Do You Own Yourself?

From Matt Biechler

"1. I own myself. Nobody has a higher claim to me, than me. This includes "society". I can't be forced into doing things I don't want to, and I can be nobodies slave - except by a violation of my self.

2. As an extension of owning myself, the product of my time and action is mine. If I knit a blanket it is mine, if I build a house from unused trees, it is mine, if I put unproductive resources to use, they are mine. If I go to work and make $100 - it is mine.

3. The only real crimes that can be perpetrated are force and fraud. If a person is forced to lose their freedom, volition, or property (or it's value) - or is tricked out of it - that is a legitimate offense. Other things like jay walking, selling marijuana, or prostitution are non-crimes because they do not violate any of the above axioms.

4. Governance is force (violence). This is called the "gun in the room". It means that every law, no matter how superficial is an extension of the application of force - or that every law is fundamentally a question of whether people should be killed for noncompliance. The extended argument looks like this:

I am commanded by law to pay taxes to murder the children of Iraq.
Should I refuse to pay for the murder of babies in Iraq I will be fined in addition to being commanded to pay.
Should I refuse to pay the fines or war monies, I will have my property confiscated (theft).
Should I refuse to surrender my property, I will be jailed (kidnapped and imprisoned).
Should I defend my person, I will be killed.

So, should people be killed who do not support killing babies and civilians in the Iraq war?

5. The social contract is void, since it is unsigned, and never agreed to. For an agreement to be valid, both sides must know and understand the contract - and must agree. In the case of the "social contract", this is not the case - therefore it is invalid.

The result of these ideas is "voluntaryism" - the idea that when you and I agree to something, and I don't force you, or trick you - then it's fair and just. The contrary, coercion, is when people cannot choose if they will agree or not - and is unfair and unjust, and violates the primary axiom."

I was just going to do a post today with this video, but then I found the above post and decided to post them together.

Personal Liberty Largely Consists Of The Right Of Locomotion

"Personal liberty largely consists of the Right of locomotion -- to go where and when one pleases -- only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens. The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horse drawn carriage, wagon, or automobile, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but the common Right which he has under his Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Under this Constitutional guarantee one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another's Rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct."
II Am.Jur. (1st) Constitutional Law, Sect.329, p.1135"

Ron Paul on Freedom and Liberty.

“Freedom is not defined by safety. Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference. Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place. Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal, because it would require total state control over its citizens’ lives. Liberty has meaning only if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and a false government security blanket beckons.” - Dr. Ron Paul