Controlling Violence

A Monopoly on Violence

Nobody wants violence inflicted on them. So, in an effort to try and stop this, human beings band together and form states to try to collectively govern this violence. However, this does not really 'stop' the violence because, not only does it use violence against its own populace, it uses it against those outside of the system. It creates a kind of 'join us or die' attitude. Individual potential for destruction turns into a much more powerful, collective one. However, there really is no such thing as collective property or collective power. Since only one will can be exerted on one object, a collective decision is ultimately the decision of individuals.


The Collective Body

Decisions are made within the brain of an individual. Since there is no collective brain, it is really difficult to argue that a collective decision can even be made. But it is possible when all brains come up with the same conclusion. If one does not agree, he can either be convinced, forced to obey, traded with or, in extremely rare cases kicked out or ignored. The collective fist, on the other hand, is something much more physical and objective. Whatever the brain comes up with, the collective fist enforces. A fist can only be stopped by another fist but that just means that the fist has been replaced by a stronger one. The only way to stop the cycle is to not be apart of it. Control your own violence, don't let your fists assimilate into the collective, but if you do, you will have very little control of what it does meaning that it could hurt those who you do not want it to hurt, including yourself.

The Greatest Test for Governance

I'm so excited, there is less than a month left until Obama's inauguration. Of course, the excitement has much less to do with Obama and more to do with the aftermath of his administration. Here, Obama, the guy who [almost] everyone has invested all of their hopes in, will face one of the greatest challenges any government has ever faced. Global economic trouble, war, healthcare, education... everything is a mess. Best government, worst circumstances, the ultimate test for the practicality of government.

BBC: Deaths from Mumbai 'police error' : do NOT trust police

only those who trully love you would be willing to go as far as murder to save your life... you can never trust those who are paid to do this, they can always be outbid.

you are the sole protector of your life; 'There should be a law' against giving this power to anybody else... .

Recession now hitting websites?

Here is an email i recieved from a music player website i use, mixwit.

Mixwit is Shutting Down‏
From: Mixwit (X)
Medium riskYou may not know this sender.
Sent: December 18, 2008 7:06:00 AM
To: X

We regret to announce that Mixwit will cease to exist at the end of the
year.The website and profiles will be turned off around Dec 27th and
all embedded widgets will stop playing before the end of December.

We’ve put a year of work into Mixwit so this choice wasn’t taken lightly. I
won’t go into the details of our situation but state simply that we
boldly marched into in a position best described as “between a rock and a
hard place.” We’re very grateful to be have been part of the mixtape
revival of ‘08 and are satisfied to be able to to bow out while things
are still good.

You guys are all amazing. It’s clear that all of you put a ton of time and
effort into your mixes. For me personally, I was looking forward to all of
the designs people created for their tapes. There was a lot of basic tapes
and many lovely photos, but the designs and artwork - WOW!

We’re very sorry that this has to end. We’re going to try to figure out
some way to archive the artwork and playlists, if for nothing at least
historic value. As for now, everything needs to be shut down by the end
of the year just to make sure we’ve got a clean start for 2009.

We’ll return early next year with a new company and new toys. Until
then, enjoy the holidays and please take good care of yourselves,
your families, and your friends =)

- Radley & Mike

They didn't explain why... sadly. I will miss this site.. I know there are others like it, but this one had the special 'old time' flavour to it. Especially since i had lived in a country where cassettes, the way music is played on the website, were reletivly new. They were something from my old generation; the 90's were some of the greatest years of my life.

Then they showed up on the internets (oh look, a new firefox is now available...).

Well, i guess i will need to google myself another website for this... I wonder if there is one for record players? surely there are jukeboxes...

Past Dreams: Running Through Faces

There was a crowd of people that circled around me, staring and screaming at me. I couldn't see over anyone since I was most likely the youngest and shortest person there. I needed to escape so I ran, pushing my way through the crowed. It was so dark, I could only see Individual screaming faces in my way but I managed to dodge all of them. The screams just got louder and louder until I couldn't take it anymore and woke up. It bothers me that I never made it through.

Project 2b : Henry David Thoreau

From Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau:

"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others, as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it. A wise man will only be useful as a man, and will not submit to be "clay," and "stop a hole to keep the wind away," but leave that office to his dust at least: —

"I am too high-born to be propertied,
To be a secondary at control,
Or useful serving-man and instrument
To any sovereign state throughout the world."

He who gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them is pronounced a benefactor and philanthropist.

How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave's government also."

Thoreau had written his own type of Anti-Contract through a letter to his government.

Governmental Freedom: a promise that can never be achieved.

Could it be that the desire for freedom is what has initiated the creation of governments?
Genius. What better way to enslave the population. A promise that can never be achieved.
Its like freedom is dangling on a string in front of us... we hope that if we run to it, we will catch it; but of course, we never do. Some governments hold the string far from us, giving less incentive for us to run to it. The closer the string, the more likely it is that we will run to it. The longer and faster we run, the more efficient we are. The more efficient we are, the more energy is stolen from us.

Political libertarianism is nothing but holding that string a millimeter away from our reach. Very few people realize that the solution is to cut the string entirely.

fuck the police

with my gun in the air you can find me
push through the doors so to see
that all our lives, we've been sacrificed
admire the lives us sheep lead.


...then he said, "no, don't risk it, fuck the police."

Project 2a : The Anti-Contract

Kantian obligation theory and Utilitarian ends theory both give moral obligations to the well being of others. The opposite of duty to others is, duty to the self. In some contexts, this may be termed "selfishness," when really, it is nothing more than "rational self interest."
Both these theories have been tried, both have failed. The connections between the theory and reality will have been made clear. In both cases, they have produced the deaths of thousands. However, the Nazis and the Communists are not the only ones I speak of. Even the definition of the state implies the destruction of self interest for the masses, thus producing monsters willing to, not only die, but kill for all those who oppose the nation.
Of course, there is not only one nation. Some will find themselves die off and replaced, like Soviet Russia, and some will dominate and take control, like the United States. Yet, they all have a lifespan; its just, the effecient and healthier ones last longer.
Now we are supposedly experiencing the destruction of the United States. It could be true, as I believe it, that it will collapse and depending on how long it can keep the trust of the citizens and when their trust will diminish, that their may either be wars or negotations. Depending on how much the human race has evolved, we will either choose the latter or the former. There is a chance that some of us may be evolving through 'using war' instead of 'using negotations,' however. Some of our brothers believe they know whats best for us, but even so, I would rather choose my own doctor. Sure, even if the social contract was implicit, I should be allowed to break it because all contracts have that clause. Contracts without that clause, and being a fair clause - meaning that both sides agree to it without any threats -, cannot be called true contracts. So, it is possible to use another type of contract, the anti-contracts, which can be made to release yourself out of any contract that did not have that clause in it already.

utilitarianism, action and quantification

for utilitarianism, action is the only thing that can be known and quantified.
its not that intentions do not matter.. its just that.. we cannot know or quantify it.
its all about what can be known for sure and that is what is morally praiseworthy.

faith in humanity

every so often, as a result of something going on in the world, i say to myself, "i have lost faith in humanity"

however, i realized that i never use faith to solve anything.
and hoping isnt much different.

action is the only thing that counts.