Debating the Danger of Labeling Rights as “Privileges,” and Viewing “White Apathy” as “White Privilege”

The following debate originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Brooke M…

Brooke N.: A number of people I know, and even more FB friends I’ve never met have, since Ferguson, argued that White Privilege doesn’t exist. The past month or so has presented a perfect example of how it does exist and how it is expressed. Kenya experienced an act of terrorism in which a school was bombed and many children died. I believe there were 149 dead. 2 days before Paris there was a bombing in Lebanon. Then Paris. Then yesterday or the day before (international time zones) terrorists struck in Nigeria. Je suis Kenya? Not much. Je suis Lebanon? Not much. Je suis Paris? Oh yes! Change your profile picture with the French flag, calls to go to war, wall to wall coverage. Je suis Nigeria? Al Jazeera reported it, but certainly not much coverage. And that, my friends, is white privilege. Of course I care about Paris. But it is only when white people die that we get the full bore floodlight of the media, the pull on every heart string, because that’s what sells us burgers.

Bobby C.: True Brooke

Ahmed A.: Respect Ma’am!

Steven S.: Very valid. My only issue is, (if you can call it that), that there is no way to defend white people without seeming racist. Just gotta stand there and get slapped. (Click Here to Continue Reading This Post)

“Nation-Building” is Orwellian Newspeak for Wars of Aggression, Occupation and Imperialism

The following debate originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Brooke M…

Brooke N.: Does anybody remember when we did nation building instead of nation breaking? When we gave foreign aid instead of shock and awe? I suspect that if we made micro loans to individuals in Latin America instead of running our drug wars through their countries, we’d have fewer immigrants from there and they could stay home and make a living and one day our neighbor would be as well off as we and not be plagued with gangs and drugs and paramilitary and insurgents. If we had actually fixed Iraq after we broke it instead of having hired Halliburton and paying them billions for doing nothing, we could have provided power and clean water, people are appreciating ISIS over there for giving them power and clean water. We could have given people jobs rebuilding schools instead of having tortured their citizens and weaving a web of intrigue from inside the green zone—and it would not have cost nearly as much as the wars we’ve gotten involved in since 2001. Just a thought.

Preston W.: There you go again being rational…

Brooke N.: I used to be wild and crazy now people accuse me of being rational all the time. Getting old.

Patricia B.: Rational is the new wild and crazy.

Brooke N.: Patricia I wish! Never seen such a bunch of nut cases wanting to be President before. SMH.

Obbe H.: Nation building doesn’t work to well either since cries of white colonialism/imperialism would ring out. That’s not as far fetched as it sounds since I said the same thing Brooke said in a history class and was told that I was being insensitive to other cultures. Latin America has rarely been a stable environment and we haven’t helped matters-the drug trade is just one example dysfunctional governments in that area. Iraq of course not fixable after our invasion but not exactly an area of stability before. Note the Iraq/Iran war, the Kurds and the Shia/Sunni mix just festering behind everything. No Brooke with age your beginning to sound more and more utopian.

Laura M.: We certainly screwed up Iraq every way we possibly could…continuing tragedy playing out. Even though our government let all of us down in that, I still know of lots of programs sponsored by generous Americans to help others in need. Programs such as HEIFFER, Habitat for Humanity, OX-FAM, World Vision, UNICEF, and many other programs, some of which are faith-sponsored programs. It will continue to be on us… The ordinary Americans to reach out to give helping hands…just because we are part of the HUMANITY FAMILY!

Rayn: “Nation-building” is newspeak for wars of aggression, occupation and imperialism…

Does Refusal of Corrupt State Control of Gigantic, Nationwide, Compulsory-Based Systems of Retirement, Disability and Medical Insurance Automatically Indicate Lack of Desire for Free-Market Version of These Services?

The following debate originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Brooke N…

Brooke N.:

“So you want the government to ‘stop giving poor people free stuff’? Funny how you don’t care about the $70 billion a year we spend on subsidizing Wall St. Banks, the $38 billion in subsidies given to oil companies, the $2.1 trillion that Fortune 500 corporations are stashing abroad to avoid paying U.S. taxes, and the $153 billion a year we spend to subsidize McDonald’s and Walmart’s low-wage workers?”

Gene K.: And another thing….. some of the “Reddest” states receive the greatest amounts of welfare…… and HATE that people get “handouts” from the government…. I need somebody to explain that logic to me….

Brooke N.: Not logic, greed and blindness. I know Libertarian people who are on Disability and want to get rid of Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. I don’t think there’s any to accuse this of being logic.

Gene K.: Yes, I know a lot of people of many persuasions that hate anything that smacks of socialized medicine. It is like they think that medical bills are paid by the Medical Bill Fairy and are not subsidized by all of the people using the medical care system.

Folks, there ain’t no free ride. Sorry. There. Just. Isn’t.

Brooke N.: But it’s possible to make life a little easier for 99% of the people instead of utterly effortless for the 1% 🙂

Rayn:

“We disapprove of State education. Then, the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a State religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a State-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality.
It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the State to raise grain.” – Frederic Bastiat, The Law

(Click Here to Continue Reading This Post)

Debating About Democracy

The following debate originally took place upon my Facebook wall, after I posted artwork being shared by the page, “People for Anarchy, Voluntaryism, Non-Aggression, and Liberty“…

Rayn:

"Democracy is the means by which those who adore authority and crave security of servitude can use their superior numbers to enslave those who wish to be free"

“Democracy is the means by which those who adore authority and crave security of servitude can use their superior numbers to enslave those who wish to be free”

Daniel Sv.: Democracy is stable until a politician discovers they can stay in office by promising free goodies from the treasury.

Daniel F.: There is a reason why we have a Constitution and a judicial branch. On more than a few occasions a law that was passed by a majority-elected legislative body (federal or state) that reflected the desires of a majority of that body’s constituency was nonetheless struck down as unconstitutional, often for infringing upon the rights of a minority.

And it is for this reason that federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) are appointed and not elected, so as to not be subject to the whims of an often prejudiced electorate. Cases like Brown v. Board of Ed. could have gone down very differently if the justices rendering the decision had to worry about being reelected and how their decision would affect their reelection chances.

Rayn: Daniel Sv., democracy is merely mob rule, as a political system. It is inherently flawed because it does not adequately acknowledge and protect all of the rights of the Individual. Mises said it best: “All rational action is in the first place individual action. Only the individual thinks. Only the individual reasons. Only the individual acts.”

The “common good” that Democracy claims to protect is just an ever-elusive, ever-evolving myth that inevitably signifies the slow-march towards pathocracy, and eventually, full democide.

Rayn: Not at all impressed by the US government, I agree with Lysander Spooner, Daniel F. “But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain – that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case it is unfit to exist.”

The US government certainly was designed with a Constitution and three branches of “checks and balances” for VERY GOOD, HISTORICALLY-ESTABLISHED reason: GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH AUTHORITY, NOR POWER, NOR HUMAN LIVES!!!

While real human beings demanded the acknowledgement and respect of their rights, the US government was busy institutionalized slavery, committing genocide, and denying their MAJORITY (women) the right to even directly participate in said system. The Truth isn’t nearly so romantic….

Daniel F.: Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. There will always be someone in power, someone who will be able to wield enough force in order to coerce the masses to obey. When there is more than one faction competing for power within a given area, you end up with civil war as each faction attempts to exert its rule. (Click Here to Continue Reading This Post)

Unfazed by Horizontal Enforcement When Speaking Against Statism

The following debate originally took place on my Facebook wall, upon my post, “Statism, 2016! Four More Wars!“…

Rayn: Statism, 2016! Four more wars! 😉

"How can you separate Church and State when the State is your church?"

“How can you separate Church and State when the State is your church?”

Anke M.: Really? You kids need to grow up!

Rayn: Statists gonna state!

Rayn: Warmongers for peace! 😉

Anke M.: To the barricades Rayn!