Without the State, What Would You Write?
I see a lot of people in partisan politics who seem to have no ambition beyond getting their candidate elected, or at least that is the impression I get based on their social media output. Meanwhile, many libertarians/anarchists can't seem to write about anything except the latest evils of the government. Is this all there is to your life?
Our word "politics" comes from the root Greek word polis, meaning "city." As a result, the most expansive interpretation of "politics" would be "anything related to society." However, in modern parlance, it means specific activities and ideas related to the government of others, which is inherently trespass against their natural rights. In the absence of such trespass, there is still ample room to discuss economic ideas and explore ways to voluntarily cooperate, but the current political environment means people bicker over the form subjugation takes rather than whether the idea is legitimate in the first place. Today, that conversation is certainly important.
But beyond that, how would you want to live without some authoritarian breathing down your neck? And what can you do to begin living that life today? The real revolution is not in the streets. It is in living as freely as possible today while offering an example to others of how liberty can bring us more joy and fulfilment. Like good evangelism, it's not about browbeating and nagging, it's about setting an example for others so they can see the inner light in your life. The darker the world around you, the greater the impact of the tiniest spark, no matter how hard the control freaks try to snuff it out.
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We have the theoretical foundation for a peaceful society, but we can begin real politics by building our relationships with others, learning new skills, and creating a peaceful, productive society without permission. So don't get hung up on the anger and outrage generated by government goons and their destructive behavior. Be constructive in response.
Besides, if you aren't truly living now, what would you do with yourself if the State collapsed tomorrow? Michael W. Dean of the Freedom Feens has often said that he wants his podcast to include the stuff he would want to discuss without the State. What would you create if there were no political distractions in your life? What other interests do you have? This is why I write about things some very serious people find frivolous: tabletop games, cooking, music, amusing anecdotes from my life, and so on. Politics matters, but probably not as much as you think, so don't build your life around it.
Please share your thoughts on this rambling post in the comments below. What would you do if modern politics were gone? What do you do now in spite of politics today?
If that were the case, I'm not sure I would write much. I'd be too busy doing the things which would put me in a cage if I did them now. :)
And I am sure at least some of those things could lead to amazing stories!
I like the direction you're going with this. What ? We are gifted with a politician free existence ? Parties, hookers, drugs for all, surely I jest, well for the most part. On a more serious note, I think we do what we pretty much do everyday. We walk through our daily lives voluntarily interacting with like minded people. I think it would just get even better without the distractions that come from political circuses.
Indeed. Society functions in spite of government intervention, not because of it. There would be some chaos if we needed to establish decentralized solutions to the various government monopolies, and there is a need for the widespread dissemination of the ideas of liberty, but there is so much more to life than that.
@jacobtothe, this made my day. it is a thought that i have had for a long time. why do we care so much about the government? what can they do at a micro level that will benefit us? Governments are about macro changes and that is why we vote for them on the basis of policies that they support.
But it is the immutable truth that our governance starts in our communities. we must solve problems ourselves, instead of expecting our taxes to do the job for us.
Even rational human beings will just forego their responsibility and lay it all on the government. i think this is a fallacy anyway. we need to be an active society without constant power mongering. if we do our jobs then we can hold the government to a higher standard.
If we build relationships at a community level then our world will change for the better. We will pontificate less about what the government is supposed to and whine even less about what the government has failed to do!
I agree only in part. Governments never represent the governed and cannot be held accountable. Society and civilization exist in spite of governments, not because of them. And that is why wasting our energy on government politics is destructive toward real progress. The opportunity costs are too high when we could be doing better things in a voluntary, cooperative manner instead.
Interesting post. I think about this a lot; since the State is enemy of society and the humane life, a lot of time must be applied to trying to diagnose the consequences of it's existence on the broader perspective of general living. So critiquing the present institutional and philosophical structures that the State incentivizes is important.
If the State was not around and simple freedom was a reality for the masses, the world of ideas would still be an active and healthy pursuit as individuals all have different tastes. More time could be spent on interpreting different types of art, manners, and spirituality. Perhaps new avenues would be explored and there would be numerous of possibilities to dissect.
And without the threat of statist imposition of various ideas, people would feel a lot less threatened by others who want to experiment with them.
Really enjoyed this, saw it resteemed by jerryt, i'll do the same.
Articles like this are NEEDED to encourage folks to think about their stances- legitimate or not.
Nice read. I leave an upvote for this article thumbsup
You have been spamming the exact same empty compliment over and over. That is not a good way to build a following or create good relationships here on Steemit. In fact, it is likely to get your comments flagged and destroy your reputation. Please read my tips on how to build a successful Steemit account here, and try to make substantive comments related to the actual content of the posts you compliment.
Oh mr jacob i also missed your that post i guess and just saw it through this comment. It is nice to see how mess can also lead to something good :) Going to resteem your that post.
That is why I am the self-appointed Steem Pope. I am here to preach the path of the True Blog and rebuke the sinner so that he may return to the path of write-iousness [/pun]
hahah so cool :)
Mr @jacobtothe i am so glad and surprised to see your sentence:
This is exactly what i say to my friends in short, that we humans somehow have a lot of fears in ourselves by default and then other fears are injected by society. Insecurity about future, health and wealth makes us so weak that we look for a stronger person who can lead and dominate us. Well said :)