Due to an unforeseen conflict, our prior presenter is not available for this next Wednesday. We scrambled and were able to locate someone willing to present to us. Mark England mentioned to me a few months back that he felt we weren't often considering viewpoints that were contrary to what we believe or know. I had had the same thought which is one of the reasons I suggested discussing atheism.
So this month my son Aaron Griffith has graciously consented with a weeks notice to discuss a topic near and dear to his heart: Anarcho-capitalism.
After high school Aaron continued (began is how he would say it) his education non-traditionally through reading and online. He has hitchhiked with a small back-pack, staying in hostels, couch-surfing, and camping through many parts of the world. Aaron spent nearly half a year helping build fishing boats for Thai fisherman after the tsunami.
Aaron lives with his common-law wife, Lexie Reder, who has accompanied Aaron on most of his travels. She shares his passion of Anarcho-capitalism and helped lead a protest at the capital this last July 4th. Aaron is a locksmith and custom leather worker as well as a builder of hard-tail Harley's which he and Lexie have ridden across the U.S. several times. He is also a state champ golden glove boxer.
Aaron has moved from being a Libertarian Ron Paul fan to Anarcho-capitalism. He'll explain why and why he thinks it's a good idea.
Below are some sources he suggests you explore by next Wednesday.
Thanks for having Aaron come and discuss Anarcho-capitalism.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, I became captivated by Objectivism, Ayn Rand, and Libertarian thought. I loved the ideas of self-determination, individualism, the primacy of liberty over welfare, and the beauty of the free market. I also love the notion that everyone ought to have the freedom to do what they want unless the break the non-aggression principle and step on the rights of others.
Having Aaron speak to us helped me remember and crystallize what I like and what I don’t like about that philosophical school of thought.
As I told Aaron last Thursday, one of the things Ayn Rand seems to miss in her writings is the importance and place of “Compassion” and interest in family, community, and other groups. In objectivism “individualism” is pitted against the perceived evil of “collectivism”.
I do believe that a person can’t help to lift others until she or he are on higher ground themselves, so all of us need to have a strong focus on bettering ourselves, and our own circumstance i.e. individualism; and as we learn, we teach; and as we gain higher ground, we turn and help others gain that ground.
So in one sense, I think Ayn Rand was dead on. Too many people try to turn to help others and they have nothing to give. That said, I believe we all have something to give wherever we are at any given time on our respective journeys.
In my view it is the same with talents, knowledge, and as well as material things.
We need to seek all of those things for ourselves first with the intent to then work to build a more beautiful and just world (i.e.Zion).
Also, concerning the free market. I believe it truly is magic in that if everyone seeks their own spiritual, intellectual, and material self-interest, the whole can be beautifully advanced.
I believe, however, that history has shown that without some enforcement of the non-aggression principle many individuals end up with an unfair advantage. Also, those who choose professions like teaching and the arts are sometimes not favored by the free market, because we are not enlightened to the point to see the true value of these services.
And, in relation to a topic that is dear to many of us, the free market sometimes allows shortsighted and selfish individuals to abuse the earth.
--Ed Iversen