Dennis Hackethal’s Blog
My blog about philosophy, coding, and anything else that interests me.
Tweets
An archive of my tweets and retweets through . They may be formatted slightly differently than on Twitter. API access has since gotten prohibitively expensive – I don't know whether or when I'll be able to update this archive.
But in case I will, you can subscribe via RSS – without a Twitter account. Rationale
NPR space about the court’s decision
Of the three first questions, two were about gay and trans rights
I disagree with the court’s decision but at least now women know what it’s like to have one’s space invaded
twitter.com/i/spaces/1ZkJz…
Biden said he’s “stunned” about the court’s decision
Decades of being a politician and he still doesn’t understand the opponent’s side
He revealed how incompetent he is without realizing it
Now that Biden has instructed protesters to remain peaceful just as Trump did before Jan 6, is he going to get banned from Twitter just as Trump was?
If nature were your mother there wouldn’t be any viruses to begin with.
RT @SJobs_Stories:
“We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with…
RT @michaelmalice:
Not one person who claimed that striking down the airline mask mandate would lead to mass deaths has acknowledged they w…
RT @SJobs_Stories:
“And what happens if you think of a great idea six months from now? You can’t run around and add a button to these thing…
RT @PrisonPlanet:
Nothing says ‘oppressed’ and ‘marginalized’ like your flag lining half a mile of a major capital city street. https://t.c…
RT @mrjasonchoi:
I was today years old when I found out Cloudflare has a wall full of lava lamps they feed into a camera as a way to genera…
RT @DonaldJTrumpJr:
Nothing says really really ridiculously serious like photo-ops with Hollywood celebs. Did we guarantee a lot of these a…
(Potential) Errors in The Beginning of Infinity: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/potentia…
RT @michaelmalice:
Shout out to all the people who decided to lose weight in order to get healthier
Hang in there, it’s tough but worth it…
This account is a ridiculous propaganda account and should be marked as such. twitter.com/WhiteHouse/sta…
RT @ainyrockstar:
Freibad in Berlin. Wer als deutscher Mann oder Frau geht da noch freiwillig hin? Das ist die Verdrängung der Deutschen au…
@dankoman30 @BubblyAstronut @engineers_feed
yea, reading “[m]uscle weighs more than fat” i automatically complete that to ‘the same volume of muscle…’
doesn’t everyone??
That it is not possible or desirable to live without government.
(Though I disagree that about the “clearly” part.) twitter.com/engineers_feed…
@BTC_SNEK
Many people like some degree of violence. They like some authority. As long as it’s used in their favor.
@BTC_SNEK
These are great questions. I believe the most important to be your first one:
The problem as I see it is how to get to a free society given that most are subservient to the State.
@jchalupa_ @MatMcGann @bnielson01 @BTC_SNEK @DoqxaScott
blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/popper-s…
If you want to comment, do it on my blog, not here
Popper’s Criterion Is Insufficient: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/popper-s…
Keine gute Idee: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/death-se…
Die deutsche Politik stellt eine viel größere Gefahr für die deutsche Bevölkerung dar als Putin twitter.com/reitschuster/s…
“What is an adult scientist but a kid who’s never lost the curiosity.” twitter.com/Sam_kuyp/statu…
RT @antonydavies:
Price controls don’t fight inflation. They transform inflation into shortages.
Government fucks up
Let’s blame it on capitalism twitter.com/deanjnorris/st…
RT @JackPosobiec:
BREAKING: Leaked internal Twitter chat shows employees discussing banning @libsoftiktok after ‘we successfully deplatform…
RT @AlexEpstein:
“Arctic expert predicts final collapse of sea ice within four years” - @guardian, 2012
RT @johnrich:
If a bad guy breaches my home he’s likely carrying a semi-auto pistol/rifle. I, as the father and protector of my family have…
@MagnetThatcher @jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @DavidDeutschOxf
yes. Also, we can start with the most recent policies, they can’t have that many dependencies yet
Then work your way backwards
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
I may have linked to this before but it has some of my thoughts on the issue: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/a-progra…
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
The issue of how to get from here to there is incredibly complex and not to be underestimated
Again, I don’t have all the answers
But I value freedom enough to know it’s worth a try
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
you need politicians that understand their role in reducing their own office
i don’t have all the answers; once you start with the implementation, unforeseen problems appear anyway. all i know is freedom is worth a try.
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
hard to predict without ending up prophesying
but yes interim solutions may well be hybrid ones shared by state and free market
state should sell off as much as it can as quickly as it can, but always in a reversible fashion
@aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
yes. phase out taxes. pass legislation that slowly reduces them, and the size of government, to zero, by replacing forced services with voluntary ones.
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
correction: people think that of most positions they hold, not all. sometimes people consider an idea refuted but they have to hold on to it until they find an adequate replacement. also ppl can lie to themselves about why they hold an idea; part of them knows it’s false.
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
daniel criticized the claim that taxation is theft by saying it’s like claiming “the position im persuaded of is correct”. but fallibly that’s what everyone always thinks of any position they hold anyway. even if they grant they might be wrong they tentatively believe to be right
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
i’m claiming, fallibly, that taxation is theft, just like one might with rape and violence
giving additional examples isn’t circular
@DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
one could make the same ‘argument’ about the negation: ‘taxation is not theft’
saying it is is declaring dissatisfaction with having one’s earnings taken away
very useful
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
sounds to me like you’re ignoring my arguments to arrive at your conclusion again
‘forcibly having sex with a woman causes her trauma, prevents her from being creative and productive, etc… all good points. no need for “rape”’
just call the thing ‘rape’ you coward
@ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
we can speak the truth, accidentally, without ever knowing (i think we often do speak it)
lying is not only being intentionally dishonest
@DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
‘Taxation is theft’ is a terrible argument because its functionally equivalent to ‘the position im persuaded of is correct’
no it isn’t, at least no more than fallibly. do ‘rape is violence’
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
to use a different, imo simpler example, if everyone’s balance in their bank account doubled over night, ~nothing would change in terms of purchasing power
we’re in agreement on that
yet we’re not in agreement on the effect of taxes on purchasing power
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
the government does also spend money less effectively, no doubt
but you’re not engaging with the arguments i’ve made. i’ve said more than that
@ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
nobody is speaking of utopia
i don’t know what repeating boi 101s you know i know adds to the conversation
lying about political coercion prevents “striving imperfectly to meet partially understood ideals”
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
but would have been able to afford if the govt didn’t force everyone to spend money in ways they wouldn’t normally.
it leads to all kinds of distortions and fuckups
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
even if other goods are equally cheaper, it still means i may not be able to afford those pricier goods
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
but that’s the thing, not all of society makes 15% less because of taxes. some make a lot less, some aren’t affected at all
there’s also what i’ve said about money flowing in ways it otherwise wouldn’t, so some goods and services will be pricier than they otherwise would be
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
btw the wealthy pay the vast, vast majority of taxes, not just “a few percent more”. that’s a misleading statement because “a few percent” of a much larger amount is a lot
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
that’s a misquote
regardless, how is it wrong?
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
that’s not to mention that looking at whether and how much everyone else is taxed reveals you still have the collectivist bug
if you cared about individual property rights, you’d consider a single instance of theft from a single individual an injustice, no matter the amount
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
why do you keep laughing at my tweets?
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
also, due to taxes, money is flowing in ways it otherwise wouldn’t (or else no coercion would be necessary in the first place), so lots of people are worse off
example: i’d like to buy product x, and i could if i weren’t taxed, but i can’t because i am
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
Taxation is not measurably impacting your quality of life.
Assuming this is about: twitter.com/IamtheWay13/st…
I had already refuted that here: twitter.com/dchackethal/st…
@ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
i don’t think betraying the victims of the state by refusing to speak the truth about what happens to them, as coulter refuses to, meets either of those criteria
it fact, it’s counter to the spirit of the second one
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
have you read the article i sent
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
arguments against thieves are not ethical attacks
they’re defenses
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
again, additional ethical considerations may persuade some people more than focusing on coercion alone
problems are soluble. find a way to persuade without accommodating evil. you don’t need to compromise
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
i’ll also add that it’s generally a lot harder to gauge how people will react than one might think. you can’t induce that from past experience
you seem much more concerned with what people think about the claim ‘taxation is theft’ than what the truth of the matter is
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
This tweet of yours implies you see some value in going beyond that: twitter.com/IamtheWay13/st…
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
~everyone is psychologically innocent, recognizing this fact doesn’t really help us along
if you refuse to speak of evil as evil, you’re accommodating it. don’t compromise with evil:
courses.aynrand.org/works/how-does…
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
and today we realize how disgustingly wrong apologists were back then, do we not?
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
adding additional ethical considerations on top of the concept of coercion doesn’t mean you’re insulting or accusing
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
Taxation is coercion and that’s ALL we need to establish what’s wrong with it.
Plenty of pessimists cannot imagine a world without coercion, think it’s necessary or even good. Adding the ethical considerations may well help convince them they’re wrong.
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
Imagine someone arguing about slavery the way you argue about taxation. ‘Let’s just call it coercion, anything else is too ethically loaded’ – bonkers
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
We don’t need the ethical implications carried by words like theft and stealing. It adds nothing more qualitative to the discussion.
These are the words of a violence apologist. If taxation actually bothered you, you’d criticize it with full force.
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
But theft and stealing smuggle in clear colloquial notions of being overtly and intentionally unethical.
And coercion alone does not?
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
yes. again, we agree that we don’t need the word ‘theft’. what i’m not sure is whether you agree that theft – or whatever we wish to call it – is disgusting
can you please answer what the cultural baggage is
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
my position does not depend on the word ‘theft’
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
the position that taxation is theft isn’t about words.
it’s just about the fact that property shouldn’t be stolen, by the government or anyone else. use whatever words you like.
what’s the “cultural baggage” btw?
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
we already agree with the popperian notion that definitions aren’t all that
what i mean is that if the law referred to the “illegal taking of another’s money” it would be circular, and so no, to answer your question, i would not happily agree that taxation isn’t theft
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
referred to by the law
codified by law
look-uppable in texts that are law
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
by “definition” you mean legal definition?
Sleepwalkers’ behavior is often nonsensical. Like the guy pouring milk into the sink instead of the bowl he just fetched. If he were conscious, he wouldn’t do that, would he? (All else being equal, eg he’s not mentally ill)
How can we distinguish between that and the claim “They form no memories of their experiences while sleepwalking”?
I wondered that too. My tentative answer is:
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
it’s not that it’s a definition
it’s that the law carries some weight here
the law is one of the institutions financed by blood money after all
yea or there’s just mindless updating of parameters/information
it’s not learning in the popperian sense of an evolutionary process of conjectures and refutations
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
fwiw ‘taxation is theft’ meets the legal definition well: law.cornell.edu/wex/theft
let me preemptively state that other intents such as ‘helping the poor’ do not collide with it
note also that the legal definition of ‘theft’ says nothing about reduction of quality of life
@IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
i haven’t read the entire thread but:
not everyone is taxed the same (not that it would make things better if they were)
also you went from ‘reducing wealth’ to ‘reducing relative wealth’
@stevegaines @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf
yes, it’s controversial
RT @MurraySuggests:
Once one concedes that a single world government isn’t necessary, then where does one logically stop at the permissibil…
RT @RonPaul:
Every excuse in the book is given for inflation. But inflation has a single source –> The Fed and the immoral fractional-rese…
Du kannst vermutlich eine Petition starten oder klagen.
RT @Stift_und_Bogen:
“Der Mann ist in Not, dem helfe ich.” Marie #Burde (* 1892 (#otd), † 1963) lebt im Wedding in bitterer Armut, verkauft…
@ks445599 @mgoldingmd @ChristleNwora
For ice cream or in general?
Attenborough’s specious ideas may have done more damage to the world than the rest of the BBC combined. twitter.com/Andr3jH/status…
Remind protesters that Kavanaugh helped bring the Lewinsky-Clinton affair to light, which was arguably #metoo before there was #metoo. twitter.com/LibertyLockPod…
RT @MinistryofTru16:
They are eating their own and it is glorious.
On the importance of making reversible changes. twitter.com/KyleKashuv/sta…
Yet if you x-rayed the minds of adults, you’d find millions of unexamined copies of “Taste is subjective.”
Yes, because ideas replicate inside one’s mind: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/the-neo-…
RT @Cicero_PW:
Ich bin für den Genderstern.
Er ist ein geeignetes und hinreichendes Signal,
einen Text nicht weiterlesen zu müssen.
gitpretty.com (mine) if you feel like trying something different