Comments on: Dear tool

By: Mike Gogulski „Drogie narzędzie” | Liberalis

Mike Gogulski „Drogie narzędzie” | Liberalis — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:37:48 +0000

[...] Mike Gogulski *** Tłumaczenie: Łukasz Kowalski na podstawie: Mike Gogulski, Dear tool, http://www.nostate.com/1332/dear-tool/ [...]

By: Mike Gogulski

Mike Gogulski — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:19:49 +0000

@Ethan: Maybe someone’s gotta ‘splain it to me better, but even after several days of considering this matter, I keep coming back to the same thought: Who cares? If the “price” of cutting my legal relationship to the US government is a bit of dubious “legitimacy” lent thereto, well, I consider it a beneficial trade, both for myself and for my conspecifics.

By: Ethan Lee Vita

Ethan Lee Vita — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:08:44 +0000

I don’t think its acknowledgment of the state so much, but giving proof of legitimacy by going through their methods and legal system.

By: Mike Gogulski

Mike Gogulski — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:29:26 +0000

Thanks, Luke!

Honestly, I’m not well persuaded by the “your renunciation gives acknowledgment” argument. The acknowledgment is irrelevant: states exist, levy taxes and kill people.

Cutting my ties with the United States government was principally a means of divorce from the United States government, a loathsome institution that I found myself bound to by accident of birth. Whether it’s of any value to the anarchist/agorist praxis at all remains to be seen. Certainly I don’t expect a flood of copycat actions, though I have received a small number of private inquiries from individuals saying they are pondering a similar move — and not just with respect to the US.

Meanwhile, it’s time to find out what being stateless is like…

By: Luke7777777

Luke7777777 — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:01:53 +0000

I translated your text into Polish and published it here:
http://luke7777777.blogspot.com/2009/01/tumaczenie-mike-gogulski-drogie.html

I agree with you 100% that we need to underline the responsibility of those who take part in immoral activities to any degree (maybe especially individuals who choose to cooperate with state agents / functionaries) and I highly respect your decision to forgo some financial benefits in order to avoid breaking the non-aggressiom axiom (even to the point of disagreeing to cooperate with private companies that do any amount of the state agents’ dirty work) – though giancarlo seems to have a point when he writes: “if you first acknowledge, and then give up your citizenship, in a “lawful” manner, then you have given the System your tacit approval, and have become just another legitimizing tool of the State.” Shouldn’t we – as anarchists/agorists – just ignore state functionaries and not engage in any activities that may give even a slight hint of legitimacy? (Just a thought – maybe your approach (official renunciation of citizenship) is the right way. Well, maybe it’s “the right way” for you and each agorist has their own, individual way of cutting their connections with state functionaries and getting engaged in free market activities.)

_______

Luke7777777.blogspot.com
http://luke7777777.blogspot.com/
CATHOLICISM > LIBERTARIANISM > INFOANARCHY

LuckyLuke7777777.blogspot.com
http://luckyluke7777777.blogspot.com/
CULTURE, MEDIA & STUFF

By: domesticinsurgent

domesticinsurgent — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:36:43 +0000

………jut another brick in the wall or cog in the machine……..
People do not think nor care, for the most part. Good post.

By: Mike Gogulski

Mike Gogulski — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:47:34 +0000

Seth: Clear enough anyway. Yeah, you’re right, editing might be nicer, but then it would play hell with the ability to subscribe to a comments feed and track a conversation that way. How would edited comments be handled/flagged? Anyway, I’m not big enough here to worry too much about that, one can always post another

Ethan: That’s just the taste I’m looking for here…

By: Ethan Lee Vita

Ethan Lee Vita — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:08:06 +0000

“You are the janitor cleaning up the blood after the firing squad is finished.”

Seems so surreal.

By: Seth

Seth — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:09:21 +0000

Mike: Yeah, I forgot the qualify the Zabelka article with a statement like “from a military chaplain no less” Would be nice if the comment system gave you the ability to edit submissions.

I keep that article bookmarked though, because it hits the nail on the head. And it’s encouraging to see that kind of sense coming from religious folk.

By: Mike Gogulski

Mike Gogulski — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:50:13 +0000

Giancarlo: Our mileage clearly varies.