No, if you're unwilling to even try to convince me your system is better, its marvelously irrelevant.

I don't need to convince you to adopt my system of the rule of law. You, de facto, do. I just have to sit back and grin. :)

Since you guys seem allergic to convincing me I'm wrong, I went out and convinced myself. I now believe in what I call socialist minarchism. It's like normal minarchism (i.e. what Ghost believes) but it's socialist instead of capitalist.

@CM - I have to admit you pick topics and state your position in a way that always makes me feel that I need to respond. The sad fact is that I always end up thinking it was not worth it.

You always take absurd positions and even when totally cornered you'd say something like "Well, I never said I was sure. It was just a theory. Plus..." and then keep on arguing about the same principle, just a different use-case, sometimes even just different wording.

The problem with this is not whether the theories you defend are stupid (which they mostly are - as in the case of anarchy) - but that with time they will get more and more absurd and irrelevant. Because you seem incapable of taking back any feedback and acknowledging a probable mistake in the way you think. You are ready to change your ideas and back off - but it's never the end of the war, just another tactical battle. This is not clever or smart. This only makes you feel important and wise, because you always come up on top by never admitting defeat and wearing down the others with endless circular references. The sad fact is your desire to never be wrong and always be smart and strange (someone said pose - a lot of truth in this) is not healthy at all, and you have to realize this and stop being a wise-ass. Too early of this in your life.

You see, this is an internet forum where people are eager to argue and explain and prove things (by nature of the game) - but you cannot expect people in real life to be like this - no one will bother to deal with you if you act like this. You wouldn't want to deal with someone like this yourself.

And, finally, keep in mind that there're a lot of people here who can explain you many things in ways you don't really want them explained. Everyone can be an unreasonable prick :P

P.S. I'm not sure whether I should watch my back or wait for you to turn the other cheek now :)

@Ivo: See above post. I am no longer an anarchist.

@CM - You're obviously going to keep repeating the same old crap over and over again and refuse to accept that the burden of proof lies with you when you dream up wacky shit, so I have to ask - what is your goal? You're doing a piss poor job of doing anything but looking ignorant.

and why do you feel this obsessive need to label yourself?

From anarchist to mutualist to socialist minarchist all in a day. When you actually understand a given societal structure and believe it is truly the best out there, get back to me. Until then you are a little kid (unable to ride a bike, I'm thinking you could be all of 10) who doesn't knwo what he is and is grasping at words hoping one of them will stick.

CM - see my above post. I gave an example so don't say we're allergic :)

However, Ivo does have a point. In all the threads I've read with you in them, never once have you really accepted that your ideas are wrong. Even here you've just changed the name and I expect we'll see similar thread topics in the future. I'm a little bit of a wise-ass myself, but I can admit when I'm totally wrong.

P.S. how is it possible that you've stopped believing in anarchy anf become a firm believer in a new theory in less than 2 hours? How did you even have time to do sufficient research?

@Draug. I just decided that I'm an opera singer. And that I have a twelve inch wang

Stratagos:

I think he has simply read more political thought than he's been able to digest yet.

Despite my rather caustic manner, I've been engaging him hoping to prod him into actually thinking about these things for more than a day or two. I think the kid has a decent mind, but he's got a lot of work and thought before that mind is going to generate any interesting new ideas.

I for one want to make sure you understand this, CM. I only debate people, even caustically, if I think they're worth the effort. You may or may not notice, but dingleberries like TMW, I'll give them maybe a reply or two, but I don't bother much more than that. I've been hard on you because you need to break past the juvenile "thought" process and start to use that head of yours in a meaningful way.

Its not going to happen today, and its not going to happen tomorrow, but I have a fair bit of confidence it'll happen someday. Mostly because I know it took me about ten years of thinking and experience before I was able to do that same thing.

Good luck.

Fuck that, my johnson's 15 inches long and as big around as an eggplant at the fat end! I just decided it. Oh, and I'm a F1 driver now with a perfect record for the last 8 seasons, having podiumed in every race I've ever benn in.

@Jack +1

@Draugnar: I would have to be one fucking smart 10-year old to play diplomacy semi-successfully against adults. I'm 15, about to turn 16.

@Stratagos: What part of "I'm not an anarchist anymore" don't you understand?

@Jack: Same as what I said to Stratagos.

@ CM: Please explain how it is possible to be socialist AND minarchist at the same time?

On second thought, don't bother. I, like everyone else it seems, am getting tired of reading your drivel.

The same way it is possible to socialist and anarchist at the same time.

CM: Go read more. And then think about it. Think about it for a while. And then think some more, and read some more, and experience more.

And then experience a bit more.

I'll even help with the reading part. "The Human Condition" by Hannah Arendt. Particularly the parts contrasting *action* with *ruling*. You might appreciate the American Republic more after this.

I said don't bother.

"On second thought, don't bother. I, like everyone else it seems, am getting tired of reading your drivel." WHAT THE FUCK MORE DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME!!!!
I have admitted I was wrong about anarchy. I have switched to what I believe is a less contoversial political philosophy. So I ask again, what more do you want from me?

@Jack: I am NOT an anarchist anymore. Do you understand that?

@CM - I know plenty of smart 10 year olds out there, and a win+draw of just 24% and a total defeat of 50% is hardly "semi-successful", but I won't push that issue as success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

So, you live in America, I assume. If so, most states will allow you to get a lerner's permit at 15 and a half so you can go take the road test on your 16th birthday.

But seriously, research a variety of societal types, understand them throuroughly, then pick one you think boht works and fits your moral compass and we'll talk more.

Also, find your moral compass. Your beliefs right now are influenced by your parents and the people around you. It's the nature of peer pressure at your age and there isn't anything you can do about it, except live your life and search for your own answers.

I understand that. You're now a "socialist minarchist". Why do you feel a need to label yourself?

@Draugnar: 90% of my defeats were when I had first joined, and was still learning about diplomacy.

@Stratagos: I feel that I'm nobody if I don't have a label for myself.

@CM - That is peer pressure talking. You don't need a label to be yourself. Decide who you are by your moral compass, not what others will call you, and stand by your decisions until someone shows you a better way, then reflect and accept the better way.

Always be open to new ideas and don't be stubborn in your defense of your existing ones. Enlightenment and knowledge comes with acceptance of ideas and serious considerations of the possibilities they present, both good and bad. Don't just jump on a band wagon because someone else is there already, and don't dismiss what already is just because you find flaws in it. Look to change it from within.

CM: I, like most people, don't give a rats ass about what label you call yourself. Particularly a label you changed just a half hour ago.

I'm trying to prod you towards genuine thinking, but you seem to be interested in scoring points or something. Your self-described label doesn't change anything. You're still the same person you were before when you called yourself an anarchist.

Fuck labels. Be a person. Learn more. Think about what you've learned.

You guys genuinely convinced me that anarchy is stupid, and now you're calling me stupid for changing my philosophy. What more do you want from me?

"I, like most people, don't give a rats ass about what label you call yourself." You seemed to care when I called myself an anarchist.

@CM - we didn't care about the label. We cared about your point of view and why you felt/believed that way. Especially as you were taking to generally diametrically opposed points of view and pushing them into that one label and insisting that God was an anarchist. There both Christians and athiests a plenty on here, but the one thing I think we generally agree on is that God is the exact opposite of an anarchist. If anything, He is a monarchist with Him as king in the OT.

Anarchy is defined by me as lack of government here on earth. In that way, I feel God is an anarchist/minarchist. Once He comes we'll have to follow him of course, but for now I think he wants at least minarchy.