Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Bootlickers are not only those who support and praise the state and those people who call themselves “government“. Bootlickers are also those who are quick to let you know just how much trouble you could get in by defying these predators. Renegades are well aware of the risks they take by trying to ignore the state and its demands. When you assist the state by carrying forward its coercion (threats), whether you agree with it or not, you are serving the state in a terrible way. The state thrives on fear, and reminding people exactly why they should be afraid is to strengthen the state. Thus, bootlicker. And that’s today’s two cents.

Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Editor’s Break 101 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: his thoughts on the practice of whistleblowing; whether people have a right to be an asshole and where; what it means to get “red-pilled” and why this isn’t a terribly useful concept; and more.

Listen to Editor’s Break 101 (22m, mp3, 64kbps)

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Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

As a man, am I allowed to have a “personal view” on abortion? I think so. I have many women in my life, including a wife and two daughters. Any unexpected or unwanted pregnancy of these women will affect me to some degree. My daughters are probably at the top of that list. When asked, and I would be asked as their father whom they love deeply, I will be a source of counsel and comfort on any decisions regarding this controversial practice.

My wife would be next on that list, and as a matter of fact, the question of abortion has come up. In 2007 she had an ectopic pregnancy. We were told these were not uncommon. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg attaches inside the fallopian tube on its way to the uterus. Fallopian tubes are not meant to be used as wombs, and so the baby would not have grown much at all before causing my wife even more pain than it was, and ultimately perishing. A chemical abortion was her only real option.

My personal preference is that no woman ever has the need or desire to have an abortion. I prefer that all would-be moms and dads treat the procreative power that nature has granted them with the utmost care. Be sure not to have an unwanted pregnancy, and you’ll never have cause for an abortion. Let’s say the unthinkable happens anyway, then what? I prefer that all expectant moms desire to keep and raise their babies, and to do so consistent with the principles of attachment/peaceful parenting and radical unschooling. For this reason, I am pro-life.

These are my preferences. If a woman in my life asked for my advice, this is what I would tell her. But also, I would throw my support behind her and be there for her. If this woman was one of my daughters or my son’s partner, they would hold no doubts that as their father I would do everything in my power to help them raise their baby. If the dad is out of the picture, then I feel it is my solemn responsibility to be the dad that every baby needs. I’m already prepared and willing to keep my children with us as they grow up, get married, and make families of their own. I strongly desire to build a multi-generational and extended family household, the sort which I feel is best able to meet the needs of everyone.

Beyond my preference and willingness to support any given woman who faces this question, I don’t feel I have any ground to stand on when it comes to this decision by women. If I’m not willing to throw my support behind a person to keep their baby, then their choice is none of my business. I prefer they make the choice to keep and raise their baby as already described, but I respect that they must do what they feel is necessary for them to do. I am not interested in any action beyond that.

I do not believe that it would be right for me to coerce a woman into making the choice that I prefer. For this reason, I am pro-choice. And as it would not be right for me to coerce a woman away from abortion, I should not expect others, such as those who call themselves “government“, to do it for me. This is one issue where every individual, family, community, and society must decide for themselves, without coercion, how they will act and react to this practice. Personally, I will not shame or push away any woman that makes the choice contrary to my preference. I can’t possibly understand why they did what they did, nor do I need to. If a woman is important to me, their personal choice here will not change that. And if they aren’t, I know how to keep my mouth shut.

I feel I’ve been clear sharing my personal views on abortion. I don’t want anybody to mistaken my position for something that it’s not. My preference is pro-life, but my actions are pro-choice. My daughters will not have to struggle with the question of support or shame if they find themselves in a situation which forces them to make this choice. And I hope all other daughters won’t either.

Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Editor’s Break 100 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: the how and why of systemic racism; why anarchists don’t need to oppose hierarchy, instead of just opposing coercive institutions; whether humanity will survive this new so-called “age of outrage”; and more.

Listen to Editor’s Break 100 (20m, mp3, 64kbps)

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Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Honesty is a practice that many parents try to teach their children. Unfortunately, many of these same parents do two things that teach the opposite. The first is forcing children to apologize for wrongs they have committed. To force an insincere apology (“Tell her your sorry, now!”)  is to teach your child that being dishonest about the way they feel in order to make someone else feel better is appropriate. Is it? Or does the other child also learn a salient lesson about sincerity and apology? (“I’ll accept your insincere apology. Two can play at this game…”) The second is by creating a disincentive to be honest by using punishment as a parenting tool. There is not a child that has ever lived that did not learn to lie to their parents to avoid punishment, which is entirely unnecessary anyway. Now, I’m not inclined to say that honesty is a virtue, but many parents do, and then shoot themselves in both feet. And that’s today’s two cents.

Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Methinks that if we truly lived in a free country, politics would not dominate public discourse. The fact that it does proves that America is nowhere near the classification of “free country”. Do people argue over whether theft, assault, rape, kidnapping, murder,  et cetera, you know, actual property rights violations, should be legal or not? No, they are arguing over what privileges and economic protections and entitlements they should have at the expense of others. The creation and maintenance of these sorts of laws violate property rights. No country is free where property rights, starting with self-ownership, are not secure from predation. And politics does not dominate public discourse when it is limited to securing property rights, because doing so is boring and noncontroversial. Pundits and plebeians arguing politics is not symptomatic of a free country. Quite the opposite. And that’s today’s two cents.

Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Editor’s Break 099 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: alternatives to democratic government, which is bad for minorities; how to raise your sons to not be rapists; using the phrase “pregnant people” instead of “pregnant woman”; and more.

Listen to Editor’s Break 099 (27m, mp3, 64kbps)

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Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Editor’s Break 098 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: whether one should violate the non-aggression principle to save somebody’s life, and what that says about the non-aggression principle; how a newcomer can come to own property in a place where all property is already owned; the effect of democratic government for minority groups; and more.

Listen to Editor’s Break 098 (19m, mp3, 64kbps)

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Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Clamoring for violent third-parties to use their power disparity on behalf of workers against fat capitalist pigs is a triple-edged sword, two edges against workers. The first edge is the fact that violent third-parties (government) have their own agenda. They’ll be all too happy to assist workers, but they’ll charge a heavy toll in the form of, among other things, income and payroll taxes. The second edge is the fact that violent third-parties don’t discriminate on who they assist. They’ll be just as happy to assist fat capitalist pigs, by way of hindering competition, in exchange for wealth of various forms and promises of position alongside them. It seems to me that violent third-parties, governments, are a bigger threat to the life, liberty, and property of workers than are fat capitalist pigs. But since workers were raised in government indoctrination centers, schools, they’ve been conditioned not to notice.  That’s too bad, and today’s two cents.

Post by Skyler J. Collins (Editor).

Editor’s Break 097 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: the relationship between veganism and anarchism; keeping your voluntaryist card while being involved in politics; the desire to live in a communist or socialist society; and more.

Listen to Editor’s Break 097 (27m, mp3, 64kbps)

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