Collectivism, Libertarianism, and Global Warming

I've called myself a libertarian since 1976, but my libertarianism has always had a contrary streak. As a Marine brat and former Marine, I also have a sense of duty to my fellow citizens and to the nation. I accept that sometimes we need a few rules, that sometimes we need to pitch in and work together.

For example, I have no problem with the idea of traffic rules. Generally speaking, traffic rules represent a mutual agreement we accept so that we don't smash our cars into each other as often. That doesn't mean that every single traffic rule makes sense, but the general idea represents the kind of minor liberty infringement I can handle.

Likewise, I'll follow orders sometimes. If paramedics are trying to get someone out of a wrecked car, and they've blocked the road to give them room to work, I'm not going to paint my face blue, shout "Freedom!" and run the blockade. I'll accept a minor, temporary infringement of my liberty to deal with an emergency.

The rest of the time, I'm going to do what I want, and you need to stay out of my way. To me, that's the difference between a libertarian and an anarchist or a criminal. A libertarian doesn't completely oppose rules and the mechanisms needed to enforce them. He opposes rules that infringe on our liberty with no real justification. He understands the difference between collective action by a group of people and genuine socialism. He wants to maximize individual liberty within a civilized framework.

So how does this libertarian feel about global warming? It comes down to judging the evidence and the proposed solutions based on reason, historical lessons, and the best available evidence. Is there enough evidence to justify collective action?

My Presidential Campaign

Okay, I can't really run for president next year, because I have a lot of stuff to do, but if I was going to run, here's what I'd run on.

Military Strategy
I'd end America's habit of running long, low-grade wars like we did in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If we need to use military force, we'd go in, break things, kill people, and then get the hell out. This would be cheaper and more effective in the long run, because our constant presence in someone's country wouldn't be a destabilizing influence. It would be better for our soldiers, who would remain rested, ready, and motivated by knowing that they'll be given clear, discrete objectives, and they'll come home as soon as they're done. 

Foreign Policy
This is tricky, because I don't know everything I'd need to know to come up with a good foreign policy. In fact, I hardly know anything. In general terms, I'd work to maintain and even improve our relationships with our allies. I'd keep the option for dialogue with our enemies open. Most of all, I'd worry less about what's going on in other countries and instead focus on making America better.

Why I'm Not a White Supremacist

A few years ago I got into genealogy.

I'm not urging you to do so. Genealogy is like a lot of hobbies. It's expensive and time-consuming, and you end up being a boring twit to anyone who doesn't share the hobby. But I went there, and this essay is about two things I learned.

My father's line was hard to track further back then the 20th century. Apart from a few census records and even fewer Civil War records, they didn't leave many traces.

My mother's line was different. These people began as Tennessee hillbillies back in the early 1800s and then moved west and became Arkansas hillbillies in the mid-1800s. They tended to stay in one place for several generations, and they left a lot more information.

They left a mystery too. It was an article of faith on that side of the family that we had an Indian ancestor, although nobody could ever tell me what tribe this ancestor came from. It wasn't just a story. Every generation in that side of the family had its share of dark-haired, dark-skinned children who didn't look like the typical northern European stock that made up the bulk of the family. There was some non-Caucasian blood in that line.

Feelings-based Conservatism

DEA agent pulling weeds. Image courtesy the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

I'm still pissed off about Texas and the state's continuing marijuana prohibition. I can go to a local store and buy pounds of tobacco, gallons of liquor, and all the pharmaceuticals I can convince a doctor to prescribe, but if I want a bit of the forbidden flower, I have to sneak around and worry about incarceration and asset forfeiture.

That's an example of how conservatism can lead to stupid results. Marijuana prohibition started in this country about 100 years ago. At the time, that was a progressive action, because it was a change in the way we manage society. Like a lot of changes, marijuana prohibition was eventually adopted as a conservative position, despite the fact that it caused the kind of unintended consequences a conservative should be wary of.

And that's the state of affairs in Texas today. Lots of old, white men who see nothing wrong with filling your lungs with tobacco smoke or drinking yourself blind still oppose weed because to them it "feels" like the conservative thing to do.

Feelings-based Conservatism

DEA agent pulling weeds. Image courtesy the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

I'm still pissed off about Texas and the state's continuing marijuana prohibition. I can go to a local store and buy pounds of tobacco, gallons of liquor, and all the pharmaceuticals I can convince a doctor to prescribe, but if I want a bit of the forbidden flower, I have to sneak around and worry about incarceration and asset forfeiture.

That's an example of how conservatism can lead to stupid results. Marijuana prohibition started in this country about 100 years ago. At the time, that was a progressive action, because it was a change in the way we manage society. Like a lot of changes, marijuana prohibition was eventually adopted as a conservative position, despite the fact that it caused the kind of unintended consequences a conservative should be wary of.

And that's the state of affairs in Texas today. Lots of old, white men who see nothing wrong with filling your lungs with tobacco smoke or drinking yourself blind still oppose weed because to them it "feels" like the conservative thing to do.

The Glory of the Story

Stories are for fun. We love to laugh or be scared or to weep as we hear about the adventures of real or imagined people.

But story telling is not just for fun. It's educational. Stories can teach us many things. The story of King Midas teaches us the dangers of greed. The story of Ripley teaches us not to mess with alien eggs. The story of Frodo teaches us to be wary of great power and to never trust an orc.

It's possible that story telling played a big part in the development of our species. Stories can pass on practical lessons, like how to kill a mastodon or escape from a bear. The accumulation of stories over time creates a growing body of knowledge that gives each new generation an advantage over the previous one.

Another thing that stories teach us is that we're not alone. They teach us that others have suffered the same pains. That's why love songs are so popular. They tell the story of soaring hearts or broken hearts, and we enjoy them because we've been there. Those songs are about us.

Sometimes a story will offer hints on how to deal with those pains, but sometimes the knowledge that we're not unique is the real value.

Why I Oppose the Gun Control Lobby

M-16 Diagram by the US Army, via Wikimedia Commons

If you want to convince me to agree with you, it's easy to do. Give me a rational, evidence-based argument that makes sense. That's how scientists convinced me that anthropogenic global warming is a threat. They had good evidence and sound arguments. The people who dispute the reality of AGW, the Republican/Tea Party, had nothing to support their dispute except conspiracy theories and cherry-picked factoids. Science won that argument.

When it comes to the gun control lobby, I've almost never heard them make a rational case for any of their proposals. Their arguments consist of appeals to horror and the automatic labeling of everything they propose as "common sense". That's not a convincing case for me, and it shouldn't be for you.

Policy Wars: Citizen versus Corporation

Image details. "Business man offering hand shake" by Johnny Magnusson, via http://www.freestockphotos.biz/

 I've had some  battles in recent years with businesses who seem to think that being an incorporated entity gives them authority over an American citizen. One of the most infuriating cases involved dealing with an insurance company who decided that they would calculate the value of my vehicle and the cost of repairs with no input from me. During a phone conversation with one of their employees, I told them I didn't accept their terms. The employee laughed and said, "You have no choice."

A trip to small claims court proved that I _did_ have a choice.

Thoughts on Moving

Moving day. Image from National Archives and Records Administration

I've never been unpacked.

I grew up in a Marine Corps family, which is one of those family situations that leads to constant moving. It seems like we moved once a year when I was young. Later we began settling down for a few years at a time, but we never completely unpacked. I was in junior high school before I learned that not all furniture has moving stickers on it.

I'm moving again. It's always a hassle, but it's exciting too. Moving to a new place gives you a chance to look at all the junk you've accumulated. Some of it has memories. Some of it is just junk. How did I end up with so much junk?

Moving's a good time to look at habits. Maybe it's a chance to break some bad ones, or at least think about breaking them. Maybe it's a time to form some new habits.

A Babbling Goodbye to Molly

Molly the dog.

Molly died.

I kept her home for her last few days. The last thing she did was to go outside to pee about three in the morning, after that recent lunar eclipse that had so many people enchanted. She'd quit eating and almost quit drinking in those last days, so she was very weak, but she took her business outside. After she finished, she began walking aimlessly for a few seconds, then she went down. Not all the way, just down in a sphinx position with her nose almost touching the ground.

I figured it was time, because of the way she collapsed, but I still kept hoping. If she would just eat something, if she would just get some strength back, maybe she could get over this.