NonPatrician

Hey all -- I help organize for the Voluntaryists of Dallas / DFW meetup group. We're only about a year old but are currently the fourth largest voluntaryist meetup.com group! Let me know if you have any questions I can help with. http://www.meetup.com/VoluntaryDallas/ For those in Austin there is also a group there: http://www.meetup.com/VoluntaryAustin/full of awesome people. They're actually #1 in the world! lol Texas is awesome.

Nice. Your post led me to lookup accessory to crimes which led me to "common purpose" as a common law legal doctrine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_purpose Will read more and see what that clarifies and if it seems to jive with the NAPs / ethics.

Is anyone interested in having a discussion about crime and punishment in relation to guilt being commutative(?) for people acting together when committing a crime? If 5 people conspire together to rob a bank and: Situation #1: Persons A, B, C, D, and E all pre-plan, travel to, enter the bank and rob it. I think we all understand that they're guilty of theft. Situation #2: Person A waits in the get away car while BCDE go in and rob the bank. Is person A guilty of theft? Why? Situation #3: Person A was an integral part of the pre-planning but stayed home on the day of the robbery. Is person A guilty of the theft? Why? What if person A stayed home because he changed his mind and no longer consented to being part of the action? Situation #4: Person A enters the bank with BCDE and is in the vault filling the bags with cash. Person B gets into an altercation with one of the hostages and shots and kills them. Is person A guilty of the murder? Why? What if person A stated as part of the pre-planning that he does not want to participate without an agreement from all of the members of the team that there will be no killing? Thoughts? Any good resources on this topic?

I remember very clearly some awesome videos by Stefan rebutting some assertions that it would be possible for a person to buy up enough land and soldiers to become a free market dictator. I'm involved in a debate on it right now and would love to drop some of his knowledge bomb videos on them but I'm having trouble locating them. If anyone here has some quick links handy that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Someone private messaged me with a very helpful thought... Think of what they do as a "time tax". When I pay my taxes, I pay as little as possible, and resist in subtle ways that dont bring men with guns to my home and family. I think I will work on ways to adopt this same strategy when dealing with the airport thugs.

Hey all. As a general rule I try as much as possible to avoid flying. I dont really fair well with the TSA and all of the loss of privacy that entails. Fortunately business has been going well -- unfortunately this has meant almost constant travel for the past couple months. As I remove my shoes and personal items, splay open my backpack, lay out my laptop, and pose for the porno-scanner I have a really visceral sort of up-welling of disgust and, if I'm honest, at least a little hatred for the thugs around me and as much, maybe more, for the sheep I'm surrounded by in this society that quietly and subserviently march through the cattle stalls of this immoral process. I find myself lashing out without much forethought when asked "how are you today?".... "Fine except for this mess..." -- "well you'll be alright sir, you'll make it through." -- "My privacy and dignity wont. You're about to steal that from me." or "You should go get a real job where you're not participating in immoral crap like this." Today, about 2 hours ago, it came to a head. I was entering the Charlott airport as I had at least 4 times previously. Every - single - time at this specific airport when my laptop goes through xray they flag it for "additional screening". Thats where they pull you and it aside, swab all over it, and put the swab in the magic machine that tells them if you're a terrorist. They do this thing lately, I'm sure it's some new form of training to make sheep feel better, where they ask you if it's OK for them to do each thing in the process... As if you had any god damned say in any of it... (a bit of paraphrasing for brevity as I dont want to tell the whole story) "Sir is it ok if I fuck with your laptop?"... me: "I dont consent to any of this but I have to get home so I will comply." *swab triggers an alarm in the magic box* "Sir is it alright if we open every pocket and look at every single thing on your person and in your bags, pat you down, run everything back through the metal detector again?" me: "I will comply because I have to get home but I do not consent. What you are doing here is immoral. You should get a real job." Supervisor is called who comes over and talks to me like a petulant child. When I look him in the eye and tell him much the same he escalates. Sits me in a corner for 20 minutes to "calm me down" (I'm already calm). He then calls the Police! They arrive to see me still sitting calmly and ask whats going on. I tell them I'm being bullied because they dont like being told that what they're doing is wrong. Long story short a TSA supervisor arrives and starts try to find out what rules I broke, literally asking if he can charge me with this crime or that crime, etc... I've broken no rules and complied with every order so he doesnt find anything... But now that it's over and I've had time to think I have realized a few things. 1. They could have lied and I could be in jail right now. They would feel like they'd taught me a lesson and I would feel completely justified in everything I've said to them. Nothing would change for them or anyone else. I would have to deal with god knows what. 2. I'm not really sure I have changed a single persons view on anything by verbally resisting, by trying to make people feel bad for what they're doing. I seem to be doing all of this to make me feel better about what they're doing to me under the guise of trying to make them see the evil in their ways -- or maybe both is true. Or maybe I have changed someones mind a little. How would I know if I did? 3. Is it even important that what I do works? Or is it enough that I try? 4. I see also that I'm entering these encounters without any forethought and each time I am just reacting out of bitterness and anger. I dont like that -- I want to act in a purposeful way that I've considered before hand. So thats what I'm asking for here. What are your thoughts on how to handle the TSA and other situations like it where you cant avoid their forced processes. On one side I could defend myself and resist which would surely change nothing but land me in trouble that would probably be career ending -- but I would be acting on my values. On the other end I could quietly submit like all the other sheep -- but I would die a little inside each time. Somewhere in the middle is where I seem to have been today (although very haphazardly): Comply with all demands but take a verbal shit on anyone near by -- I feel a little better but I always risk a bully trying to throw me in jail because I hurt his feelings or challenged his "authority". I dont like any of it and I seem to still be too pissed to think about this. Insights? Thanks.

Thank you both for reply'ing. Sorry for not responding sooner, I was lost in research. You both made excellent points that were helpful. And thank you for the sources! I'm pulling a great deal of the facts from Stefan's videos, I hope that's ok with him. I'll post the video here when it's complete.

Hello, I recently began a discussion on the book of face regarding spanking. I passed along some facts and communicated the information that I've collected over time from many videos found here. Boy did I strike some nerves! I have received most of the usual pro-spanking arguments in response and am working on a follow up message in video format where I'll be presenting the evidence in detail along with some reason based points. One of the dissenters came back with the non-argument, "I disagree with your assessment, and posit that the scientific data presented is biased and lacks peer review." I get this type of response so often on various topics and I'd love to know how others handle it. Do I, yet again, spend days searching, collecting, and organizing the source data? How do I even tell if this stuff has been peer reviewed? I checked the sources link for the facts about spanking video (http://www.fdrurl.com/spanking) and many of the links are broken / stale. I feel like I'm mired in another research project that once complete will be dismissed out of hand. I would like to know if there is a place I can point to with some solid, non-biased, peer'd research. But I would also like to know how others push through this, "I doubt your claims and sources of evidence," rebuttal. These are people I care about with children so for their sake and the others I may reach with my youtube channel I really feel driven to do a good job here. Thanks for any advice or clarity you can offer.

Wow guys... So many excellent responses. Thank you so much for taking the time. I understand better now and it makes perfect sense. I have taught my daughter for years that there are three parts to a true apology. 1. Admission of guilt / take ownership of situation. 2. Show genuine remorse, empathy... Apologize sincerely. 3. Make up for it. Replace what was broken, take steps to fix bad situations created, etc. I think #3 should be modified to something like, "Provide restitution to the satisfaction of those harmed however possible; within reason of course." It makes sense for forgiveness to be as involuntary as love. I wonder what other emotions could be more clearly described in this way... Thanks again everyone.

I was just listening to "Death Penalty Parasitism" on YouTube and Stefan said, "...and where restitution is impossible forgiveness is impossible." Is forgiveness somehow based on something outside of ourselves; out of our control? Not sure I understand this one... Thanks.

I recently saw a video of Stefan on another show where he was asked various questions by people in chat an on web cam. Around the middle of the video there were a couple questions with long discussions on abortion and associations to hostage situations. I cant seem to find this video in my history and I know I favorited it but it looks like it's gone now -- does any one have any idea which video I'm referring to and where it may be found at this point? Thanks so much...

Exactly Ashton. I had yet to encounter something that so well portrayed the crushing pressure of being a child in a home like that. Taking care of a younger sibling, sitting in corners alone trying to think through it all, being attacked by someone 5 times your size. Seeing someone else go through it right in front of me, even though it was only an actor, helped me to more objectively sort of understand my own history.

I just came across this short film after having it recommended to me as one of the best new works from a critic associate of mine: I was surprised by how well it portrayed life in an abusive home for a child. I cant imagine being a foster family and trying to heal with love and peace the kinds of damage done to some children.

Hey all, I'd like to humbly share the first episode of my new youtube channel where we do an in depth look into the history, current state, and possible futures of Net Neutrality. We discuss the FCC, the solutions that people are currently calling for, John Oliver and College Humors bits on the issue, the root causes based in a fundamental lack of competition, the negative affects of corporatism, the quickest real solutions to the problem, and the morality of government force and regulation. I just heard yesterday that FDR is about to post a video on the same topic so I completely expect to be schooled... But never the less I wanted to solicit feedback on the topic and the video itself from anyone interested. -Patrick

Just over hearing some things I've never encountered before at the coffee shop I'm working in. A mother and her 6 year old (ish) son sitting nearby. She wont acknowledge him until he is in a state of apparent perfect calm happiness. "Smile and a deep breath" before she'll interact she keeps repeating. "Nay, smile and a deep breath!" And it's constantly "nay" instead of "no" because it's "less harsh" she says to her family sitting with her. I'm feeling repressed and frustrated watching this poor kid try and navigate his mothers social rules. I wonder what that says about me... Next he's trying to express a preference for one dessert over another on the table... Kiwi vs Strawberry. "Strawberry!" he requests. "What do you say?" she replies. "Strawberry PLEASE!" he says. "Very good, but I want you to try the kiwi because you've never had it before." "eww no, I want the strawberry please..." "Nay. Kiwi or nothing. It's kiwi or nothing. What's it going to be?" she says with an air of parental finality. I'm putting my headphones on now. Cant take much more.