I question the utility of this video. It’s long, it’s very negative, and I doubt very much that it will change a single mind. It’s foolish to attack the people you’re trying to convince.
Maybe he isn’t trying to convince anybody of anything, but only speak the truth. I can respect that. I don’t have to agree that the form in which he puts the truth will serve any useful purpose.
And I can’t really disagree with a single word.
The mere fact that the political crooks wrote something down and declared their threats to be law does not mean that any human being anywhere has the slightest moral obligation to obey. Every moment of every day, in every location and every situation, you have a moral obligation to do what you deem to be right, not what some delusional bloated windbag says is legal. And that requires you to first determine right and wrong for yourself, a responsibility you spend much time and effort trying to dodge.
You proclaim how proud you are to be law-abiding citizens, and express your utter contempt for anyone who considers themselves above your so-called laws, laws that are nothing more than the selfish whims of tyrants and thieves. The word “crime” once meant an act harmful to another person. Now it means disobedience to any one of the myriad arbitrary commands coming from a parasitical criminal class.
The boy can be dark, can’t he? Not wrong, but dark.
This is somewhat timely, actually. I’m in sore need of some metaphysical rejuvenation, and what Larken gets at here is a place I get to from time to time, that reminds me that I need to re-fill my life jar with the things worth filling it with–first.
Amen. I used to get down on people like this, and all it accomplished was to make me sour and unhappy. Now mostly I just don’t give the bulk of mankind much thought, to be honest, and I’m happier for it.
Larken’s a good and humble man. But he says what he thinks. And it is the truth, which is often unpopular. You should read his book “The Iron Web.” A much more positive spin on voluntaryism. Almost . . . affirming, like. It’s actually the book from which this speech was mainly taken.
So I gathered, though I haven’t read the book.
Larken was rowdier than usual in that vid. He’s normally very polite. Most humans, when they become frustrated, kick the nearest dog or human or blog-viewer. A lot of “freedom” bloggers are cursing all the “cowards” that won’t gather pitchfork and torch and head for Washington DC.
Joel, hit me with an address and I’ll send you a brand-new set of Larken’s books.
Dave
UC, I’d love that. Click on “Send Joel Stuff” above and I’ll get right back to you.
Underground,
I remember you mentioning you’d bought a bunch of his books. In fact, I think you turned me on to those books in the first place. “How To Be a Tyrant” is also good, though I didn’t agree with the main premiss of “The Most Dangerous Superstition.” The idea that there’s no such thing as authority. I think he just picked the wrong definition for “authority.”
Hi Brass,
Larken did a damn fine job on concrete concepts, but I’ll agree he got a little ethereal on the subject of “authority.” All in all, though, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, mostly because he said things that nobody ever said before.
Dave