Thursday, January 29, 2015

IRONING OUT THE KINKS





As my first blog post, I think it's important to outline how exactly I intend to waste the memory banks that keep this blog visible to viewers like you. This blog is designed to appeal to the average internet user who, in my mind, likes cute animals, bizarre humor, and pointless political debate.

As such, each post will include a picture of a dog doing something a human might do. The image will encapsulate a concept which will loosely relate to a topic of political significance. Please realize, reader, that I have no idea what I am doing.

In spite of not knowing what I am doing, I do have an idea of the topics about which I'll be typing. As an economics major, my posts will mainly pertain to issues concerning economics, but will, of course, include some good old fashioned politics as well. It is your duty as a good citizen to harshly criticize my work.

Speaking of good citizens, most people would consider me as such. Ironically, I am an anarchist at heart. This most likely does not mean what you think it means, however.

Sir, what do you mean by "Anarchist," then?

I mean that I am against the initiation of the use of force against persons or their property and am against the threat thereof. Taxation rests upon the initiation of force (and not as a form of self-defense). We know this because we (as citizens of, say, the United States of America) will be imprisoned if we refuse to pay taxes or killed if we refuse imprisonment.

What about the Social Contract?

I never signed anything like that. If Walmart decides to dump some groceries on my lawn one day, I am under no obligation to pay for them, even if Walmart expects me to use the groceries. We would find it absurd and laughable if we received an invoice for the groceries we never ordered. Unfortunately, the only difference between the aforementioned scenario involving Walmart and our good 'ol nation-state referred to as the US of A is that the US of A will back up their invoice with a police force legitimized by the monopoly they hold on the creation of law. Taxes fund nearly every aspect of the government. It is for that reason that I tend to hold the consistent "oppose" position to every government program or initiative that somehow finds itself on the voting ballot. Although I do not vote. More about that later.

What does the dog have to do with it?

The dog represents the might of the people claiming to manifest the "state" and the "iron" is the "iron fist" that is used to keep us in line... Look, I'm not a communist, I'm just trying to find an apt metaphor. Hopefully these will get better.