The Political Thread

[The Legendary Shark]

You're welcome. Gotta' say I'm not an atheist. I think there is a God - and its name is Universe.

[Theblazeuk]

[The Legendary Shark]

So, I've been thinking about this and, while I still think belief in government is an irrational superstition the only thing that really needs changing is its imagined right to initiate violence against the people.
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Do that and you can still have all the organisational mechanisms of government - your Department of Health, DVLA, DWP and what have you - but it won't have the right to demand anything of anybody under threat of violence any more.

[Modern Panther]

Sharky, you magnificent swine...

I certainly didn't mean to imply that I understand or have a hold on how the world works (but you know that).  I don't think anyone does.  I do think, though, that you have a very positive view of the human race at large.  It's always seemed to be your belief that, one day, we shall overcome the things that divide us and just all get along.

I genuinely hope that that is true, but I work everyday for an organization that seeks to protect vulnerable people from those who would steal from them - often their "friends" and families, so no, I don't believe that most people will just co-operate.

We're all just trying to get by.  My attempts to turn your logic (seriously, "volcano God"?) back at you may have been overly harsh, for which I sincerely apologise.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Apologies?  Changing opinions?  The internet seems to be broken.

[Modern Panther]

Now that I think about it, I haven't seen a loveable kitten all day...

[TordelBack]

You both disgust me.

[Old Tankie]

It won't last!!!

[Zarjazzer]

The hate will soon return. It will rain down on you, yes -YOU as thick as ski pants!

Um...

I think I'll change my name back to Zarjazzer. So I can have a selfish thread devoted to myself where I announce " did you miss me" like they used to in old forums. And invariably no one had missed me and hoped that I'd died of some tropical disease.

[The Legendary Shark]

There's no need to apologise, Panther, I generally deserve all the criticism I get for my blunt style of argument. That said, I do appreciate it - it kinda' validates my belief in basic humanity when people like us can froth and foam and argue at one another then retain a basic mutual respect at the end of it.
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The work you do also validates my faith in humanity - you're actually helping people and I imagine that such work takes its toll, yet you do it anyway. It's not surprising that such work makes you doubt humanity's capacity to ever just get along. But we already do get along, largely.
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Take the roads as an example; millions of people drive every day and do so with relatively few problems. As a further example of how people tend to get along even better with fewer arbitrary rules, check out equalitystreets.com where they campaign for the removal of most traffic lights. It's a counter-intuitive idea but experiments have proven that removing traffic lights actually improves safety, reduces congestion and makes road users more cooperative and considerate. This idea is a microcosm of the kind of changes I'd like to see across wider society.
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The question of dealing with crime in an anarchist society is a thorny one. When it comes to serious crimes such as murder or rape it's pretty straightforward. While nobody has the right to initiate violence against another person, we all have the right to defend ourselves with violence should the necessity arise. As this right is mine, I can pass it on to my neighbour and defend him with violence if need be. So in the case of murder or rape, society as a whole can delegate its right of defensive violence (which doesn't just mean punching someone but as little as issuing a threat or physical restraint) to a police and/or court and penal service.
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It is lesser crimes where the problem lies. How does one deter people from speeding, hate speech or shoplifting, for example? I honestly don't have much of an answer to this beyond education and social attitudes.
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But all this is meaningless in the here and now. The most important thing is to take the first step of changing our mindset. We must realise, as a matter of some urgency, that the power "government" holds over us exists in one place and one place alone - our own minds. It is our own personal belief that government has the right to make demands of us, demands backed up by nothing but violence and the threat of violence, that must be dispelled. After that, anything is possible.
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The Tiny Dot (Video, 6:49)

[paddykafka]

The burden of Youth is Idealism. The burden of Middle-Age is Reality.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

The burden of Youth is Idealism. The burden of Middle-Age is Reality.

You are Yoda paddykafka!

[The Legendary Shark]

The burdens of my youth and middle-age transpire to be identical: not enough minge.

[Tiplodocus]

The burdens of my youth and middle-age transpire to be identical: not enugh minge.

Pleease Shark. As we often point out to others, there are polite ways to express such woes that don't reduce our splendid female counterparts.

[The Legendary Shark]

I like to think I'm a modern man possessed of a modest intelligence but with my last post I really have let myself down. I unreservedly apologise for spelling the word 'enough' incorrectly. I'm so ashamed :-(
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P.S. The joke was in the choice of words, not the sentiment.