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RUSSELL MADDEN’S
HOME PAGE
Items of interest
to Objectivists, Libertarians, and Science Fiction Fans
** Member: SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS OF AMERICA (SFWA) **
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For a graphic depicting the main issues
involved in determining the proper relationship between persuasion
and force, go here. For a list of key concepts and definitions of freedom,
go here.
For a PDF of a brochure highlighting some of the essential elements of freedom, go here. (Readers are free to print copies for distribution, providing that no changes are made.)
Individualism — Property Rights — Voluntary, Peaceful Interactions
This week's
featured essay: “All Property Is Intellectual.” Those who denigrate the idea of "intellectual property" rights ignore the true foundation of all property and all rights.
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SAMPLE
SCREENPLAY: “The Greatest Good.”
(113K) Based on short story listed below. When organ donation is no
longer voluntary. (I am interested in finding representation for
screenwriting using this screenplay as a sample or in accepting
free-lance work in this area.)
Joss Whedon's
FIREFLY
For previously unavailable
transcripts of three Firefly episodes — “Trash,” “The Message,” and “Heart of Gold” — see here.
2 The
Silence Wars: SW Chapter
1; SW Chapter
2; SW Chapter
3; SW Chapter
4. The Silence Teams made war
possible by telekinetically penetrating force shields and
destroying the balance of power. Now one Silent Warrior is
determined to end his enslavement once and for all.
3. Blood
Runners: BR Chapter
1; BR Chapter
2; BR Chapter
3; BR Chapter
4. The human-alien gangs horrified
the city by selecting human victims for their sacrificial rituals.
One courageous woman is determined to prevent a rival leader from
exploiting the terror as a means to destroy freedom and
consolidate his power.
4. The
Warrior: TW Chapter
1; TW Chapter
2; TW Chapter
3; TW Chapter
4. A peaceful planet dedicated to
freedom faces alien invaders. A genetically-enhanced Warrior must
fight not only alien soldiers but an even greater threat from his
own people.
2. "The New Boogeymen."
1-29-04. The State exaggerates the
extent of "terrorist threats" as an excuse for stealing our
freedom. They refuse to consider the one solution that would
actually increase our security.
3. "My Precious."
2-11-04. Despite the reality of its
corrosive results, power is the prize sought after by nearly
everyone today. Perhaps such people should pay more attention to
the words and deeds of a handful of Hobbits...
4. "Identify Yourself."
3-15-04. If the State demands you
provide it with evidence of who you are, should you be required to
comply?
5. "Good Cop, Bad Cop."
3-24-04. The relationship between
police and citizens seems to have changed from "service and
protection" to "intimidation, domination, and control." What does
this say about freedom in America?
6. "Taking Rights."
4-13-04. Is it possible for peaceful
individuals ever to have their fundamental rights "taken away"
from them?
7. "Crossing Jack."
4-16-04. In the new Repairman Jack
novel, Crisscross, by F. Paul Wilson, Jack's "fix-its" entwine in ways
that test the core of his being.
8. "Teaching
Resentment." 5-04-04. The State's
interference in the dissemination of ideas in our schools not only
violates rights but exacerbates the very problems it is supposed
to resolve.
9. "I Am Not
Responsible." 6-15-04. Politicians
proclaim that none of us is responsible when we should be, yet we
are supposed to be fully responsible in areas where control
belongs to others.
11. "Taking
Freedom Personally." 8-03-04. Few
people get upset as their freedom is robbed from them day-by-by.
Passion is conspicuously absent in a realm that should be
intensely personal.
12. "Not So Bad."
8-10-04. People who excuse
rights-violations by the State by saying, "It's not so bad. It
could be worse," are selling out their lives -- and their liberty
-- far too cheaply.
13. "The Freedom Quiz."
9-21-04. How much do you understand
and practice freedom? Take this quiz and find out...
14. "The Miracle of
Voting." 10-26-04. Say the magic
words, "We voted for this," and the impossible becomes
reality...at least in the minds of too many Americans.
15. "Thank You,
America." 11-19-04. The citizens and
politicians of America should be properly recognized for the full
extent to which they support and defend freedom.
16. "Rain on Rocks."
1-18-05. (Fiction) A mother/wife
explores the nature of bravery in the face of oppression...and
demonstrates how our actions often have positive consequences of
which we may never become aware.
17. "Money Is Time."
2-15-05. People often tell us that
"time is money." But what is even more important to realize is
that when the State steals your money, it is actually "stealing"
your life.
18. "Conscripts."
2-18-05. (Fiction) (Sequel to
"Rain on
Rocks.") When you are denied the
ability to act upon all your choices, you treasure even more
highly those values and actions that are within your
control.
20. "Getting to the
Bottom." 3-10-05. A hike to the
bottom of the Grand Canyon reveals important lessons we, as a
society, would do well to learn if we value freedom.
22. "The History
of Rock and Roll." 5-12-05.
(Fiction) When a corporation clones famous rock musicians and
replaces their brains with computers, do the Re-creations have
rights? (And which band would you re-create
first?)
23. "Infernal Wisdom."
6-14-05. A review of F. Paul
Wilson's, Infernal, a Repairman Jack novel. Jack and his brother, Tom,
meet, at last...much to Jack's dismay. (Reprinted in
Prometheus, Summer, 2005.)
24. "My Life: A
Comic Adventure." 8-09-05. The two
most powerful -- and misunderstood -- words in human thought are
"my life," as in, "My life belongs to me," and all that such a
claim implies.
25. "Freedom
Friendly Fiction." 10-27-05. Rarely
are liberty-oriented stories set in a contemporary society in
which freedom is the default position and largely in the
background. My detective novel, Death Is
Easy, may be one of the first.
26. "Fuel For the
Soul." 11-29-05. An analysis of
Rand's main goal in writing her classic novel, Atlas Shrugged. [NB:
This is the shorter, 4100 word version of the essay that is to
appear in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged:
A Philosophical and Literary Companion edited by Edward Younkins (Ashgate Publishers,
2006). For the uncut, 5700 word version, go here.]
27. "I Belong to Me."
2-08-06. At its most basic, freedom
and morality are about who "owns" you: you or other people. There
is only -- and can be only -- one right answer.
28. "Repairman Job."
3-23-06. In Harbingers, Repariman
Jack echoes the suffering of the Biblical Job as he struggles to
survive the relentless attention of the Adversary and the
Ally.
29. "Stay Out!"
7-07-06. Immigration becomes a major
issue only when people forget the proper role of the State in
their lives.
30. "Ends and Means."
7-18-06. Not only do the "ends never
justify the means," the use of irrational, immoral "means"
destroys the value of any "ends" one might obtain.
31. "The Ideal and the
Real." 7-25-06. Those who try to
build a wall between what is real and what is ideal understand
neither and undermine both.
32. "Principles For
Living." 7-31-06. The application of
principles, i.e., guidelines for living, must occur in a particular
context. Pretending that the introduction of coercion must not
alter the choices one makes is rationalistic, not rational.
33. "Statist Libertarians." 1-04-07. Is anyone who supports the existence of a government at any level the moral equivalent of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao?
34. "In Defense of Slavery." 2-27-07. Abolitionists call for "freedom" and "equality," but perhaps the slaves and their masters have different goals in mind?
35. "Respecting Ideas." 3-22-07.
Modern notions of what constitutes "self-esteem" have delivered a
corrupted offspring that declares that even the most heinous ideas must
be "respected."
36. "Blood in the Water." 4-05-07. A review of Bloodline by F. Paul Wilson. Repairman Jack is back on the job, and there's blood in the streets.
38. "Deniers." 8-17-07. When
the issue is the existence or the extent of global warming and/or the
role of human impact on this phenomenon, heretics should be aware that
the "consensus" believes that burning at the stake is too good for them.
40. "It's Just Freedom." 9-13-07.
It's bad enough when statists and collectivists treat freedom as
something that should be abandoned to assuage their hurt
feelings. It's even worse -- and far scarier -- when supposed defenders
of liberty engage in the same behavior.
41. "Holding an Adult's Hand." 12-06-07.
Even private institutions are emulating the dependent relationship
between the State and its citizens. But no real adult wants to be
treated like a toddler.
42. "Agreeing to Disagree." 1-10-08.
Ayn Rand had it right: the lowest in society seek to enchain the best
of us. To pretend that the destruction of freedom is nothing more
serious than a difference of opinion is to hand the murderers the gun
that will destroy you.
43. "Bastard Children." 1-11-08.
Having children out-of-wedlock is not a badge-of-honor and does not
grant the mother of a bastard child a lien on the lives, property, and
freedom of other people.
44. "Patron of the Arts." 2-04-08.
(Fiction) Alicia Rickhoff's husband, Sal, knew that he was a good man.
Whatever had happened during the war was done and gone. Retired from
the military and dedicated to the finer things in life, he was now a
cultural benefactor who deserved all the praise he received. If only he
could convince his wife...
45. "Anarchic Contradictions." 2-28-08. Libertarian anarchists seek a free society. Unfortunately, the contradictions in their positions make their quest Quixotic.
46. "Songs of Freedom." 3-19-08.
Music appeals directly to our emotions. Here are some songs that will
appeal to those who seek emotional fuel in their difficult quest for
freedom.
47. “Cutting Both Ways,” 5-02-08. (A review) In By the Sword, Repairman Jack confronts a sword sharper — and more deadly — than any forged in this world.
48. “Rejecting Objectivism,” 1-13-09. Those who criticize the fundamentals of Objectivism and freedom must accept the fundamentals of slavery and tyranny.
49. “Bush Won,” 3-17-09. Some people still believe that our unconstitutional invasion of another country was justified.
50. “Bullseye,” 6-15-09. A review of F. Paul Wilson's, Ground Zero,
a Repairman Jack novel. Jack finds himself at the bullseye of a
conspiracy designed to end the universe as we know it. (For a
computer-generated, audio version, go here.)
51. “All Property Is Intellectual,” 9-03-2009. Those who denigrate the idea of "intellectual property" rights ignore the true foundation of all property and all rights.
1. "Disabled Thinking."
2-18-02. Rights are of no concern to
those who believe that disabled people have special rights.
(Published as "ADA's Disabled Thinking.")
3. "Freedom, By
George." 3-11-02. To pretend they
are "free," most people today must warp their minds in a truly
Orwellian fashion.
4. "Nigger-Nigger-Nigger."
3-18-02. Blurring the distinction
between words and deeds has reached levels that endanger basic
freedoms. (Published as "Nigger Nigger.")
5. "Bank on It."
3-25-02. Attempts to outlaw privacy
in banking and money "laundering" are primarily concerned with
making you less free. (Published as "The Looming Menace of
Offshore Accounts.")
6. "Inmates
Running the Asylum." 4-01-02. A
mother must choose between smoking and visitations from her son. A
case of children dictating to their parents.
7. "Brothers in Blood."
4-15-02. Much of what we "learned"
about history in government schools simply wasn't so. The
reputation of one of the "greatest" presidents is a case in
point.
8. "Paint It Black."
4-22-02. Understanding principles is
the key to recognizing how the State systematically violates our
rights. Paintball, pilots, and play guns share a common
denominator.
9. "I Are a Student."
4-29-02. Educational "reform" in
Philadelphia schools may help in the short run. Long term,
however, a fundamentally corrupt system cannot be "reformed." It
can only be abandoned.
10. "'Rights' In
the Heartland." 5-06-02. The
Heartland is hardly a model of freedom to be emulated. Attitudes
there towards self-defense starkly reveal how poorly rights are
understood. (Published as "Self-Defense in the Heartland.")
11. "Cash Out."
5-20-02. L.A. County is upset with
the underground, cash-only economy: they aren't getting their cut
of the goods and are losing power. (Published as "The War on
Cash.")
13. "The Crack in
Liberty." 6-24-02. A visit to
Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell reveals how much liberty we have
already lost.
14. "Rockefeller vs the
United States." 7-01-02. Far better
to trust our nation's cultural icons to private hands than those
of the government. A comparison between my experience visiting the
Liberty Bell and Colonial Williamsburg, VA.
15. "Constitutional
Suicide." 7-08-02. Those statists
who spout the slogan, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact,"
are out to destroy what stands in their way. (Reprinted in
The Valley News [Santa Fe, NM], August, 2002.)
16. "Doctors Shrugged."
7-22-02. Doctors are retiring from
practice or starting other careers in ever greater numbers. Are
they "shrugging" or is something else going on...?
18. "One For the Books."
8-05-02. The State should never be
involved in the dissemination of ideas, whether in schools or
bestsellers. (Published as "Stupid White Men and Textbook
Censorship.")
20. "The New Slavery."
8-26-02. Once in this country,
people fought and died to escape slavery. Now, citizens clamor and
plead to have the chains slapped on.
21. "Help Me! Or Else..."
9-02-02. Our society generally
avoids laws that mandate citizens be Good Samaritans, but we're
awash in laws that accomplish the same goals more covertly.
22. "Unleashing the
Dogs." 9-02-02. The warped idea that
we should attack someone because he "might" pose a threat sets the
United States on a collision course with half the world.
(Published as "Iraq: Unleashing the Dogs.")
23. "The One True
Religion." 9-16-02. On the
anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, it's clear that the
real culprit was not Islam or any particular religion. The true
source of our problems goes much deeper and is far more widespread
that any such narrow concerns.
24. "Sacred Ground."
9-23-02. Some people claim that the
WTC site should remain a memorial, with no construction or
commerce allowed there, because it is "sacred ground."
Unfortunately, such people do not understand what truly makes a
plot of land sacred.
25. "The Politics of
Hate." 9-30-02. There are many ways
in which politics intrude into every aspect of life...but there is
an alternative...
26. "Calling the NRA."
10-07-02. Asking for what you think
you can get rather than for what you think is right betrays both
your self and your values.
27. "Tribalism
Triumphant." 10-14-02. Some American
Indians want to extort special favors from government in the name
of their religion...and the State is happy to comply.
28. "Lower Education."
10-21-02. The trends in education
over the past century have created a society of people who are
both ignorant and unable to think critically.
29. "Who Are You?"
10-28-02. Not only are private
businesses inordinately nosy when it comes to asking for
irrelevant information, now the Supreme Court continues its quest
to erase your ability to exercise your right to anonymity.
30. "To Chip or Not to
Chip." 11-04-02. Convenience is
great, but how much are we willing to pay for it? The implantable
VeriChip tests the boundaries between freedom and convenience as
the State looks on with barely veiled interest.
31. "Living in
the Real World." 11-11-02. What
constitutes the "real world" in politics and precisely who
believes in a fantasy and who does not? (Originally: "The Horse's
Mouth.")
32. "Mr. Russell's
Neighborhood." 11-18-02. Perhaps if
we were nicer to the statists and collectivists seeking control,
they would give up their plans to take away our freedom. Sure,
they would.
33. "Dollars and
Non-Sense." 11-25-02. Apparently the
editors of The TV
Guide accept the lie that it only
makes "sense" that rich people can only justify their wealth by
giving it away to those who did not earn it.
34. "On the Borderline."
12-02-02. Many people who oppose
freedom focus solely on borderline cases rather than acknowledge
the reality of the freedom that should exist under normal
situations.
35. "When a Gun Is
Not a Gun." 12-09-02. When airport
security screeners treat candy and toys as weapons, their
conceptual confusion poses a threat to both our freedom and our
lives.
36. "Radical Reason."
12-16-02. When the use of reason is
viewed as "radical," what does that say about the state of our
culture?
37. "Let It Burn."
12-23-02. Cross-burning may be
stupid and usually racist, but freedom demands that a person has
the right to be stupid and racist on his own property or that of
his friends. (Published as "Let the Crosses Burn.")
38. "Invisible
Rights."12-30-02 Those who claim
that we only have the rights explicitly mentioned in the
Constitution are as bad as those who say we do not have the rights
that are directly mentioned there. (Published as "Assault Weapons
and Invisible Rights.")
39. "It's
Unbelievable." 1-13-03. Those who
defend freedom face many hazards. Not the least among them are
those who refuse to believe what the State is capable of doing.
(Published as "Hazard Pay for Freedom Fighters.")
40. "Bad Economy."
1-27-03. In the inverted world of
statism, the major evidence of a bad economy is when government
programs are cut. (Published as "Bad Economy Good.")
41. "In the Arms of the
State." 2-03-03. Should people be
forced to die in prison for keeping what is morally -- if not
legally -- theirs, i.e., their own money? What should we do when
the rule of law conflicts with what is right?
42. "Eager For War."
2-10-03. Those pushing for war with
Iraq have lots of reasons...too bad none of them are good.
43. "You Asked For It."
2-24-03. The feds want to force
businesses to pay for the privilege of being regulated by the
regulators. What if that same idea worked for individuals?
44. "Learning From
the Past." 3-03-03. Maybe we should
treat our enemies as did Lincoln and FDR and the rest. Or maybe
not. (Published as"Learning From Past Wars.")
45. "Polite Slavery."
3-10-03. When an advocate of
involuntary servitude argues for its virtues, should the one he
seeks to enslave remain calm and polite? (Published as "The Polite
Slave.")
47. "The Statist
Dictionary: Word Control." 3-17-03.
Statists and collectivists attempt to control us by controlling
the language we use. (Published as "The Statists' Dictionary: Word
Control for Mind Control.")
48. "Rand on War."
3-24-03. What Ayn Rand said about
war, in general, and Vietnam, in particular, echoes eerily with
present-day concerns.
49. "Government and
Anarchy." 3-31-03. Is relying upon a
properly limited government or upon private, competing defense
agencies the better way to achieve and preserve liberty?
50. "Avenging Angels."
4-07-03. Many supporters of war view
themselves as righteous warriors out to combat the evils of the
world...and eager to force the rest of us along regardless of our
own desires. (Published as "Avenging Angels of Western
Civilization: Paroxysms and Orgasms of War.")
51. "Humor Against the
State." 4-14-03. Making fun of
things can be a serious business. When it comes to fighting
statism and collectivism, it's either laugh or start
crying.
52. "Wanting Freedom."
4-21-03. Many people claim that they
want to be free, but is liberty what they really desire?
53. "I Don't Get It."
4-28-03. The White House Gang told
us they knew where the Iraqis were hiding their WMD's. Too bad we
can't find them now... (Published as "What Happened to the Weapons
of Mass Destruction? I Don't Get It.")
55. "Legal
Counterfeiting." 5-19-03. While the
State has long been known as a legal counterfeiter of money,
dollars are not the only thing in our society it fakes.
56. "The
Corruption of Self-Interest." 6-02-03. Those who justify actions of the State in war and
domestically by an appeal to "self-interest" carefully avoid the
proper qualifier: rational
self-interest.
57. "The Best and the
Worst." 6-09-03. In making excuses
for a corrupt State, many who profess to believe in freedom help
to enslave us all. (Published as "Suck-Ups to the State.")
58. "Strike!"
6-16-03. Many people strike to gain
wealth at others' expense. Imagine if people came to realize that
freedom
is worth striking for, too... (Published as "Strikes and Guns for
the State.")
59. "America, East."
6-23-03. U.S. efforts to disarm
Iraqi citizens eerily echo the actions of the State here in
America, West. (Published as "Gun Control in America
East.")
60. "Anti-Privacy
Privacy." 6-30-03. The State
pretends to protect our medical privacy while granting itself full
access to the most intimate details of our lives.
61. "Extinguishing
the Flame." 7-07-03. The fire of
freedom that once burned in America is flickering. How much longer
before the last haven for liberty grows dark?
62. "Values and
Virtues: Von Mises and Rand." 7-14-23. Ayn Rand sought to rescue the concepts of
"selfishness" and "sacrifice" and "rights" from the statists and
the collectivists, from the mystics and the altruists. The concept
"values" has also been debased by the inclusion of goals, objects,
and actions that are inimical to life. Any such desires that
undermine life should be understood and labeled for what they are:
destruction.
63. "Wealth and
Responsibility." 7-21-03. Those who
feel guilty about their own wealth and advocate force to impose
their views on others understand neither wealth nor
responsibility.
64. "The Evil Freedom
Culture." 8-04-03. Attacking the
"gun culture" is, at heart, a repudiation of the freedom upon
which our right to self-defense depends.
65. "Taxypayers' Rights."
8-11-03. While the sentiments of tax
reformers may be good, these activists do not really understand
the principles involved nor the contradictions of that which they
seek.
66. "Voting Fraud."
8-18-03. A gubernatorial recall and
the introduction of electronic voting have some people concerned.
Too bad they totally ignore the real fraud that plagues
voting.
67. "Blackout...Or
Blank-Out?" 8-25-03. Even though 50
million people lost electric power, politicians are still
incapable of seeing that freedom -- not control -- is better at
providing human needs.
69. "'We' Speaks."
9-15-03. The Prez gives a speech on
the war in Iraq. But no matter how many times he says "we," he
does not speak for me. (Published as "Onward Presidential Minions:
'We' Speaks.")
70. "For the Little
Guy." Those who cry the loudest that
they care the most about "the little guy" are the ones who are his
greatest enemies.
71. "'Dangerous' Knives."
10-06-03. Hysteria over
unconfiscated knives on planes hides the reality that stealing
citizens' means of self-defense does not make them safer.
72. "Perfect Security."
10-13-03. The French are planning a
"perfectly secure" national identification card. How long before
they -- and our own government -- institute chip implants when the
"perfect security" of their cards fails?
73. "A Judgment to Rush."
10-20-03. Radio talk show host Rush
Limbaugh admits he is addicted to painkillers after the police
begin an investigation. Honesty would demand Limbaugh denounce the
Drug War as an affront to freedom and rights as he struggles to
overcome his bad choices. But don't hold your breath.
9. "One Freedom." Jan.,
1998. The indivisibility of freedom.
One cannot be partially free. (Reprinted in The National Educator,
1998; El Diario [Bolivia], 4-98; El
Mundo, [Bolivia], 4-98;
La Hora
[Guatemala], 5-07-98; The Social
Critic: Quarterly Journal Of Conservative Opinion, Vol. 3, #2, Spring, 1998).
11. "For the Children."
July, 1998. How the government
destroys freedom by appealing to the needs of children. [Lead
essay.] (Reprinted in Topicos De
Actualidad, #846 [Guatemala], Oct.,
1998.)
12. "Subsidized
Education." Sept., 1999. Examining
the problems in higher education caused by government subsidies.
(A somewhat abridged version of this article appeared in
The Restoration, April, 1999.) (Reprinted in Spintech, 6-20-01.)
13. "Punishing the
Many." June, 2000. When those who
have done no wrong have their freedom curtailed because of the
misdeeds of others. (Reprinted in Spintech, 7-12-00.)
14. "Watering the Tree."
March, 2004. Despite the natural
tendency to protect the weak and helpless, sometimes the best we
can do for them is to leave them alone.
16. "Running the
Country." April 21, 2005.
Politicians operate from the conceit that it is they who run the
country rather than individuals who run their own lives. Sadly,
most people agree. (Published on the FEE
website.)
14. "The Perfect
Solution." 7-17-00. Ignoring reality
and focusing on a false "perfection" as an excuse for state
intervention. (Published as "The Perfect Solution to Drunk
Driving.")
15. "True Terrorists."
7-24-00. Who better exhibits the
characteristics of terrorists: common criminals or the State?
(Published as "The Real Terrorists.")
16. "Costing the
Government." 7-31-00. Tax cuts
"cost" the government nothing and can never be "too expensive."
(Published as "Eat the Government.")
17. "Prospects for
Freedom." 8-07-00. In the tension
between freedom and slavery, which will win out? (Published as
"Computers and the Prospects for Freedom.")
20. "'It's Only Money...'"
9-04-00. The money you earn
represents part of your life. Respecting one requires respecting
the other.
21. "Tell Me a Story."
9-18-00. The Prometheus Awards
reminds us that a good story can be the best way to promote
freedom. (Published as "Freedom Stories.")
23. "'I Don't Know How...'"
10-16-00. Ignorance is not an excuse
to turn to the State for help. (Published as "Must Big Mama Do
Your Homework?")
24. "Mother, May I?"
10-30-00. Our rights have been
reduced to privileges as the rule of law has been replaced by the
rule of men. (Published as "How Big Mama Turned Rights into
'Privileges'.")
25. "The Naked Truth."
11-06-00. Soon, the State will know
everything about you...whether you like it or not. (Published as
"Naked Surveillance.")
26. "The Marching Morons."
11-13-00. When stupidity is
celebrated and used as a weapon against the rest of us. (Published
as "Florida and the Marching Morons.")
27. "Risky Business."
11-20-00. Appeals to omniscience and
the "precautionary principle" lead to more risks.
36. "Zoned Out."
4-09-01. Local tyranny is often most
easily seen in the subjective enforcement of zoning laws.
37. "The Little
Things That Count." 5-20-01. The
Supreme Court has opened the door to police abuse by sanctioning
arrest and jail for even small transgressions. A prime example of
the principle that "bad laws lead to bad law enforcement."
(Published as "Little Things: Harassment by Laws and Law
Enforcement.")
38. "You Should Be
Thankful." 6-11-01. Using the worst
rather than the best for your standard does not help freedom.
(Published as "Don't Thank the NRA.")
43. "Hoisting the Flag."
7-30-01. Calls for a Constitutional
amendment against "flag desecration" reveal too much about the
ability of proponents to think critically and the level of their
commitment to freedom.
44. "Second to None."
8-06-01. Anti-self-defense groups
are aghast at the notion that someone might want to respect the
Second Amendment as much as the First.
45. "Gun Control
Cyclops." 8-20-01. Anti-self-defense
advocates "see" only with the eye of emotion. They are blind to
facts and reality.
46. "Media,
Effects, and Politics." 8-27-01. An
analysis of the strong and weak media effects models and how
politicians stick with the one that, though discredited, supports
their abuses of freedom.
48. "Attacking Freedom."
9-17-01. September 11, 2001, will
not soon be forgotten: the day terrorism gripped America and
destroyed the World Trade Center.
49. "Your Papers,
Please."10-29-01. Renewed calls for
mandatory national ID cards in the name of safety will only
achieve the opposite.
50. "American
Fascism Revisited." 11-05-01. A
reexamination of Ayn Rand's 1962 speech, "The Fascist New
Frontier," and its application to present-day society.
52. "Taliban 'R' Us."
11-26-01. The Taliban provide an
eerie reflection of ideas and principles commonly held by American
citizens.
53. "Calling Out the
Posse." 12-10-01. Demands for
changing or eliminating the Posse Comitatus Act -- preventing
military law enforcement -- are dangerous.
54. "Because It's
Important." 12-17-01. If the
"importance" of an activity to someone, somewhere, somehow
justifies State involvement, then no limit to State power
exists.
56. "Interesting Times."
1-14-02. The State inverts what
should be constant and unchanging and what should be open to
personal choice. (Published as "Cursed by Interesting
Times.")
57. "The Limits of
Tragedy." 1-21-02. Some of the
relatives of the 9-11-01 attacks have crossed the line from
accepting charity to violating rights.
58. "The Roots of the
Problem." 1-28-02. On the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the television miniseries, "Roots,"
many Blacks still do understand what freedom means. (Published as
"The Lessons of Roots.")
59. "Kettles and Pots."
2-11-02. Politicians have the
amazing ability to issue moral indictments while they engage in
far worse acts of immorality. (Published as "Politician Pot
Calling the Enron Kettle Black.")
4. "Freedom and
Causality." How ideas of causality
relate to liberty. Summa
Philosophiae, May, 1997. [Reprinted
in The West Coast
Libertarian (British Columbia,
Canada). Jan./Feb., 1998.]
5. "'Imposing'
Freedom." Can you "force" someone to
be free? Summa
Philosophiae, August, 1997.
Conditions of morality. [Reprinted in The West Coast Libertarian (British Columbia, Canada). Dec., 1997.]
8. "The Self: From Stimulus to
Cognition." An academic analysis of
theories of self in communication. (68K). Summa Philosophiae,
Jan., Feb., March, 1998 (Part I, II, III). (Printed 9-98,
11-98.)
10. "The 'Self'
Revisited." A reply to Michael
Huemer's critique of "The Self: From Stimulus to Cognition."
Summa Philosophiae, Jan., Feb., March, 1999 (Part I, II, III). (Printed
9-99.)
19. "Compassion." Our government is literally killing us with
"kindness." The Free Radical,
Oct./Nov., 1999. (New Zealand).
(Published as "The Compassion Con.") Reprinted in Libertarians in Action,
Sept., 2000.
27. "The Myth of
Animal Rights." Animals have no free
will, no use for morality, and, hence, no rights. Liberzine, 7-19-00.
(Published as "Rats and Rights.") Selected as "Column du Jour,"
WorldNetDaily, 7-20-00. Reprinted in Laissez Faire (Czech
Republic), Summer, 2000.
32. "The Arrogance
of Ignorance." Those who know the
least about us and the world are the most eager to rule.
Liberzine, 3-12-01. (Reprinted in Spintech, 5-20-01.)
4. "Bashing
Business." A review of
The Business of
Commerce by James Chesher and Tibor
Machan. A moral defense of business. Laissez Faire City Times, 5-01-00.
5. "The Truth About
Writing." A review of Ayn Rand's
The Art of Fiction: A Guide to
Writers and Readers. Laissez Faire City Times, 6-19-00. (Published as, "The Art of Fiction.")
7. "Jack of All
Trades." A review of All the Rage by F. Paul
Wilson. Repairman Jack faces more than one kind of demon...
Laissez Faire City Times,
1-22-01.
8. "The Persuasive
Art." A review of Ayn Rand's
The Art of
Nonfiction.Laissez Faire City Times, 4-16-01.
9. "Of Parasites and
Hosts." A review of Hosts by F. Paul
Wilson. Repairman Jack meets his sister. Laissez Faire City Times, 6-25-01.
10. "Objectivism
and Business." A review of
Ayn Rand and Business by Donna Greiner and Theodore Kinni. Objectivist
guidelines for conducting one's business. (Published as "Ayn Rand
and Business.") Laissez Faire City
Times, 12-03-01.
11. "Remembering
Rand." A review of Facets of Ayn Rand: Memoirs by Mary Ann and Charles
Sures. When certain facets are
ignored... (Published as "Facets of Ayn Rand: Whitewashing by the
Ayn Rand Institute.") Laissez Faire
City Times, 12-24-01.
15. "Crossing
Jack." In the new Repairman Jack
novel, Crisscross, by F. Paul Wilson, Jack's "fix-its" entwine in ways
that test the core of his being. Atlas Magazine,
4-16-04.
16. "Infernal
Wisdom." A review of F. Paul
Wilson's, Infernal, a Repairman Jack novel. Jack and his brother, Tom,
meet, at last...much to Jack's dismay. Atlas Magazine,
6-14-05. (Reprinted in
Prometheus, Summer, 2005.)
17. "Repairman
Job." In Harbingers, Repariman
Jack echoes the suffering of the Biblical Job as he struggles to
survive the relentless attention of the Adversary and the
Ally. Atlas Magazine, 3-23-06.
20. “Bullseye,” A review of F. Paul Wilson's, Ground Zero,
a Repairman Jack novel. Jack finds himself at the bullseye of a
conspiracy designed to end the universe as we know it. (For a
computer-generated, audio version, go here.) Atlas Magazine, 6-15-09.
6. "Rain on
Rocks.Atlas, 1-18-05. A
mother/wife explores the nature of bravery in the face of
oppression...and demonstrates how our actions often have positive
consequences of which we may never become aware.
7. "Conscripts."Atlas, 2-18-05. (Sequel to "Rain on
Rocks.") When you are denied the
ability to act upon all your choices, you treasure even more
highly those values and actions that are within your
control.
9. "The History
of Rock and Roll."Atlas, 5-12-05. When a
corporation clones famous rock musicians and replaces their brains
with computers, do the Re-creations have rights? (And which band
would you re-create first?)
10. "Patron of the Arts."Atlas, 2-04-08.
(Fiction) Alicia Rickhoff's husband, Sal, knew that he was a good man.
Whatever had happened during the war was done and gone. Retired from
the military and dedicated to the finer things in life, he was now a
cultural benefactor who deserved all the praise he received. If only he
could convince his wife...
2. Sample Chapters: The Integrative Perspective: IP
Introduction;IP Chapter
1; IP Chapter
2 An objective approach to
communication. The foundations for "To Understand and Be
Understood."
10. "Courting
Disaster." Too many courts and
justices have become unprincipled tools of our political
system.
11. "Getting
Gassed." When the State seeks to
"help" with high gas and electrical prices, watch your
wallet.
12. "Terminal
Limits." Review of Term Limits by Vince
Flynn. Perhaps this author is on to something...
13. "Patriots
Day vs Earth Day." The attention
paid to Earth Day and the avoidance of Patriots Day tells us too
much about the state of our culture.
14. "Rampant
Discrimination Exposed!" A
tongue-in-cheek analysis of the group most discriminated against
in our society...and the ludicrous nature of most claims of
discrimination made by women and minorities.
15. "Presumed
Guilty." Prior restraint, burden of
proof, and logic are all issues in calls to ban cell phones in
cars.
17. "Race For
Freedom." In the wake of the World
Trade Center attack, we face a race between freedom and growing
dictatorship.
18. "The Greatest
Generation." The World War II
generation did many good things. They also did much that was
wrong.
19. "The Remnant." Statist and collectivists love concentrating people
in small areas while simultaneously destroying the conditions
necessary for such communities to work.
20. "Pushing the
Peanut." An effort to establish
legal rights for a chimp is yet another example of statist
incrementalism and a direct assault on the very meaning of
rights.
21. "Wally's
World." Attacks on Walmart hide
assaults on self-determination, capitalism, and success
itself...
22. "Saving
Lives." When cops on PSA's tell us
they're giving us seat belt violation tickets in order to "save
lives" maybe we should be grateful...or not.
23. "Getting Rights
Right." By examining the origins and
foundations necessary for the existence and exercise of full adult
rights, we can better understand how the concept of "rights"
applies to children.
24. "Have More Sex.
Now!" A call for Brits to have more
children is yet one more attempt by the State to intrude into the
bedrooms of its citizens for the "good of society."
25. "Return to
Sender." The United States Post
Office wants to create "smart" stamps with embedded links to your
identity. The policy won't control criminals, but it will be
another step in controlling citizens.
26. "A Good
Defense." The president insists that
a threat that "may" develop at some hazy time in the future
justifies an immediate attack. What might happen if lovers of
liberty took him at his word?
1. "Blood and
Water": An alien soldier must choose
between bringing his daughter to justice...and saving her from her
own destructive choices.
2. "The Book
Lords": In a society where books are
licensed and being a Book Lord is a capital offense punishable by
death, a Gatekeeper struggles to maintain the integrity of his
office. (40K)
3. "The
Labyrinth": A virtual reality
Minotaur leads a soldier towards trust.
4. "The
Petitioner": A student seeking
escape into another realm must contend with his own self-doubts
and the criticisms of his teacher who continually rejects his
Petitions for transformation.
5. "R.A.T. Ship
Captain": A Research and Trade Ship
Captain finds the most valuable commercial good of his career
among the most unlikely of aliens...and may lose it all because of
a bureaucrat whose life he must save. (84K)
6. "Repatriation": The prisoners of war longed for liberation and a
life of freedom with their rescuers...as long as they can avoid
being sent home.
7. "The Road to New
Hell": When a down-on-his-luck pilot
must choose between success and friendship. (80K)
2. The
Silence Wars: SW Chapter
1; SW Chapter
2; SW Chapter
3; SW Chapter
4. The Silence Teams made war
possible by telekinetically penetrating force shields and
destroying the balance of power. Now one Silent Warrior is
determined to end his enslavement once and for all.
3. Blood
Runners: BR Chapter
1; BR Chapter
2; BR Chapter
3; BR Chapter
4. The human-alien gangs horrified
the city by selecting human victims for their sacrificial rituals.
One courageous woman is determined to prevent a rival leader from
exploiting the terror as a means to destroy freedom and
consolidate his power.
4. The
Warrior: TW Chapter
1; TW Chapter
2; TW Chapter
3; TW Chapter
4. A peaceful planet dedicated to
freedom faces alien invaders. A genetically-enhanced Warrior must
fight not only alien soldiers but an even greater threat from his
own people.
