For most of us the goal of our discussions, blog posts, REAL debates, and back and forth bickering is education. The reasons I write and participate with local groups is because I hope to give some knowledge and insight to free society thought. If I have reached but only one mind and made that mind think for itself, question the status quo, and question the State then I truly believe I have been successful. Through my writings and through my hopeful education of others then my ultimate goal is to begin the revolution against the State and dissolve it completely.
This definitely is NOT to say that we need a violent overthrow of our current government. This has to be perfectly clear for those of us that want a free society. Why? One, because it would be an illegitimate use of aggression on our part which goes against our very foundation of the Non-Aggression Principle. Two, a violent attempt would most likely fail completely even if it were morally permissible. And three it would only justify extending the tyranny that is already held over us. I don't even really care about the latter two because the first is everything I need to understand violence isn't the answer.
Some might argue that since the State, or the individuals in control of the apparatus, have aggressed on individual rights they have lost their rights and therefor violent force would be legitimate. But we must remember that there is proportionality in the recourse one can make when aggressed upon. Rothbard has mentioned that if a person has stolen a stick of bubble gum from the store and the store owner shoots the person claiming his rights were infringed upon, the store owner himself is now the criminal. This is because when committing an act you only lose UP TO the rights you have infringed upon. If you have stolen a stick of bubble gum you should obviously repay the cost of that stick and most likely an extra stick which comes from common law. Proportionality obviously shows it would be wrong to kill the stealer.
So, although I agree are rights as individuals have been infringed upon a violent overthrow surely cannot be justified.
If a violent overthrow cannot possibly be justified the only other recourse we have is an intellectual rEVOLution.
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
Our ideas and convincing others to accept our ideas is the only way we can become free. Once people start realizing the evils of the State we can begin a complete system of ignoring the State. Once the masses have ignored the State's coercion it will no longer exist.
As this will obviously take time our objective now is to continue to discuss, continue to read, continue to blog, and continue to bicker.
In order to be completely free you must be able to think for yourself, never stop learning and never stop spreading what you learn.
Alex I completely agree. A violent revolution would fail miserably, and as you said totally loses the point of liberation. Those that have brought tyranny upon us have done so incrementally, and so should we go about our liberation. We cannot expect everyone over night to realize the ghastly situation we now find ourselves in. We can only hope to change a few minds in the process. I too have my own blog and Facebook page but have been finding it increasingly disheartening to talk to people about the most important issues of our day. I suppose the only thing we can do is to continue to educate ourselves and all who will listen.
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