I think it’s time I lay out the truth as I see it. If you want a detailed explanation on how I came to this truth, I suggest you pick up a copy of On Truth (Tyranny of Illusion), UPB and listen to Freedomain Radio. Yes, these are all links to the same site, one created by Stefan Molyneux, whom I owe a great deal of thanks to for being patient in my journey from Objectivism to a more active minded look at philosophy. I was originally directed to these ideas by my active minded girlfriend, so I have her to thank as well. Of course I have plenty to owe to Objectivism to getting me to a point where I was actually able to think for myself, but since I disagree with some key points in Objectivism, I no longer refer to myself as an Objectivist. Call me a philosopher. Call me a thinker. Don’t label me under a blanket philosophy though. It is unfair to call me a libertarian, market anarchist or anarcho capitalist as well, because each of these do not encompass what I think about philosophy. Yes, I do agree that we should be as free as possible, but those labels (anarchist, etc) come with several problems. For one, they come with a lot of assumptions about what I think and I don’t want anyone assuming what I think. Two, I don’t want to get stuck in the “club” mentality again because I see this as a form of dogmatism that can only lead to a blank out when considering other ideas.

I do not think that anyone who reads this blog would disagree that life should be lived by this statement: I swear by my life and my love of it that I will not live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. That said, I agree with Ayn Rand’s axioms when it comes to metaphysics and epistemology. I agree with many of the conclusions she made with ethics, but can not agree with all of the conclusions or all of the ways they were derived. The one major disagreement I have with her ethics is the need for a state of any type. I think that the existence of a state is a direct contradiction with the non-aggression principle because it puts the power of the state above the individual. It implies that men can not be trusted to be rational, and must be forced (at the point of a gun) to arbitrate their disputes in a court. It also implies that men can not be trusted to protect themselves against irrational men (or groups of irrational men).

Our goal as philosophers should be to spread rational ways of thinking. I think that our mistrust in men to become rational is what has lead to our trust in god, trust in the state, and even trust in our non-chosen relationships of any sort. I think the only way to introduce long lasting change into this world is to demonstrate the change in your own life, and the relationships you have with other people. I think men have the capability to become rational.

I think it is unfair to my rights as an individual to be born into a state just as I think it is unfair to any individual to be subjugated to the will of other human beings. Of course we must rely on our parents to feed us, clothe us, give us shelter when we are young, and teach us right from wrong* but once we are able to sustain our own lives, no other man should have a right over it. I see a government as a slap in the face to humanity and a slap in the face to rationality, just as I see religion and abusive relationships as a slap in the face to humanity and rationality.

*Our parents can lead us astray when it comes to right and wrong, and I think this is the root of where change will happen.

I know this begs the question, “How can anarchy work?” I think this is a cynical question that implies a lot about your trust in humanity, but I will answer it anyways: I do not expect to see my ideas come to fruition in my lifetime. I expect to live my ideas by creating my own anarchy. One where I choose my relationships, one where I make decisions on what I am obligated to do or not to do and one where I demonstrate my ideas so others can see it is possible to live my ideals. I expect these changes in ideas to slowly spread, like many other ideas have in the past. I expect the future to be bright and free of gods, government and unchosen obligations. Only once a majority of men accept these ideas as true and stop participating with the state, with their church and with their abusive relationships, will these ideas become reality.

If you wish to believe that men can not achieve this level of rationality, by all means, keep on thinking and living the way you do. If you are afraid to face the reality that you will have to slough off your abusive relationships, unchosen or not, and live a life where most people think you are nuts, then do not explore these ideas. I know that ignorance can only lead to neurotic behavior, not bliss. I also know that breaking free of the chains that you have control over is not bliss either (but the result may be). Your education to freedom will be pain, because you will have to make a choice between your ideas and those who are against your ideas. It will be pain because you will realize that most people around you think that it is right for you to be forced into a prison for not paying your taxes, forced to love people who abuse you and forced to love a being that does not exist.

That leads to more questions I am sure… Do I pay my taxes? Yes. Why? Because the gun is still against my head, and I value my life more than I do fighting against a group of individuals that literally out-gun me. The rest of the questions are up to you to ask, and not to assume anything about me. I’ll answer them, but only voluntarily. If I see a sign of an individual supporting force against me in any manner, I will refuse to participate in their charade, and not answer their question.

I am being patient now with the readers of this blog. I want to help you understand why government is force and why your support for any form of government implies force against me. This patience can only go so far, so please explore this idea on your own. Don’t take my word for it, but please, do think about it.

Much of this post was inspired by this video, so check it out when you get a chance.