RE: The Judo of Freedom - Don't lose your balance (basic principles)
I can't say I disagree with any of what you said. It makes complete sense. However, the majority of people aren't ready to accept reality. It's too scary and can make them feel too helpless. Therein lies the appeal for Kokesh. A hero who can come in and change the system to free them all. I'm under no illusions he'd actually make the presidency, but if he could it has the potential to be a huge lesson and reality check. If a libertarian could truly make it into the highest political position and still fail to change the system it might finally be enough to make people really realise that the battle is never going to be won that way. That this habit of doing the same thing over and over (voting new CEOs in) and hoping for a different result really is insane.
I believe the only way to collapse the system is to remove the support structures they stand on and that is our consent. If everybody dissented they would have no more power. Unfortunately, most people are incapable of thinking for themselves, whether it's through indoctrination or complete lack of ability to do so.
I was having a conversation with someone recently about the lack of common sense in what council workers do. She explained that the menial jobs are given to those who haven't the capability to do anything more than follow instructions.
I mean, I guess if one keeps bashing one’s head against a brick wall just one more time one may finally learn that the wall is hard, and that the exercise is futile, but this doesn’t seem to me to suggest that the headbashing is worth it.
I agree here. I am only saying that cajoling individuals into participation in the very mechanism that enslaved them in the first place is counterproductive, immoral, and dangerous.
Individualist Voluntaryists do not need a “hero.”
Especially one whom, beyond running a campaign contrary to the principle of individual self-ownership (as such this plan can never effectively “spread the message” to “the masses” as the message is, itself, ISO) is also unwilling to engage and discuss things honestly, without resorting to puerile name calling and other such sophomoric behavior.
I hardly see him as a “hero.” Even if he were, however, politics is dirty, and even a saint does not have the natural law right to impose policies on another man via central planning or “custodianship.”
I'd certainly never suggest that it is worth it and I would encourage continuing to advise against said head bashing, but I also realise that some people won't be talked out of it. However, some might possibly come to a realisation once they've cracked their head soundly enough.
Yet this Kokesh seems to have quite the following. Does that following crave a hero I wonder? Many people seem to crave heroes, because it's easier than having to stand up for yourself. I do feel that this is why the system has so much support. Do you ever feel like you're banging your own head against a brick wall trying to explain things to people? I have to admit I've not really looked into or listened to his campaign myself. Political campaigns, as you say, are dirty and are generally promises never kept. The system is in place and keeps on following its path no matter who the next "leader" is. Whether they have good intentions, but find themselves powerless to implement them when they get in or whether they are lying from the start to get the job, it makes no difference ultimately.
I guess my question is, would him getting in be a big enough reality check to make people realise what you've been trying to tell them all along? Would it be any worse than what America has already had? He seems just as corrupt and corruptable as any of them though. Which would probably mean that people would just slip back into the same rut and say it didn't work because he wasn't a saint after all...
Excellent points raised here. And yeah, folks addicted to the political process and desperately wanting to be under some superhero “leader” would almost certainly just be sucked in by the next campaign because Oh! This guy’s different.
Maybe people do need to crack their heads harder. I’m not entirely sure.
Either way, I appreciate your comment and will think about what you have said.
Thanks for being a sounding board. I have these thoughts tumbling around my head and sometimes it's helpful to bounce them off someone to see if I'm making any sense. I could just be spiraling into insanity, but it might be a nicer place there... 😅