Some Thoughts on Private Censorship, Power, and Control of Speech
As far as speech is concerned, the rule-of-thumb view we should adopt is that any individual or private group has the right to determine who is allowed in their space, and…
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Some Social Challenges That Won’t Magically Go Away With a Biden Presidency
2020 will be remembered for a lot, and one of the obvious low points is the start of a global pandemic. However, for many this will be offset (at least…
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Live and Let Die
A wise person once told me that evolution is not the story of life but of death. The vast, overwhelming majority of species are extinct. The dominant theme of evolution…
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Every Crime Is Punishable by Death
The creation of new laws is often treated like it’s the safe option to protect society. But it is not perfectly safe. We risk exposing our fellow citizens to state…
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The Beauty of Nationalism
We all have biases, and for many people nationalism (even the smallest degree of it) is one of them. However, if your goal is to understand the world, nationalist sentiments…
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Anti-Gun? Check Your Privelege
Those against firearm ownership often lead their objections with a distaste for over-enthusiastic attitudes about guns that they say verges on cult-like worship. The claim is also made that these…
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The Tricky Business of Violence
The tricky business of violence against the state (or other systems of power) is really defined by two questions: When is violence acceptable and justifiable on principle, and when is…
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It’s About Control, Not Liberty
Modern conservatism and right-wing ideology in the United States in particular and North America in general often defines itself by its devotion to liberty. For many, I imagine, this is…
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Thanks, I Guess
When massive Western corporations provide relief and assistance during a pandemic, these stories are easily framed by corporate communications teams, the government, and mass media as some sort of angelic…
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In Many Ways, the Major Enemy of Markets Are Businesses
The types of private interest that worked against the public good that Adam Smith noted in The Wealth of Nations are almost quaint when put against the size and nature…
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