Wendy McElroy Anarchy Page

Wendy McElroy debates Jessica Valenti at Brown University on "Rape Culture" Note: Valenti threatened legal action if the video of her half of the debate was not deleted by Brown University. The full video has since been posted by others. McElroy's opening statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3_ty5jKkX0 Full debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBsk1WzEdCA Transcript of Wendy's full statement: Thank you and good evening How many of you came tonight knowing exactly who I am and thinking you know exactly what I'm going to say? I'm an individualist feminist which is a tradition within feminism that you may not be familiar with/ It's also called libertarian feminism....

By Wendy McElroy Vote50 14

Originally published at the Dollar Vigilante. There is an active commentary thread at the end and I respond to posts. “Bellwether” is an archaic word for a sheep with a bell around its neck that leads a flock. It now refers to an indicator or predictor of a trend. Bellwether was the word in my mind as I finally reviewed a study that, in the words of one reporter, has “gone viral.” The study masquerades as a voice for “the people”' in reality, it serves the interests of the politically elite. It says exactly what those in power wish to...

By Wendy McElroy Vote7 4

Non-cooperation is most often associated with social movements but it can function on the individual level to preserve personal freedom. A person is as free as his ability to say “no.” But criminals who would compel compliance often respond with punishment backed up by force. It is far from clear how an individual should react to the threat of force because circumstances vary from person to person. A bachelor might be willing to say “no” and be imprisoned for doing so; a family man might not be willing to deprive his children of his income. For the family man, a...

By Wendy McElroy Vote24 6

Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received—hatred. --Ayn Rand,“The Soul of an Individualist,” For the New Intellectual You cannot create passion and talent. But you can destroy them. When people are punished for their virtues, such as the drive to excel and to work hard, then passion and talent become liabilities. Sometimes people persist for the sheer joy of creation, for...

By Wendy McElroy Vote17 4

My regular Thursday column for the Daily Bell has been posted Beware of Kafkatrapping! There is already an active discussion thread at the end of the article, and I respond to posts. Click here to browse or join in. The term “kafkatrapping” describes a logical fallacy that is popular within gender feminism, racial politics and other ideologies of victimhood. It occurs when you are accused of a thought crime such as sexism, racism or homophobia. You respond with an honest denial which is then used as further confirmation of your guilt. You are now trapped in a circular and unfalsifiable...

By Wendy McElroy Vote30 9

This article was originally published at the highly recommended Future of Freedom site. To access the original with its many embedded links to sources, please click here. In June, President Obama made a video announcement at the Our Ocean 2014 Conference, sponsored by the Department of State. He declared, “Like Presidents Clinton and Bush before me, I’m going to use my authority as President to protect some of our most precious marine landscapes just as we do for our mountains and rivers and forests.… [T]he United States is leading the fight to protect the world’s oceans.” The statement foreshadowed a...

By Wendy McElroy Vote11 2

Nothing is less passive than the act of fleeing, of exiting. Do not resist, do not attempt to take over power. Walk away.

By Wendy McElroy Vote16 8

In the sixth century BC, the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu identified the world's biggest problem. Individuals viewed themselves as powerless.

By Wendy McElroy Vote13 4

In the early 19th century, the American anti-slavery movement called abolitionism made an intriguing argument. Without denying or diminishing the horror of being a slave, abolitionists claimed that the slave owner was also a victim because owning another person coarsened his soul and dehumanized his character. This abolitionist argument was not an expression of concern for the slave owner but a statement of reality. A man could not wield raw, brutal power over another without killing within himself the best of human qualities, such as compassion, empathy, generosity and goodwill. The classical liberal Lord Acton famously stated, "Power tends to...

By Wendy McElroy Vote14 5

The state is not inevitable. The state constitutes the chains binding men and denying their freedom. That freedom lives in one word – the ability to say”no.” When that word can be spoken without fear, then a far more important one can occur throughout society – “yes.”

By Wendy McElroy Vote6 1

First published at the Daily Bell. To access the original article and browse this recommended site, please click here. John Galt is the protagonist of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged and expresses her vision of the ideal man. The title of this article flashed at me during a discussion with a fellow who argued adamantly against idealism. He wanted it stamped out of libertarianism because harping on ideals impeded "the art of the possible." Apparently being "too" radical (by some standard) only alienated reasonable people. I argued: Anyone who advocates a society that is remarkably different than what exists is...

By Wendy McElroy Vote11 2

On May 7, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) posted a notice on the government's Federal Business Opportunities site in order to solicit bids on an undisclosed number of submachine guns. There is a simple reason why. It has to do with the USDA's longstanding association with the Bureau of Land Management that recently conflicted with Cliven Bundy.

By Wendy McElroy Vote20 5

On May 12, the United States Senate fell 5 votes short of the 60 required to invoke cloture. (Cloture is a way to close debate and cause an immediate vote on a bill.) The measure in question was the first energy bill to have hit that chamber since 2007. It was killed by the Keystone XL Pipeline project which would funnel Canadian crude oil from Alberta down to Texas refineries. Republicans wanted to add an amendment to approve the project. Democrats wanted a stand-alone vote on it; with Democrats in the clear majority in the Senate, the project would have...

By Wendy McElroy Vote11 5

The Department of Justice (DOJ) program is called Operation Choke Point. The choke point is America's payment infrastructure through which an estimated $5 trillion in consumer purchases flow each year; more than eight million merchants use it to process credit and debit card payments. The DOJ is targeting banks and payment companies, such as PayPal, with a tsunami of subpoenas and other expensive legal demands. The demands go away if the institutions refuse to do business with people whose activities are deemed "objectionable" although they are legal. The DOJ is imposing its own moral criteria on who can participate in...

By Wendy McElroy Vote13 6

Originally published on the Future of Freedom Foundation site. Please access original here to use the many embedded links to source material. Great attention has been focused on the exorbitant cost of the tax-funded pensions and other employee benefits of public-service unions. But the public costs of granting state-backed privileges to other, non-public-service unions are less visible, because they often occur on a local rather than a state or national level. One source of these costs is called a “Project Labor Agreement” (PLA) or a “Community Workforce Agreement.” This is an agreement by which an employer or organization commits to...

By Wendy McElroy Vote2 0

My regular column for the Daily Bell has just appeared. There is a commentary thread at the end and I respond. - See more at: http://www.thedailybell.com/editorials/35284/Wendy-McElroy-The-Most-Influential-Man-You-Havent-Heard-Of/#sthash.PzKNPFIB.dpuf One man has answered the question, "How much does it cost to buy the U.S. Senate?" The price tag and his name came to light as the only plausible explanation for an otherwise inexplicable event. Two months ago, an even more bizarre spectacle than usual took place on the Senate floor. From the evening of March 10th through to the next morning, about 30 Democratic senators held a 14-hour+ speechathon. The event was billed...

By Wendy McElroy Vote9 0

The discussion of how the free market would provide security from aggression by criminals or an invading group has deep and venerable roots. The Belgian-born classical liberal, Gustave de Molinari (1819-1912), respected the free market so deeply that colleagues called him "the law of supply and demand made into man." Although he was highly praised in his day, Molinari has fallen into comparative obscurity. His legacy should be retrieved because he raised a question that deserves serious consideration. Why is security a service that people believe is better provided by the state rather than by the free market? His answer:...

By Wendy McElroy Vote5 0

By Wendy McElroy Vote10 0

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and it will be used to promote a big lie — namely, that we live in a “rape culture.” The term “rape culture” was coined by politically correct (PC) feminists in the 1970s. It refers to attitudes, beliefs, and values that allegedly normalize sexual violence against women and encourage the act of rape by men. America is called a “rape culture” because sexual violence is deemed to be so pervasive that all women live in constant danger from all men. The violence or threat of it occurs on a continuum running from...

By Wendy McElroy Vote10 0

My Thursday column is at the Daily Bell and it is also reprinted below. There is an active discussion thread there and I hope you drop by and join in! I am active on the discussion forums here but I like to discuss articles on the sites where they are first published. To join in, please click here. According to the State Department's estimate (January 2013), approximately 6.8 million Americans live abroad. Many more "accidental Americans" live outside the U.S. In the future, both may confront a powerful new weapon wielded by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An "accidental American"...

By Wendy McElroy Vote6 0

Debate with Jessica Valenti on “Rape Culture.” Sep 7, 2015

Ask Not For Whom the Bellwether Tolls Aug 21, 2014

Non-Cooperation as a One-on-One Strategy Aug 20, 2014

Why the Lights of America are Dimming Aug 17, 2014

Beware of Kafkatrapping Aug 16, 2014

Obama Wants to Close the Oceans. Privatize Instead! Jul 27, 2014

Flee Rather Than Stand Your Ground Jul 27, 2014

The Power of the Powerless Jul 3, 2014

The Soul-Killing Effect of Owning Slaves and Some Feminism Jun 2, 2014

How to be an individualist anarchist May 27, 2014

If You Meet John Galt On The Road, Kill Him May 27, 2014

USDA NEEDS submachine guns. And here is why. May 20, 2014

Meet The Man Who Killed Keystone May 17, 2014

First They Came For The Porn Stars… May 15, 2014

The Union Devil Is in the Details May 10, 2014

The Most Influential Man You’ve Never Heard Of May 8, 2014

The Competitive Provision of Security Apr 20, 2014

A great meme about Obamacare Apr 20, 2014

The Big Lie of The “Rape Culture” Apr 18, 2014

The Next IRS Tactic vs. Expats and Accidental Americans? Apr 17, 2014