Kent For Liberty Blog

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  • Kent McManigal

Seeds on fertile soil Sep 17, 2018

Sometimes... well, most of the time... advocating liberty seems like a losing battle. Socialism, the politics of envy and theft, is getting more and more popular among the ignorami-- almost no one notices the lies told to promote it. Hatred of migrants is over-the-top, and those who don't hate the migrants excuse horrible things done by a tiny few of them just because they feel that they can do no wrong since they are "victims" of one thing or another. There are too many cops (one is too many) and they are growing more brutal, whiney, and entitled every day. And the only "solution" people talk...

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The day cops surrounded me Sep 16, 2018

(This is a re-run from August, 2008) I used to give a presentation on the mountainmen of the Rocky Mountain fur trade each year for fourth grade at the local elementary school. I went to the classroom in full mountainman gear and talked about the history and the tools. I gave a few demonstrations to the kids, such as showing how to set a steel trap, start a fire without matches (both with flint and steel and with a bow drill; the kids' favorite), and how to load a muzzleloading rifle. For years, there was no problem. Then one year...

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Encounters with bureaucRats, episode 2 Sep 15, 2018

The bureaucRatic mind-- if it exists at all-- is a small, rigid thing. It has no capacity to deal with things it doesn't already understand. My first car was an electric car-- yes, I have always been an environmentalist. When I went to the DMV office to register the car, they had their standard questions about the vehicle. But the answers weren't standard. The DMV-bot asked the make and model. She'd never heard of either the make or model, but she dutifully typed that into the form. Then came the really confusing (to her) parts. She asked how many cylinders the car...

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Losers become cops Sep 14, 2018

Just in case you ever wondered what kind of damaged person would ever want to become a cop, here is the answer in full color. Pathetic "Jay Gee" is bullied (and not too terribly literate), so he (?) intends to grow up and turn the tables. How often do you think he'll fear for his safety, because he just wants to make it home at the end of his shift? Cops are losers, and losers become cops. - This blog is my job. YOU get to decide if I get paid.

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Encounters with bureaucRats Sep 13, 2018

I recently told you about the town "tax" collector's issues with me when I owned a shop. Here are a couple of earlier encounters which happened when I was only an employee. This was at a pet store. Every year the State tried new ways to make it too hard to comply with all the rules in an attempt to shut down pet stores. One year the State decided that customers who bought certain critters, like parakeets and iguanas, needed to fill out a State form. We also had to give them a State-mandated sheet detailing all the ways the animal...

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High court’s power unconstitutional Sep 12, 2018

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 12, 2018) Every time there's an open spot on the Supreme Court, a political free-for-all erupts to fill it. Those who believe they have a claim on your life, liberty, and property take the nomination of a Supreme Court justice very seriously, indeed. It's no wonder, given the power those calling themselves "government" currently enjoy. Almost none of this power is constitutional; even less is legitimate...read the rest... - Thank you for helping support KentforLiberty.com

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“Happy” Blowback Day. Sep 11, 2018

We were told they hated us for our freedoms (instead of for the US government's crimes). Now those freedoms are all but gone; attacked and shredded by the US government, continually, without a break for the past 17 years. So, do they love us now? If not, that must not have been the real reason. Government is the only terrorist organization capable of doing such society-encompassing harm. So why do "we" continue to negotiate with these terrorists? Why do we continue to comply as they criminalize more and more liberty? Why doesn't everyone see them as the true bad guys?...

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Must be “opposite day” Sep 11, 2018

I read a blog post where the act of v*ting was characterized as "prosocial" behavior. Really? When someone v*tes they seek to exert political power over others. Either to get a cut of other people's stolen property, to impose "laws" which violate the life, liberty, and property of other people, or to choose someone to rule over them. That certainly sounds like antisocial behavior to me. So where does this idea that v*ting is "prosocial" come from? Maybe it comes from the idea of "civic duty". Where you are expected to participate in, or at least endorse, society's worst behaviors so that no one...

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Just Believe? Even if you don’t really? Sep 10, 2018

In a list of things you can control, I saw "What you believe" listed. I don't believe that's even slightly true. I don't think belief is a choice. If I truly believe something, to change that belief I'd need reasons. Reasons that change what I believe. Reasons showing why my belief is wrong. Not just reasons to believe differently. I could pretend to believe differently, but it would be a lie. I can't believe I have a right to archate just because it would be convenient, or because I can't get what I want otherwise. I believe if I have no right to do something I...

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Upsetting thieves with truth Sep 9, 2018

Unwanted Years ago, long before I had a blog, I had a retail shop. I hated robbing my customers in the name of "sales tax", but if I didn't, armed goons would have come and murdered me. Insanity, I know! But every time I wrote the check to the town's "tax" collector, on the memo line I wrote something like "sales 'tax' extortion for August". The "tax" collector called to question me about that-- or to whine-- a few different times. It drove her mad. I wasn't rude to her, I simply said I didn't appreciate being recruited to rob my customers...

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If you’re only decent when threatened… Sep 8, 2018

Then you aren't really decent at all! I can get along with others without going to war. Even when I don't agree with them. In the absence of government, I'll not change into a monster. And I believe I have a good chance of fending off those rare pathetic losers who do. I'm not that different from others, am I? So why does everyone seem to always assume war, murder, and aggression are the default if there's not someone acting as a Big Parent to make them behave? I think it tells a lot about a person if they believe that without a big...

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Why all the socialism? Sep 7, 2018

If it seems I've been talking too much about socialism lately, there's a reason. I've been listening to someone who deeply believes in government. Believes it has the best interest of the people at heart. Believes it has a place in society. Believes it is necessary and usually good, even if it sometimes messes up. It's painful for me. The mental gymnastics it takes to believe such nonsense staggers my mind. It's disappointing because I usually enjoy listening to Scott Adams, but his recent socialism kick is extremely misguided and dishonest. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it, just like...

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The truth is too harsh for some to handle Sep 6, 2018

  I have come to see that the truth is unwelcome. Anymore it's "wrong" to call self-avowed socialists socialists. It's not "helpful" to call them something they are proud of being. And their actions and preferences which confirm the label don't matter either. All they are advocating is "sharing"... right? Who could object to that? It's "wrong" to call clear and obvious theft theft. As long as the thief calls it "taxation", a "fine", "eminent domain", "asset forfeiture" or some other made-up name, calling it "theft" is just being mean to those who support the thieves and their acts of theft. How else...

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Enough problems without government Sep 5, 2018

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 5, 2018) If you build a house in certain neighborhoods in Hawaii, you run the risk of having your house swallowed by lava. Along most coasts, hurricanes and tsunamis are looming dangers. In mountains, avalanches and landslides are seasonal threats. If you choose to build in Moore, Oklahoma, remember that tornadoes seem to enjoy the local scenery, and build below ground. Pick your spot, then deal with the risks which come with it. Unfortunately, no matter where you choose to live on this planet, political government-- imposed on you by a ruling...

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Voluntary or barbaric? Sep 4, 2018

  There are some terribly confused people out there. I've been hearing some ideas expressed lately that show just how bad this confusion is. Here are some hints that could clear it up, if they'd listen: If it's voluntary, it's not taxation. It's giving. If it's voluntary, it's not socialism. It's sharing. If it's voluntary, it's not political government (the State). It's cooperation. Taxation, socialism, and political government are not voluntary but are barbaric offenses against humanity. You can't hide this truth by calling the coercive act by the voluntary act's name. Why does this seem so hard for government supremacists to understand?...

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XII Sep 3, 2018

This blog is 12 years old today. Twelve years! I can't even believe it. There is a term I've seen repeatedly used to describe this blog: "under-appreciated". Occasionally I've seen the phrase "undervalued" used instead. It's nice to hear, but I'm not sure it is true. How can something be under-appreciated? Either it has value and people know it and appreciate it, or it doesn't. I'm not even sure how you could measure such a thing. It is a nice sentiment, though. And I take it to mean I'm producing content (what a pretentious word!) that people believe is worth more than the...

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“What if?” Sep 2, 2018

It shouldn't surprise me, but it does, how many people want to rob and enslave others based on "what if?". Yet, that's what I see every day. They believe in the DMV's "job" because, otherwise, "what if" someone doesn't know how to drive? Or steals a car? Or doesn't have insurance? Gotta love those cops, because without them, "what if" some freelance bad guy steals a fraction of what is stolen to support the State? "What if" you tried to use your property in a way the town council decided you can't be allowed to? Or "what if" someone (who isn't a...

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Ignorance of “the law” Sep 1, 2018

What's one of the most ignorant things a statist can say? "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." That's just about the dumbest thing that can ever come out of someone's piehole. It's completely wrong. It has zero truth. It has no merit whatsoever. It is a lie told to justify molestation. Not only that, but police are always enforcing "laws" which only exist in their own minds. If that's not "ignorance of the law", then what is? And they seem to always get away with it, so it must be a very good excuse-- at least for the Blue Line Gang. Instead, making up a...

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Disasterama Aug 31, 2018

Why are socialism and other horrible, destructive ideas so popular? Much of the national news media, social media elites, and "entertainment" figures seem to want socialism and other manmade disasters because of the drama they create. Lots of people love drama. It's not boring. It can make them feel important. A nice day with good weather and no major attacks by evil losers? Boring. Who will listen to your belittling sermon about what they should give up if there's nothing to be worked up and scared about? Hypertornadoes and a volcanic eruption causing "civil unrest" with riots, looting, and killing? "Tune...

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Be the weed Aug 30, 2018

We've had an unusual amount of rain this summer. Where I had sand dunes starting to form a few years ago, I now have a lush growth of various weeds*. And some grass, but mostly weeds. One weed in particular, amaranth, is driving me crazy. Yes, I know its leaves and seeds are edible and nutritious, but just like I wouldn't want every square inch of my yard covered with pumpkins or parsley I'm overwhelmed with amaranth to the point of near-hatred. Two kinds (maybe more) grow here. One is soft and doesn't hurt when I try to pull it up,...

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