Feature Articles
When Concerns Of Cultural Appropriation Risk Supporting Intellectual Property
The latest entry in panics over social justice comes from my hometown, where some folks have created a list shaming restaurants and foodcarts that were owned by white people but sold “non-European international cuisine.” One of the more annoying restaurants on that list has now closed as a result of hate mail.
Combating Hate: A Radical Leftist Guide to Gun Control (Part 5)
The subject of police — by far one of the biggest issues related to gun violence — is not tackled by modern gun control legislation. We can attempt to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals all we want. But until the state stops providing some of these criminals with special uniforms and weaponry to use against us with little to no consequence, and then puts them in charge of enforcing the state’s (or even their own) will, we will be no closer to solving the problem.
Egoist Agorism
Egoism has a long history among illegalist anarchists. These illegalists rejected the moralistic ideals of their comrades, who argued that seizing the property of the capitalist class was an act of reclamation: one that was justified by the unjust nature of the present property system. But the illegalists found this justification unnecessary.
If You Call It “School Choice,” You’ll Go to Hell
Right-libertarian shills for school charterization like to use the euphemism “school choice,” which is about as misleading as referring to proprietary walled garden platforms like Uber as the “sharing economy.” The charter school movement’s inroads occur, almost without exception, in places where choice has been suppressed by the state. The Charter Mafia hates choice.
What’s Wrong with Abolishing Circus Animal Shows?
At first glance, H.R. 1759 — the “Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA)” — seems like a big victory for animals. TEAPSPA actually seeks to abolish an entire cross-section of animal exploitation. One that is as old as mankind: circus animals. Many parts of the world are already aware that circus animals endure great suffering…
The Paradox of the Political Right’s Opposition to Abortion
Generally, people on the ‘right’ of the political spectrum are more vocally against abortion. If they do agree with it, it’s usually only in some limited capacity (such as when an unplanned pregnancy is the result of rape or incest). On the other hand, the political left tends to be far more vocally supportive.
A UBI Can Create Economic Freedom And Social Justice
Given increasingly prominent calls for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), it is worth considering the extent to which such proposals accord with the principles of freedom and justice. UBI divides opinions and elicits controversy from across the political spectrum because it seems to be both idealistic and fatally flawed.
It’s Time For “Mad Anarchism”
For many people, mental illness is a terrifying Other to be shamed and attacked. The mentally ill are to blame for mass shootings. Authoritarian leaders are only authoritarian because they are mentally ill. Mental healthcare means locking people up or medicating them until they act “normal.” But this stigma is largely unearned. Mentally ill people are more…
Combating Hate: A Radical Leftist Guide to Gun Control (Part 4)
This is the fourth part in a series. Be sure to check out parts 1, 2, 3 and 5. Advocates of gun ownership for marginalized people must talk about one of the biggest threats faced by such groups: hate crimes. Oftentimes, the media confuses this kind of bigotry with mental illness: but bigotry is not a mental illness at…
How Compulsory Education Encourages Bullying and Suicide
Whether it be in school or adulthood, bullying and suicide remain tragic facts of life. However, one aspect of the discussion around these issues is often glossed over; compulsory education can exacerbate suicide risk and make children more inclined to be both bullies and the victims of bullying. This increased risk of bullying can also amplify the…
Debunking the White Ethno-State
The classic alt-right, neo-nazi, and national anarchist line is that social trust is higher in countries with higher degrees of ethnic homogeneity. They go on to claim that where there is higher trust, there is less crime and corruption, which leads to a higher standard of living. In order to defend this argument, they often…
59 Missiles Launched at Syria – How Did the U.S. Get Here?
On the night of April 6th 2017, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria. This was an attempt at retaliation and deterrence after Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical weapons attack against the Syrian people. Acts of war in the Middle East (and elsewhere) by the United States under the pretense…
Copyright Law Sucks – Authors Can Be Compensated Without It!
Intellectual property ‘rights’ trace their origins back to copyright in literature, from which they have since expanded. With this in mind, it is fruitful to examine how authors can be compensated in the absence of copyright. Essentially, proponents of copyright in literature argue that they see no other way of compensating authors for their work. Indeed, many…
Combating Hate: A Radical Leftist Guide to Gun Control (Part 3)
This is the third part in a series. Be sure to check out parts 1, 2, 4 and 5. Poverty, Homelessness, and Unemployment Many gun-related crimes involve some form of theft. The root causes of theft usually have less to do with the thief wishing harm on anyone and more to do with financial desperation. Addressing issues of…
The Failures of Fight for $15
“The Fight for $15 started with just a few hundred fast food workers in New York City, striking for $15 an hour and union rights. Today, [they]’re an international movement in over 300 cities on six continents of fast-food workers, home health aides, child care teachers, airport workers, adjunct professors, retail employees – and underpaid…
Time to Put the NAP to Rest?
The non-aggression principle is an ethical stance which asserts that “aggression” is inherently illegitimate. “Aggression,” for the purposes of NAP, is defined as initiating or threatening the use of any and all forcible interference with an individual or individual’s property. The NAP is considered to be the defining axiom of the modern libertarian movement. However,…
To Vote or Not to Vote
A thirteen-year old student recently told me that his parents weren’t speaking with his uncle because the uncle had voted for Trump. It’s not an unusual scenario. The choice of presidential candidate may just be the most culturally contentious decision that Americans make. It causes fights, break ups, public scenes, and (of course) Facebook blocks….
Basic Income as a System of Control
“Basic income – in both the north and the south – all depends on how we frame it. Will it be cast as a form of charity by the rich? Or will it be cast as a right for all?”[1] The above remark encapsulates the promise and the potential perils of a universal basic income (UBI): a…
In Defense of Extreme Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is under assault from across the political spectrum, both in the United States and abroad. Just yesterday President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, alt-right leader and self-described economic nationalist Steve Bannon, told the Conservative Political Action Conference that “the center core of what we believe [is] that we’re a nation with an economy, not an…
Fully Automated Luxury Individualist Anarchism
Revolutionary Luxury, Bureaucratic Administration Any politics that seeks an encompassing notion of liberation and freedom must, first and foremost, be oriented towards the future, and must pursue this horizon through goal-oriented actions. This effectively sets up a feedback system, linking together the shifting and modular futurity that is assembled by those who desire it with…
Anarchy and Democracy
Fighting Fascism
Markets Not Capitalism
The Anatomy of Escape
Organization Theory