Chad

Oh ok. The way I thought about it was that since the value of a person's labor was stolen (I was assuming they would want it back when they found out it was gone), it was equated to making them work for you against their will which would be slavery. I guess threats could be a valid distinction though in both situations the value of the person's labor was still taken against their will.

2026-03-04 00:20:27 UTC

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I agree taxation is mostly immoral. But if someone accidentally drops a penny and you pick it up and don't tell them, did you technically make them your slave?
If not, then is it different from how one would argue that taxation is theft/slavery? How?
If yes, then are we all technically guilty of it, and does this introduce a problem of watering down the concept of slavery? Is it technically slavery without carrying the same moral weight?

2026-03-02 01:37:10 UTC

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I don't know enough about foreign policy to know the implications of this. I hope it doesn't turn into a drawn out war.

2026-03-02 01:10:20 UTC

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"How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?"

2026-02-27 15:21:57 UTC

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No, state IDs should be used instead.

2026-02-24 15:10:46 UTC

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Yes, but I've been getting tired of it lately. I don't think the algorithm is too good for me.

2026-02-24 15:03:41 UTC

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Leaning no. Sometimes I wonder if the disagreement is mostly semantics.

2026-02-04 12:54:20 UTC

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I'm a Millennial but feel way way closer to a Gen Xer. I heard Xennial was a thing. Maybe that's me.

2026-02-04 12:14:58 UTC

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My download speed is ~2 Mbps. I stream HD video just fine. What do you even do with 41+ Mbps?

2025-11-24 15:16:58 UTC

If AI becomes as smart as people then why can't they replace us?
There is not one AI. It can also be dispersed and centralized. Other people also don't know the subjective value scales inside our own minds. What stops the AI from performing the same trial and error market process to discover that?
#nevent1q…dkne

2025-11-19 23:35:59 UTC

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noStrudel mostly. Keeping an eye on the development of pollerama.fun for polls and jumble.imwald.eu/?page=discussions for reddit-like forums.

2025-11-19 23:22:27 UTC

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I don't think it is *necessarily* indicative of bad outcomes but it *can be* for be for some important things. It's a downward pressure on incentive but maybe it could be overcome if the culture was strongly against it. Seems like it would be hard to do though.
Adding force to mix just inverts the problem so that the politically connected are the free riders of the citizens. We don't live in a perfect world though, so we just do what works and try to improve on it.

2025-11-18 14:36:15 UTC

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I just looked into it. She didn't undergo a transition.

2025-11-18 14:04:06 UTC

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Wow, very inspirational. If huge masses of people nullified the abuses of government, what could they really do about it?
I guess there would have to be a lot of social tension to wake people up to that point though and with today's people, I think the masses would would move towards communism rather than liberty unfortunately.

2025-11-18 13:55:29 UTC

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I just heard about that. Didn't she transition or something?
I guess if she went to those lengths it was more than just an experiment and there was already a lot of turmoil brewing underneath.

2025-11-18 13:50:44 UTC

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Honestly, for me it was just meh a lot of the time. I don't like stories to get bogged down in technical details. I really liked "Farnham's Freehold" and "Orphans of the Sky".
Currently reading "Time Enough for Love".

2025-11-17 18:04:57 UTC

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"In many ways nonsense is a more effective organizing tool than the truth. Anyone can believe in the truth. To believe in nonsense is an unforgeable demonstration of loyalty. It serves as a political uniform. And if you have a uniform, you have an army."

2025-11-17 17:47:15 UTC

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The long forgotten and nullified 10A would lead to the American dream. Instead of fighting for the ring of power in a pendulum like swing tug-of-war, people decide what they want in the states and they vote with their feet on what community they want to be a part of.

2025-11-16 21:35:53 UTC

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With who? Did I miss something?

2025-11-15 02:05:45 UTC

"We are not thinking creatures who feel; we are feeling creatures who think."

2025-11-15 01:57:20 UTC

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.
- Judge Learned Hand

2025-10-23 23:47:38 UTC

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Midwit skeptic here checking in.

2025-07-01 11:46:03 UTC

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Not all libertarians are anarchists. Classical liberalism being a branch of libertarianism greatly contributed in launching the US into greatness.

2025-05-19 18:45:42 UTC

https://media.ditto.pub/a6216f0202a9e3ee535f05bf8c0cdc8107fcc0079b66562b576d5c9ec1fcc6ed.jpeg

2025-04-12 20:47:35 UTC

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What if "mac" meant "mac and cheese"? Then it's like the same thing as GNU's Not Unix--infinite recursion.

2025-04-03 20:31:31 UTC

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Not for me but should be allowed.

2025-01-06 03:05:13 UTC

It would be really useful to be able to have a max limit on how much any one person's posts shows up in our feed per day.
It could select their top N posts for the day or choose them at random.
There are some accounts I enjoy, but not enough that they flood out everyone else in my feed.

2025-01-05 02:30:26 UTC

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I've done it with ffmpeg in Termux before

2025-01-03 13:10:24 UTC

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I had no idea. So if it ultimately can stop the flow of information, then it defeats one of the fundamental advantages of using nostr.

2024-12-26 18:24:45 UTC

https://m.primal.net/NHWY.jpg

2024-12-26 16:49:37 UTC

Same logic: "If we don't comply to terrorists' demands, then why do we act surprised when they want to cause violence."
There are good reasons to help our fellow Man but this ain't it chief.
https://m.primal.net/NHSH.png

2024-12-13 22:06:05 UTC

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Hey maybe I could do it one day. I have ideas just not the time.

2024-12-13 22:03:34 UTC

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Just switched to Linux a few months back. It's such a relief.

2024-11-21 19:28:27 UTC

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This type of messaging resonates with me way more than what I usually see.
I would dabble in Bitcoin but the IRS seems keen on making that a pain in the ass.
Plus, I don't want to nark on others who wish to remain anonymous or have them find out I didn't nark when someone else eventually narks on me.
#naddr1qv…pdrj

2024-11-17 20:07:32 UTC

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Oh wow I haven't noticed it yet. I just check in every once in a while.

2024-11-12 02:05:34 UTC

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Ya, that sounds great. I'm just think other things are interesting as well.

2024-11-12 01:19:39 UTC

Provisions to help limit the federal government per Michael Huemer:
1. Supermajority rules: New laws should necessitate a 2/3 majority vote for passage. A presumption against coercion needs to be overcome. Slightly over 50% on contentious issues doesn't overcome this presumption.
2. Negative legislature: Introduce a separate legislative body, elected by popular vote, that only has the power to find and eliminate unnecessary and legislation.
3. Constitutional court: Establish a dedicated court to enforce the Constitution, accompanied by a special prosecutor's office for pursuing potentially unconstitutional government actions. These cases should be decided by juries of ordinary citizens to avoid pro-government bias.
4. Accountability for constitutional violations: The Constitutional Court should have the power to impose penalties on government officials who violate the Constitution, including fines, removal from office, and even imprisonment.
https://fakenous.substack.com/p/can-constitutions-limit-government

2024-11-12 01:14:21 UTC

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From my perspective a big problem to overcome is this:
An outsider's first impression of Nostr I imagine is "twitter for bitcoin bros".
Most regular people don't have the time or inclination to get into something new like that.
And it's difficult to find people talking about similar interests if they aren't into that.
No matter where I look, 99% of the conversation is "FOMO this, FUD that, and bitcoin blah blah blah"
It appears that the platform is attracting only a sliver of the overall market of people willing to use non-mainstream platforms.

2024-11-07 17:45:46 UTC

Groups are most responsive and malleable after a disaster.
Right now is the best time for libertarians, classical liberals, and moderates to influence the democrats.
And there is unfathomable room for improvement.

2024-04-23 06:07:44 UTC

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Bwahahaha

2024-04-23 06:03:35 UTC

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This is like when a woman posts a selfie with #nomakeup but makes sure squeeze in all that cleavage into the frame of the photo lol

2024-03-19 21:43:41 UTC

My allegiance lies with those who acknowledge their flaws and strive for betterment, rather than those who mask their flaws with a facade of righteousness.

2024-03-13 22:56:19 UTC

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Oh ok.
I agree that truth should correspond to reality.
I also agree that intuition can be flawed and unreliable, my point is just that that's how it seems we work for better or for worse.
Do you think it's possible to not include intuition from moral reasoning?
I think a concrete example could help before things start getting too abstract:
How would one objectively evaluate the moral truth of sacrificing an innocent life for another without using intuition?
I'm curious about your perspective.

2024-03-13 05:27:46 UTC

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They may be wrong objectively but how would anyone know that they are holding the wrong or right objective belief other than using their interpretation and intuition?

2024-03-13 05:12:08 UTC

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Ya, that's true.
Maybe I'll be curious enough one day to see how it reads.
I have heard of some of the commonly used philosophical arguments before.
I'm sure there are a ton of them I haven't heard.
I'm open to hearing them out though.

2024-03-12 18:30:09 UTC

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I appreciate the input but a problem is I've read books before that other people thought were solid only to find them to be very lacking at best.
And maybe they would think the same about some books I like.
I bet if we both saw the same Christian/atheist debate I would say the atheist won and you would say the Christian won.
And I have a feeling that with this book you would say he was very convincing and I would say he wasn't.
If he brought new winning arguments to the forefront then I would expect them to spread throughout the Christian community.
So, I think I'll wait for some of those arguments to appear first.

2024-03-12 06:29:25 UTC

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I think homeschooling is good but it's not the same thing as unschooling.
Unschooling is fully self-directed by the child meaning if the kid wants to play video games from k-12 then that's what they do.
The hope is that the kid will eventually get over it and strive to do more in a more inspired way but I can see how it could be recipe for failure for kids that lack self-discipline and direction.

2024-03-10 05:29:21 UTC

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Interesting to think about.

2024-03-10 05:26:12 UTC

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I also think it's appropriate and normal to use both deontological and consequentialist ethics.
I never got much into Natural Rights Theory though.
I like what I've heard from the philosopher Michael Huemer.
He argues from an intuitionism perspective.
Basically arguing that we intuitively know that our life is our own without using much if any philosophical framing.
And that it doesn't seem to make any sense that the government should have any special authority over us unless it serves a very good reason.
The approach is clean, to the point, and cuts out any framing that's starting point based on an intuition anyway.

2024-03-09 06:32:44 UTC

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I would give it a go but there are a lot of books on my reading list and I have so many criticisms on religion's validity that can't seem to be answered well.
So to prioritize it, I would need to be first intrigued by a Christian's responses.
I just haven't seen it yet.

2024-03-04 23:48:05 UTC

The real world effective difference between objective and subjective morality may be negligible.
If morality were to be considered objective, everyone still forms their own interpretations of the official objective morality by using their own unique intuitive dispositions.
If morality were to be considered subjective, each person still thinks their moral code is superior to other codes or lack thereof and ought to at least in part be applied universally.

2024-02-24 00:25:36 UTC

If there was such a thing as a church equivalent for secular people, I would attend.
Building bonds with neighbors, inspiring people to be better and pitching in to help the community every week seems to be lacking among modern people and seems to be reflective of much of today's problems.

2024-02-23 06:40:01 UTC

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I haven't put much thought into this but seems like the same uphill battle against the establishment that any other movement faces when it starts.
An idea that comes to mind would be for the movement to leverage the federated system and focus their resources into a single state where it would be easier to advocate for and pass crypto friendly laws and laws to nullify the federal government's laws.
Focusing resources on crypto friendly country like El Salvador can also work.
If it can be demonstrated to work well in the state or country then I think that example can be very powerful for more adoption. People like to see how something looks before they buy into it.
Still not an easy task but seems a lot more achievable than spreading resources thin to compete against all of the establishment elites' resources at once.

2024-02-22 17:05:26 UTC

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It seems like the main focus should be to gain as many political allies as possible.
I don't think crypto can sidestep politics unfortunately.

2024-02-22 05:05:46 UTC

AI, AGI, and robots in the upcoming years is going to bring a tsunami of political pressure for UBI.
I think this is going to be unavoidable.

2024-02-14 06:43:22 UTC

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I wish there was a client that would turn off the zaps for polls.
I would post more of them.

2024-02-14 06:38:52 UTC

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And one for just polls!
Questions are more interesting than answers.

2024-02-07 02:02:07 UTC

Prosperity requires liberty requires responsibility requires integrity.

2024-02-06 17:17:14 UTC

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Ya, I can see it being useful for those who are willing to take the risk.
It seems to me that that risk will only grow as the fed's stranglehold grows tighter over time.
Whenever it becomes a significantly problem for them, it seems all they have to do is put out some propaganda and squash it down with more surveillance, regulation, and punishment.
I respect those who want to try anyways, but I don't see a path to victory even for those in the black market if they even begin to start some disruption.
It seems the best chance (even if also a low chance) has to be to win people over somehow to provide political resistance.
Maybe proving how well it works in crypto friendly countries can be a part of that.
Just my thoughts.
I'm ignorant of about 99% of all this.

2024-02-06 08:05:09 UTC

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Ya, it does seem like the case.
So what's the point of all this if it won't significantly impact the financial system that everyone is forced into?

2024-02-05 22:20:15 UTC

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Oh ok.
I think of institutions as a part of society but not society itself.
He also was referencing the state which still leaves room for non-state institutions to avoid that liberal criticism.
So I guess that's why I don't really see a conflict.
"A community living in cabins in the wilderness" paints a picture of a very low population.
It doesn't sound right to use the word "society" for a population of that size even if they also had proportional institutions.

2024-02-05 05:23:23 UTC

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Thanks for the resource!
So is the long term plan for Bitcoin to serve as tool for activism in the hopes that enough people eventually become part of the movement to where it would become political suicide not to allow it in the white market?

2024-02-05 02:14:05 UTC

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I have a general question about crypto.
Let's say crypto starts gaining traction as money to the point where the govt feels threatened.
They respond by banning all business dealings with it.
Even if they can't control or even identify transactions on the blockchain, they can still see who publicly accepts crypto (by looking at website payment options, audits, investigations, etc).
This would make the vast majority of people avoid crypto, and businesses dealing in crypto illegally couldn't scale.
This seems like the likely scenario as the govt will not just let this much power slip away.
Isn't this a fundamental problem?

2024-02-04 23:45:34 UTC

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Seems like the common usage of "society" to me.
Why does it seem like he's using it differently?

2024-02-02 07:36:20 UTC

What we need more of in the marketplace of ideas:
#nevent1q…z3r6

2024-01-31 18:33:39 UTC

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"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
- Michael Jordan
These quotes may appear to be in conflict but I think they are resolved with the attitude that one only truly fails when they give up trying.

2024-01-31 03:00:54 UTC

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Ya, I would also like to move a lot in that direction.
Putting it as a dialectic makes it sound ironically that a Marxist said it lol

2024-01-31 02:37:48 UTC

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For ancaps, there are ideas out there about how to decentralize and privatize essential government functions but it's pretty much based on a faith that the market will provide the innovation needed to meet those demands.
Most of them argue that the worst thing that could happen is already the status quo.
Sometimes the warped perspective sounds a little culty to be honest and I say that as a moderate libertarian.

2024-01-31 02:26:12 UTC

It's too high a standard to expect most people to change their minds and biases with better arguments.
Most times I'm just using them to test my own beliefs against so atleast maybe I still learn something.

2024-01-21 05:15:34 UTC

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It's my daily driver. I love how it just cuts out all the annoying BS apps.

2024-01-21 04:57:38 UTC

It seems machines will eventually out compete us in every way.
Doesn't that mean everyone will live on welfare since they can no longer trade their labor?
When merit is gone and the only way to get value is by owning machines, I imagine the political pressure would be enormous.

2023-10-09 17:52:02 UTC

It's not possible to have a poll with 1 vote per account and also no required sat payment?

2023-09-08 15:49:08 UTC

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Me and many others didn't get the memo.

2023-09-08 15:41:21 UTC

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"You had the corndogs?"
C'mon, nobody would say that unless it was a skit.
Still very funny.

2023-09-05 17:52:14 UTC

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The point of the distinction is to clarify the problem, not to say it's easy to decouple top-down crony capitalism from a more bottom-up free market capitalism.
You can also ask the same question from the other direction:
How do you expect expanding/centralizing political power not to progress into crony capitalism?
There are ideas about what to do but it's a tough political problem.
There is too much disagreement, ambiguity, and complacency about legislation to hold crooked politicians and rent seeking firms accountable to the satisfaction of those that see a problem with it.
So the first step is to spread awareness of the distinction so there is enough political pressure to counter it.

2023-09-05 15:56:08 UTC

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I prefer F-droid apps. Amethyst is the only one I've seen on there. Haven't tried others. Seems nice to me so far.

2023-09-02 01:27:35 UTC

I have a question about crypto.
Let's say crypto starts gaining traction as money to the point where the govt feels threatened.
They respond by banning all business dealings with it.
Even if they can't control or even identify transactions on the blockchain, they can still see who publicly accepts crypto (by looking at website payment options, audits, investigations, etc).
This would make the vast majority of people avoid crypto, and businesses dealing in crypto illegally couldn't scale.
This seems like the likely scenario as the govt will not just let this much power slip away.
Isn't this a fundamental problem?

2023-09-02 00:37:45 UTC

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Hola negr0. Mi espanol es muy mal. Nice to meet you!

2023-09-02 00:32:45 UTC

Hello world

2023-08-30 03:12:10 UTC

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Wealthy insecure people with little substance do exist though.
They make the mistake of not prioritizing what is valuable to them personally and instead pursue what they think everyone else sees as valuable.
Then they seem to think that makes them important to other people, instead of just being a relatable good person.

2023-08-30 02:45:27 UTC

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I thought it was just me.