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The Weekend Vigilante January 19th, 2013
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Hello from foggy, cold, Vancouver,
You've got to love the Internet and all manner of technology. I left glorious Acapulco at 1pm Central and arrived to freezing rain in Vancouver at 9:15pm Pacific. After being grilled by a young Asian man in a bulletproof vest about my intentions here in Kanada, and not being sent to the back room for a change (I'm getting better at answering those questions correctly) I then took a taxi downtown and immediately hit the bar to numb myself from the boredom. I walked in, and within five seconds one waitress said, "TDV".
I thought I must have misheard so I smiled and kept walking.
"The Dollar Vigilante," she then said.
I stopped and turned my head back. "Um, do I know you?" I asked.
"My husband and I just watched one of your videos from Acapulco," she said, "What are you doing here?"
I looked out at the three feet of visibility and ice fog, "I have no idea."
The truth is, however, I am here for the Vancouver Resource Investment conference. It starts on Sunday and I speak on Monday at 2pm with my presentation which TDV subscribers already got a sneak preview of in the January issue of TDV, "Stop Living in the Investment Past, Man". I also, in just a few hours, will be speaking at a fundraiser for the Gold Anti-Trust Action committee (GATA) which you can hear about here.
Then, oddly enough, I ran into another person who had "heard of me".
"You're an anarchist, right?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied proudly.
"Did you hear there was an anarchist protest a few days ago here?" she asked.
"No," I said... and was a bit confused. Most anarchists don't "protest". But, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, "What was it about?"
She then went on to tell me that a bunch of people in black masks were protesting and confronting the efforts to build an oil pipeline. She continued to tell me more about what was recounted here.
According to these people:
"The capitalists don’t care what we think, they only care about the millions to be made from exploiting the land, water, and from our time spent working away from our family’s and loved ones. Continuing to dialog with these vultures helps to maintain the illusion they can be swayed with moral arguments. We encourage you to instead talk to one another about how to self organize and take action to stop them and protect what's left. A diversity of tactics are needed; from social confrontation and attack to social outreach, popular education, fundraising, building on the land, cooking, cleaning, child care and so on…"
I nearly gagged as I read that and heard her interpretation of it. To paraphrase:
People taking risks and investing money in order to bring a product to market that is in high demand by most people "don't care". They only care about the money to be made (correct). They are exploiting land, water and people's time by paying them money! You can't talk with them (because we are crazy) so we must use violence and confrontation and attack them. And, also, vaguely take charge of your own life and use social outreach (??), "popular education" (yes, that's the best kind of education, the popular kind), raise funds (isn't having or wanting funds bad?), building on the land (takes funds), "cooking, cleaning, child care and so on...".
That, I think is my most favorite sentence in this insane diatribe... "...cooking, cleaning, child care and so on...". They must have been thinking, "Hmmm, I'm out of stupid ideas, why don't I just mention things that people need to do daily." They could have ended it with, "bathing, vacuuming, window tinting and so on..." and it would have made about as much sense.
After the girl explained it all to me, I put my hands to her lips and made a "shhhh" sound. I then whispered to her, "Those aren't anarchists. Those are communists. Big difference."
She looked confused as I walked down Granville Street past some leather clad, heavily pierced people who were lighting a garbage can on fire. "F**k the rich, man" said one hoodlum with an anarchist logo emblazoned on his sweater.
I kept walking, shaking my head. As I did, one of the "anarchists" asked, "Got any change, man?"
I responded, "I thought you didn't like money?" and walked into the night.
FORGET THE NORTHERN 2/3RDS OF NORTH AMERICA
I had only stopped over in Houston at the Bush crime family international airport for two hours and had spent two hours on the streets of Vankouver and had already reminded myself why it is a lost cause in the upper 2/3rd of North America.
In my two hours in Houston, CNN-sponsored televisions shouted at me constantly about the need to steal guns from morally correct people and only allow guns in the hands of criminals. Two people behind me on the airplane were parroting the views they hear on TV and one said, "We need to ban guns or more tragedies will continue to happen in our public schools!" said one moron.
I cringed at the word, "we", but turned to them and said, "You've just made an excellent case for banning public schools."
They both looked at me like I was from outer space so I ordered another chardonnay and put on my Bose noise and stupidity cancelling headphones until I reached Vankouver.
Once here there isn't much talk about guns... because, of course, they are already banned. So, most people just talk about how bad capitalism is.
In only a few hours I remembered why I hate coming up here. In Mexico, politics is rarely discussed. And if it is, it is with a worthy disdain... and the conversation usually quite quickly goes to music, food, sex, life, dancing and happiness. A much more civilized state of affairs.
TDV GROUPS
That's what makes TDV Groups so great. We have a network of freedom-loving individuals around the world who can help you visit and/or move to their area without most of the headaches of trying to figure it out all on your own.
We have TDV Groups around the world. Below are just a few of them (note the links only work for subscribers). If you'd like to start a TDV Group in your area, please contact James Guzman (jguzman@tdvmedia.com). For anyone wishing to start a new group in an area not already covered we will offer a free subscription to TDV.
Here are a few of the groups we already have:
Argentina
Cafayete - Floyd Wayne Shackelford
Brazil
Sao Paulo - John Meagher
Cambodia
Phnom Penh - Col McLaurin
Canada
Toronto - Redmond Weissenberger
Chile
Santiago - Ken Carpenter
Colombia
Medellin - Marco Bolivar
Costa Rica
San Jose - Sebastian Ortiz
Dominican Republic
Cabrera - Barry Soloman
Las Terrenas - Terry
Hawaii
Honolulu - Mike Zentz
Honduras
Roatan - Amy Murphy
Mexico
Acapulco - James Guzman
Merida - Richard Nichols
San Miguel - Jim Karger
Nicaragua
Cornito - Paul Scott
Phillippines
Ozamiz City - Peter Krueger
Thailand
Pattaya - Sonny Addison
Uruguay
Punta Del Este - Ronald Yoder
Don't see your area on the list and are a devout TDVer and freedom-lover? Contact us today to start up a group where you live!
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
I had the pleasure of speaking with James Turk of Goldmoney.com this week. The topics covered a wide array of issues from anarchism, gold, gold stocks, bitcoin and more. You can see it here:
As well, I was thrilled to hear that Stefan Molyneux will be attending the upcoming Global Escape Hatch conference in Belize in March. Stefan is one of the best thinkers and speakers on the planet and will only make the conference even better! I have been told there are not many spaces left in the limited amount of attendees so if you are looking to attend a life-changing conference on internationalization and freeing yourself from a number of the world's top experts on the beach in a tropical paradise, here is your chance!
Stefan Molyneux and conference organizer, Bobby Casey, did an interesting video this week on "Protecting Yourself from the Predatory State" to whet your appetite:
OFF INTO THE FOG
That's it for this week! I'm about to bundle up and head off into the fog over to the Granville Island hotel for the GATA fundraiser with Bill Murphy and crew. And then spend the next few days amongst some of the world's best precious metals analysts including Doug Casey, Peter Schiff, David Morgan, John Embry, Louis James and Rick Rule, just to name a few. Our own Senior Analyst, Ed Bugos, will also be in attendance and meeting with dozens of companies trying to unearth a future 10-bagger for TDV Premium subscribers.
Until next time, stay warm and try to live free!
Anarcho-Capitalist. Libertarian. Freedom fighter against mankind’s two biggest enemies, the State and the Central Banks. Jeff Berwick is the founder of The Dollar Vigilante, CEO of TDV Media & Services and host of the popular video podcast, Anarchast. Jeff is a prominent speaker at many of the world’s freedom, investment and gold conferences as well as regularly in the media including CNBC, CNN and Fox Business.
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latest comments
Comments (9)
David, we don't live in a monarchy. It's a deoacrmcy, which is fundamentally based on equal rights and freedoms of all citizens.Canadians voluntarily and democratically participated in elections with the understanding that the Queen is "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith". By participating in these elections, Canadians consented and elected to have a Queen with the title "Defender of the Faith".One job of a defender of the Christian faith is to defend the Christian definition of marriage.Every individual is equal before and under God's law that "he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he mayplease [his] wife" and God's law that "she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please [her] husband". (1 Corinthians 7:33-34, KJV).Every individual has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of God's law that "he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please [his] wife" and of God's law that "she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please [her] husband".
The statist commies are right to call themselves anarchists: the state is lawless - the antithesis of legitimate government - the promoter of arbitrary edicts, theft, chaos and war - the essence of anarchy.
There can be no 'antithesis of legitimate government' because there never has been and never will be ANY legitimate government. And why are chaos, theft, and war the 'essence of anarchy'? Considering there has never been any real anarchy, truly, in the recent history of the world, how can you know that chaos and theft are really PART of anarchy in the first place?
All real government is legitimate, but the statists will have you believe that self-government and all its extensions though voluntary agreement (the free market) are inherently immoral and promoting of chaos (anarchy).
Of course it is the state that represents anarchy - you're simply a victim of statist "new speak". As long as voluntaryists allow the statists to control the language, the statists will continue to win the popular debate.
What makes any government legitimate? And what makes it real? In simple terms. I would argue that unless there is actually consent of the governed, in a deliberate fashion, the government is illegitimate. I refuse to vote. And I govern myself as best I can without attracting attention to myself. Wouldn't that mean that the government that happens to lay claim over the piece of earth where I live be illegitmate to me?
I see your point on new speak, I suppose. Though I use the term Anarchy to refer to' a state of society without government or law'. So I don't think I'm the victim of newspeak here - you would be, since you use the word Anarchy as 'chaos'. It seems you've given in. The state isn't anarchy, the state is immoral. Chaos is chaos, and anarchy is freedom.
Isn't the only way to stop allowing the misuse of the word to re-define it? Or would you abandon it and try something new?
What makes any government legitimate? And what makes it real? In simple terms. I would argue that unless there is actually consent of the governed, in a deliberate fashion, the government is illegitimate.
That's my point: if you can understand this, then how can you conflate "government" with "the state" in your following statement?
I refuse to vote. And I govern myself as best I can without attracting attention to myself. Wouldn't that mean that the government that happens to lay claim over the piece of earth where I live be illegitimate to me?
The state is not government - it's what disrupts and punishes all forms of legitimate government: your self government and the myriad forms of contractual (voluntary) government that extends from individuals to each other in the complex web of civilized order.
I see your point on new speak, I suppose. Though I use the term Anarchy to refer to' a state of society without government or law'.
" a state of society without government or law" is the essence of the state; arbitrary rule is not law, nor is it government - it's looting, chaos and war; i.e., anarchy.
So I don't think I'm the victim of newspeak here - you would be, since you use the word Anarchy as 'chaos'. It seems you've given in. The state isn't anarchy, the state is immoral. Chaos is chaos, and anarchy is freedom.
Twisting definitions in this manner only obfuscates meaning to the advantage of the state - this is what newspeak is about.
Isn't the only way to stop allowing the misuse of the word to re-define it? Or would you abandon it and try something new?
By the same "logic", it would be just fine to define "murder" as killing and to support the right to murder in self defense. Can you see how twisting definitions away from their standard meaning can serve no purpose but to make it easier obfuscate moral issues to the advantage of the dishonest?
You are free to define words any way you wish, but to use a word that's generally understood to mean "disarray caused by the lack of government" to mean "liberty" makes you an unwitting tool of the state.
Ahh, this is good. I'm glad I can discuss this with you. You've shown me some gaps in my thinking that were invisible to me. Honestly, I didn't really recognize the difference between 'The State' and 'The Government'. I'm not trying to define words differently as much as I am trying to understand them.
It's refreshing to see a self-professed "anarchist" that isn't dogmatically wedded to the semantic trickery of the statists; they have, for centuries, painted liberty as anarchy (The failure of government resulting in chaos and violence.), as if real government and civilized order wasn't synonymous with the spontaneous order of voluntary interactions of people respectful and protective of their just rights.
As long as we promote the the statist propaganda: that the state's tyranny is the legitimate meaning of "government", when in fact, it's precisely the opposite - the purest, most encompassing and violent form of anarchy - the statists will continue to expand their power in evil and destructive triumph.
Remember: "He who controls the language wins the debate."
Hi TDV,
Would you blog about credit card debt? Will the state take over collection when/if the credit card companies collapse? Any comments, ideas, etc? Thank you
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