Libertopia 2011 Welcome and Speech - Stefan Molyneux of Freedomain Radio! (short)

[HamOnCan]

you sure the fairyes aint coming? I am by the way wait. . no man, I ride the wind, eye sayl the waves of laughter and be light, be love be as youth. . our job to retreat and let youth, flower in the pams of our hand. . no. . its about never sullying ourchids with the shadows of our past. 

[RoboBagons]

Why are these types of people not in politics? Presidents? Nowhere, BC that is not the goal of those people. They are puppets, not thinkers.

[jabbertheferb]

when you look at the people running our system you have to marvel at the sheer averageness of their delivery in comparison to stefan, The thing is, its easy to speak the truth, which Stefan so eloquently does,Would I love to see a political debate betweenStefan and the bankers puppets or government ministers as they call themselves, just purely to see how they could defend force as a tool for reason. good on you stefan.. just don't get shot..or have any accidents ..

[AgentGhost]

Changing personal circumstances is not the same as creating social change.

[wwwCCCMediacom]

I thing glen needs a nipple...

[themirrormedia]

I have a question, Stefan. Whats the reasoning behind the extension of property rights to land and natural resources, like water and oil. It doesn't seem right, at least to me, to claim ownership over such things. Thanks for your time.

[erbeeflower]

Yes mate,you are getting through.

[CheekyMonkey888]

The men of power don't move society, they wait / create disturbances, then guide

[goldengyrl2010]

This guy is right. They (politicians and the church) kept telling MLK it was the wrong time for blacks to be free. The master never wants to free the slave--duh.

[ifreemantoo]

@goldengyrl2010 MLK couldn't have done what he did before the Civil War or Television. He would have been murdered long before he became a problem to the status quo. In fact if discrimination existed today, his only outlet for his cause may only be the internet.

[goldengyrl2010]

@ifreemantoo discrimination does exist today--they just don't put signs up to make it obvious.

[ifreemantoo]

@goldengyrl2010 Oh I agree discrimination and slavery exist today in the good old uS of A. While it seems that slavery was abolished, in reality the common form of slavery that day was only abolished. Slavery under the 14th Amendment pretty much made everyone a slave or citizen; slave of the state. MLK experienced discrimination in a far harsher way than anyone experiences today. The biggest discrimination are those that work for the state and those that do not. But you missed my point anyway.

[stuntbaby63]

The will of a man holding a gun will overpower the will of a man holding buttercups.

Violence is not inherent in the system. It's inherent in the human race.

And what is it with the word "change"? Stef fixates on it like an old geezer in soiled diapers.

His call to action (i.e. his call to annoy people with Utopian fantasies culled from John Lennon lyrics) encourages evil people to advance violently as it encourages good people to retreat peacefully. Yowza!

I like him, though!

[stuntbaby63]

As always, Stef, your skills are impressive. But can you please rectify a glaring contradiction? On one hand you decry those who "make things happen against "The Will Of The People". But on the other hand you decry those who say, "I represent 'The Will Of The People' and therefore you can't go against me." So it's okay for YOU to define and represent "The Will Of The People" but it's not okay for our elected officials to do that? It's ridiculous and presumptuous of you to say such things.

[MRSketch09]

Wow, great speech stef! :) I admire you in a way.

[nanciqwerty]

Stef! What have we told you?........ Don't feed the trolls.

[BroBroDude]

"Walmart sells cheaper products made with slaved labor and augmented by wildly polluting the environment, but they're still here in spite of the harm their capitalism causes"

lol guy confuses capitalism and state corporatism, expects to be taken serious

[Moragauth]

@BroBroDude He's making things up, anyway.

[glennd7962]

Note to Baldy: I'll debate you anywhere, any time. Your ideas are nonsense and need to be debunked. Take up the challenge if you dare. 

[stefbot]

@glennd7962 Thanks for the offer Glenn, but for me, your ad homs, arguments from authority and name calling don't really entice me to want to share an exploration of truth with you. Best wishes, Stef

[glennd7962]

@stefbot Lol, what a joke. I call you Baldy to take you down a notch - your breathless presentation of ideas that you misrepresent, with such a presumptuous tone invites such denigration. I'm well capable of arguing on the merits - and have done so here many times. Moreover, you encourage this cult of personality which - if you are as smart as you think you are - you should know is anti-intellectual and dangerous. (cont'd)

[glennd7962]

@glennd7962 (Cont'd) Moreover, you called into question my psychological health in previous exchanges, so you have sunk to the level you criticize me of, so you have no high road to hold yourself up to. I will debate you without one ad hominem attack - I promise. As for me citing Hayek and you calling it an argument from authority, that is a joke, a straw man and a red herring, all rolled into one fallacious argument. However, you are right in one regard. (cont'd)

[glennd7962]

@glennd7962 (cont'd) Hayek talked about people like you and me, calling us 'second hand dealers' in ideas. I think that's true, and hence why I'm so careful to understand their ideas before presuming that I have some unique, valid insight. You seem to have no such governor on your thinking. In truth, I think you have the best of intentions, but are seriously misguided, and you overstate your case continuously. I can show that with fact, reason and better thinkers. Ready? I dare you!!!

[LeksServices]

@stefbot - your exploration of truth ignores bunches of evidence that shows that you're wrong. Walmart sells cheaper products made with slaved labor and augmented by wildly polluting the environment, but they're still here in spite of the harm their capitalism causes. Landlords are granted the power of governments by your own admission, but you don't want to call that a switch to dictatorship somehow, and claim that landlords lose their property rights, instead. Your whole idea is bad.

[Moragauth]

@LeksServices What are "bunches" of ecidence? What "slaved" labour is this? How is the environment "polluted" and whose fault is it? What "power" do landlords have? How is it a dictatorship?

[LeksServices]

@stefbot - If you really want to convince ME your ideas are good, call The Atheist Experience and talk to Matt Dillahunty about it. Better yet, arrange a formal debate with him. Let's see who ends up with egg on their face. I'm pretty sure it will be you, as we all know Matt will ask you the tough questions none of your sycophants ever will.

[Moragauth]

@LeksServices I'm pretty sure it'll be you ending up with cum on your face.

[Moragauth]

@Moragauth BTW, he's faced some pretty tough critics and come out well. So please, get over yourself, get over your Matt Dillahunty and put your little bitchy attitude where it belongs.

[TheCapitalistdog]

@LeksServices

I don't know why you feel the need to be so hostile towards Stefan, but I for one would absolutely love to see a conversation between Stefan and Matt from the Atheist Experience. I respect both of them.

I've actually never heard Matt comment on politics so I can't comment on his philosophy in that regard, but I do enjoy the way he deals with religious arguments on his show socratically and think he would be a great person to have an intelligent debate and exchange of ideas with

[BrettMagnetic]

@glennd7962

Debating doesn't make you right.

[gabrielcrimson]

@glennd7962 instead of being a tool make your own vlogs that give you a little credit rather than coming across as a douchebag.

[Moragauth]

@glennd7962 Note to asshole: everything you said applies to yourself. Invest in a mirror or an echo chamber.

[glennd7962]

I don't know why I bother arguing with the trained seals who slap their flippers together every time Baldy utter something. You aren't persuaded by reason and don't even understand the foundation of the very political philosophy you claim to be dedicated to. Know this - being an anarchist means you stand for nothing, no system, no institutions, no rights for individuals - nothing. It's axiomatic, and if you don't understand why that's true, go read some books. don't argue with me.

[ott0Kitam]

@glennd7962 i havent read all the right books, but common sense would indicate that force would be best used as a last resort, rather than a first response approach to problem solving. so the ideas and message that stef puts out seem more conducive to positive social change rather than wtf goes on with the world of politics. but again i havent read millions of books, so what do i know. maybe it is better to just have one group of people lay a claim over others and dictate all affairs

[glennd7962]

@ott0Kitam Exactly, so admit you don't know shit about what you talk about other than what you find on Lew Rockwell or here. I do and can question Stefan readily about his ideas, and have a strong epistemology in political thought to draw on for that criticism. Bottom line, you don't even belong in this argument and you don't know it. Do yourself a favor, stop posting and playing on the internet and go read some of these original thinkers like Hayek and Mises,

[jeffiek]

@glennd7962 "..a strong epistemology in political thought to draw on ..."

And a strong talent for keeping it hidden.

[glennd7962]

BS Alert: If you think that Molyneux's 'philosophy' is supported by the greatest libertarian thinkers such as Hayek or Mises, you are wrong. Both were critical of anarchy. Much of Molyneux's rhetoric is based on the 'inevitability' hypothesis of state growth. Hayek directly disagreed with this, instead seeing lack of principled policy as the cause of government growth. If you understand this, then everything else Molyneux says falls apart. He's misleading you, folks, whether he knows it or not.

[Sivels]

@glennd7962 you're an idiot. He said he's not smarter than all these people >who tried to find ways to limit the state< and all failed so miserably so therefore he claims that it's simply not possible.

[glennd7962]

@Sivels But of course, your statement isn't true. States have waxed and waned, been defeated without a shot being fired, overthrown by revolution, been downsized and rolled back. If you knew anything of history, or accessed real scholarship on this topic you would know this. Just look at the USSR or China for recent or just China for a 4000+ yr history of state expansion and contraction. It's this combination of arrogance and ignorance that makes people like you insufferable.

[Sivels]

@glennd7962 Again, you clearly did not watch the speech, noone has argued that the collapse of the state will turn into a Libertopia. Let me guess, you're a troll?

[furyofbongos]

@glennd7962 - Then Hayek and Mises believed that good can come from the initiation of violence. Can you give me an example of this?

[glennd7962]

@furyofbongos Listen, your sophomoric reasoning isn't worth paying attention to. Hayek talks extensively about the need for PRINCIPLED development of policy (in the Fatal Conceit), as well as the 'magical thinking' of Natural Rights Theorist who supposed (without any evidence or science) that 'orders' will emerge that protect individual rights. That you don't understand the complexity of these ideas is BECAUSE you are listening to Molyneux. Hayek rejected anarchy - argue with him, not me.

[furyofbongos]

@glennd7962 - "Principled" violence? What is your principle? The principle of "it's OK to initiate violence as long as we keep it limited and can convince others that it is good"? State your principle.

[glennd7962]

@furyofbongos I'm not even in the argument your having, perhaps you didn't notice. Of course, if you studied the basics of ethics and morality, you would know that undertaking violence can be the most moral choice in certain circumstances. Anyone actually in an argument about the morality of the use of violence would know that there are of course situations where the use of violence is the most moral course. If you don't understand that, I'm not going to bother with you.

[SlipAllCityToy]

@glennd7962

Hey glenn, what do you think about vlogging?

How about dedicating some time doing some videos where you can discuss your philosophy and principles and then take criticism on your work, maybe it would be more easy to take you seriously.

Because name-calling and commenting on videos is just that, name-calling and commenting.

[zazack79]

Why the problem aiming a camera? Why record audio from the speakers?

[19CJohnson]

I don't think the problem is the philosophy, willpower, or morality. The problem lies within the implementation.

[Panpiper]

Yes, probably better to keep the video specific to the point rather than padded with five minutes of stuff only Stefan fans want to watch. ;-)

[AforAnarcho]

"Sometimes history needs a push."

-V.I Lenin

[ComicPenius]

@AforAnarcho I am the Walrus.

[ostralopithicus]

This is perhaps your most brilliant speech yet. Thank you for your hard effort -- YOUR WILL -- to help your fellow man.

[TinyPinkTampon]

no am 1st

[PurpleHoneyBear]

Very well argued, Stefan. This has got me thinking.

[alexkillsdie]

first!!! love you stefan!!!