I Do Not Give a Damn What Other People Think; This an Indication of Respect

 

I Do Not Give a Damn What Other People Think; This an Indication of Respect

By Gary D. Barnett

May 21, 2022

 

 

“I don’t give a damn what other people think. It’s entirely their own business. I’m not writing for other people.”

~ Harold Pinter, Mel Gussow (1996). “Conversations with Pinter”, p.20, Grove Press

Now that we understand one another, it is time to clear the air on a few matters. If my comments here seem disagreeable, or offend in any way, just remember, I don’t give a damn. I do not mean this disrespectfully, it is just that your thoughts are yours, and mine are mine. I have no time to waste worrying about what other’s think about me, what I believe, what I know, or what I write. If I were to spend my days wringing my hands over such nonsense, my entire life would consist only of worry over things of which I have no power to change; not that I would anyway. It is not that I do not have curiosity, compassion, or even agreement with some of the thoughts and ideas of others you see, it is simply that it makes no difference what you or I think about each other’s opinions, only that we are honest with ourselves. With that said, I will outline some of my positions so that there is no misunderstanding and no doubt as to where I stand.

First, I am an anarchist, pure and simple, which means I am not conservative or “liberal,” (a misused word) not right or left, Republican or Democrat, or Libertarian for that matter. For those unable to comprehend proper language, or who are not willing to do the five minutes of research necessary to understand the real meaning of words, I will explain. Anarchy, from the Greek, French, and Latin roots of our language, means in essence, “without rulers or without rule,” nothing more. In other words, it means no belief in government, or any one or any group ruling over another. It does not mean total chaos, rioting, property destruction, violence, lawlessness, or any other such bastardized meanings falsely attributed by political propagandists and accepted by the ignorant populations of today.

Because of this, I also believe in total non-aggression, or no use of force against another without legitimate cause. Cause does not mean the state warring against its own or other countries, it means in actual defense of self and family in the presence of active or physical threat, or intent to cause harm to person or property, or infringement on liberty. Self defense has no limits in my opinion, other than once the threat is squelched; all force must cease. Some, like the great Murray Rothbard, understood in realty the idea of “non-aggression,” but many take the term too literally and simplistically, usually in an effort to destroy the very essence of the axiom. They desire to search for alternative methods and exceptions in order to destroy the very natural idea of non-aggression. This is a gross contradiction. All boils down to the individual, not the ridiculous collective ‘common good,’ and that is why those who disagree with non-aggression are always politically motivated.

It stands to reason then, that I abhor war; all war. War is brutal and murderous aggression by nation-states. Considering this country called the ‘United’ States of America, it has always initiated and participated in aggression and war; at least 94% of its existence. It matters not which war is considered, whether the heinous war against American Indians, the war of Northern aggression called the ‘Civil’ War, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Middle Eastern War or so-called war on (of) terror, or any other war or conflict purposely manufactured and prosecuted by the ruling classes. War is simply a tool used by the state to acquire money and property by theft, to advance geo-political agendas, to gain power and control over not only the pretended ‘enemy,’ but in most cases to gain power over its own people, to extinguish freedom of the individual, and to eliminate populations. There is no such thing as a good war.

This means that the enforcement arms of government, whether state or federal police, the state and federal courts, the entirety of the military, the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the IRS, and any and all other bureaucracies built and sustained by government enforcement services, are generally speaking, atrocious by nature. They are simply the lieutenants and henchmen of the political and criminal mafia that is the U.S. government. Their mission is not one of justice, protection, mercy, or compassion, it is one of brute force meant to operate on orders given by the ruling class. As a whole, they are very corrupt, dangerous, and in most cases evil. The very idea that individual responsibility and liability for heinous acts perpetrated by those accepting orders from above is absent or not evident, is anathema to any moral or ethical society.

In view of what I have previously stated, it is important I believe to discuss my views on the U.S. Constitution. Immediately, it should be evident that any piece of paper (Parchment) drafted by politicians and being called “the law of the land,” should first be vehemently distrusted before being heavily scrutinized. Considering this particular document, one revered by most, and even held sacred by many as guided by God, it is necessary for a little background. ‘Our’ initial constitution, which was anything but perfect, were “The Articles of Confederation.” These articles allowed for no president, for no power for the federal government to tax any state or citizen directly, no federal control of commerce, no total power over money, as the states retained most powers, with Congress being simply the final arbiter. On paper at least, these Articles did actually restrict the national (federal) government. The current Constitution however, destroyed completely that premise, as all restrictions on federal power disappeared with the new constitution.

As I stated on many occasions:

“Can anyone even imagine today a few politicians on their own and in secret, Democrats or Republicans, or any combination of the two, overhauling the government, creating a new set of rules replacing the current government, and drafting those rules by secret ballot?”

“Politicians, legal scholars, professors, academics, and any number of others are fond of claiming that the U.S. Constitution severely limits government, and protects the individual from tyranny. They claim that all federal powers are explicitly limited due to the written ‘restrictions’ contained in that “founding” document. This is simply not true.  Where are these so-called restrictions? There are none as far as I see in Article 1, Section 8, and this is the one article that outlines all the powers of Congress.  

“There Are No Such things as Constitutional Rights”

“Some have forgotten, and most have no understanding of the history of the Constitutional Convention. This was a coup completed by Hamilton and his followers to create a strong central governing system, where most all power was given to a federal or national government instead of to the individual and the states. Those attending the convention had claimed their task as only to alter and improve the Articles of Confederation, not to scrap the current Constitution of the United States. But there was never any intention of improving upon the current “law of the land,” but only to set up a new federal state with unlimited power. Keep in mind that the Articles of Confederation did not allow for a president, did not allow the federal government any power whatsoever to tax, so it was extremely restrictive of any executive or federal power whatsoever.”

So as to religion, politics, social issues, gender nonsense, personal preferences, and opinions, think anything you desire, but do not expect or demand others to give a damn, or to accept your positions simply because you believe yourself to be better or omniscient. Considering the very fallible nature of man, and the fact that even the most intelligent human on earth knows absolutely nothing of all there is to know; remain strong but humble in the presence of others. Actually, no man has the ability to understand even an infinitesimal amount of all knowledge, so acceptance of this truth by the individual allows for a more perfect harmony among people, regardless of conflicting opinions. This of course is true unless hostility, aggression, or threat is forthcoming by either side. Once attempted coercion or power of one over another becomes evident, whether from an individual perspective or by proxy of group or government, all respect and cooperation is lost. No one wins when this is the manner of behavior exhibited, as division and hate take precedence.

Government is always the enemy, and never the solution. Negating government interference, ignoring its mandates and commands, practicing personal responsibility, eliminating all government power in favor of the individual, and striking it down at every opportunity, can only bring more peace and harmony, freedom, cooperation, and an end to war against all of us and others.

Think what you will, and I will do the same, and so long as mutual respect is present, and no aggression of any kind is apparent, we will all be better off, and a better world will be the result.

 “The State is, and always has been, the great single enemy of the human race, its liberty, happiness, and progress.”

~ Murray Rothbard

The Best of Gary D. Barnett

Gary D. Barnett [send him mail] is a retired investment professional that has been writing about freedom and liberty matters, politics, and history for two decades. He is against all war and aggression, and against the state. He recently finished a collaboration with former U.S. Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, and was a contributor to her new book, “When China Sneezes” From the Coronavirus Lockdown to the Global Political-Economic Crisis.” Currently, he lives in Montana with his wife and son. Visit his website.