Tag: government

Government is Religion – Episode 194

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The Story: States are compulsory cults

In the USA, many children go to school and say a prayer to a piece of cloth, affirming their faith in a deity called a “nation”. Many of them will grow up to continue worshipping the flag, repeating the words of their pledge of allegiance impressed on them when they were too young to even sign a contract. If someone desecrates the flag, urinating on it or burning it, they will get angry, because they know it means something – in fact, in their minds, it’s very difficult to separate any flag from their god – their nation.

The American bald eagle is no longer endangered in the United States, but it’s still illegal to harm one. To the lawmakers, the bald eagle is also a sacred image, a totem that represents the unity of their tribe. If you question whether obedience to the state is really beneficial or necessary, it’s normal to hear the response “It’s the law!” as if just by virtue of being declared a law makes it worthy of reverence, deference, and subjugation. The code of the government is sacred, no matter what it says, no matter how absurd.

All around the world, people have similar practices, blurring the lines between government and religion. In fact, they may be the same thing. Worshipping the government is just a particular kind of religion, a “civil religion”. In this episode, Kurt interviews entrepreneur, traveller and thinker, Shamus Mac, as he presents his case that governments are imposing their own compulsory religions, convincing or brainwashing their subjects into believing that their government, their country, their symbols and the spirit of them are all identical. Join us on another deprogramming adventure on … The Paradise Paradox!

The Links:

Civil Religion video

Robert Bellah’s Civil Religion in America essay

Peace of Westphalia on Wikipedia

Etymology of “religion”

Huichol Indians

What on Earth is happening – website of Mark Passio

The Cash:

If you enjoy our posts, please like and follow The Paradise Paradox’s page on Steemit where you can join, earn money, and upvote our posts to help support the show! You can also find a lot of additional content which is not posted on this site, with Kurt’s posts on Steemit.

We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.

The Episode:

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Without government, wouldn’t warlords take over?

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If you believe government is needed, and someone suggests that it isn’t, you might be rather distressed. You might start to picture bands of rogues roving the land without cease, raping and stealing. In the minds of many statists, this fear is so real that it seems certain. But of course, little is certain in life, and we can no more say for sure that warlords will take over than we can say that they won’t. However, we can at least begin to estimate the likelihood.

If you’re like most people, it’s almost certain that you are threatened by group of people which claims to help you, a group which takes your money without asking first. Just as we can’t be sure that warlords won’t take over in a stateless society, it’s not certain that this violent group won’t grow larger, to expand to a level of control where many are fearful and even people with friends in high places can be destroyed without anyone being punished. In fact, such a case is much more likely to be found in a society with a state, than a society without a state, as the power structures are already there. In a stateless society, if these structures form, they’re likely to be smaller. It’s easier to go from 8 to 10 than it is to go from 0 to 10.

warlordsmight8eb17.jpg
To get to a society that has no rulers, first there has to be a cultural change. People have to learn to do things without the help of their rulers, and instead depend on each other. The less they can solve problems on their own and working in teams, the more chance they have to be seduced by a person offering easy answers, or threatened by someone who comes along with a few guns and a few demands. If certain states vanished tomorrow, there would be a 99% chance that warlords would take over. However, the more the people learn to support each other, and the more people love liberty, the less chance a tyrant has of taking hold. The tragedy is, the more people cling to these concerns about warlords, the less people who learn to love liberty.

In the end, the reason cling onto these ideas is because of a deep-seated fear. People want to feel like everything is under control, even if it’s by a someone who, in their hearts, they know is a devil. Their fear leads them to fearmonger, spilling endless “what if” cases, none of which can be allayed by logic alone. As I said, nothing in life is certain. Yet, by embracing our uncertainty, and our fears, we can learn to overcome them. It’s scary to stand at the edge of darkness, not knowing what lies within. It takes heart to put your foot over that threshold, yet, that is the only way that humans grow – by putting ourselves in realms where nothing is sure, but everything is possible. Screw your courage to the sticking place, and feel just for a moment, what it would mean to be free.

Presidential election: Two party clown show – Episode 134

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The Story: 2016 Presidential election: Two party clown show

This is the weirdest election ever! It doesn’t represent the idea of a democracy at all. The idea of allowing the whole population to have a say and choose representatives, has been lost long ago and apparently to the people in power, it’s obsolete. The US ’two party system’ has nothing to do with finding the best head and body for a free country, but rather a distraction for the masses. This current US election has the taken form of a celebrity reality TV show – just with a bigger budget. Where the contestants fight their way through a series of social media obstacles to a final and super episode. The winner takes all! Payment in full of all capital invested and a director’s seat to the empire. Presidential perks accompanied with all tools of the trade, the oak Hollywood desk, a fancy white house and a panel of shiny red buttons – 50/50, ask the audience, phone a friend.

After scratching the surface, it was evident that Kurt and I shouldn’t even be talking about this – why pay attention to the charade – other than for entertainment value? But this is no joking matter. Many, many people have given their power and responsibility away to these clowns. Watching the show, believing the lies and even picking a side. Who is actually involved here? Are your bets in? Unfortunately many continue to waste their friends’ time by talking about such rubbish.

Here is the truth – if we actually lived in a civilised society, with sound values and respect for others, there would be no need to live in governed regions, where people are controlled and manipulated. In today’s situation we need to be individually micro-managed – told what to eat, told how many hours to sleep and how we should be living.

Thank God that they all have television, I would hate to see what would actually happen it they started thinking for themselves, say the ‘people in charge’.

In a civilised country, government should be quiet and gradually shrinking away. A small and productive government shouldn’t even be noticed. Honestly, I am not even sure why free and civilised people would need a government. What they might need more is the protection from the threat of government.

Take a break from the direct mind control and plug into something alternative… The Paradise Paradox!

The Eps:

Government is force
The system works
Peyote overview
Ayahuasca Diaries Part 1

The Links:

The Simpsons – Two party system
The US Elections Explained: The Two Party System
Putin warns Americans: You’re being distracted!
You Can Always Leave
How Government Works
Government explained by an alien
Freedom trumps fear: Everything you do is an act of liberty

The Cash:

If you enjoy our posts, please have a look at The Paradise Paradox’s page on Steemit where you can join, earn money, and upvote our posts to help support the show! You can also find a lot of additional content which is not posted on this site, with Kurt’s posts on Steemit and Aaron’s posts on Steemit.

We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.

The Episode:

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There’s no such thing as rights – only what you negotiate: Anam Paiseanta

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Anam Paiseanta explains his ideas on why rights don’t exist, and why keeping firearms can be so important – especially when negotiating with violent gangs.

Transcript

Anam Paiseanta: To have maybe an educated opinion about [gun control], we have to look at some of the other ideas we’ve inherited. It seems natural for anarchists to be pro-gun, because we understand that there are no such things as rights, right. There’s only what you negotiate.

The idea of rights – who gave us this idea of rights? Like there’s a package of benefits that you just ‘get’. Who gave us that idea? There’s not, that’s an illusion. And if we just started to see the world as – there’s just this playing field and then the results are whatever you negotiate.

Like a soccer team or a football team enters. There’s a field, it’s level, there’s a goal on either end. There’s lines that segment the field. There’s a team that opposes you, this could be seen as the obstacles in life. Then there’s the ball, there’s your effort, and there’s the network of people you can form who support you in your goals – literally in your goals – there’s a metaphor for you.

Which team has the rights to a goal? The idea doesn’t even make sense. There’s no goal unless you negotiate one. As we’re going through life, there are no rights, there’s only what you negotiate. When you’re negotiating with people in voluntary relationships, you have to come by adding value. And when you’re negotiating with gangs, even really organized gangs, that all wear the same color clothing, and have insignias that they all belong to the same gang, and they all have guns, and they come to the negotiation not with words, not with pieces of paper that are promises – they come to the negotiation with guns. And a lot of times, they act to take away your right to your body, your right to your product, your right to your free movement. So these are the three aspects of the self – your present, your future and your past self, right. Your body, your movement, and your product – things you spent labor or time on yesterday in order to acquire.

So how do you negotiate with these people? Because there’s no rights – there’s only what you negotiate.
So although I am all for peace, and I seek to contribute to a society that generates peace because it’s just, and it’s just because it’s voluntary – I recognize that, we don’t yet live in that society. And just like every eagle has claws and every gazelle has horns, and the ability to run away from its predators, and every animal on Earth has some kind of mechanism or apparatus to defend itself, I think that humans should not be the only animal

*Holds up rifle*

that gives away its ability to defend itself to its only predators – which would be other humans.

Episode 116 – Two Conceptions of Capitalism

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The Episode:


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The Story:

In this episode Kurt and I are at the central bus station of Guadalajara, Mexico. We were patiently waiting to begin our voyage to San Luis Potosi – for a great adventure exploring the worlds of natural medicine. This episode is a captured conversation started by few Aussie friends that visited the week before, they had some very interesting questions about today’s society.
 
Many young adults ask questions like, why does the government need to privatise public services? examples of these services may be medical, electricity, transport, and water? and of course the bloody roads. These concerns are based on the already poor quality services at high tax costs and this instills a negative outlook on the future. To further this issue, it is widely known and understood that private companies, which buy these services, must put the interests of shareholders first. This is because of the inherent nature of business and the human component rarely becomes a concern, let alone a priority.
Our society has been conditioned to believe that this is all part of capitalism, MacDonalds, Starbucks and greedy governments. History can teach us many lessons and like all power structures, there is a common natural evolution; to increase in size, centralise power and incubate corruption. However as most young folks attended public schooling they tend to have a shallow and selected view of history, they look to the other side as the solution – Socialism.
 
In this episode we discuss a true capitalism, which is based on a free market system powered by sound money (Gold, Silver, Bitcoin). Advancements in information technology is opening a new world of commerce as well as new options for governance. Where all people can have an equal say and can be involved in shaping society. Our future civilisations will be empowered and united, government as we know it today will be a memory and a laugh, somewhat like the stone age. For the meantime understand that today’s government bodies do not require our full attention, as these structures are on limited time and out of gas.

The Eps:

Closet Communist

The Links:

The Story of Your Enslavement
The Wealth of Nations audiobook
Capitalism is About Love – Jeffrey Tucker

 

Episode 93 – Polyamory and Monogamy

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The Episode:


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The Story:

Many people assume that having a monogamous relationship is normal and healthy. Many men get into long-term relationships, enjoy themselves for a while, but soon feel the need for the exhilarating touch of another woman’s skin, a craving for sexual diversity which many believe is biological. In such cases, men will turn to pornography, going to strip clubs, or cheating on their partners outright, with prostitutes or other women. In some parts of the world, these habits are very much frowned on, but in others they are somewhat accepted – as long as the wife never hears about it.

Individuals in the polyamorous community have decided that it doesn’t make sense to fight these urges, but instead work with them, by embracing multiple partners, in loving relationships. Humans are tribal animals, they say, and part of that tribal kinship involves sexuality. Of course, by solving the problem of cheating, they open up other problems – of course, having a relationship with one person is difficult enough.

Still others will contend that having a strictly monogamous relationship is very difficult, but entirely worth it, in maintaining the sanctity of marriage, and also providing for children in a consistent, stable environment – an environment which can even indirectly protect against government tyranny, by ensuring the family trust each other more than they do the authorities.

Which type of relationship is right for you? A monogamous relationship, a crazy single life where you screw everybody, or perhaps even complete abstinence? We explore these concepts and more, in the next willy-shaking episode of … The Paradise Paradox!

The Links:

Men’s testosterone boosted by interactions with women – sex or even flirting

Why men cheat – a life and death situation

Sex at Dawn Venn diagram

Polyamory diaries – I’m not trying to be your girlfriend

Polyamory diaries – why friends aren’t enough

 

Episode 72 – Bitnation Ambassadors: Erik Vollstädt

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The Episode:

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If you enjoyed the episode, don’t keep it a secret! Feel free to share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit, or your office bathroom wall.

The Cash:

We really appreciate all of your contributions! Every cent and satoshi we receive lets us know that we’re doing something worthwhile, that you are entertained by our program, and that you’re starting to question what you know more and more. Please be generous. Donate to The Paradise Paradox. Or buy some stuff on Amazon using this link. Or buy some of our great T-shirts here.

The Story:

Bitnation is an organisation that has been labeled “governance 2.0” – which offers voluntary and borderless governance services across an decentralised platform. This platform for government can be designed to meet specific requirements for communities and has already been a success across various pilot programs – marriage, land registry and deeding.

In this episode of The Paradise Paradox, I interview Erik Vollstädt – the global lead ambassador of Bitnation. I ask Erik how he found himself involved in Bitnation and his journey to becoming global lead ambassador. We discuss his plans for team growth, task allocations and aspirations for a future global bitnation team of hundreds of ambassadors. This ambassador network will lead teams all across the world, the individual ambassadors will be directly involved with local governments and working to produce governance solutions.

Latin America is showing big potential, and that’s where Erik is choosing to focus. Building synergy between ambassadors will be beneficial in producing transferable products and tutorials for the citizens in that geographical area. Currently amongst the Latin American countries there are active ambassadors in Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay and Argentina.

Erik is eager to continue building momentum and increase the Bitnation team, so, anyone interested in assisting the development of Bitnation contact Erik on Facebook. Or just get involved and be a part of the new world, becoming a world citizen by visiting the Bitnation website.

Be prepared to have your world changed by a decentralised paradigm shift as you enjoy this episode of The Paradise Paradox.

The Links:

Eric Vollstädt – Global Lead Ambassador

BITNATION: Rick Falkvinge

Toni Lane Casserly, Bitnation – Governance 2.0 Civic Tech Showcase Presentation

Land Registry and Deeding

World Citizenship

Episode 39 – Government is Force

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The Story:

Sun is shining, birds chirping, the distant hum of neighbours mowing their lawns and the ringing of a little bell. “Lemonade, come and get your lemonade!” shouted by two young girls. We can see the image – harmless entrepreneurship at work. “Fresh delicious lemonade, only one dollar!” shouted by your 10 year old daughter accompanied by her best friend, Sarah.

Your favourite morning coffee is brewing and its the weekend so, licence to be cheeky, one sugar please. Lost in the aroma, you notice that the bell hasn’t been rung in a while. Then the reactive mental note – maybe I should check on the girls. Then in an instant, you hear screams and the slamming of the front door.

No spilt coffee, but all hairs on end. “We are being robbed!” Sarah screamed from behind her sobbing. Now both girls crying. “What? Who?” you respond, hastily walking to the front door. Through the window, you can see two guys picking up the knocked-over disposable cups and the lemonade stand being loaded in their pickup.

You shout, “What the hell is going on here?” as you walk towards the two goons, your fist clenched with the uncomfortable rage of confusion. “Excuse me sir, there was no permit reserved to distribute lemonade on this street,” said by the Lightweight. Tapping his clipboard he explains, “Without a permit, no one has the permission to sell anything.” Even a sunday garage sale must be registered, with at least two weeks notice. You ask, “What about my daughter’s lemonade?”

“Your property will need to be collected from the collections office within the fortnight, or it will be deemed trash.” But of course, that’s after you pay the fine.

Thoughts and feelings from this story may be similar or even shared. Does government have more of the right to our property than we do? Where should the boundaries of local authority lie? Is the use of force justified? Why should we need to ask permission to be free? In this episode I tell of a similar experience, an encounter with local government authorities, where we ask these questions and more.

The Links:

Footage of cops attacking young girl and getting shouted down
Barack Obama – Government is a monopoly on violence
George Ought To Help
Government explained by an alien
The Story of Your Enslavement
You Can Always Leave
How Government Works

Cover image used under Creative Commons Original image by StockMonkeys

Episode 7 – Opting Out

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The saga continues. In this episode we talk about ways people can escape from the systems that surround them, by ex-patriation, moving to a very different area of the country, the political and media/propaganda situation in Australia, the “Sydney Siege”, contradictions in Australian culture, the welcoming and fighting spirits of Mexico, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Japanese-American concentration camp program.

I said the words “predatory pricing” but what I really meant was “price gouging” -Kurt.

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