Part of the Ask An Anarchist Series - Previous in series         Next in series

Isn’t this really one of the biggest questions that each and every one of us has encountered at some point?  And, of course, it may not seem to have anything to do with anarchy, philosophy, government, business, or anything else covered on this website.    But, on reflection, I thin kit may have to do with everything ever discussed on this site.  But, most of all with parenting, which was, of course, the original inspiration for me to start blogging.

The attitude of not being a winner is the way people get into trouble in life.  The fact you woke up this morning makes you a winner, and no one make you a loser but yourself.

Each day look at the wins you have.  Value the greatness in your life, little and big.  If you find it impossible to isolate any wins in your life, use affirmations and begin creating some.

You can start now to change your own reality.  You are a loser, only when you think you are.

• Thomas Edison declared bankruptcy for the North American Phonograph Co. in 1894, and his Edison Portland Cement Company filed for bankruptcy twice.
• Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Milton hershey, H.J. Heinz, and P.T. Barnum all went bankrupt at least once as well.
• Before filing for bankruptcy, Walt Disney was fired by the Kansas City Star newspaper for lacking ideas.
• Colonel Sanders idea for Kentucky Fried Chicken was reportedly rejected more than 1000 times

Post from: Philaahzophy

How Can I Become A Winner When I Believe I’m A Loser?

Part of the Ask An Anarchist Series - Previous in series         

Ask An Anarchist

Welcome back to Ask An Anarchist. The ongoing series where I respond to questions about anarchist philosophy.

Q) As an anarchist/voluntaryist/[other term for anti-government person] should I vote?

A) Short answer: you should do whatever feels right to you.  As an anarchist myself, I’m not in the business of telling other people what they should or should not do.

The long answer is, as usual, a bit more complex…

Many anarchists have come to the conclusion that voting itself is either immoral or just plain evil.  Many of these believe that voting is condoning the action of the state.  Some claim that every vote is, in and of itself, an act of violence because you’re either voting for someone else to use the violence of the state to force their will on others, or directly enacting laws that will be enforced with the violence of the state.  I have some questions for those who hold this belief….

1) Would you vote to overturn a law or prohibition?  For example, if there was a national vote asking whether or not to continue the drug war, would you vote then?

2) Would you vote for your town/county/state to secede from the governmental bodies that currently reign over it?

3) Would you vote to dismantle the government in its entirety?

4) What about a vote to bring all US military personnel back to the United States?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then how can you justify that vote as not being evil or immoral?  Aren’t you forcing your anti-prohibition and anti-government will on those who would prefer these laws and institutions remain in place?

If your answer to these questions is no, then how, exactly are you helping those in the liberty movement to bring freedom and liberty to everyone?  Do you really think politicians are simply going to stop going to work one day?  Do you think a time will come when the politicians are completely unable to find someone to enact violence on people that break their made up rules.  Ultimately, it’s going to take a “vote of the people” to restore our liberties.  The only other path to the end of government is violence, and that’s never succeeded in doing anything other than changing out one oppressor for another.

A flat out refusal to participate in any form of government election assures you’ll never see liberty in your lifetime.  How can you even be a liberty activist?  Isn’t protesting the police and/or politicians really just another way of voting?  Except that you’re trying to convince other people to do the “dirty work” of changing the laws or system for you.

As for me, I believe in voting as self-defense, so only vote when I see an option for liberty.  Sometimes that’s a candidate such as Ron Paul.  Other times it’s an issue, such as California’s Proposition 19 which would have legalized the growing, using and possession of marijuana for people over the age of 21.  Sure, this proposition had a lot of problems (including creating new bureaucracy), but I believe it was a step towards freedom.  And those are the steps I’m interested in taking.

Post from: Philaahzophy

Should I vote?

Part of the Cool Books Series - Previous in series         

Norman Rockwell's Swimming Hole (1920)

One of the great things about being a library book sale addict is that I get to handle about 1,000 books a week and I come across some really cool stuff.  The latest example is Swimming Holes of California: Day Trips With a Splash by Pancho Doll.  As a fan of both water and road trips, this book was a no-brainer purchase for me as it details more than 100 swimming holes throughout California.  Pancho spent nine months traveling California in its entirety, driving more than 25,000 miles to get the skinny on the best (and worst) spots to cool off, relax and simply have fun.  And he’s created a guidebook that’s not only useful and fun to read, but covers a subject/area of interest that has long been neglected, IMO.

Every swimmin’ hole is given three or four paragraphs of editorial content including detailed directions, GPS coordinates, and a copy of the USGS 7.5-minute topographic map of the area.  But that is just the beginning.  What makes this guidebook even more useful is his wonderful categorical icons.  Each entry includes icons for: The Approach, The Season, The Company, and Overall Rating.  Looking to go skinny dipping with your sweetie?  Just flip through the region nearest you for the bare bottom icon.  Want to take the kids to their first real swimmin’ hole? Find a black circle approach and a baby face icon.

 
Although eminently enjoyable to read, don’t take Pancho’s easy style and light-hearted descriptions to mean that he isn’t serious about his swimming holes. Here’s the last couple paragraphs of his Introduction to show just how serious he takes this age old tradition-

I’d even argue that swimming holes are the most complete trip to the mountains. Hiking alone isn’t. There is always space between the hiker and the trees, always a separation between us the ground we travel over. But water touches every part of the body with the perfect contact of immersion. People form attachments to these places. Several times I met parents and children at a swimming hole that the parents themselves had been coming to since childhood.
Beyond fun, there’s a metaphor here. Think of the stream as the work week, all noise and repeated motion. The swimming hole is the weekend, a place where the pace slackens, the issue gets broader and the water grow quiet enough to show a reflection.

So, whether you’re a swimming hole aficionado, a hiker, an adventurer, a lover of the outdoors, or just someone looking for something different to do this weekend, your first source of info should be Pancho Doll’s Swimming Holes of California: Day Trips With a Splash.

Post from: Philaahzophy

California Swimming Holes

Part of the Ask An Anarchist Series - Previous in series         Next in series

Ask An Anarchist

Welcome back to Ask An Anarchist. The ongoing series where I respond to questions about anarchist philosophy.

Q) So some small town somewhere started to fine all of their prisoners to pay for the prisons instead of taxes. Say you make 8 dollars an hour at your job then you get put in jail and pay 16 to 20 dollars a day every day you are in jail.
I think this is good because the “criminal” pays for the jails instead of everyone paying for it.
It’s a bad idea for a lot of reasons though. For one, people can’t pay if they can’t work. Also it gives police a reason to put you in jail for 30 days instead of just a ticket.

What do you think?

A) This is not nearly as unusual as you might think, and you quickly recognized the largest problems with it yourself.

The problem of incarceration is, IMO, one of the most difficult facing those trying to build or model a truly free society.  Luckily for those trying to spread the message of freedom, and unfortunately for those trying to create such a society, it is one seldom asked.

I think the best way to problem solve in a situation such as this is to look to history to see what has been done in the past.  Prisons themselves are a (relatively) recent phenomenon in human history.  The first were debtors prisons which were populated by those unable or unwilling to pay their debts (hence the phrase “paying your debt to society”).  These prisons went out of style for the very reasons you pointed out: how do you pay your debts if you’re stuck in prison.  The most common solution to the concept of a debtors prison (or the ‘pay your own prison fees’ model) is forced labor.  the prisoners work at some job or another, but instead of the earnings going to them personally, the wages are distributed to their jailers and then the person(s) they have wronged.  This, of course, leads to the second problem you pointed out: it serves the prison more to keep people in then to get the prisoner’s debts paid.

Prior to prisons people were punished for crimes in various ways, with restitution was the most common (and rational, IMO).  Those convicted of a crime would need to make the victims of their crimes “whole” in some way that was either agreed upon between criminal and victim or adjudicated by some authority recognized by both parties.  When the matter of crime in a free society is discussed this is the most common answer given.

However, the restitution model doesn’t address the issues of repeat offenders, those unwilling (or unable) to make restitution, or those who (seem) unable to control their criminal actions.  It also opens the door to the enormously wealthy to essentially harm whomever they like as they will be able to “buy” their way out of any consequences.  This leads us to ostracization and/or public humiliation.  Rapists, murderers and thieves would, in the past be put in the stocks, humiliated in the town square, or have their images posted for all to see.  Shopkeepers would refuse to do business with them and they’d frequently be forced to leave the area in which they committed their crimes.  Of course, that just moves the “problem” into someone else’s back yard.  Although it can also lead to things like the founding of Australia

While I certainly can’t predict exactly how a free society will function I foresee something along the lines of “charity prisons”.  These would look much like the prisons of today, but would be funded through voluntary means.  If someone killed or raped your loved one and whatever justice system was in place decided they should be removed from society wouldn’t you be willing to pony up some cash to incarcerate them?  What if it was a friend that was victimized?  A neighbor?  Member of your church or school?  Combine this with some system of prison labor and I think a workable solution can be found.

I realize this answer seems a bit “weaselly”, but it’s the best I can do right now.  Got any better ideas or know of an article about this very issue?  Let me (and all my readers) know by leaving a comment below!

Post from: Philaahzophy

Should Prisoners Pay For Their Own Incarceration?

Apparently, traffic in downtown San Francisco moves at only 5 to 10 miles per hour. While this is clearly a problem, the proposed solutions discussed today were simply ridiculous. One of the proposals being considered is to charge a $3 “toll” to any non-San Francisco driver who crosses into or out of San Francisco via San Mateo County during peak commute hours.  There are essentially three ways to get your car into or out of San Francisco: The Golden Gate Bridge (toll going out), the Bay Bridge (toll coming in), or via the peninsula (aka San Mateo County).

I don’t really want to get into the details of the Congestion Pricing Study (you can read all about it here or by simply Googling “San Francisco congestion“.  Instead, I want to highlight some of the ridiculous thoughts expressed by Ms. Chang and other bureaucrats and politicians on the matter.

San Mateo County has reportedly responded to the possibility of such a pricing scheme by declaring that they would charge a $6 “toll” for San Franciscans traveling into or out of their county.  Ms. Chang’s (paraphrased) response?  “Oh, they don’t need to worry.  Portions of the money will collect will be shared with San Mateo County. “  So, in other words, the government of San Mateo County is going to get a portion of  the money San Francisco is going to steal from San Mateo County residents.  Well, isn’t that grand?  The residents of San Mateo should rest easy knowing that they’re going to have to pay an extra $6 to handle any business in San Francisco since San Mateo County is going to share in the ill-gotten profits.  Say what?!? Just another example of government looking out for itself.  No concern about the people who will be paying these fees, as long as the various governments are paid off.

This already had me steaming.  But then, a woman called who lives in a condo complex that literally straddles the border between Daly City (in San Mateo County) and San Francisco.  This woman lives in the San Francisco side of the complex, (pays San Francisco taxes, votes in San Francisco elections, etc) but has to travel into Daly City to simply exit the complex.  So she was concerned that she would have to pay this fee, despite being a San Francisco resident.  Ms. Chang’s (paraphrased) response? “Don’t worry, we’ll give those on the borders a 50% discount on the fee.  And, most people don’t realize this, but 75% of the congestion traffic is actually people that live in San Francisco.”  Again: Say what?!? Three-quarters of the cars causing congestion in San Francisco is caused by people who live in San Francisco, and their proposed “solution” is to charge non-San Francisco residents a fee to come into (or leave) the city?  And they think they’re being generous offering San Francisco residents a 50% discount despite forcing them to pay a fee simply because of their proximity to these imaginary lines?!?

Still think government is your friend?  Does this sound like you’re being served?  Could private roads be any worse?  After all, your taxes are already paying to maintain these roads and provide for Ms. Chang’s job.  But that’s not enough.  If you don’t use the roads when and how they want you to, you’re going to have to pay additional fees.  How can you continue to support such an inane system?  Seriously, please comment and let me know.

Post from: Philaahzophy

Bay Area Border Wars

“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.

“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life.”

The American interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”

“And after that?” asked the Mexican.

“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the American.

“And after that?”

“Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the American, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the Mexican.

“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”

And the moral of this story is: ……… Know where you’re going in life… you may already be there.

Post from: Philaahzophy

Life: Explained

Like many in my generation, my impressions of Pirate Radio were largely formed in 1990 when Christian Slater starred as “Hard Harry” in Pump up the Volume. Unfortunately, Jeff Pearson’s Pirate Radio USAcouldn’t be much farther away from Pump Up The Volume if it had been a documentary about ice cubes rather than one, supposedly, covering the pirate radio movement in America.

Here’s how Pearson describes his film…

Pirate Radio USA is a feature length documentary about the underground world of unlicensed radio in the USA, where people play what they want and say what they want-unless the FCC catches them. On the way see the rise of Big Media, the growth of Indy Media to encounter it, and witness their showdown over the truth during the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle. DJ’s Him and Her, from their live Pirate Radio USA Studio, take you on a rock -n-roll journey inside rogue radio stations across the country to see why Americans defy Federal Law to free the radio airwaves. Seize the Airwaves!

Sound interesting?  I thought so to … until I actually spent an hour and a half watching DJ Him and DJ Her share their tale of failing to keep one pirate station after another on the air.  Allow me to present that description once again, but this time edited to reflect the reality of the film in question…

Pirate Radio USA is a feature length documentary about

DJ Him and Her and their self-important little lives in the underground world of unlicensed radio in the USA, where people do something that isn’t really mentioned or discussed at any point -until the FCC catches them, at which point they bow down dutifully to their government masters. On the way see the rise of Big Media, the growth of Indy Media to whine about it, and witness way too much about the protests against the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle (which had nothing to do with radio (pirate or otherwise), BTW). DJ’s Him and Her, from their live Pirate Radio USA Studio, take you on a self-satisfying journey inside a grand total of TWO rogue radio stations to show just how cool they and their friends think they are. Seize the Airwaves so WE can decide who gets to hear what on the air!

If that still sounds interesting to you, then stop reading this post, click the little amazon ad up above, and order Pirate Radio USA this very second.  Personally, I had hoped to hear from pirate radio operators what they do, how they do it, and why they do it.  While we got brief snippets of the why, neither the what or the how are in the forefront of this film.  In fact, those three questions combined get less screen time then the WTO does (both in Seattle and Prague).

So much for the failures.  Lets get to the hypocrisy…

Everyone in this film, just like everyone else in pirate radio, gives a lot of lip service to the basic concept that anyone should be free to make use of the “public” airwaves.  They rail against the FCC for shutting down stations simply because they don’t have a license, aka permission, from the government.  They liken the radio to the printing press of colonial days and continually bring up the first amendment’s guarantee of free speech. I, and Pump Up The Volume’s Harry Hardcore, couldn’t agree with these sentiments more.  Unfortunately, those involved in Pirate Radio USA, don’t actually believe that radio should be free for all.

The first sign of trouble appeared before the film even started. The first item to appear on my screen was a threat of fines and imprisonment should I dare to make a copy of the film or pass it along to a friend. It seems these “pirates” have no problem employing armed thugs to enforce their will on others. Their only complaint is when those very same thugs are turned on them. Makes you wonder just how much they paid in royalties to all the bands whose music they “stole” over the years, distributing it over the airwaves without permission, doesn’t it? My guess is zero.

The bulk of the film is filled with Pearson’s complaints about media deregulation.  You see, DJs Him and Her want the government to restrict how many radio stations one person or entity can own in any given market, they just don’t want the government to restrict the their activities and those of their friends.  It’s activists like those in this film that give the freedom movement a bad name.  They fail to understand that the only way to gain freedom for yourself is to grant freedom to everybody else, including the media corporations they continually demonize.  The solution to radio freedom lies not in tightening regulation in one area (number of stations owned) while loosening it in another (allowing micro-broadcasts), but in dismantling the FCC itself and allowing a genuine free market in radio.

Post from: Philaahzophy

The Failure and Hypocrisy of Pirate Radio USA

Image via Wikipedia

Last night Z and I were returning home from her NaNoWriMo write-in and she decided she wanted to pick up some french bread for a late night snack.  Alas, the grocery store was closed, but she had the great idea to stop by the Subway which was still open and just buy a “footlong” of bread.  The conversation went a little like this…

“Hi, may I help you?”

“Yes, can I buy just the bread without a sandwich?”

“No sandwich?  Just a loaf of bread?”

“Yeah, a footlong of just bread.”

“Ummmmm … hang on a second.” Clerk goes into back room and returns a moment later.

“No, sorry, you have to buy a sandwich.”

That’s right, not even an offer to sell her the bread from a footlong for $5.  Just “No.” What kind of business is this?!? Turning down money for something they’re probably going to throw away in a half hour anyway?  Ridiculous!

Can you imagine a small business owner not only turning a customer request down flat, but also rejecting money that’s about to be lost?  I submit that it would never happen.  It only happened at Subway ( a franchise operation about which I have raved on my other blog) because the clerk (just a lowly worker) and his supervisor have no actual financial interest in the health of the business.  Well, the do, of course, but they aren’t incentivized to realize it.

Had a local deli been open we would have gone there.  Small business owners are far more likely to impress some economic reality onto their staffs.  Namely, that any money coming into the store is good for the workers paychecks as well as the owner’s.  After all, if money doesn’t come in, they won’t get raises or bonuses and may even lose their jobs either through layoffs or the business itself closing.

Post from: Philaahzophy

Reason #102 To Shop Local

Most of my adult life I’ve eaten roughly 75% of my meals at restaurants (fast food or sit-down).  Another 20% has been pre-packaged, prepared food (deli sandwiches, chips, etc).  Well, back in September my job changed dramatically, forcing me to actually stay in my home 24/7.  Obviously this made it difficult to access my traditional food sources.  In February my job changed dramatically once again.  At that point I needed to find another place to live 3 days a week while still spending 4 days at my former apartment 24/7.  Since the only place I could afford has no kitchen, either, this continued to limit my food choices.

As a result, I now eat in my traditional manner while at “home”, but have been forced to learn to grocery shop and cook actual meals while at the work apartment.  Which, of course, led me to the internet in search of better dinner ideas.  Luckily, there are numerous websites dedicated to food, cooking and recipes.  I’ve found myself returning to the ‘Food’ section of iVillage more and more of late.

My diet has definitely become more varied over these last few months, and that’s been exciting.  However, much like the caveman of lore, I’ve dedicated a disproportionate amount of my time, energy and budget to such seemingly simple concepts as feeding myself and Zaira.  Luckily for all of my dedicated fan out there (‘s’ intentionally left off, BTW) I now have a nice little repertoire of dinner ideas and both Z and I are still quite a bit away from starving to death.  Thus, y’all can expect to see more words from me in the near future.

At least as long as the groceries hold out

Post from: Philaahzophy

Where Have I Been? Seeking Dinner Ideas!

The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear

Post from: Philaahzophy

Silence is Golden