My Call for Non-Voting at iReport.com

CNN recently created a website, iReport.com, where users can submit their own stories and media, and sometimes CNN puts those stories on its main newsite or TV channel. It's kinda fun, and I've been lurking on it as of late.

Today, CNN asked iReport users who are "undecided" about the election to sate why they are undecided. I decided to take the opportunity to submit a small essay about why I have decided to not vote at all. You can find my entry here. The text of my entry is reproduced below.

In a way you could consider me undecided in the sense that I decided not to vote for anyone. I will not go to the polls, and I will not vote, and I encourage others to do the same.

Why?

Because I realized that, regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) of the candidates, it is immoral to force your choice onto another. Democracy is a tyranny of the majority. If 51% of the country wants candidate A, should the other 49% be forced to accept it? Why cant the other 49% have what they want to?

The government recognizes that monopolies are bad, except of course when it comes to itself. But monopolies are bad, regardless of what form they are in. And presidents that are forced upon 100% of the people through a simple majority vote are also monopolies, and are also bad.

How arrogant and brutal is it for me to vote and believe that I have the right to force my choices onto you? Is it civil or is it oppressive for me to try to force a choice of leader onto you, your family, everyone? I would feel bad if I were to use such aggression on another, and I certainly feel bad when others do it to me.

And finally, although my argument holds true regardless of the quality of the candidates, I feel that the choices this time around are absolutely abysmal. It reminds me of the South Park episode where they have to choose between voting for a feminine hygiene product or a piece of excrement. I am pulling a Brewster and choosing "none of the above." Actually, I'm choosing "none." Period.

So don't vote! The lower turnout, the better! Don't try to force your values onto other people, and don't let others force their values onto you! That's freedom.

Police Raid Wrong House, Shoot at Family, Receive Medals

Standard Operating Procedure:

First, the city apologized. Then it gave awards.

Eight Minneapolis officers received medals in City Hall Monday for their valor in a botched raid that the city apologized for last year. That isn’t sitting well with the family shot at multiple times by the officers.

“I’m shocked that they’re receiving awards for that night,” said Yee Moua. “My family is a mess right now. My [9-year-old] son, who saw the shooting, still has nightmares and has needed therapy. They’ve ruined a life, and I don’t understand why they would get rewarded for that.”

The awards stemmed from a high-risk search in December. The eight officers — who had SWAT training — entered the house expecting to find a violent gang member. Instead, they found Vang Khang, a 35-year-old homeowner who thought he was being robbed. Khang shot through his bedroom door at the officers until he understood who they were.

In the midst of the shootout were Moua, who is Khang’s wife, and their six children, who range in age from 3 to 15. Moua said her family has since abandoned the house and can no longer afford to keep it.

Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer said Tuesday the department has acknowledged the raid was a mistake and has apologized to the family. But he said the officers “performed very bravely under gunfire and made smart decisions.”

They certainly did make smart decisions! Primarily, they decided to join the biggest, baddest gang in town: The police force. They are being rewarded handsomely for their gang loyalty. But that's how it always goes. When you work for the biggest criminal organization in town, you get to be the most adorned hotshot in town.

It's warmer than you think under the dragon's wing.

Change We Can Believe In

The Revolutionary Jones Soda Company

I have a confession: I love Ron Paul. Now don't get me wrong, I'm still a die-hard Market Anarchist, and I still refuse to vote on principle, not even for Ron Paul. But I do think his message is important (he quoted Lysander Spooner on national television for Christ's sake), and back in 2007 I donated $100 to his campaign.

Anyway, about a week ago I discovered that Jones Soda Company was selling Ron Paul Revolution Cola. I promptly bought a six pack, and it arrived today!



I only got 6 bottles, and I can't decide if I should drink one of them or keep all six unopened. What do you think?

New York's Finest Fascists

This video is a bit long (12 minutes), but very worthwhile. Especially the last couple minutes when the crowd starts chanting against the pigs.



Fuck the NYPD and all the other gangs and organized criminal organizations. The NYPD is the worst of them.

What do you do when there are no protection services available to you, and you are not allowed to protect yourself either, and the NYPD has a green light to run around terrorizing the streets under the guise of protecting people?

You revolt.

America = God

I was just over at Arthur Silber's blog, Once Upon a Time, when I came across his essay, Songs of Death. What a brilliant fucking essay.

There is a particular portion of that essay that I want to quote here, as it reminds me of why I consider Statism to be just another kind of Theism (and one of the reasons that I reject both):

But there is nothing remotely humble about any of this at any point, just as there is nothing humble about the prevailing views of the foreign policy establishment. People who hold these beliefs have not one God, but two: a God in Heaven, and a God on Earth. Their God on Earth is America: it is all-powerful and should be so, it is all-knowing, its beneficence alone makes progress and civilization possible, for which mankind should be properly grateful -- and its wrath is terrible. They will construct the world in their own image, and nothing and no one will be permitted to oppose them.

The governing class, including the foreign policy establishment, have been convinced of the truth and rightness of this view for over 60 years. This view led us into Korea, into Vietnam, into Latin America, into the interventions of the 1990s, into Afghanistan, into numerous other interventions, and into Iraq. Hillary Clinton believes it, so does Obama, so does Bush. With only one or two exceptions, every national politician believes it.

America is God. God's Will be done.

Perfectly written. Perfectly.

The Bush Disaster

I love The Onion.


Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Happy Imperialism Day!

Francois Tremblay celebrates the 4th of July.