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CCTelander
08-08-2010, 09:29 PM
This should brighten a few people's days.

Then the naysayers will pile on and...


Honouring SEK3
by Jim Davidson

Special to The Libertarian Enterprise

Samuel Edward Konkin III, or SEK3 as he was affectionately known (and often signed his e-mails), was born 8 July 1947. As the father of agorism, his work in creating new understanding should be more widely known.

SEK3?s ideas are among those being taught and promoted at Individual Sovereign University. Our promotional slogan for 2010 is "Guidance on the path to agorism." Many of us are very familiar with Sam's work and associates. My own contact was limited to a very brief e-mail exchange with Sam near the turn of the millennium.

In reviewing our condition, SEK3 wrote, "We are coerced by our fellow human beings. Since they have the ability to choose to do otherwise, our condition need not be thus. Coercion is immoral, inefficient and unnecessary for human life and fulfilment. Those who wish to be supine as their neighbours prey on them are free to so choose; this manifesto is for those who choose otherwise: to fight back."

The strategy of agorism seems, to me, to contrast with the failed strategy of political reform and the dubious strategy of violent revolution. We have seen that counter economics was a significant factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union. I think that collapse played a significant role in the essentially open economy of China today—the PRC won't be failing because its official economy can't keep up. (China seems to be following the Soviet approach in repressing samizdat, which was another major factor in the end of the Soviet empire, I believe.)

Political reform has obviously failed utterly. Why? Well, the people who get to divvy up $3.8 trillion in stolen and borrowed money, this year (and about $1.5 trillion in borrowings in excess of deficits over the last two years) as well as hundreds of billions at the state and local level do not think the system is broken. They like it the way it is, and are going to fight, often using dirty means, to keep it the way it is.

Read the rest here:

http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2010/tle582-20100808-03.html

Enjoy!

CaseyJones
08-08-2010, 09:40 PM
//

CCTelander
08-09-2010, 02:36 AM
bump

BuddyRey
08-09-2010, 06:10 AM
SEK3's New Libertarian Manifesto (not to be confused with Murray Rothbard's book) is an absolute must-read.

libertarian4321
08-09-2010, 06:48 AM
"Honouring SEK3
by Jim Davidson "

Once I saw Davidson's name attached, I stopped reading. The "libertarian" equivalent of your crazy uncle Ned who you keep locked in the basement because he can't get along with other human beings. The one everyone tells you is just plain crazy.

No one outside libertarian circles knows who Davidson is, but those libertarians who have met him seem to almost universally revile him- the man has a knack for offending everyone (and if he hasn't pissed you off yet, give him time), even those who agree with him 99% of the time, just like crazy Uncle Ned.

I can be rude, inconsiderate, vulgar, annoying, judgmental and offensive. I admit it's a character flaw of mine. But I'm mere amateur compared to Davidson.

I guess the best description of this guy is "loose cannon"- but a loose cannon that seems intent on shooting at fellow libertarians.

BTW, I barely know the guy, but what little I know of him was more than I cared to learn about him. While he makes some good points, his antisocial behavior scares away far more libertarian leaning folks than he could ever bring in.

Having Davidson speak for Libertarians is kind of like having David Duke speak for Republicans- he may be right some of the time, but it hardly matters given the vile and off putting nature of the individual.

Just my 2 cents. End of rant.

Kludge
08-09-2010, 06:57 AM
"Honouring SEK3
by Jim Davidson "

Once I saw Davidson's name attached, I stopped reading. The "libertarian" equivalent of your crazy uncle Ned who you keep locked in the basement because he can't get along with other human beings. The one everyone tells you is just plain crazy.

No one outside libertarian circles knows who Davidson is, but those libertarians who have met him seem to almost universally revile him- the man has a knack for offending everyone (and if he hasn't pissed you off yet, give him time), even those who agree with him 99% of the time, just like crazy Uncle Ned.

I can be rude, inconsiderate, vulgar, annoying, judgmental and offensive. I admit it's a character flaw of mine. But I'm mere amateur compared to Davidson.

I guess the best description of this guy is "loose cannon"- but a loose cannon that seems intent on shooting at fellow libertarians.

BTW, I barely know the guy, but what little I know of him was more than I cared to learn about him. While he makes some good points, his antisocial behavior scares away far more libertarian leaning folks than he could ever bring in.

Having Davidson speak for Libertarians is kind of like having David Duke speak for Republicans- he may be right some of the time, but it hardly matters given the vile and off putting nature of the individual.

Just my 2 cents. End of rant.

If it makes you feel better, SEK3 also had a reputation for offending fellow libertarians.

CCTelander
08-09-2010, 12:51 PM
"Honouring SEK3
by Jim Davidson "

Once I saw Davidson's name attached, I stopped reading. The "libertarian" equivalent of your crazy uncle Ned who you keep locked in the basement because he can't get along with other human beings. The one everyone tells you is just plain crazy.

No one outside libertarian circles knows who Davidson is, but those libertarians who have met him seem to almost universally revile him- the man has a knack for offending everyone (and if he hasn't pissed you off yet, give him time), even those who agree with him 99% of the time, just like crazy Uncle Ned.

I can be rude, inconsiderate, vulgar, annoying, judgmental and offensive. I admit it's a character flaw of mine. But I'm mere amateur compared to Davidson.

I guess the best description of this guy is "loose cannon"- but a loose cannon that seems intent on shooting at fellow libertarians.

BTW, I barely know the guy, but what little I know of him was more than I cared to learn about him. While he makes some good points, his antisocial behavior scares away far more libertarian leaning folks than he could ever bring in.

Having Davidson speak for Libertarians is kind of like having David Duke speak for Republicans- he may be right some of the time, but it hardly matters given the vile and off putting nature of the individual.

Just my 2 cents. End of rant.

First off, that's a bit shallow, don't you think? It amounts to saying "I don't like the guy, lots of other people don't like the guy. So it's safe to completely disregard anything he has to say."

That's just silly. Nobody's asking anyone to "like" the guy, just read what he has to say and evaluate it for yourself.

Also, along these lines, there are a good many people who call themselves libertarians nowadays whose "dislike" or even scorn could be considered a badge of honor. It depends entirely upon which "libertarians" you're refering to whether or not their opinion is worth anything.

Further, in my own 35+ years of experience as an active participant in the so-called "liberty movement," I've discovered that many, perhaps most "advocates" are of the "respectability at all costs" variety. These types would usually rather die than to take any kind of action more controvercial than making a political donation or casting a vote.

Since Davidson is a true radical, and he writes and acts accordingly, these people would naturally find him repulsive, and would seek to have nothing whatever to do with the guy.

IMO, these types of "advocates" are largely worthless as allies, and their opinions are of little value as a general rule. Listen to what they say, by all means, but don't be overly surprised if it doesn't amount to much of anything useful.

Finally, nobody's suggesting the we put Davidson up as the poster boy for libertarianism, or as a recruitment tool. Just that you read what he has to say and evaluate it objectively.

In my experience, reading his stuff online, Davidson definitely can be a bit, abrasive, to be charitable. So what?

He has some very good ideas, and makes some very prescient observations. As far as I'm concerned, that's the sum total of my "like" or "dislike" for the man.

CCTelander
08-09-2010, 06:48 PM
bump

heavenlyboy34
08-09-2010, 07:28 PM
SEK3's New Libertarian Manifesto (not to be confused with Murray Rothbard's book) is an absolute must-read.

+10000:cool:

CCTelander
08-09-2010, 07:35 PM
+10000:cool:

Agorism FTW! :D

CCTelander
08-10-2010, 02:19 PM
SEK3's New Libertarian Manifesto (not to be confused with Murray Rothbard's book) is an absolute must-read.


Absolutely.

And with the advance of technology agorism becomes even more viable.