Outcompete the State

Beating the State at its own games
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  • Matt Gilliland

The Libertarian Perspective on the Michael Brown Shooting Nov 19, 2014

The National Guard is descending on the greater St. Louis/Ferguson area as I type this (ahead of the grand jury decision on Darren Wilson’s indictment which could come as early as Friday), and it seems like a good idea to examine what libertarianism has to say about the Michael Brown shooting. If you visit the comment sections of libertarian coverage of the Ferguson saga, it’s shocking to see how little of the debate has been framed around libertarian principles; even those who claim to love liberty have let the mainstream media direct not only the public debate, but the libertarian...

By Matt Gilliland Vote35 6

No, Bitcoin Really IS a Tool for Freedom Nov 12, 2014

Some tools favor our cause. As friends of liberty, the most useful thing we can do is to take up these tools and use them as hammers to smash the State.

By Matt Gilliland Vote30 4

Live Like You’re Free Nov 9, 2014

People are, in most ways, freer than they have ever been in the history of the world. Throughout most of history, outright chattel slavery (not just of minorities, but even within ethnic groups) has been commonplace. De facto ownership of wives existed in almost every society until a century ago. Less than a hundred years ago, it was fairly uncommon for most people to travel more than a few dozen miles from their place of birth within their lifetime. And even a decade ago in the “freest nation in the world,” it was unthinkable outside of a few progressive areas...

By Matt Gilliland Vote7 2

cheap levitra 20mg Supreme Court Case Spells Trouble for Obamacare Nov 8, 2014

The Supreme Court announced today that it will hear one of the many remaining legal challenges to Obamacare filtering through the courts. King v. Burwell, the case in question, focuses on whether the wording of the the ACA applies Federal subsidies to everyone who signs up for insurance under Obamacare (such as the 4.7 million currently receiving subsidies after signing up at the infamous Healthcare.gov), or just those who signed up through health care exchanges established by 14 states and the District of Columbia. tadalafil online Why does it matter? Well, if the Court rules that the subsidies don’t apply...

By Matt Gilliland Vote20 0

UPDATED: Silk Road 2.0 Admin Arrested, 14 Markets Seized by FBI Nov 6, 2014

The Department of Justice announced this morning that the man they believe to be the administrator of the Silk Road 2.0 website, Blake Benthall of San Francisco, CA, has been arrested and brought up on charges related to his administration and participation in the activities of the Silk Road 2.0 website. Silk Road 2.0, a darknet black market allowing consumers and vendors to trade in illicit substances, fake identification, and more was created only weeks after the shutdown of the original Silk Road by an individual known as the "Dread Pirate Roberts," a moniker that had been previously used by...

By Matt Gilliland Vote32 6

Feeling Down? Oct 10, 2014

If you're feeling depressed, remember: You are freer and better-off than those who came before you. Live like it!

By Matt Gilliland Vote33 7

Abortion and Estoppel Sep 8, 2014

Does libertarian theory logically necessitate a pro-life position? Kinsella's take on estoppel seems to imply that mothers would have no right to abort or evict unborn children because they, by necessity, "trespassed" in the same manner in order to have been born.

By Matt Gilliland Vote18 26
Steam Pirate Flag

The Steam Summer Sale: A Celebration of Markets (by an ex-pirate) Jun 21, 2014

The thing about the Summer Sale that I find so beautiful is this: People I’ve never met in places I’ll never visit spend thousands of hours crafting products for which they have a vision – products that I could never have begun to imagine until they existed – and I, from my cozy spot at my desk, can buy them for less than the cost of a Big Mac combo and spend dozens of hours enjoying them. Or I can activate them and never play them once. That’s exquisite. Never in history has there been anything like what Valve has...

By Matt Gilliland Vote27 12

The State as Parasite: Statelessness is Not Enough Apr 12, 2014

Is the State the progenitor of societal development? The correlation certainly seems, on the surface, to hold. No society that has remained stateless has developed significantly, and there has been little economic, cultural, or technological development outside of societies with states. Prima facie, it would therefore seem that the State causes development. I hope to show that this is incorrect. The State is not a cause of, but an enemy of development. Civilization arises not because of, but in spite of the State. The State is a parasite on society, and must be starved, removed, and destroyed for the sake...

By Matt Gilliland Vote12 4

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