Publisher’s Note: The staff of Zero Gov is taking tactical training this weekend and Chris has helped us fill the gap to provide some terrific ruminations on freedom and liberty in our absence. Enjoy! -BB
“There are thousands hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root”
-Henry David Thoreau
There are two ways to motivate humans, or any animal for that matter. The carrot or the stick. It’s that simple, reward, or pain. Profit or violence. Religion can even be broken down in a similar fashion, heaven or hell, salvation or doom. Providing you believe in hell. I do not personally believe in hell, because I do not believe in using the stick. I have a five month old German Shepherd that I train using reward based training. Now, I am no professional dog trainer, but she has responded very well to this training. She listens very intently to me, because there might be a piece of chicken breast in it for her. Is this wrong? Or, is my dog greedy? Of course not; not only is she not greedy, she does not recoil in fear when a human reaches down to pet her.
One has to ask then, why are we still using violence to motivate people, if rewards work so much better? Why is every government on this planet still using force, or the threat of force to provide services? Wouldn’t a system based on rewards work better to provide people services?
I have had many conversations with statists who get disgusted with me when I even mention market, or reward based solutions to solve problems. I’m always perplexed by this, because wouldn’t they be, by default, supporters of violence? I just don’t get why people are so afraid of free market based solutions. If you claim to be peaceful, and non-violent, which I’m sure most folk claim, and then you contradict yourself by supporting the current system. I have had people say they can’t support the system I propose for many various reasons. Sometimes many are very righteous in their responses. I always ask them, “If my system was based on the violence or the threat of violence would you support it”? The answer has always been no. Of course the follow-up question is “then why do you support this system”?
Are people so naive to think that because they are removed from the violence, it is not happening? The only way the government stays funded is through the threat of force. The government is force. The government is immoral, and it is founded in violence. No one can debate this fact. If this is not the case, stop paying your taxes and see what happens. If the system was not compulsory it would crumble by tomorrow. The reason it would crumble, is because the free market would be far superior to violence-based solutions.
We self-government advocates are trying to win hearts and minds. I will tell you where I have had success in persuading some to see that our current system is immoral. First of all, DO NOT mention market-based solutions! Only focus on pointing out the gun in the room. Get them to see that violence is the foundation of our government. Break it down to the basics, but don’t insult their intelligence. If they are rational thinkers, they will see it. Once they get it, they will start asking questions. This is where you would naturally start to talk about free market solutions, don’t! Turn it around on them. Let them be the ones to come up with solutions. If they are able to put you on the defensive, they will think they have “won” don’t let it turn into a debate. As I have stated, it’s the carrot or the stick. Let them be the ones to come up with carrot-based solutions. It’s the only solution left.
My cousin and his beautiful new bride came to visit my wife, and I a couple of months ago. He is a towering intellectual, and a force (no pun intended) to be reckoned with. He is a principled thinker who wants world peace. A very worthy goal, indeed. I want self-government. We had a great conversation. I told him the only way to world peace is through self-government. Any other way is immoral. In any government, if I cannot opt out, if I cannot say no, that system is based in violence.
“There is no road toward peace; peace is the road”
-Mahatma Gandhi
First of all, DO NOT mention market-based solutions! Only focus on pointing out the gun in the room. Get them to see that violence is the foundation of our government. Break it down to the basics, but don’t insult their intelligence. If they are rational thinkers, they will see it. Once they get it, they will start asking questions. This is where you would naturally start to talk about free market solutions, don’t! Turn it around on them. Let them be the ones to come up with solutions.
Good advice, Chris. Thanks for filling in, here.