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“As ye sow…” by Robert Gore

Posted by straightlinelogic 7 years, 10 months ago to Government
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No matter its guiding “ism,” every government has granted itself the power to initiate violence against its citizens. Just because the ruling agglomerate asserts this privilege doesn’t render it philosophically valid. What it does is legitimate the initiation of violence for any and all causes—domestic and foreign—the government deems proper.

Having violated the first principle of nonaggression, nothing can stop that philosophical default from trickling down to the subject population. The ragged thief who holds up a liquor store lacks the polish and articulation of the politician who asserts the government’s first claim on a nation’s production, the central banker who depreciates its currency, or the general bent on global dominance who wages offensive wars, but philosophically they’re soul mates. In fact, the thief has a moral one up on the others: he doesn’t claim to be protecting the values he destroys.

This is an excerpt. For the full article, please click the above link. For Robert Gore's novels:

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-A.-Gore...
SOURCE URL: https://straightlinelogic.com/2017/02/11/as-ye-sow-by-robert-gore/


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  • Posted by chad 7 years, 10 months ago
    As usual Robert succinct work. I used to say that you couldn't populate a small city with those who understood the value of the individual mind and respected the liberty of others. After listening to a debate that Yaron Brook was involved in and the array of socialists brought against him and the crowd siding with the thieves I wonder if your calculation of not filling a high school gym would be more accurate. The constitutional republic was in its death throes before I was born and I suspect the patient is about to succumb. I have thought of a way to live outside of the country and basically be outside of any country. The only reason I don't go is because of my children and grand children, don't want to leave them. Wish I could talk them into going with me, would sell all I have and leave tomorrow. I don't know if there will ever be a 'country' that cannot resist the temptation to not only plunder its citizens but to also use them in its murderous plots to control them and the world around them.
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  • Posted by LibertyBelle 7 years, 10 months ago
    Not sure I understand the last paragraph, with its
    caution against hate; if you go to a battle to the
    death against collectivists, can you be blamed for hating them?--Though I suppose the primary emphasis should be on love for the good, which you are protecting.
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  • Posted by Dobrien 7 years, 10 months ago
    Thanks for your typical high quality essay. I appreciate the philosophical basis. I am encouraged that the draught of ethically rational self interested people is experiencing a little moisture.

    I found this paragraph tremendous.

    "Individuals who assert the right to initiate aggression against whomever they choose are philosophically unhinged, candidates for an asylum or a penitentiary. Rejecting the first principle that must guide human interaction—that no one may rightfully initiate force against another person—such individuals have no rational foundation for their thoughts or actions. The “garbage in” of their philosophical premises produces “garbage out” emotional states, mental processes, and ultimately, lives. Having abandoned reason for coercion and violence, reality becomes a chaotic, incomprehensible void." Robert Gore
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  • Posted by Kittyhawk 7 years, 10 months ago
    Absolutely brilliant, Robert. This may be my favorite piece of yours I've read yet, though you always seem to outdo yourself.

    The non-aggression philosophy you described was the principle which the Libertarian Party was founded upon, though modern political candidates aren't always faithful to it. You'll certainly find many kindred spirits in the anarcho-capitalist community today, and they're getting ready to meet for Anarchopulco. I'm wondering now if enough people will be attending to fill a high school gym; I think it will be close.
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  • Posted by Owlsrayne 7 years, 10 months ago
    That is fine for correcting the way the government is. But, what about the Ivory Tower Propagandist that teach in the colleges and universities that wail against our democratic republic?
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 7 years, 10 months ago
    "Efforts have been made, notably the American experiment, but no government has ever been restricted in this manner."
    I hope America is a horribly buggy alpha release of a constitutionally-limited democratic republic. I hope this a brief period in history, and within a few centuries we get it running stably and we address all the high-importance bugs you mention in the article.
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    • Posted by 7 years, 10 months ago
      I hope to be around for the beta test.
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      • Posted by CircuitGuy 7 years, 10 months ago
        "I hope to be around for the beta test."
        I too.
        It's like an amazing new invention whose imperfections start to be annoying.
        Someone told me he was on a commercial flight with high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access, fast enough to stream video. It broke half way thought the flight. The crew apologized for the inconvenience. One passenger muttered that this was "just ridiculous", which sounded right until you consider high-speed streaming video on a flight would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. That's sort of how I think of these problems. A difference, though, is I'm confident they'll work out the bugs in new technology. We are over-confident that a constitutional democratic republic will not fail spectacularly. Things are amazingly good, but take the bugs serious!
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