Seduced by Stuff

[Anti Federalist]

Seduced by Stuff

by eric • August 9, 2014

http://ericpetersautos.com/2014/08/09/seduced-stuff/

Give in to the Dark Side, urged Darth Vader. I think I may already have. But the “dark side” is just Stuff – the material possessions that tie me to the system, make me behave.

Why don’t I tell the cop who has pulled me over for some manufactured offense to go inseminate himself? Because I know he’s got me over the proverbial barrel. I have Stuff he can take (like my car) and of course, my money.

And I dare not risk doing anything that might interfere with my ability to earn more money – in order to have money for cops (and other agents of the state) to take. It’s a clever trap that kind of sneaks up on you . . . and once it clamps down, you’re stuck. Unless you decide to gnaw off a leg.

I often wonder – from the standpoint of How Things Are Today (and where things are headed tomorrow) what I’d do if I had it to do all over again. If, rather than being a vested 40-something with lots of Stuff to lose – and having invested decades acquiring said Stuff – I were 20-something right now and sans the Stuff.

I think it would be liberating.

They can’t take what you don’t have, after all.

No house? No problem!

The worst they can do to a renter is toss him out. If The Man takes the place over . . . well, it’s not your place. No worries. Move on.

Maybe in an RV. Some of these are very nice – as nice as some fixed-in-situ homes. Only there’s no real estate tax to sweat. Just find a place to park and maybe pay for something you actually want and need, like water and electric hook-ups as opposed to the social-and-obedient-worker (per George Carlin) training of other people’s children.

If the neighborhood goes south – or you just want a change of scenery – all you’ve got to do is turn the key and drive. Not so easy with a house. And if you have a fixed address they know where you live, too. With an RV, who knows? Besides which, it’s a simpler life. Some of you may remember The Rockford Files, starring James Garner. Got himself a trailer and parked it by the sea. Not much investment – but a lot gained – and not much they can take, either.

You live a cash-only existence. Work as you need to. No more than you have to. Say good-bye to providing the government with minute and exacting details about your finances; April 15th is just another day. Throw their got-damned forms in the woods.

Obamacare means nothing to you because you’re not held hostage by the threat of losing your “refund” for failing to purchase the services -at-gunpoint of the health-care mafia. You need a doc, you go see the doc. Pay him directly. No dealing with the sour fraus who exist solely to midwife the insurance paperwork. Better yet, just stay healthy – easy enough to do when you’re not constantly stressed out by having to work like a railroad coolie so that they can take 30-40 percent off the top and then tell you what you may (and may not) do with whatever you buy using the remainder.

Being truly self-employed (working off-book, person to person) means not having to tithe 15 percent off the top, too. You might be poorer on paper, but a lot richer in actuality.

What price, after all, can one put on being free?

Free of being an indentured servant. Free of the daily galling ordeal of having to check your actions – and even your thoughts – in order to not offend the rules of the proverbial company town? Free to be able to do as you please, when you please.

Free – most of all – of them.

By not having Stuff, they have no power over you. Or a lot less power. You have far more freedom of action – far less to lose. When there’s not much they can do to you, there’s not much they can do to you. Remember your Solzenitsyn.

This is probably what it’s come down to – or coming down to.

Gen Xers like me are probably the last demographic cohort for whom the American Dream had any verisimilitude – and even that is fading fast. The next rung down – the Millennials – know full well how well and truly screwed they are. Which is why they Slack to a degree my “slacker” generation could only hope to aspire to. They live like college students in a group house, each paying a small amount of rent. They eschew cars – having done the math and realizing that there’s not much fun to be had there anymore, but a lot of hassle and expense. Get an easy job that pays the basic bills, but not enough to incur much tax liability.

Screw the cube farm – and the mortgage – because there’s no pay-off.

Ever.

Better to be free, if that’s all they’ll let us have.

Throw it in the woods?

[phill4paul]

Fuck the
easy job that pays the basic bills, but not enough to incur much tax liability.

Cash only. Fuck the idea that your house is your castle. It is not. It is a revenue source for your landLORD. Tough realization for a 40 sumptin' that has busted their balls to get what they perceive they have. AmeriKa. Freedumb.

[pcosmar]

"freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"

I have known it.
All my belongings in a pack on my back,,
My real name just a memory.

I have never been so free,,, since.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRL0-JQk-Qg

Five Easy Pieces:

"I had to leave this place because I got depressed seeing all the crap...I don't even wanna talk about it."

[heavenlyboy34]

Depends on your subjective values. I value my tools of creativity (instruments, art tools, computer, etc) more than having total freedom of movement. That one has to sacrifice such relatively simple things to be actually free (distinct from the delusions of freedumb the CONstitutionalists always try to sell) speaks volumes about the tyranny and violent power of TPTB.

[VIDEODROME]

I tried a job that could almost be like this. There is a need for Expedite Van Drivers that deliver time-critical freight across the country. This is kind of similar to trucking, but you have much more freedom. No Log Book, no Weight Stations, and you have more parking options.

Some people basically live in Dodge or Mercedes Sprinter Vans. There is a bunk space behind the seats and the rest is for hauling cargo. I've met other drivers doing this who are retirees. They invested in making their Van comfortable and they are Owner Operators cruising America and getting paid for it. As a contractor or Owner Operator you do have the right to refuse stupid jobs from whatever company or dispatch service you hook up with.

If a person fully embraced this as a lifestyle, you can get by with having no house and just live on the road.

http://boltexp.com/images/expedite-truck/cargo-van.jpg

http://imganuncios.mitula.net/2004_dodge_sprinter_3500_dually_cargo_van_delivery _box_96635323723489461.jpg

[aGameOfThrones]

I'm going to report you for posting this anti American dream garbage.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I would say to claim ownership of things much more valuable. I enjoy my home, but really don't own it because of property taxes. I love old cars but paying things like insurance makes them less interesting. I suppose I own the shirt I'm wearing, but some dumbass could come along and tax that. I enjoy ideas, events, people, and then materials things. In that order.

We really sold a lot of our freedoms for junk, but you own your dignity. You can sell your dignity. You can give away your dignity. But no one can ever take away your dignity. I can claim that at this point in my life and glad to be able to do so.

Okay, enough of this trying to be philosophical and shit. :-/ :D

[phill4paul]

I would say to claim ownership of things much more valuable. I enjoy my home, but really don't own it because of property taxes. I love old cars but paying things like insurance makes them less interesting. I suppose I own the shirt I'm wearing, but some dumbass could come along and tax that. I enjoy ideas, events, people, and then materials things. In that order.

We really sold a lot of our freedoms for junk, but you own your dignity. You can sell your dignity. You can give away your dignity. But no one can ever take away your dignity. I can claim that at this point in my life and glad to be able to do so.

Okay, enough of this trying to be philosophical and shit. :-/ :D

Does your "dignity" allow for government robbing you on every dollar you earn? Or is your "dignity" scaled depending on the situation?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I tried a job that could almost be like this. There is a need for Expedite Van Drivers that deliver time-critical freight across the country. This is kind of similar to trucking, but you have much more freedom. No Log Book, no Weight Stations, and you have more parking options.

Some people basically live in Dodge or Mercedes Sprinter Vans. There is a bunk space behind the seats and the rest is for hauling cargo. I've met other drivers doing this who are retirees. They invested in making their Van comfortable and they are Owner Operators cruising America and getting paid for it. As a contractor or Owner Operator you do have the right to refuse stupid jobs from whatever company or dispatch service you hook up with.

If a person fully embraced this as a lifestyle, you can get by with having no house and just live on the road.


I was on a forum and this member talked about living in his 18 wheeler for 13 years. He was divorced and had no house. You pointed out the differences between OTR and Expedite, so his experience is not exactly the same thing. Your scenario sounds more interesting. I never really heard of this.

[VIDEODROME]

I was on a forum and this member talked about living in his 18 wheeler for 13 years. He was divorced and had no house. You pointed out the differences between OTR and Expedite, so his experience is not exactly the same thing. Your scenario sounds more interesting. I never really heard of this.

I did trucking to and that is a pain in the ass. There is a shortage of truck stop parking and I hate the damn log book and the weigh stations.

The Van job was more cramped, but I did not have the nicer Sprinter Van. Just a Chevy Cargo Van. Despite that, I had so much more freedom as a driver I enjoyed the experience.

One main thing I did not like is most of these jobs hire you as a 1099 Independent Contractor. That is a little shady IMO, but there are good and bad things about doing that. I had the right to refuse dispatches if I wanted to. I never did though because I didn't want to sit and get stuck somewhere.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Does your "dignity" allow for government robbing you on every dollar you earn? Or is your "dignity" scaled depending on the situation?

Guess I'd have to think about that more for a long answer. The short answer is that money/material is a separate item. For me--it's separate from having an ultimate purpose in life. Taking money, for example, would hinder that purpose, but that purpose need not be relinquished.

Guess a more concrete example would be what you might tolerate or battles you choose. Money is definitely a scale item because somebody, somewhere, is going to grab a piece of it. At least in this world and my lifetime. A lice killing your dog, on the other hand, is a binary situation that does not lend itself to scale. Either your dog is alive or it's not.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

The Van job was more cramped, but I did not have the nicer Sprinter Van. Just a Chevy Cargo Van. Despite that, I had so much more freedom as a driver I enjoyed the experience.

One main thing I did not like is most of these jobs hire you as a 1099 Independent Contractor. That is a little shady IMO, but there are good and bad things about doing that. I had the right to refuse dispatches if I wanted to. I never did though because I didn't want to sit and get stuck somewhere.

I reread your post because I missed where you actually did this. That sounds pretty good. How long did you do it? Did you just shower and launder at the truck plazas?

[phill4paul]

Guess I'd have to think about that more for a long answer. The short answer is that money/material is a separate item. For me--it's separate from having an ultimate purpose in life. Taking money, for example, would hinder that purpose, but that purpose need not be relinquished.

Guess a more concrete example would be what you might tolerate or battles you choose. Money is definitely a scale item because somebody, somewhere, is going to grab a piece of it. At least in this world and my lifetime. A lice killing your dog, on the other hand, is a binary situation that does not lend itself to scale. Either your dog is alive or it's not.

Fair enough. There truly is no easy answer dependent on ones situation.

[ghengis86]

I tried a job that could almost be like this. There is a need for Expedite Van Drivers that deliver time-critical freight across the country. This is kind of similar to trucking, but you have much more freedom. No Log Book, no Weight Stations, and you have more parking options.

Some people basically live in Dodge or Mercedes Sprinter Vans. There is a bunk space behind the seats and the rest is for hauling cargo. I've met other drivers doing this who are retirees. They invested in making their Van comfortable and they are Owner Operators cruising America and getting paid for it. As a contractor or Owner Operator you do have the right to refuse stupid jobs from whatever company or dispatch service you hook up with.

If a person fully embraced this as a lifestyle, you can get by with having no house and just live on the road.

http://boltexp.com/images/expedite-truck/cargo-van.jpg

http://imganuncios.mitula.net/2004_dodge_sprinter_3500_dually_cargo_van_delivery _box_96635323723489461.jpg

Make sure you have the proper license and/or endorsements. And that you get your TWIC if you're making runs to ports/hubs/airports/depots. Oh, and don't forget you DOT registration. Are you hauling any hazmat? Gotta be licensed for that. Get yiour insurance and keep that up to date. Doubly so for the hazmat. Also, how are you figuring your self employed taxes? Only $600 or less per year per contractor, otherwise you can't be 1099'd. Make sure your rig can be registered too; need a perm address and pass EPA emissions.

You get the point, right? They will do everything in order to take your life, money, freedom.

Do it if you can, and give the State the finger at every opportunity!!

[phill4paul]

Make sure you have the proper license and/or endorsements. And that you get your TWIC if you're making runs to ports/hubs/airports/depots. Oh, and don't forget you DOT registration. Are you hauling any hazmat? Gotta be licensed for that. Get yiour insurance and keep that up to date. Doubly so for the hazmat. Also, how are you figuring your self employed taxes? Only $660 or less per year per contractor, otherwise you can't be 1099'd. Make sure your rig can be registered too; need a perm address and pass EPA emissions.

You get the point, right? They will do everything in order to take your life, money, freedom.

Do it if you can, and give the State the finger at every opportunity!!

+rep.

[TheTexan]

By not having Stuff, they have no power over you. Or a lot less power. You have far more freedom of action – far less to lose. When there’s not much they can do to you, there’s not much they can do to you.


... but, I like my stuff...

speaking of stuff, I should probably go order one of those Oculus Rift thingamajigs. I've heard that they've ported over farmville... you can grow gardens and plants and stuff, ... in 3d! I'm also really excited to see what Facebook does with it. Should be really cool.

[Anti Federalist]

Make sure you have the proper license and/or endorsements. And that you get your TWIC if you're making runs to ports/hubs/airports/depots. Oh, and don't forget you DOT registration. Are you hauling any hazmat? Gotta be licensed for that. Get yiour insurance and keep that up to date. Doubly so for the hazmat. Also, how are you figuring your self employed taxes? Only $600 or less per year per contractor, otherwise you can't be 1099'd. Make sure your rig can be registered too; need a perm address and pass EPA emissions.

You get the point, right? They will do everything in order to take your life, money, freedom.

Do it if you can, and give the State the finger at every opportunity!!

Was gonna say the same thing...

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

There truly is no easy answer dependent on ones situation.

Yeah, that's true. My wife and I have these discussions quite a bit. She comes from a more fatalistic culture and asks me why I let these people get in the way of my enjoyment. She is equally appalled by things happening here, but expresses it in a different way.

She's never, for example, been to a Major League Baseball game or any football game. I would really like to take her, but it's different than when I went in the past. I won't go to an entertainment venue where they are sticking a metal detecting wand up your ass. She respects and understands this, so we attend other entertainment. It's just as high level as Major League Baseball or whatever, but I just have to be much more selective about what I attend.

The other thing is that I work more and more on making my own entertainment. She used to own a horse and misses that. We went to some horseback riding place, but it was awful. Riding along at 3mph with a guide. A lot of American entertainment is so lame that I try to either use my imagination or go somewhere else. I would really like to move and have more land where we can horse ride, go cart on your own property, and let your dog run all over the place, but that's another story.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

By the way, I just read bxm042's signature line and had to laugh and + rep. Fits right in your biting sarcasm that some RPF members have trouble detecting.

[Anti Federalist]

By the way, I just read bxm042's signature line and had to laugh and + rep. Fits right in your biting sarcasm that some RPF members have trouble detecting.

I told him to do that!

:D

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

^^^^^^^^

Heh heh.

[DamianTV]

The key to happiness was once expressed as "wanting what you have, not having what you want".

[Anti Federalist]

The key to happiness was once expressed as "wanting what you have, not having what you want".

Hmmm...

That actually makes me a pretty happy guy.

[Mani]

I have heard of a few folks that live on a boat. At first it sounded scary, insane, claustrophobic, amongst a few other things. But when they described the lifestyle, I realized they are ultimately more free then ANY of us.


They travel the world, they see more of the world then we've ever seen. When they need supplies they go to whatever nearby country and dock. Then head out again. Sometimes they travel in packs of other families that have boats.

No home, no worries, no stuff tying them down. They are free in a way I can't even comprehend.

[Anti Federalist]

I have heard of a few folks that live on a boat. At first it sounded scary, insane, claustrophobic, amongst a few other things. But when they described the lifestyle, I realized they are ultimately more free then ANY of us.


They travel the world, they see more of the world then we've ever seen. When they need supplies they go to whatever nearby country and dock. Then head out again. Sometimes they travel in packs of other families that have boats.

No home, no worries, no stuff tying them down. They are free in a way I can't even comprehend.

As long as you keep it small and non commercial.

Once you get above a certain size, then what you have to comply with turns your ship into floating prison.

Which I why I've always pooh-poohed these "seasteading" ideas when they pop up

[VIDEODROME]

Make sure you have the proper license and/or endorsements. And that you get your TWIC if you're making runs to ports/hubs/airports/depots. Oh, and don't forget you DOT registration. Are you hauling any hazmat? Gotta be licensed for that. Get yiour insurance and keep that up to date. Doubly so for the hazmat. Also, how are you figuring your self employed taxes? Only $600 or less per year per contractor, otherwise you can't be 1099'd. Make sure your rig can be registered too; need a perm address and pass EPA emissions.

You get the point, right? They will do everything in order to take your life, money, freedom.

Do it if you can, and give the State the finger at every opportunity!!

Good points here. I'm actually no longer doing this, but just mentioning it for this thread.

I did haul some hazmat, but since it was a van it was in small enough quantities to not need the endorsement or placard.

I also was kind of a sub-contractor so I didn't get as much money, but my fleet owner paid for the vehicle and insurance.

As for Taxes, I was a 1099 and did a big mess of itemizing a shitload of fuel and oil change receipts. I think we also did a Per Diem thing for meals.

[Working Poor]

I saw a trailer painted camouflage the other day going down the street I guess he was moving :cool:

[Mani]

As long as you keep it small and non commercial.

Once you get above a certain size, then what you have to comply with turns your ship into floating prison.

Which I why I've always pooh-poohed these "seasteading" ideas when they pop up

Yah. The people I've talked to...It's 1 tiny bedroom or 2 little bedrooms, and a small toilet. A tiny coffin like cubbie hole for sleep on some of them.

I mean it's just tiny. That's why I said claustrophobic. In my eyes "I'm trapped in this little bedroom and little boat and surrounded by thousands of miles of water" but in their eyes they are FREE in a way I don't understand.

Thinking about it in their eyes. If you don't need a passport, you don't need to pay taxes. If you have no address, you have no mail, you don't owe anyone anything.

One friend said their friends were at sea actually for 2 years. and then they would go off again.

I wonder if there are some spots or ports in the world that don't have storm troopers waiting for you to dock. So you just dock your boat get whatever you need or relax on land for a while and then go back. No need for identification or anything. Then you could truly have no passport.

[DamianTV]

http://www.yourfaceisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Stuff-video-poster.jpg

Notice the tag line. Are you eating it or is it eating you?