at least the more obviously unnecessary. I don’t worry so much about govt be it a giant industrial complex or a small monarchy. It’s most important what I am doing in my own life ignoring it out of its purpose wherever I am. And it is a little by little thing. I think people see what they feel they should be doing and it is too great a leap for their imagination to get there. So we can instead model the long bridge. Throwing out everything in your kitchen cabinet overnight is as painful (and not always healthful) a transition for those overcoming an illness as it is for those overcoming statism. Go slow. Allow your body to adjust in increments or you could end up with the herx reaction. Those at their most severe can be fatal. More and more people getting garden beds and gradually digging up their lawns can be a long, slow, gentle process and transition that gives hope to those that feel statelessness is hopeless.
I wear the Libertarian moniker, but it's only to piss off the D's and R's who still think I can be swayed to their team. If I wore the Agorist moniker they wouldn't understand. You can be libertarian (or Libertarian) and an Agorist at the same time.
100%. The word 'libertarian' like so many other words, has been turned by the state and its minions, into something unsavory. The final nail in the coffin for my association with the word 'libertarian' were the bizarre antics of the LP during the election campaign.
Their positions on too many things, were virtually opposite to what I consider to be libertarian. Frankly, the LP became a sad joke. I consider Ron Paul to be the epitome of what a political libertarian can be. In my opinion, the LP purposefully seemed to purposfully distance itself from Dr. Pauls' sensibilities at every turn.
I am one of those that said the only reasonable way that a libertarian state could ever exist, would be to literally take over a state. A national party dilutes the time, effort and finances of the LP making any effort useless, even as a vehicle to spread the message. This election, it was almost as if the LP wanted to destroy any credibility the LP had left and to put two in the temple of the concept of libertarianism, once and for all.
I still think that the only chance that a Libertarian party has of having any real effect on a population would be to try and win a state, but it will never happen. As to why, I differ with Pete somewhat: I think any attempt would be destroyed from within before it would ever be established enough to be taken over by statists.
Big 'L' libertarians are their own worst enemy. They are the linux of politics...a great idea in theory but can't help but squabble and fracture to the point of irrelevance, except for a few enthusiasts and even fewer people that see it as a useful tool.
The Libertarian party (and with it small 'l' libertarians) have devolved far from the halcyon days of Ron Paul, into a chaotic jumble of tribes, signalling their libertarian bona fide virtue with endless nitpicking over definitions of liberty, while squabbling over purity rituals.
What really pisses me off, was that I only came upon libertarianism recently and libertarian, was a handy catch all for my various beliefs. Now, the word libertarian, induces cringe, not pride.
Since I don't believe only one thing, I think any single label will be mostly inaccurate, so when I do refer to myself, I often use Agorist but most often, Contrarian...because frankly, I am 'anti' almost every current political position and social norm. I find I am most at home with people who just want to get the fuck away from the civilized world, as far as they can.
I was a libertarian before I ever heard of the word. As a child, I believed in the NAP and property rights. Now, I can't remember the last time an official representative of libertarianism said NAP, and didn't mean 'a short sleep'.
Fuck it. My goal is to voluntarily associate with people who want to voluntarily associate with me, and the rest can fuck right off.
The only people I have the energy and will to want to help, are those who have the energy and will to at least try to help themselves. You can't fix blind or stupid and I'm completely done trying.
I want to sit on a hill somewhere, sipping a beer with some fellow contrarians, and gaze over the world.
SPOT ON, PETE! Like you, I've been around a while (OK, fine, me even longer 😎) but while I fervently believe in freedom, I prefer Jeff Diest's "personal secession" approach as each individual can take actions on their own and not wait on some percentage of the general population to agree and overthrow the ruling class. That just ain't gonna happen anytime soon… at least not in my lifetime. I love the idea of state secession but even a small state is composed of many people who will not agree. To quote a guy we all like, "Only the individual thinks. Only the individual reasons. Only the individual acts. —Ludwig von Mises
Pete, in all honesty, this sentiment/progression of introspective thought is exactly why I follow your work. Since the Ron Paul campaign days I've went from a squishy Libertarian to recent AnCap, but always hated the autist screeching about capitalism...then COVID happened and has seriously radicalized me. I felt even more helpless than ever until I heard the word Agorism...from your mouth. Then a whole different world was opened to me. I've never felt more in-tune/at-ease with an idea as its been something I've always practiced but never had language to structure/model. It's authentic, so I feel you brother. This is the way.
thanks for sharing that, & really appreciate the direction your content has taken lately. To paraphrase Eric J.. fuck them bitch ass semantics
At times, I think the only reason I entertain monarchy is because I am experiencing, in real time, the culmination of the "Enlightenment" project. The luciferian world order paradigm is upon us and it took the nihilism of the enlightenment to bring man to this point. We either erect another Tower of Babel, or we react against such folly. My rebellious nature is not because I condone the revolutionary spirit of Bacchus, rather I reject it so much the only reaction left is to be repulsed by it. Historically speaking, Monarchies at times acted as a bulwark against the atheist tendencies of man to erect heaven on Earth which is purely humanist dogmatism.
As much as I have never believed the society would be changed quickly, I feel like this year is making it plain how society can drastically change overnight. If there is a possibility it could drastically change for the worse overnight then there is a possibility it could change for the better overnight just as drastically. My main thing is to work on getting more self reliant. Maybe I am a classic Emersonian. Maybe I am an agorist. I took this little thing about 10-20 ways to avoid or resist the NWO and I look at it like a work in progress for almost everyone. I think we could all move in our own lives in some tiny baby steps every day toward what we see as the righteous way of doing things. It turns out it’s better for nature, better for the planet, better for our bodies, better for the systems of the world. The less we use the systems the more obscure the bad ones become or at least the more obviously unnecessary. I don’t worry so much about govt be it a giant industrial complex or a small monarchy. It’s most important what I am doing in my own life ignoring it out of its purpose wherever I am. And it is a little by little thing. I think people see what they feel they should be doing and it is too great a leap for their imagination to get there. So we can instead model the long bridge. Throwing out everything in your kitchen cabinet overnight is as painful (and not always healthful) a transition for those overcoming an illness as it is for those overcoming statism. Go slow. Allow your body to adjust in increments or you could end up with the herx reaction. Those at their most severe can be fatal. More and more people getting garden beds and gradually digging up their lawns can be a long, slow, gentle process and transition that gives hope to those that feel statelessness is hopeless.
Thank you, Pete.
I wear the Libertarian moniker, but it's only to piss off the D's and R's who still think I can be swayed to their team. If I wore the Agorist moniker they wouldn't understand. You can be libertarian (or Libertarian) and an Agorist at the same time.
100%. The word 'libertarian' like so many other words, has been turned by the state and its minions, into something unsavory. The final nail in the coffin for my association with the word 'libertarian' were the bizarre antics of the LP during the election campaign.
Their positions on too many things, were virtually opposite to what I consider to be libertarian. Frankly, the LP became a sad joke. I consider Ron Paul to be the epitome of what a political libertarian can be. In my opinion, the LP purposefully seemed to purposfully distance itself from Dr. Pauls' sensibilities at every turn.
I am one of those that said the only reasonable way that a libertarian state could ever exist, would be to literally take over a state. A national party dilutes the time, effort and finances of the LP making any effort useless, even as a vehicle to spread the message. This election, it was almost as if the LP wanted to destroy any credibility the LP had left and to put two in the temple of the concept of libertarianism, once and for all.
I still think that the only chance that a Libertarian party has of having any real effect on a population would be to try and win a state, but it will never happen. As to why, I differ with Pete somewhat: I think any attempt would be destroyed from within before it would ever be established enough to be taken over by statists.
Big 'L' libertarians are their own worst enemy. They are the linux of politics...a great idea in theory but can't help but squabble and fracture to the point of irrelevance, except for a few enthusiasts and even fewer people that see it as a useful tool.
The Libertarian party (and with it small 'l' libertarians) have devolved far from the halcyon days of Ron Paul, into a chaotic jumble of tribes, signalling their libertarian bona fide virtue with endless nitpicking over definitions of liberty, while squabbling over purity rituals.
What really pisses me off, was that I only came upon libertarianism recently and libertarian, was a handy catch all for my various beliefs. Now, the word libertarian, induces cringe, not pride.
Since I don't believe only one thing, I think any single label will be mostly inaccurate, so when I do refer to myself, I often use Agorist but most often, Contrarian...because frankly, I am 'anti' almost every current political position and social norm. I find I am most at home with people who just want to get the fuck away from the civilized world, as far as they can.
I was a libertarian before I ever heard of the word. As a child, I believed in the NAP and property rights. Now, I can't remember the last time an official representative of libertarianism said NAP, and didn't mean 'a short sleep'.
Fuck it. My goal is to voluntarily associate with people who want to voluntarily associate with me, and the rest can fuck right off.
The only people I have the energy and will to want to help, are those who have the energy and will to at least try to help themselves. You can't fix blind or stupid and I'm completely done trying.
I want to sit on a hill somewhere, sipping a beer with some fellow contrarians, and gaze over the world.
If the world happens to be in flames, so be it.
What kind of monarchy?