Saturday, November 28, 2015

Libertarianism, Conflict, and Armchair Politics

For the vast majority of people, trying to identify bigger and lesser evils in any sufficiently distant and complex conflict between states and state-like groups is a toxic waste of time. Unless one is a high-level specialist on the matter, one is well advised to admit being rationally ignorant and refrain from playing the game of siding with lesser monsters against greater ones.

In such situations, it is far safer and healthier to remind oneself of the fact that all states and state-like groups are monsters, and then make a sustained effort to drive this point home to as many individuals as possible, especially to those directly affected by a given interstate conflict.

Only by consistently utilizing this approach can we hope to eventually bring a critical mass of individuals to the realization that the only real conflict is not between nations (whatever that means) or "good" and "bad" states, but between peaceful producers and violent parasites, especially of the institutionalized variety. On the other hand, by trying to "pragmatically" pick sides in conflicts between such parasites, you will only play into their hands by dividing what might otherwise be a unified, global society of liberty-minded persons.

In other words, don't try to be an armchair politician where you can and should remain a liberty-minded educator and cultural entrepreneur.

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