What is the Zero Aggression Principle (ZAP)?
Don’t threaten or initiate force, or ask politicians to do it for you. Many people assume they know what libertarians
What does everyone, including you, want?
Every person wants to avoid harm. Avoid Aggression
What is initiated force?
Initiated force is what justifies defensive force. Initiated force is like throwing the first punch. But it’s more than that…
Is fraud initiated force?
Fraud is illegal when used with the aim to… initiated force by other means
What is a libertarian?
Libertarian social solutions start with a specific question. virtually all libertarians agree that the focus should be…
What is a Voluntaryist?
Those who consistently apply the principle. The person who logically and consistently applies empathy.
Where do you get your rights?
Empathy empowers rights. You imagine how others…
Is the Golden Rule inherently libertarian?
The Golden Rule requires positive reciprocity, negating initiated force Make all of your actions Golden.
Can everyone do absolutely anything they want?
Equal Liberty Perhaps you’re wondering, “If everyone is free, does that mean…”
How much should you respect individual conscience?
Individual conscience must be respected at all times. Thomas Jefferson observed…
How do we expand our liberty?
Does your joy increase when your choices get restricted? Happiness
Is the libertarian concept of Zero Aggression pacifist?
Zero Aggression permits defensive force. The Zero Aggression Principle does NOT equal pacifism. It does not…
Are there exceptions to the Zero Aggression Principle?
Initiated force digs a hole Why there should be a bias against initiating force.Should zero aggression always be your starting point?
The Starting Point Seek ways to solve problems without aggression
Isn’t voluntaryism just another ideology?
The world’s not a chessboard. You’re not a pawn. Voluntaryism is a critique of ideology.
How do libertarians view Constitutional rights?
All human rights are pre-constitutional. The Declaration of Independence announced…
How do libertarians view politics?
Politics is inherently sociopathic. A sociopath feels no empathy. Now consider people’s…
Is a criminal action still a crime if The State does it?
If an action would be a crime for an individual to commit, it’s also a crime when The State does
Are you a passive consenter to State criminality?
Politicians get ALL of their power from Consenters As the Declaration of Independence observed…
Do you make excuses for State criminality?
Stockholm Syndrome describes how many people relate to The State. Captives who sympathize…
Is Democracy benign and moral?
Democracy has no magic power to turn wrong into right How many votes does it take to make murder…Is democracy inherently perverted?
Democracy perverts self-rule An absolutist axiom of democracy
What is the connection between morality and law?
The Nuremberg Principle applies to crimes large and small The Nuremberg Trials…
What is a law?
Legislation ≠ law Most legislation is not actually lawful
Are some people confused about what a government is?
Institutions that violate the purpose of government are NOT governments. Not all institutions that call themselves government actually are…
What is a legitimate government?
Government cannot be organized crime. Two traits distinguish a legitimate government from a pretend “government”…
What is The State?
The State is the negation of government. The State is a monopoly that initiates force under the pretense of governing
Can you be pro-government but anti-state?
To be pro-government you MUST be anti-state. The State is actually the negation of government.
What do libertarians mean by the terms statist and statism?
Statism is the belief that it’s moral for The State to initiate force. Statism holds that…
Who are the left-statists and right-statists?
It’s more accurate to describe liberals and conservatives as left-statists and right-statists. People who go by the labels liberal and
Do statists have a P-P problem?
P-P problem Left- and right-statists are united in a shared hypocrisy.
Should anyone have coercive authority over others?
No one is qualified to rule or obey The Milgram and Stanford experiments refute…
Is The State the country?
The State is NOT the country. The State is merely one institution among many. Many people think…
Are society and community the same thing as The State?
The State’s violence is inherently anti-social and anti-community? Because Statists mistakenly assume that The State is the country, they also…
Is The State a form of cooperation?
Initiated-force negates cooperation Statists misunderstand cooperation for the same reason they…Is statism actually compassionate?
Which is more compassionate, socialism or post-statism? Most left-statists act as if they have a monopoly on compassion. When voluntaryistsWhat is the central principle of politics today?
The Pro-Aggression Principle, but there’s an alternative Is it really accurate to call pro-aggression a principle?
Can statist policies be enforced without murder?
Statists must be willing to destroy dissenters. ‘I can’t breathe’
What do libertarians propose as the alternative to state coercion?
Persuasion is pro-empathy, pro-social, pro-community, and pro-cooperation. Statists have the same…
Is statism generous?
Donation vs Extortion Does taxing others prove you’re generous?
Are statists robbing your charities?
Charity Robbing Would you give more money to charity if you were taxed less?
Why should you oppose all business taxes?
Companies collect taxes, their customers pay them Businesses never pay taxes
Can The State cure selfishness and greed?
Statism is selfishness and greed Selfishness and greed are normally self-punishing…
Do more laws make things better or worse?
The Boomerang Effect Some statist policies create problems, instead of solving them
Do “free riders” justify initiated-force?
Free-riders are NOT a problem, therefore no solution is needed. Free riders are…
Do externalities justify initiated force?
The ultimate negative externality Get something pay nothing. Pay nothing get something. Statists see a problem.
Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?
You’re too small A license to murder individuals for the benefit of others.
Do some people need to be monitored and disciplined by their "betters?"
You’re too stupid Statist argument from arrogance.
Can any particular good outcome justify The State?
Using individual good outcomes to justify initiated-force is Cargo Cult Statism. Statists justify…
Can initiated force be harnessed for good?
When statists blame opposition for their failed policies. Dictator Fallacy
How should The State be evaluated?
You must learn to count all the costs. Statists fail to evaluate The State correctly. They…
Can a cost-benefit analysis justify initiated force?
A Complete Accounting No complete analysis is ever actually done.
Can “social science” justify initiated force? Part 1
Social science failure 1 Science requires a controlled experiment.
Can "social science" justify initiated force? Part 2
Social science failure 2 You are more than a number.
Are fears of even modest State growth reasonable?
Statism is creepy A little expansion today becomes greater power tomorrow.
Can initiated force be limited?
The Limited State Myth Constitutions contain the very powers that are used to shred the document.
Can The State be controlled?
The Constitution The Constitution has NOT controlled The State’s criminality…
Does initiated force solve social problems or beget more violence?
Pandora’s Box Initiated force, once unleashed, brings with it…
Is corruption an accidental byproduct of statism?
Cronyism & failure baked-in Three perverse incentives that guarantee bad outcomes.
Is the Zero Aggression Principle anarchistic?
Why The State is anarchistic Some people claim the Zero Aggression Principle is anarchistic…
Is The State needed to provide governmental services?
The State’s cultural dominance has left us largely blind to institutions of NON-STATE Governance and order. These institutions are completely voluntary. They don’t initiate
Are there non-state forms of regulation?
The Power of Social Norms There are non-state forms of regulation, just as there are non-state forms of government…
Do you have more power as a consumer or as a voter?
Where does your greater power lie? Consumer vs voter — who wins? As a consumer…
Is taxation impractical?
The root of the rot Kings called it tribute rather than theft. Politicians prefer the word tax…
What is the alternative to The State?
Against monopoly Consumer controlled governments will begin when violence-based funding ends…
Will consumers fund sufficient governance?
A consumer controlled budget Will voluntary means provide sufficient funding for government services?
Can The State become a legitimate government?
…into a true government When The State rejects initiated force it will cease to be a criminal gang…
Is a libertarian society Utopian?
Utopia is NOT an Option A society based on the Zero Aggression Principle won’t be perfect…
What fundamental laws will govern a libertarian society?
Three social norms Will society still need some source of ultimate authority?
What is a post-statist?
Looking forward to consumer-controlled governance Post-statists advocate…
Can we let the market handle things?
Market means crowd sourcing Do market solutions equal greedy, capitalist cronies?
Are the free market and society the same thing?
Free market is society Moving beyond materialism and narrow self-interestWhat is capitalism?
Proof you’re a capitalist Capitalism is toolism
Do you analyze competing concepts fairly?
Or do you apply a double-standard to ideas? The Golden Rule of IdeasShould you avoid the war of competing studies?
Why you should avoid the war of competing studies War of competing studies
Are you being manipulated by a statist machine?
Agenda Setting Theory The mass media chooses what you follow and discuss
Why do my friends snap-back to statist ideas when I’m not there?
Rubber Band Effect One conversation won’t undo the ‘pull’ of statismWhy do people act as they do politically?
Aesthetic theory of partisan attraction Aesthetics is the study of beauty. For our purposes…
What thing do we most need to create a libertarian society?
The strategic key to libertarian success Every other strategy benefits from more libertariansWhy do statist ideas defeat libertarian ideas in the political arena?
What we can we do to make libertarian ideas win? Visibility Parity & Operation Everywhere
What strategic activity should libertarians prioritize?
Discovery *before* persuasion What reaping low hanging fruit makes possible
Can you induce people to reject statism?
Mental Depth Charge Formula: Identifying contradictions, then patienceWhen should statists oppose greater government powers?
The ‘shoe on the other foot’ rule Have empathy for your future self
Why should you tackle the five hardest issues first?
Use the Pillar Strategy to collapse the mental structure of statism Exceptions make Zero Aggression seem unrealisticCan a voluntaryist be a gradualist?
Be a Fabian libertarian Avoid this pitfall of gradualism
Does the common definition of isolationism make sense?
Are statists the real isolationists? Statist wars and barriers equal isolationismWhy political borders are not like private property lines
Your front door is not a border A locked door is for protection; a border is for fleecingIs capitalism the same thing as the free market?
Capitalism a subset of markets The free market is so much more…Should libertarians abandon the word capitalism?
Use capitalism Even critics of capitalism are capitalistsDoes the label anarcho-capitalist accurately describe any libertarian?
Three reasons the term ‘anarcho-capitalist’ fails Anarchy means something else, capitalism describes too little.Are advocates of single-payer lying, perhaps even to themselves?
Are single-payer advocates lying, even to themselves? Let us count the ways…What’s the true objective of ‘single-payer’ advocates?
Single-prices cause shortages, even death How natural prices protect you
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