[Hear an in-depth discussion on this article and its topics in this episode of The Enragés] It may seem strange for an economist to write about abolition. After all, economists focus on choices at the margin. Even when we talk about violent crimes or pollution, we argue that the optimal quantity of these “bads” is…

[Hear an in-depth discussion on this article and its topics in this episode of The Enragés] As more people in the US get vaccinated against Covid-19 and infection rates continue to drop, many are thinking about what comes next. Is it “back to normal”? Is there now a “new normal”? Perhaps those of us who…

The Difference between Libertarianism and Psychopathic Dumbfuckery Rand Paul is in the news again for trying to blame the United States government, and Dr. Anthony Fauci in particular, for creating the COVID-19 pandemic. He and a few other mouthpieces have insisted, without evidence, that funding authorized by Fauci directly contributed to “gain-of-function” research in Wuhan…

[Hear an in-depth discussion on this article and its topics in this episode of The Enragés] The value of a human life is intrinsically linked to the need for autonomy and an existence with decency, self-respect, and liberties. These pillars are very important to social survival and collective growth. As human life prospers in a…

A No-Government Doctrine for the 21st Century Almost everyone today accepts at least one utopian idea: that slavery is so morally unacceptable that the practice must be stomped out wherever found, and any institution that depends upon it must immediately crumble. It’s probably even an understatement to just say people accept that idea. It’s the…

In Ohio prisons, pretty much everyone is in a gang whether they’re in a gang or not. If you’re an Ohio prisoner and you’re not in a gang, prison administrators will put you in one. And if there’s no gang for you, they’ll just create a new one. The reason is, it’s a federal bloc…

[This article was originally published on February 19, 2021 at Black Fire Notes] Capitalism as Religion and The Myth of Capitalist Nature A brief inquiry into the diagnosis provided by Walter Benjamin. “A religion may be discerned in capitalism – that is to say, capitalism serves essentially to allay the same anxieties, torments, and disturbances…

First, most producers are employees of firms, not owners. Viewed from the vantage point of classical theory, they have no reason to maximize the profits of firms, except to the extent that they can be controlled by owners. Moreover, profit-making firms, nonprofit organizations, and bureaucratic organizations all have exactly the same problem of inducing their…

Since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a number of protesters and rioters of the dumpster-fire and ski-mask variety have found themselves detained for noble acts that change the world– like toppling statues of racists or torching cop cars or inflicting necessary violence. No good deed, it seems, goes unpunished. But, many of these…

Two days after the American far right’s failed fascist coup on January 6th, 2021 that left five people dead in Washington, DC, Twitter (finally) permanently banned the would-be dictator responsible for inciting the mob from their platform. Shortly thereafter, the social media network most closely affiliated with the racist reactionaries, Parler, was kicked off its…

A victory over fascism deserves celebration. The fascists lost their hold on the most powerful political office. Their leader is disgraced and isolated. They are turning on each other. They played their hand with a coup attempt – and they failed to do much besides exposing themselves and supercharging their opposition. Despite years of psychological…

[Hear an in-depth discussion on this article and its topics in this episode of The Enragés] Thomas Malthus, in his infamous work An Essay on the Principle of Population, takes several sections to critique the ideas of arguably the first modern anarchist thinker William Godwin. In one, Malthus writes, The great error under which [Mr.]…

Last week, Trump supporters — in part at the president’s urging — stormed the US capitol building, forcing Mike Pence and congress to evacuate. Others placed multiple IEDs (specifically pipe bombs) in the building. The storming and violent standoff ended in police using tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd, and apparently shooting…

North and South Korea don’t have much in common today, after decades spent in very different political and economic systems. However, there is one thing both sides of the DMZ have inherited: the concept of minjok, a word that translates as “people” but can refer, more broadly, to both the Korean nation and the Korean…

I. Centralized Bargaining, Card Checking, and an Alternative  Is there a way to make joining a union easier for employees? And in the process of making it easier for employees to join a union, is there a way to maximize a person’s freedom to associate (or not associate) without weakening the support structures that workers…

[Hear an in-depth discussion on this article and its topics in this and this episode of The Enragés] Mastering most things humans do requires lifetimes of practice. Woodworking, gardening, and painting are just a few crafts whose histories stretch back thousands of years. But modern telecommunication, the act of communicating nearly instantaneously with someone from afar,…

Last week, Thomas “Tommy” Raskin died at the age of 25. Tommy was the son of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), whose office announced his death on Thursday, December 31st. Tommy was an anti-war activist, a vegan, a writer, and a student at Harvard Law School. As his family said in a statement, “Tommy was pure…

UPDATE 12/18/2020 — Hey everyone, thanks again for all the support and well wishes! I spoke with Logan on Monday (look out for an episode of her Green Market Agorist podcast with that conversation soon). She’s in high spirits despite facing so much and we’re all ready to fight this for as long as it takes. With the…

Bet honest unhinged beats unhinged surveyed programmed disingenuous Disinformation here’s me disinforming me seven syllables unhinged from rhythm but I can count good. Kayfabe (you knew I’d say that) say the truth out loud though it goes against our faith (I’m talking to me) code-tapping on pipes insider wink, sacrifice negotiated unhinged from promise but…

Trying so fucking hard to be good but soon maybe you will see  the only thing that i am good at is fucking things up again and again and again at least you can depend on me for that right? you think that it is so sad when i am alone but when i am…