Wednesday, June 30, 2021

America versus Europe commentary

 In terms of my writing style and communication style, I decided to remain calm and modest, but not weak. I decided to avoid putting too much testosterone into my articles. I did not want people to read and think that the author is someone like Steve Gern going through rhoid rage and thinking that he's the Hulk when he's actually just a meathead. 


I chose to use a consequentialist-over-deontological approach to arguing because I think that is more convincing to most people who are not really into philosophy. The works of Murray Rothbard, Walther Block, and Heny David Thoreau just does not appeal to the strong majority of people, and some of their works are controversial even among staunch libertarians, and can be straight up disturbing non-libertarians. 

Arguing for anarcho-capitalism immidiately would be an automatic turnoff to most people, and just affirm the strawman of libertarianism = anarchy, and the stereotype that libertarians are autistic neckbeards. I prefer to bring someone 80% of the way to libertarianism than 0%. I aim to make the world a better place, not exactly a perfect place.

The non-agression principle is a nice ideal, but it is not a pragmatic philosophy.

John Stossel, Milton Firedman, and Reason Magazine may be milquetoast, but I think that they are great gateway drugs into libertarianism.


The hardest cases were make were to argue against the welfare state, and arguing for individualism.

When it comes to the welfare state, a lot of people are lazy, and feel that they stand to benefit from a welfare state, not to mention personal anecdotes. I can not talk to people like a drill instructor and yell "Take that ass of yours, get off of it, and do something more in your inconsequential life than sit on it!" over the internet.

When it comes to arguing for individualism, that is in the realm of philosophy, which is in contrast to, say, arguing for a market economy, which is in the realm of economics and political science. Showing that market economies work, with the results of market economies compared to command economies is easier than arguing for individualism because showing market economies working is observable and objective, while arguing for individualism is subjective. I decided not to use Ayn Rand's writings.


In an age where the knowledge of the world is at the fingertips of the individual, and only a few keystrokes and clicks away, how is all of this ignorance humanly possible? I can understand people being ignorant on American foreign policy. I can understand how someone can be led into believing in Keynesianism. I can understand people supporting a welfare state and minimum wage. I can understand why someone would be a collectivist, in the sense of benefiting group being prioritized over the benefiting the individual. I get that there are few intelligent conservative voices out there, and no big libertarian voice out there.

But on everything else? How is it possible, especially to native English speakers who can check out the up-to-date English version of Wikipedia and most easily falsify positions?

I think it's;

. Boomers are tech illiterate. They can not use computers. If can use computers, they mostly just read Breitbart, Fox News, and the County Paper. And read the Scofield Reference Bible and preach about Jesus and god.

. Millenials being lazy. Perhaps many Millenials used the internet to cheat, and got away with it, getting participation awards while being told that they're special, and overall getting away with being lazy.

. People taking on an identity and never falsifying their own ideas in general.

Or maybe people are just willfully ignorant.

This ignorance just reinforces my misanthropy. If people can not be bothered to look for facts a few keystrokes and clicks away, how in the hell are succeeding in our industrial societies? I think that it is a miracle that we are not doing worse than we are.


I was about to say that Germany is the anus where authoritarian shit comes out of and into western civilization and the world, and that if the western world needed an individualist/anti-authoritarian enema, Germany is where I would force the fire hose into. 

I do not want to either make German readers feel worse or, in the case of nationalistic types, angrier, though I wonder if Germans will need shaming to be made to lessen the role of government in their lives, do away with the Prussian schooling philosophy and overall reject authoritarianism.

I have to remember that I was not a fan of Donald Trump's crass language, and to not let myself become and talk like him.


If you're still not convinced, I have something for you:

(Bart vs. Australia - Dont tread on me .png)


That's for anyone who hates America.

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