SMC_Everything All content on Social Memory Complex http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:24:21 -0700 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ Comment on On the Preston Affair by PintofStout http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/07/14/on-the-preston-affair/comment-page-1/#comment-99314 I'm not overly familiar with the "Preston Affair," but I think it has extracted good thoughts concerning movements, ideology, and the nature of anarchism. Even without the background, it was a good read and is definitely something to reflect on. I will have to come back and reread this later to offer better comments. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1543#comment-99314 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:17:57 -0700 I’m not overly familiar with the “Preston Affair,” but I think it has extracted good thoughts concerning movements, ideology, and the nature of anarchism. Even without the background, it was a good read and is definitely something to reflect on. I will have to come back and reread this later to offer better comments.

]]> On the Preston Affair http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/WHd1OIELYGo/ <p class="foreword">I&#8217;ve written a few drafts of this basic essay over the past two months or so, but never published any of them because I was still trying to remain open to having my mind changed. In following the dialogue surrounding this brouhaha, my hesitancy to write something of my own has allowed me to get sidetracked into some harsh debates about other topics, such as moral universalism. Realizing that I left much unsaid about my thoughts on the original matter, I went through and found something I wrote that says it best. It also represents what I thought a month ago, but I stand behind all of it (though I might be less polite now).</p> <p>I suppose it&#8217;s high time I compose a coherent, integrated statement on the conversation surrounding Keith Preston&#8217;s recent essay, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://attackthesystem.com/2009/05/is-extremism-in-the-defense-of-sodomy-no-vice">Is Extremism in Defense of Sodomy No Vice?</a>. The delay in consolidating my thoughts into an &#8220;official&#8221; response has been fortunate; I stood a good chance of succumbing to my own certainty on quite a few occasions there. Many participants in this dialogue probably discount the debt I owe them, for I am taking some fundamental lessons away from this episode.</p> <p>My motivation through all this has not been to defend words, but rather to protect those fragile threads which moor egalitarianism and anti-privilege to this troubled planet. The nascent spirit surrounding pan-secessionism reminds me of the Free State Project. And anytime libertarians escape the familiar, comfortable world of cerebral debate to materially advance our condition and our consciousness, I am optimistic. Not for the ideology, towards which Robert Anton Wilson displayed <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://blog.6thdensity.net/2008/11/03/im-still-not-convinced-so-suck-it/">the only proper attitude</a>; rather, for the people who presently suffer while we argue how many psychological pathologies of authority can dance on the head of a heteropatriarchy. As exactingly consistent and logical as they may be, libertarian writing and debate constitute the epiphenomena of resistance, not the thing itself. The latter exists outside the safety of self-validating opinions and clear sociological ontologies; it is dangerous precisely *because* it is of consequence.</p> <p><span id="more-1543"></span>If I have a core critique of Keith&#8217;s essay, it is not its offensiveness. Sure, I would have preferred it if Keith had refrained from pissing off my comrades. His selection of words cuts those who have flocked to our movement as a refuge from worldly hopelessness. Why anybody would publicly call for a purge or a pogrom escapes me - even as a bad joke (along the lines of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://radgeek.com/gt/2009/04/22/direct_action/#comment-20090424013904">prescribing &#8220;Antifa-style beatdowns&#8221; for non-believers</a>, just to pull an utterly random example out of thin air). Yet we libertarians have never been a particularly reverent bunch, and these flirtations with politically correct outrage don&#8217;t serve our cause nearly as much as they serve our sense of self-righteousness. Thickness should apply to our skin and not simply our politics if we take the project of the individual seriously - that the task doesn&#8217;t end at developing one&#8217;s social environment but also includes self-development.</p> <p>Keith has disappointed me most by abandoning a disciplined approach to revolutionary politics. Pan-secessionism is not an easy cause for which to advocate, but if any quality is required to bring such different political tendencies together it is <em>diplomacy</em>. It&#8217;s my understanding that bigoted language serves little practical purpose unless you&#8217;re on the writing staff of &#8220;Family Guy&#8221;. I sympathize with his frustration at being so misrepresented by my comrades in the libertarian left (see Quasibill&#8217;s <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://mutualist.blogspot.com/2009/05/open-letter-to-keith-preston.html#c2538585855569740453">comment</a>); he has been maligned unfairly and often, and the natural reflex is to defend oneself. But if we cannot keep our cool in response to such trivial taunting, how can we withstand the onslaught of the ruling class&#8217;s P.R. complex should our revolution gain any traction?</p> <p>Without self-discipline there is no individual freedom, let alone a politics of such that stands any chance. We either condition our behaviors and impulses consciously or others will practice science in the laboratory of our own weaknesses. Mindfulness, presence, perspective - we cannot hope for success until we exceed our enemies in these qualities. Of what use is a vanguard which cannot keep its eyes resolutely fixed on the prize?</p> <p>Pan-secessionism should promote an image of genuine particularist diversity for tactical reasons at the very, very least. This is not just a matter of rhetorical consistency or political expedience; rather, it is a demonstration of our sense of urgency to not subordinate the fight against the empire to our personal grudges or petty biases. Our task should be to prefigure the future revolutionary coalition through our careful words and calculated actions. This requires a stoicism and detachment which I would be unfair to deny attributing to Keith in practically every other instance.</p> <p>That last point bears reiterating, because pan-secessionism is not the only thing we can choose to steal from Keith&#8217;s approach. Central to his outlook are two rather unique strains of thought: a detached approach to the political condition and a sort of anarchist realism. The libertarian left would do well to start considering these concepts as among the candidate mentalities for realizing a just, egalitarian society.</p> <p>A detachment from political conditions need not be absolute; our humanity requires us to feel deeply in order to motivate our act of defiance. Anger is an appropriate response to the sickness of the world, grounding our analysis and struggle in something human rather than technical. But there is a seduction to the inner dialogue of radicalism; we begin to identify with our marginal position in the spectrum of political opinion, and the emotions of defiance become comfortable and familiar. When outrage, not action, defines us as revolutionaries, we tend to focus on the cultivation of outrage instead of the necessary work.</p> <p>It is perhaps a conceit of radicals to place excessive significance on their own inner experience of condemning the present state of affairs. Yet unless this rejection translates into actionable strategies, it is mere fashion, fodder for conversation and thought experiments. This is not to say that an intellectual and reflective approach should be abandoned, for part of what makes detachment possible is a reliance on the soundness of one&#8217;s philosophical conclusions. But much of the obnoxiousness of radical politics, especially its demand for a confrontational tone, arises from personal insecurity surrounding one&#8217;s core ideological foundations. Our rejection of the myths of legitimacy constitutes an important step on the road to genuine transformation, but more is needed than mere disapproval and its forceful rhetoric.</p> <p>A confident and resolute radicalism promotes a long view rooted in practical, on-the-ground conditions. Here is another feature distinguishing Keith&#8217;s approach: a political realism. If one is serious about revolution, then one must work towards it in the imperfect world we occupy. Resistance is a means to an end; secure in our conception of the end, the means become concrete choices. Political realism need not compel one to apologetically embrace unacceptable dynamics; properly understood, it disciplines the activist to apply his thinking to this world. </p> <p>There is much to learn from this application of abstract political concepts to real world conditions. A detached and realistic revolutionary can acknowledge mistakes without needing to deny the human impulse for freedom. There is no revolution more tragic than one based solely in thought experiments. Conversely, revolution with real bodies in the real world is dangerous, but this is no reason to avoid it. It is only a reason to question one&#8217;s thinking more carefully, to evaluate the strategy more thoroughly and critically, so that the resolve to act arises from someplace authentic and honest. More than this we cannot ask of humans.</p> <p>It is in this context, I believe, that Preston takes such a favorable view of pan-secessionism. An idealist starts at the root of the problem; a realist starts at the most actionable part of the problem. This doesn&#8217;t mean the recognition of the root is useless, nor does it mean that actions should be taken just because they can be. But with the philosophical and practical considered in tandem, creative strategies can emerge in the interstices. Even radical philosophies can ossify without being tested. </p> <p>The libertarian left has attacked Keith&#8217;s deplorable choice of words, but I fear their dismissal of the man has less to do with bigotry and more to do with his challenges to prescriptive universalism. Keith is willing to break bread with people who have different ideas about the human condition. Us left libertarians are quick to condemn this because we&#8217;re scared of these people. Are they really scary? Are they really so unacceptable, so evil? They may, in fact, be just as bad as some think, but Keith is one of the few among us who has an informed opinion - because he&#8217;s actually talked to them, and he&#8217;s delineated the territory of practical disagreement between his views and theirs. Keith has given no more aid to objectionable political ideologies than those who seethe with anger and disgust at them.</p> <p>Of all people, anarchists should understand the lunacy of a one-size-fits-all approach to the human condition. We often expose the myths of state legitimacy by pointing out how people actually behave. Yet when it comes to empowering these people, we cannot abide that they may not agree with our ideals. For all our advocacy for a society that resolves problems by negotiation and persuasion, we can be pretty blithe about realizing it in the real world. No, not in that we&#8217;re willing to use force against our brothers and sisters, but in that we tolerate (however petulantly) the empire while it exercises force.</p> <p>Pan-secessionism envisions a society in which oppression would be small enough to confront, where disputes only occur when the parties can afford them, where intolerance can be tempered. These may not be ideal conditions, but they are at least conceivable. We sometimes seem more interested in protecting ideals of humanity than actual human beings. But a worldview that identifies the entire human sociological and psychological experience as its project has arrested itself. Actions pursuant to such a broad agenda are too vague, kicking the can of human liberation down the road to some distant future perfect where we need not be accountable for suffering and injustice today.</p> <p>If this sounds like a love letter to Keith, then let me also be clear: I do not regard pan-secessionism as a perfect strategy, either. I have yet to see viable articulations for how exactly we get from here to effective cross-ideological coalition that is actually making progress. Pan-secessionism actually has yet to test many of its premises and ideas. Much of what I say about the left libertarian agenda&#8217;s stasis in the cerebral applies to Preston&#8217;s agenda.</p> <p>Ideas need to be tested to be trusted; they need to be demonstrated to be adopted. Political strategies are not just pragmatic means to organizational ends; they are laboratories where we engage abstract values and ideals. If left libertarians disagree with Keith, they should at least step up to the challenge he has provided. Pan-secessionism may not be the right approach - it may, in fact, be dangerous - but our movement won&#8217;t get very far until we start confronting real world conditions in an honest manner. Last time I looked, the world was a dangerous and confusing place - I&#8217;d expect the resistance to be perilous, both to our bodies and our minds.</p> <h2>An afterword concerning ARV and ALL</h2> <p>I regard American Revolutionary Vanguard in a very similar light as the Alliance of the Libertarian Left: they consist of people I&#8217;m interested in working with. There are people in both groups I do not appreciate, and should the latter number grow beyond the former I will disassociate myself from them.</p> <p>To my mind there is no reason why the groups need to, or should, accept (or reject) one another. They are geared towards different purposes, and in any case both paths have dangers. I think that as long as people accept that you can be thoroughly left libertarian and see pan-secessionism as a viable strategy, that should really be the end of the matter and everything else breaks down into the same old ideological disputes and theoretical arguments we so enjoy.</p> <p>As to the morality of tactical alliances with racists, homophobes, authoritarian leftists, and other groups I find objectionable, I can only say I neither accept nor reject all of them out of hand. Ideologically pure alliances can also have dangers - in fact, working with people who agree with you completely can be its own kind of blinders. I evaluate each opportunity on its own merits, though as late I&#8217;ve had precious few to consider. While this may lead to me making mistakes, so does adhering to an ideology and letting it filter my world without me considering each question, each moral actuality anew. My best bet is to stay vigilant, pursuing my interests as I best understand them. If people balk at my refusal to make &#8220;ideological commitments&#8221;, then perhaps we don&#8217;t know each other well enough to be allied.</p> Jeremy http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1543 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:22:36 -0700 Comment on On the Preston Affair by Shawn P. Wilbur http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/07/14/on-the-preston-affair/comment-page-1/#comment-99313 Jeremy, thanks for sitting on this until it was this clear. Our strategic disagreements aside, I think you have made *your* case. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1543#comment-99313 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:40:54 -0700 Jeremy, thanks for sitting on this until it was this clear. Our strategic disagreements aside, I think you have made *your* case.

]]> Comment on I’m still not convinced, so suck it by Social Memory Complex » On the Preston Affair http://blog.6thdensity.net/2008/11/03/im-still-not-convinced-so-suck-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99312 [...] consciousness, I am optimistic. Not for the ideology, towards which Robert Anton Wilson displayed the only proper attitude; rather, for the people who presently suffer while we argue how many psychological pathologies of [...] http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1155#comment-99312 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:23:02 -0700 [...] consciousness, I am optimistic. Not for the ideology, towards which Robert Anton Wilson displayed the only proper attitude; rather, for the people who presently suffer while we argue how many psychological pathologies of [...]

]]> Lenin's Tomb critiques the commentary on Iranian events http://leninology.blogspot.com/2009/06/pitfalls-of-premature-eloquence.html "The dilemma faced by commentators of all kinds, not just bloggers, on the Iranian protests can be summarised by a single, annoying portmanteau word: instapunditry. The pressure to take a view prematurely in such a situation can only produce a series of stock responses, either based on CNN filtered news, or speculation from various samizdat-style websites, or material provided by the Iranian media itself." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_4970fedd93f05d6da57850aee4974b9d Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:23:47 -0700 Lenin&#8217;s Tomb critiques the commentary on Iranian events http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/r3AWA-eQfzo/pitfalls-of-premature-eloquence.html "The dilemma faced by commentators of all kinds, not just bloggers, on the Iranian protests can be summarised by a single, annoying portmanteau word: instapunditry. The pressure to take a view prematurely in such a situation can only produce a series of stock responses, either based on CNN filtered news, or speculation from various samizdat-style websites, or material provided by the Iranian media itself." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/4970fedd93f05d6da57850aee4974b9d#jeremy6d Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:23:47 -0700 Are the Iranian protests another CIA orchestrated "color revolution"? http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts06222009.html There is evidence that the turmoil surrounding the election in Iran is part of a neoconservative legacy regime change operation. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_200197b15938bad6ebe9de78868e5691 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:44:19 -0700 Are the Iranian protests another CIA orchestrated &#8220;color revolution&#8221;? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/vZhrwKpF2wA/roberts06222009.html There is evidence that the turmoil surrounding the election in Iran is part of a neoconservative legacy regime change operation. jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/200197b15938bad6ebe9de78868e5691#jeremy6d Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:44:19 -0700 Comment on The choice is clear. by Jim Van Fleet http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/06/15/the-choice-is-clear/comment-page-1/#comment-99291 Agreed. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1528#comment-99291 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:56:04 -0700 Agreed.

]]> Socialism: A Perfectly Good Word Rehabilitated http://c4ss.org/content/670 Kevin Carson reexamines the term and sorts out the stigma. "If anything, it’s the choice of “capitalism” as the conventional term for a free market that needs explaining. Why name an economic system based on free markets after one factor of production in particular, especially when even neoclassical orthodoxy regards capital as only one coequal factor among several? The choice of terms, perhaps unwittingly, suggests a system in which the interests of capital have an especially privileged status; it may also suggest something about the sympathies of those who chose the term." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_a878b964e594a93b3afb3a37ae823fab Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:42:35 -0700 Socialism: A Perfectly Good Word Rehabilitated http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/l7nMpT6BWDM/670 Kevin Carson reexamines the term and sorts out the stigma. "If anything, it’s the choice of “capitalism” as the conventional term for a free market that needs explaining. Why name an economic system based on free markets after one factor of production in particular, especially when even neoclassical orthodoxy regards capital as only one coequal factor among several? The choice of terms, perhaps unwittingly, suggests a system in which the interests of capital have an especially privileged status; it may also suggest something about the sympathies of those who chose the term." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/a878b964e594a93b3afb3a37ae823fab#jeremy6d Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:42:35 -0700 Imagine Breaking Up The United States http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204482304574219813708759806.html The Wall Street Journal examines the idea of secession. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_ed88b17d77442ec2347f1d76ba41c9dd Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:26:30 -0700 Imagine Breaking Up The United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/njZg44fN0p4/SB10001424052970204482304574219813708759806.html The Wall Street Journal examines the idea of secession. jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/ed88b17d77442ec2347f1d76ba41c9dd#jeremy6d Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:26:30 -0700 Comment on The empire is not American, but Washingtonian by postnationalist http://blog.6thdensity.net/2008/06/13/the-rise-of-the-washingtonian-empire/comment-page-1/#comment-99278 Great article, really! The line about market economies being "forced" was especially welcome for me, as was the one about "abuses abroad." The idea that all states are imperial forces behaving as occupying armies towards "their people" is an old anarchist concept. As such (imho), it bears repeating. US (or rather, DC) out of North America! -Bones http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=983#comment-99278 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:32:55 -0700 Great article, really! The line about market economies being “forced” was especially welcome for me, as was the one about “abuses abroad.”

The idea that all states are imperial forces behaving as occupying armies towards “their people” is an old anarchist concept. As such (imho), it bears repeating.

US (or rather, DC) out of North America!

-Bones

]]> Comment on The choice is clear. by Mike Gogulski http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/06/15/the-choice-is-clear/comment-page-1/#comment-99277 "There can be no compromise," you "unpatriotic pantywaist"! http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1528#comment-99277 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:18:35 -0700 “There can be no compromise,” you “unpatriotic pantywaist”!

]]> The choice is clear. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/idYWAeMeT4E/ <p>It&#8217;s hard for me to describe how awesome this video is, but truly it&#8217;s among the internet&#8217;s very best. Just perfect.</p> <div align="center"><iframe class="embeddedvideo" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qdTTf6wporQ&#038;color1=0xb1b1b1&#038;color2=0xcfcfcf&#038;hl=en&#038;feature=player_embedded&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></iframe></div> Jeremy http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1528 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:38:41 -0700 The Cultural Pseudomorph and Its Decay http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/the-cultural-pseudomorph-and-its-decay/2009/06/08 Kevin Carson looks at lean manufacturing from a Mumfordian perspective at the Peer2Peer Foundation blog: "The true potential of lean manufacturing is to eliminate inventory altogether by gearing production to demand. It doesn’t matter how lean a factory is internally, if the inventory is just swept under the rug–or into the factories and trucks, rather–with a thousand-mile distribution chain. True lean production will only be achieved in a completely relocalized economy, in which the machinery is not only scaled to production flow within the factory, but the factory itself is scaled as closely as possible to local demand and sited as close as possible to the point of consumption." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_57ec1aee04403870f621937bc0341439 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:21:01 -0700 The Cultural Pseudomorph and Its Decay http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/ZqH0YYun2z4/08 Kevin Carson looks at lean manufacturing from a Mumfordian perspective at the Peer2Peer Foundation blog: "The true potential of lean manufacturing is to eliminate inventory altogether by gearing production to demand. It doesn’t matter how lean a factory is internally, if the inventory is just swept under the rug–or into the factories and trucks, rather–with a thousand-mile distribution chain. True lean production will only be achieved in a completely relocalized economy, in which the machinery is not only scaled to production flow within the factory, but the factory itself is scaled as closely as possible to local demand and sited as close as possible to the point of consumption." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/57ec1aee04403870f621937bc0341439#jeremy6d Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:21:01 -0700 Salon.com rethinks the corporation http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/06/02/corporations/index.html Corporations started out as entities chartered by the state for particular purposes. The economic crisis implies that it might be time to return to a more limited form of incorporation. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_39b6c2374c14d3d1cec33bc92d787fba Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:52:19 -0700 Salon.com rethinks the corporation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/_IpngX-LC7s/index.html Corporations started out as entities chartered by the state for particular purposes. The economic crisis implies that it might be time to return to a more limited form of incorporation. jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/39b6c2374c14d3d1cec33bc92d787fba#jeremy6d Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:52:19 -0700 Comment on But you didn’t even give Obama’s perestroika a chance! by Attack the System » Blog Archive » Updated News Digest June 7, 2009 http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/06/02/but-you-didnt-even-give-obamas-perestroika-a-chance/comment-page-1/#comment-99270 [...] But You Didn’t Even Give Obama’s Perestroika a Chance! from Social Memory Complex [...] http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1513#comment-99270 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:31:36 -0700 [...] But You Didn’t Even Give Obama’s Perestroika a Chance! from Social Memory Complex [...]

]]> Comment on Living the Law of One by lk http://blog.6thdensity.net/2005/08/19/living-the-law-of-one/comment-page-1/#comment-99264 why are some of the mst important books ever being sold some peple (like me) can hardly afford to eat never mind spend 60 dollars buying books they should be free. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=97#comment-99264 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:01:09 -0700 why are some of the mst important books ever being sold some peple (like me) can hardly afford to eat never mind spend 60 dollars buying books they should be free.

]]> But you didn&#8217;t even give Obama&#8217;s perestroika a chance! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/Z1NuLviTknI/ <div align="center"><img src="http://blog.6thdensity.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dilbert.gif" alt="dilbert" title="dilbert" width="560" height="251"/></div> Jeremy http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1513 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:13:06 -0700 The fiscal crisis of the state http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2009/05/the-fiscal-crisis-of-the-state.html "I’m reminded of James O’Connor’s The Fiscal Crisis of the State, written in 1973. State spending in a capitalist society, he said, must fulfil two functions: to raise profits, for example by maintaining aggregate demand; and to legitimate the system by ameliorating inequalities. But, he said, these forces for higher spending increased faster than people’s willingness to pay tax. The upshot was a tendency to bigger budget deficits, even in decent economic times." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_717a4086484708a816f4ed8cc8ea0529 Fri, 29 May 2009 10:08:43 -0700 The fiscal crisis of the state http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/4zGce0oRT9Y/the-fiscal-crisis-of-the-state.html "I’m reminded of James O’Connor’s The Fiscal Crisis of the State, written in 1973. State spending in a capitalist society, he said, must fulfil two functions: to raise profits, for example by maintaining aggregate demand; and to legitimate the system by ameliorating inequalities. But, he said, these forces for higher spending increased faster than people’s willingness to pay tax. The upshot was a tendency to bigger budget deficits, even in decent economic times." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/717a4086484708a816f4ed8cc8ea0529#jeremy6d Fri, 29 May 2009 10:08:43 -0700 Politics is simply war by other means http://bothwell.typepad.com/whos_your_nanny/2009/05/why-i-dont-like-to-discuss-politics-with-friends.html Brutus discusses why he doesn&#039;t like to discuss politics with friends: "How do you maintain friendships with people who have implicitly told you they have no problem with armed men threatening to beat, imprison, or kill you because you disagree with their political agenda?" 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_3f8bccb545042dc944ea19793b8afbd7 Thu, 28 May 2009 11:05:06 -0700 Politics is simply war by other means http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/rk4R6Z-58FM/why-i-dont-like-to-discuss-politics-with-friends.html Brutus discusses why he doesn&#039;t like to discuss politics with friends: "How do you maintain friendships with people who have implicitly told you they have no problem with armed men threatening to beat, imprison, or kill you because you disagree with their political agenda?" jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/3f8bccb545042dc944ea19793b8afbd7#jeremy6d Thu, 28 May 2009 11:05:06 -0700 Same as the old boss&#8230; but talks pretty http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/KTN6EQt3sZk/ <div align="center"><iframe class="embeddedvideo" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1uuWVHT1WUY&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></iframe></div> Jeremy http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1508 Fri, 22 May 2009 12:08:41 -0700 Comment on Same as the old boss… but talks pretty by Brainpolice http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/05/22/same-as-the-old-boss-but-talks-pretty/comment-page-1/#comment-99239 She sure called him out. :P http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1508#comment-99239 Fri, 22 May 2009 13:03:12 -0700 She sure called him out. :P

]]> Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by The shell game of democracy or, now the glove is off the other fist « A Terrible Blogger is Born! http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99206 [...] dark forces of the neocon Right like Fox News so on. For excellent critiques of the Tea Parties see here, here , and here. But what was perhaps worse than the Tea Parties were the liberal response to [...] http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99206 Wed, 06 May 2009 14:52:52 -0700 [...] dark forces of the neocon Right like Fox News so on. For excellent critiques of the Tea Parties see here, here , and here. But what was perhaps worse than the Tea Parties were the liberal response to [...]

]]> Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by Common Sense http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99204 RepubliCon's DemoCrap's Which are you a Slave to? Both As long as we have Moronic Leaders that Will allow the FED Reserve to exist Then You can debate Nothing for real. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99204 Wed, 06 May 2009 12:35:05 -0700 RepubliCon’s DemoCrap’s Which are you a Slave to? Both As long as we have Moronic Leaders that Will allow the FED Reserve to exist Then You can debate Nothing for real.

]]> Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by DarianWorden.com » Blog Archive » The Nineties Called. They Want Their Poser-lution Back. http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99200 [...] Libertarian perspectives on other Tea Party rallies can be found at Knappster and Social Memory Complex. Also I changed "failed to restore liberty" to "failed to protect liberty" on the Freedom in Chains [...] http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99200 Tue, 05 May 2009 11:00:09 -0700 [...] Libertarian perspectives on other Tea Party rallies can be found at Knappster and Social Memory Complex. Also I changed “failed to restore liberty” to “failed to protect liberty” on the Freedom in Chains [...]

]]> Taking Secession Seriously–At Last http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/?p=2879 Kirkpatrick Sale discusses the recent rise in secessionist talk. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_5f4c5805c6ab1a90a9833edc832eeecf Mon, 04 May 2009 05:21:59 -0700 Taking Secession Seriously–At Last http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/WiJOlJqh3rw/ Kirkpatrick Sale discusses the recent rise in secessionist talk. jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/5f4c5805c6ab1a90a9833edc832eeecf#jeremy6d Mon, 04 May 2009 05:21:59 -0700 There are no "sheeple" http://www.blackoakmedia.org/archives/Votlucka.html Marcel Votlucka makes a crucial point about radical activists&#039; attitudes in a new article at Black Oak Media: "...the very concept of &#039;sheeple&#039; is perilous because it evokes the kind of arrogance, contempt and deep-rooted fear the State has for free, motivated and empowered people. It brings radicals dangerously close to thinking along the same lines as hard-core Statists even as we attempt to offer an alternative way." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_515e2acbba209de5163a01147b6d8503 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:37:32 -0700 There are no &#8220;sheeple&#8221; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/OGVNeQ4rHGw/Votlucka.html Marcel Votlucka makes a crucial point about radical activists&#039; attitudes in a new article at Black Oak Media: "...the very concept of &#039;sheeple&#039; is perilous because it evokes the kind of arrogance, contempt and deep-rooted fear the State has for free, motivated and empowered people. It brings radicals dangerously close to thinking along the same lines as hard-core Statists even as we attempt to offer an alternative way." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/515e2acbba209de5163a01147b6d8503#jeremy6d Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:37:32 -0700 Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by JREEDER http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99177 I believe that all of the bi-partisan rhetoric is appropreit for getting like minded people together but it does get old. In order to get elected officials into office to make some real changes in our country we do have to align our selves behind some kind of party to get anything done. I believe in the libertarian party and movement. I also believe that the core beliefs that brought so many together at kahnawa plaza were libertarian in nature. The Dem. party is socialist and the Rep. is indeed Dem. light. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99177 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:58:15 -0700 I believe that all of the bi-partisan rhetoric is appropreit for getting like minded people together but it does get old. In order to get elected officials into office to make some real changes in our country we do have to align our selves behind some kind of party to get anything done. I believe in the libertarian party and movement. I also believe that the core beliefs that brought so many together at kahnawa plaza were libertarian in nature. The Dem. party is socialist and the Rep. is indeed Dem. light.

]]> Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by Rmangum http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99175 A "conservative moveon.org" is an apt comparison. Even as that organization is slyly moving from critique of Bush's foreign adventurism to rationalization of Obama's, the suddenly out-of-power spoiled brats on the right are re-discovering their inner-libertarians and becoming incensed at encroachments upon their liberty. There is a very ugly partisanship going on this country, a "my party right or wrong" attitude that makes it very difficult for everyone to keep their heads. The fact that the tea-partyers know how to speak our anti-government language, even though it lacks any substance, is very bad for us. http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99175 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:28:10 -0700 A “conservative moveon.org” is an apt comparison. Even as that organization is slyly moving from critique of Bush’s foreign adventurism to rationalization of Obama’s, the suddenly out-of-power spoiled brats on the right are re-discovering their inner-libertarians and becoming incensed at encroachments upon their liberty. There is a very ugly partisanship going on this country, a “my party right or wrong” attitude that makes it very difficult for everyone to keep their heads. The fact that the tea-partyers know how to speak our anti-government language, even though it lacks any substance, is very bad for us.

]]> Shrink the state: a leftist aim http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2009/04/shrink-the-state-a-leftist-aim.html "Belief in big government rests upon the notion that there’s an elite of leaders which has the wisdom and know-how to manage our affairs from the top-down; this is why New Labour found common cause with corporate bosses - both share the same ideology. But it is an utterly anti-egalitarian notion. It is also utterly wrong." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_9343e32d54e27316b38c36056a94696b Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:58:00 -0700 Shrink the state: a leftist aim http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SocialMemoryComplex/~3/c99WkyITbqc/shrink-the-state-a-leftist-aim.html "Belief in big government rests upon the notion that there’s an elite of leaders which has the wisdom and know-how to manage our affairs from the top-down; this is why New Labour found common cause with corporate bosses - both share the same ideology. But it is an utterly anti-egalitarian notion. It is also utterly wrong." jeremy6d http://delicious.com/url/9343e32d54e27316b38c36056a94696b#jeremy6d Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:58:00 -0700 Comment on Unprincipled Conservatism: The Richmond Tea Party by b-psycho http://blog.6thdensity.net/2009/04/16/unprincipled-conservatism-the-richmond-tea-party/comment-page-1/#comment-99172 John, how do you know the "god" that's pissed is YOUR "god", and not one that humanity has yet to even stumble upon? http://blog.6thdensity.net/?p=1483#comment-99172 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:02:06 -0700 John, how do you know the “god” that’s pissed is YOUR “god”, and not one that humanity has yet to even stumble upon?

]]> FreedomWorks Orchestrates ‘Grassroots’ Movements To Serve Dick Armey’s Corporate Clients http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/14/lobbying-clients-teaparties/ The truth behind the astroturf tea parties. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_126463c9b37972c80c6e87e20c43686b Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:56:25 -0700 National Security: The Last Refuge of Scoundrels http://c4ss.org/content/329 Kevin Carson exposes the lack of transparency and accountability in the Obama administration, which is using "national security" as a way to avoid embarrassing bureaucrats. 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_e303825c71d163c56b92180e002504a5 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:55:05 -0700 Keith Preston: Why I Am an Anarcho-Pluralist http://attackthesystem.com/2009/04/why-i-am-an-anarcho-pluralist/ "Political victory in the United States is achieved through the assembling of coalitions of narrow interest groups who often have little in common with one another (gun toting rednecks and country club Republicans, homosexuals and traditional working class union Democrats). Imagine if a third force emerged in U.S. politics whose only unifying principle was a common desire to remove one’s self and one’s community from the system. The only thing anyone has to give up is the desire to tell other communities what to do." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_16d169cb9a4ff72dc31b5fbcc09f5a12 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:32:03 -0700 Kevin Carson on Open-Source Healthcare http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/open-source-healthcare/2009/03/31 "Much of what an MD does doesn’t actually require an MD’s level of training. Unfortunately, no matter how simple or straightforward the specific procedure you need done, you have to pay for an MD’s level of training. The medical, dental and other lobbies make sure that legislation is in place prohibiting advance practice nurses or dental hygienists from performing even the most basic services without the “supervision” of an MD or DD." 4njXz_zs2xGM_sU_60jTQA_7caea5fe631e033bb20e68c751687061 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:31:17 -0700