December 08, 2010

Procrastination

I wanted to try and understand why so many people stand by. Why they wait. Why they dither. I see no need for it. Life is far too short. Make a choice and live this one life standing straight and proud. But all the waiting, all the procrastination, by others, was weighing heavy on my mind.

So I watched this 30 minute video by Stefan Molyneux and I learnt a few things. What I didn't learn from the video I added to below. They are my thoughts so please don't go shouting at Stefan. You can shout at me all you like in the comments.

It goes to the heart of my two unsuccessful attempts to quit this blog. I am/was trying to get you, dear reader, to rebel. After all, most of you are fully aware that the government controls you, shapes your mind, directs your actions (or inactions), and helps itself to your money, yet most of you do nothing. It lies to you. Constantly. Yet you wait. You wait in the vain hope that they are going to improve things. No doubt they will. For themselves. You are a slave. You were farmed. You are nothing but a cash cow to them. Is it still surprising to you that they order you not to smoke, not to drink and not to eat the wrong things? They need you fit and healthy and producing cash for them. At first glance you think you get a good deal: roads, hospitals, schools, education, a police force, an army etc. But when you look closer, it isn't all that good, is it? The main road through my village is unusable today. Even without snow it isn't that great, and yet every year the government rakes in £40 billion via road fund licensing, but they spend less than £10 billion on repairs. (I understand hypothecation, before anyone reminds me. I am making a generalisation here). The hospitals? They kill 80,000 people a year through ignorance or ineptitude. The schools & education? Most schools are in a poor state and they seem to teach our kids less and less with each passing year. Our kids are as thick as mince. Google the education stats released yesterday. They are pathetic. The police? Just lately they have been showing us-live on telly!-just how little they think of us. They despise us. We are their enemy. We make trouble for their master and they will not abide that. So we die, we get hurt, and we get maimed. None of them are punished, or if they are the punishment never matches the harm they did us. Our armed forces? They are unwilling mercenaries. Sent hither and yon to protect business interests in nations we have no right being in. When asked, most people want our sons and daughters right here, at home, defending our island. Not attacking other nations for oil, gas and minerals. The government despises them too. They show their disgust by not treating properly those who come home with broken bodies and broken minds. Special facilities are closed down, leaving the burden of care with their families. Those that come home in body bags are never honoured by MPs lining the streets of Wootton Bassett. Not good PR, see? Someone might ask them awkward questions.

These, and dozens of other things are going wrong but they cost us more and more each and every year. If you took your car in for a service in year 1, and you got everything attended to, you wouldn't mind paying the bill. In year 2, the mechanic forgets an item or two, but presents you with a bill and you pay it. By year 3 all the mechanic is doing is kicking the tyres and charging you an even higher sum. You still pay it. You don't have a choice. He is the only mechanic in town. Same with the government. We are getting progressively less for excessively more. It is not a good deal.

Some of us, many of us, in fact, waited 13 years for a new mechanic. When he arrived we gave him some space. Time to settle in, get his feet under the table. Seven months later, we are still waiting. Still waiting.

Still waiting to say "No". Still waiting to enter Lawful Rebellion. Still waiting to become Free Men and Free Women.

Still waiting.

No you aren't, you are procrastinating.

It is a rut you stay in or get out of. Choose to get out and freedom awaits, stay in and you are agreeing 100% with the master/slave arrangement we all believe (wrongly) to be a lifetime deal. An unbreakable contract.

The key, of course, is wanting to do something. Stefan talks about wanting to do something and having to do something. There is a huge difference. Very few people want to pay tax. Yet all of us have to. Who says? Why, the master does. We slaves pay it because it is the path of least resistance, and after all, we want an easy life, right? Almost none of us ask ourselves, "What if I stopped paying?". How much better would life be then, if I kept my hard earned money instead of giving it to the master who provides very little in return? Worse, they give our money to foreign countries. They waste unholy amounts of the stuff on quangoes, on fake charities, on themselves, on just about anything except that which benefits you.

You don't have to pay income tax.

You don't have to pay council tax.

You don't have to buy a TV license.

You don't have to have a driving license.

You don't have to obey statutes.

You don't have to fill in forms and tell the government things you wouldn't trust with your best friend.

You do all these things because you want to.

That, or you do them because you never knew you had a choice.

You do. You do have a choice.

The choice is slavery or freedom. Only you can decide when you no longer want to obey the master.

I decided. I stopped procrastinating.

I am a slave no more. I have no master.

I have no government. I have no monarch.

I am free.

CR.

29 comments:

Sean O'Hare said...

I envy you and others the courage to do what you are doing. As I have been a serf all my life, and am now in my mid 60s, I don't have the nerve to do it now. Oh that I had wised up thirty, even twenty years ago.

I appreciate your "banging on" about Lawful Rebellion, to coin a phrase, but I thought you had decided to adopt a more softly softly approach toward your readership. I did make a start the other day by refusing to completemy dentists health form. Answered with name and address and anything else I thought relevant to dentistry. When it came to questions about smoking and drinking I said I wasn't going to answer because they weren't relevant. I half suspected he might refuse to treat, but no he just said "fair enough" and began poking about. Pathetic start, but that's how long it it likely to take I'm afraid.

Please keep blogging though it is making a difference.

Captain Ranty said...

Sean,

If I had an ideal "target" audience it would be the young ones.

I know that we can all say "No" no matter how old we are.

You are living proof of that. I have a dental appointment next week and I will be saying exactly the same.

Nothing pathetic about your personal rebellion, no matter how small you feel the act was. Good for you!

My piece wasn't too harsh, was it? It wasn't when it was in my head. It was supposed to be a reminder about the choices that have, if we want to make them.

I was hoping for a Problem Reaction, Solution type of article.

As in:

Problem-identified

Reaction-stop waiting

Solution-achieved.

CR.

Michael Fowke said...

I'm of the opinion that the only way to get freedom is to become rich. Unless you want to live in a cave.

Captain Ranty said...

Michael,

Will you ever get rich with the government helping itself to more than half of your salary each month/year/decade?

You'd get there a lot faster without them.

CR.

Michael Fowke said...

I know. And things will get worse. They will want all our money soon. And our souls.

Captain Ranty said...

Don't be putting ideas in their heads!

If they could make a quid or two they'd be out soul harvesting....

CR.

William said...

Life really is too short and we waste far to much of it complying with the state and its statutes for zero benefit. The reason why we procrastinate, as Stefan says in his video, is because we fear the consequences of accepting the truth that we are only responsible for ourselves and no bugger else.

The state and it's many arms constantly tell us that we have to 'look out for others', we have to 'lead', we have to pay tax because without it there would be anarchy, we have to 'think of the children, the poor, the 'under privileged', those worse off than ourselves we 'have to' do things because the state says we have to.
It goes on and on relentlessly every day because repetition is the only way to keep people in fear. TV, Radio, MSM are all ways in which the state gets its fear message out.

And that is what we live in, a permanent state of fear.
We fear going out on the snow because the state hasn't gritted.
We fear switching on the heating because the states taxes mean we cannot afford to switch on the heating.
We cross over the road to avoid 'undesirables' because the state tells us kids with hoods up are all out to mug us, the men on the street corner with beards and 'tinted' skin are waiting to blow us up, the Irish are coming to blow us up again, the bag left on a platform or a train contains a bomb, every adult who hasn't been CRB'd is a paedophile, etc, etc
We put up with frankly ludicrous searches at airports because the state tells us that everyone, even kids and babies are potential terrorists.
We might logically argue that on the balance of probabilities the state is telling lies but fear ensures that we procrastinate and do nothing except comply and moan.

Accepting responsibility for your own actions or inactions is not for the faint of heart. It can be scary to realise that the state is simply myth. State control is not real it never has been. The state teeters on the brink of collapse every second of every day and the only thing that keeps it going is fear. The taxpayers fear the consequences of not paying their taxes. The tax spenders fear the taxpayers finding out they don't have to pay their taxes. Fear is everywhere.

For me personally the worst fear I have is going to my grave and fate keeping me alive just long enough at the end to realise I didn't do something I really wanted to do just because I feared the possible consequences.

Remember It's Always Darkest Just Before it Goes Pitch Black.

Captain Ranty said...

William,

That is just excellent. Thank you.

What you wrote is probably what I should have written!

I keep haring off at tangents.

As they used to tell me in Rochdale "Tha goes all 'round China to get to Bacup".

Fear and indecision. That's what most governments sell to the people. And, it hurts to say this, they do it well.

CR.

mescalito said...

i think its a good post ranty man, its not harsh at all, people need a swift kick up the backside and it breaks my heart to see people do nothing even when they are fully aware they are being buggered.
just remember ranty man that there are some that are willing to do what ever it takes, as ive said before if you have a plan let me know and i will join your holy crusades.

a man who stands for nothing falls for any thing.

hangemall said...

Hi Ranty. By coincidence I have just come across this article on why people do or do not do things. A little long for any quotes but worth a read if you have ten minutes to spare.


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/happy_as_a_hangman_20101206/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Truthdig+Truthdig:+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines

SuffolkLiberty said...

"We need to snap out of it - and THAT, my dear CR, is why you must keep at the bastards!"

Bang on target - only a few of us will challenge the State and we hope, trust and expect that others will follow. It isn't a new idea. There have been rebellions and uprisings throughout human history but it was always down to a handful of well informed and dedicated individuals to start the rebellion; the results of which would then be enjoyed by everyone else.

We need to starve the beast and rattle its cage at every possible opportunity.

Caratacus said...

Spot on killem,

We are all rebelling in our own ways - otherwise we wouldn't be reading the posts from good people like CR. But I remember being in a bit of shit once upon a time and the incoming was a bit hot, and the quietist least inoffensive bloke was the one who sorted it out. We got him royally pissed later on of course (and I suspect that we would still be unwelcome at The Grapes in Colchester all these years later) but the point is: just because people aren't jumping up and down and announcing their innermost feelings to all and sundry doesn't mean that they are not as hard in their resolve as anyone else.

Just thought I'd say, that's all....

westcoast2 said...

Interesting video and thoughtful blog.

Stefan Molyneux seems to remove procrastination and replace it with personal choice and consequence. If I am asked to wash the dishes then it is my choice to do them or not. Maybe I am doing something more interesting. If I choose not to do the dishes there are consequences. So I weigh choosing to carry on doing what I am doing or go do the dishes. It is a choice, my choice. It is based on a number of factors (consequences) associated with that choice. Either way I own the choice and accept the consequences. There is no procrastination since I made a choice.

In your blog you seem to give a summary of the current situation and the consequences of continuing to make that choice. You then give an alternative choice and an outline of the new situation. What seems to be missing are the consequences associated with the new situation.

I can choose 'freedom' and stop paying council tax, yet what are the consequences? From reading other blogs it would seem there is the possibility of threatening letters, summons even gaol. Gaol isn't very appealing. Choose freedom (state of being) and lose freedom (physical).

Each day the choice is presented and when it is seen that the Freedom choice has more advantages over the status quo then the balance will tip, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and a new path is chosen.

Is this procrastination or is it a process? It seems [to me] the assumption of the blog is the choice advocated is obvious or has been made and action is being delayed. Yet maybe, for now, the other choice has been made (continue on) even though the consequences may be ultimately unsatisfactory. This then begs the question What tips the balance? It may also give the appearence of procrastination.

Is it procrastination or perhaps that that there are false choices here? There is at least one choice that involves coercion which Stefan puts in terms of a master/slave relationship. So the choices may be: status quo (coercive choice) vs Freedom (alternative choice advocated). This is where the fear others mention arises. The fear arises from the nature of the choices and the consequences. This, of course, impacts on the decision making process.

be well

Anonymous said...

One of your best yet Captain. I'm following you, although at the moment I'm not in the position to totally break free from the system, so yes I am procrastinating, not through preference but through necessity. If I break free I'll be homeless and I don't want that (again). Things are moving on though. Things are getting better. I should be out of this rut soon and no doubt this time next year, I will be a free man.

Well done. Poignant points. Nice one.

Captain Ranty said...

Thanks all, for your comments and links.

Westy,

Good to see you here and thanks for a great comment.

I didn't launch into the consequences because I have mentioned them time and time again in the past. Perhaps for completeness I should have written them up again.

Lawful Rebellion is an obligation. Once you enter into this new state of being, it becomes an obligation NOT to pay any taxes. The whole point of LR is to shock/coerce the monarch into putting right that which once went wrong. (Oh boy! Quantum Leap fans will get the reference).

But I agree with your assessment. Not paying tax is not the same as skipping school or the dentist. Both of those have ramifications but LR can be troublesome as the "authorities" have no idea what it all means.

CR.

Snakey said...

You don't have to pay income tax.

How is it possible not to pay income tax when it is taken directly from your pay packet, at source, by your employer?

Captain Ranty said...

Snakey,

You tell your employer you are now self-employed, or a contractor. They pay you your whole salary and you decide whether to pay NICs or income tax.

Freemen pick and pay for a monthly health plan. It is much cheaper than the NHS.

As stated here many times, picking LR as a path to go down brings more responsibility, not less.

CR.

Xen347 said...

I'll second Snakey's question.

Captain, in the course of doing research on the EU for a vid, I came across this:

http://joannenova.com.au/2010/12/breaking-the-abdication-of-the-west/

If what Monckton writes is true, then fighting/obstructing TPTB in the UK is not going to change a damn thing. Neither is taking on the EU.

The government of the UK and the unelected parasites of the EU are being by-passed by an even bigger predator.

LR within the UK will not deflect them from their course. Eventually the choice will be; live under the yoke or die for your beliefs.

T'was ever thus.

Captain Ranty said...

Xen,

Thanks for the link. I'll have a butchers in a mo.

I may have to die then. The yoke is not an option.

CR.

Woodsy42 said...

"You tell your employer you are now self-employed, or a contractor. T"

I tried this some years ago, on the basis of simple tax advantage. But my employers wouldn't play along - I suspect they were scared of the authorities. Then you get back to the 'consequences' bit - do you resign and search for another job or submit and get paid?
With house and family 'freedom' can look scary.
Maybe it's youngsters who need the message, in the hopes they can rebel before they get committed, and older folks who have less to lose by non-cooperation. Those in between perhaps have fewer choices?

Pesky Anonymous said...

On a brighter note:

Over on the front line, our friends 'Anonymous' are stepping up the battle for free speech.

Here's the Telegraph report:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8190871/WikiLeaks-cyberwar-hackers-bring-down-Swedish-government-site.html

Tip for all the dinosaurs still using plastic: buy your consumer christmas goodies from the shops with cash. With a little luck, internet shopping could be fucked.

poxy moron said...

lawful rebellion?

defender said...

Excellent Ranty,
I agree with procastrination being a hinderance.
There is also the Stockholm Syndrom to look at.
Esentially, its up to those who will and leaving the "who wont" to one side while those who will get on with it.
I see the uni kids on the telly learning to stand up to be counted, thats good, I see the EDL standing firm, I see opperation "payback" with the hacktivest causing chos in the Wikileat vs the Bastards cyber war.
All in all positive actions.
Get stuck in lads.

PS,
my entire front guttering just came crashing down. you lot, check your guttering.

William said...

woodsy42
Life is choices. We all make choices every minute of every day. Nothing is ever set in stone except three things at least in my world.

1 Birth.
I am a living breathing human being and unless time travel is real I have to accept at some point I was actually born of my mother.

2 Death.
I am a living breathing human being consisting of a 'life force', a mind, a conscience or a soul, call it what you will, bound up in a physical body. At some point either it or the body will either wear out or be destroyed by change and death is inevitable.

3 Change.
Change goes on incessantly every second of every day. What makes humans fairly unique in the natural world is how we are able to adapt to, create or master change by using our power of choice.

Making choices is something we do without realising it. All that is required is a little slow down and start making considered choices rather than choices others want us to make.

Don't forget what I said about fear. We are kept in a state of fear by vested interests who don't want us to realise that actually we always have a choice and to create changes we want we simply have to make different choices!

Captain Ranty said...

D,

Just lost some of mine as well. About 10-12 feet of guttering. Just ripped away by the ice and snow.

CR.

William said...

With apologies to all of you suffering 'water company revenue generator' collapses in my neck of the woods the snow is melting away as quick as anything. I say snow we only had a grand total of an inch or so which isn't much in the grand scheme of things. Thank god for global warming which despite what the Cancunists say does seem to be a very variable event.

Captain Ranty said...

I appreciate all the comments.

I know that some of you have responsibilities and obligations that will not permit you to trot down the same road as me just yet.

At least say "No", to someone in authority, just to see how it feels.

At the risk of touting my own blogposts, you should read this when you are feeling a bit down, and overwhemed by the clipboards and the Hi-Vis jackets:

http://captainranty.blogspot.com/2010/11/hierarchy.html

Remember that they are less than worms.

You, on the other hand, are a minor god.

Just for shits and giggles, try acting like one.

But I warn you now: it's addictive.

CR.

Snakey said...

Hi again, Cap'n.

What about IR35?

HMRC has self employment and contractor work sewn up via IR35. If you are told at what time to turn up for work and where and what to do - you are not self employed. It is the State that decides what your employment status is, not you or your employer.

"For those working in an office or at a location on a typical 9-5 basis, as an employee with no direct responsibility and using the equipment supplied at the business premises, then HMRC would consider you to be employed, thus you would be subject to the IR35 rules."

http://www.ir35-rules.co.uk/

I agree that a person should be allowed to have a cash in hand understanding with their employer without government interference. However, the reality is that the State closed this particular loophole some time again via IR35. It does go on - my hubby is paid cash in hand and pays no income tax (he wouldn't anyway due to not earning enough) but his employer refuses to recognise the fact that it isn't my hubby who is taking the risk of pissing off HMRC, it's him. My husband has no alternative but to accept these conditions (no pay slips, no holiday pay, no sick pay etc) or lose his job. He's a teacher btw, who works within the private sector. He has no protection and no contract. This actually suits us as the less state interference in our lives, the better. I just wanted to point out that those who wish to go down the path of the employer/self employment ploy that they need to be aware of IR35. It doesn't affect the employee so much as it affects the employer who is breaching HMRC rules and HMRC are a nasty organisation when they take against someone - if they take against your employer due to tax evasion and NI contribution evasion (which is what they are doing) then you will eventually lose your job when HMRC catches on to what your "employer" is doing.

Pesky Anonymous said...

A lesson in saying no:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtkdDMSXMmc