My new found liberty

[Audio Geek]

I've been catching a lot of heat from people since I started speaking of Liberty. The saddest part of all it's mostly people I grew up calling friends. I've been told to leave the country and that if I don't support the military I'm a P.O.S. or I should stand in front of the soldiers overseas. I'd like to share the response to these people that I posted on my facebook page, if you'd like to read it. Please leave me feedback, I'd love to see what you have to say. Thank you.


A MESSAGE TO MY CRITICS

First man was enslaved by the Gods, but he broke the chains. Then he was enslaved by the Kings, but he broke the chains. He was enslaved by his birth, by his kin, by his race, but he broke their chains. He declared to all his brothers that man has rights which neither God nor King nor other men could take away from him, no matter what their number for his is the right of men and there is no right on Earth above this right. And he stood on the threshold of freedom for which the blood of centuries behind him had been spilled. But then, he gave up all he had won, and fell lower than his savage beginning. What brought it to pass? What disaster took their reason away from men? What whip lashed them to their knees and shame and submission? The worship of the word "we". - Anthem by Ayn Rand

Today I cast off the chains of "we". I do not consent to the government, the authority to take from me that which is rightfully mine. I withhold my right to my person and property. I did not authorize the government to use my money to bailout the banks and the auto industry, but I was aggressed against, and stolen from. While I would have had not thought twice about sending money to Haiti in their relief efforts, I did not consent to the government agressing on me and stealing my right to do with my money anything I felt. I do not consent to Socialized medicine, or to using my money to find other people jobs. It is my responsibility to improve my station in life as it is your own. Do not steal from me to benefit yourself or your neighbor.

There are many people who would call themselves good, decent, God fearing people, and yet they wish me dead. Assuming this "God" you speak of is real why would he wish me dead simply because I did not support the unjust murder of a group of people they do not know. They only believe these people are evil because of the propaganda the buy into from another group of people they don't even know. While I fundamentally disagree whole-heartedly on their belief system I still do not wish death upon them. Because even though they feel the need to aggress on others, natural law (which is the only law I adhere to) prohibits me from aggressing on them. So I'm sorry, I will not be standing in front of the U.S. Military overseas so that you might revel in my death.

I stand here with an open challenge to anyone who wishes to debate me, civilly and intelligently. As I stand here and pose cogent arguments to counteract your aggression, you stand there and shout obscenities and wish me dead. If you can't argue your point then don't bother stepping to the podium.

So enjoy your wars. Enjoy your socialized medicine and your jobs bill, and your countless inevitable bailouts. I no longer count myself with the collective "we". You can have your police state and your mass aggression on everyone else because I do not consent. And no, I will not be leaving this country because what animal in the zoo would leave one cage for another and call themselves free? I am simply an autonomous sovereign King in the state of my own individuality. I accept no rule over me, and I force no rule over anyone else. But the scary part for some of you is that I am not alone. I am merely one sovereign King of many, and the movement is growing. Soon, "we" will no longer exist. Soon, you will be the relics of a dead age where men aggressed against other men and justified their theft by its benefit to the collective "we".

[Corey "Cizzle" Moore]

That is awesome man!

[BobRobertson]

No debate here, good sir. I've long since realized that voluntary interaction is the only way that can lead to peace.

There is no "we", to have more rights than any "I". There is only "I", each fully liable for their choices and actions.

The mob mentality must be broken, whether that mob is called "mob", "gang" or "government".

[Audio Geek]

It's nice to finally be in the company of such enlightened individuals. KUDOS!

[Corey "Cizzle" Moore]

Add me on facebook

http://facebook.com/thecizzle

[fatcat]

You're gonna get burnt out and isolated very quickly if you start coming at people with both barrels on libertarianism.

Most people are very couched in their beliefs, true "free thinkers" are very few and far between. If you go full scale on people, you're just going to come off as an asshole (people don't take well to being told from they're wrong).

Think back on your own libertarian development. Did it happen in one groundbreaking conversation from a frantic libertarian? Chances are no. Likely you were very resistant against some ideas at one point.

People need time to come out of their entrenchments, and they need time after talking to you to digest and think about whats been said. People generally don't like admitting being wrong, and being confrontational about it just makes them more reluctant.

(expecting non libertarians to read or care about what you wrote would be a good example)

Pick a weak spot and work from there. If they smoke weed but aren't pro full drug freedom, point out the hypocrisy in that. If they're anti gun but pro drug, point out the similarities in arresting someone for owning something, whether they hurt anyone else or not.

Once you've got a certain amount of movement done, and you're near a tipping point, then you can push a bit more on full anarcho-capitalism

And you DO NOT want to be the kind of asshole who is only friends with libertarians.

If people are coming from a good place, and don't think they're against freedom (Even if they are) then they're not evil, its just a misunderstanding.

Treating people as such is not only wrong but entirely counter-productive.

Military nuts can be an exception, if they're just assholes who really want to kill people.

[Audio Geek]

I understand exactly what you're saying but bare in mind that this reply took time to develop. I was responding to people outright attacking me, so I came out of the corner swinging. I in fact do employ tact when dealing with everyone. The degree to which they show their perspective guides me in how to deal with them. And, while my discovery of Libertarianism has really taken hold the past year and a half, I've questioned things since I was 10. Maybe not intellectually but questioned none the less.

[anarchir]

Fatcat is right, say a few really smart points every now and then in conversation.  Try to avoid being preachy/all-knowing. Think about when if you have ever talked to a preacher/pastor/priest/etc how they always find away to bring the conversation around to their religious views.  It may be a major guiding force in your life, but many people are afraid of things that are different.

[Audio Geek]

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. And yes, my post was aggressive but as I said it was in retaliation to a larger overall argument. Generally I do use greater restraint, especially with people I don't know.

[anarchir]

Do like "cizzle" down there and start befriending people on facebook. Go for voluntaryists, the LCL report, FTL, etc. and you'll begin surrounding yourself slowly with free-minded individuals if you translate those friends to real life.  I looked and 'cizzle" and I actually have more than a half dozen friends in common on facebook.

[lobb40118]

"I am simply an autonomous sovereign King in the state of my own individuality"--------is my favorite line

[BobRobertson]

The only time I really come out swinging, libertarian philosophy wise, is when someone forwards me one of those "Obama (or some other politician) is so wonderful!" emails.

This is what I replied to the last one that was sent to me, about Obama on C-SPAN in a meeting without a teleprompter:

So the warmongering, murdering, fascist pig had a good day talking to
a bunch of other warmongering, murdering, fascist pigs who all make
their living by robbing people at gunpoint.

Woopie.

America lost what greatness it had when tarring and feathering tax
collectors went out of style.

[Terror Australis]

       That is a well written post Audio Geek.It all seems so logical to us who have been exposed to liberty but the awakening can be painful for those close to you who are still trapped in their reality.When I came to this message my wife and I almost split up as I became extremely angry and depressed about the situation of the total lack of people here who share these views.It can be extremely isolating and scary to know the truth but also liberating at the same time when you find other people to share your experiences with.It really opens your eyes to who the really dangerous individuals are and avoid them as much as possible.You won t find many here who will disagree with what you wrote.If you really want to debate statist pigs you should visit the jref forum http://www.randi.org/site/ which is full of violent sociopaths. 

[Audio Geek]

Thanks for the support. I'm glad you liked it. I created a facebook page from this. Just search "Declare Individual Sovereignty".