My name is
David Robins:
Christian, lead developer (resume), writer, photographer, runner,
libertarian (voluntaryist),
and student.
This is also my son David Geoffrey Robins' site.
Ripping away the judicial mystique
Law, Economics ·Friday April 15, 2011 @ 00:19 EDT (link)
Theory: the reason why legal penalties are so arbitrary—arbitrarily harsh, that is, never arbitrarily low—is that the courts do not want people to be able to test them or to become a useful service. They want to be a "big deal"; a false pomp and majesty where god—or the king, acting in his stead as was the "divine right" myth—comes in and blesses the worshipful supplicants with guidance and a verdict (or directs a jury to same, doing their best to ensure they don't do anything "radical" such as nullifying bad law). Fees are added everywhere for everything; reams of paper must be filed in triplicate. If it were commonplace and simple, the shroud would be removed; it would be a common thing for two disputants to drop in (rather than have the most inconvenient date possible assigned to them by god's secretary, forcing them to come to a distant location with poor parking), argue without the redoubled expense and obfuscation of lawyers, get a verdict; and the detailed verdict would be published on the Internet for discussion and critique.
Yes! Critique! Why should not any man with half a brain, even without a political appointment be able to discuss with his fellows the judge's—who after all, is but a man—decision, the weighing of evidence, the logic or lack thereof, fairness, and so forth, for both civil and criminal matters. The jury may not nullify: but the court of rational men may put the law through the wringer! Sure, court cases are discussed today: but usually just the big ones, and with whatever drabs and trickles of information the court allows to slip, graciously, to the unwashed masses. We can do better than that; these are our employees, and their work product is ours, lock, stock, and streaming video.
So artificial barriers to use are set up: the supply of judges is artificially limited; they are given powers to jail people for nothing ("contempt"), rather than the powers of a private property owner or agent to merely remove disturbances. After being made artificially scarce, they are robed and given high benches in expensively furnished (thanks, taxpayers!) rooms to sit and pronounce judgment, frequently on the unwilling who have done no wrong. The plethora of laws aid them in this power, and together with the "prosecutor" they gang up on individuals to extract terror, wealth, and life (time) from them in a singularly corrupt and involuntary system.
How would a free system be different? First, the supply of judges would be a market good: anyone could offer their services, and respect and thus use of particular judges would depend on their reputation for fairness. Nor would "the rich" have particular advantage: a judge whose decision was "for sale" would not attract consenting customers, and that's the only kind of customers that would be possible. Due to the supply, and the fact that customers have to be persuaded rather than being forced, judges would be incentivized to make their service convenient: paperwork at a minimum; some may forbid lawyers. Judicial services will also want to demonstrate their openness: in most cases court will be videoed, and generally broadcast live on the Internet with the exception of some sensitive matters which would be edited and broadcast with necessary redaction. To show fairness, judicial services would open their records, publish their cases (transcripts and the aforementioned videos), and judges would (as they do now) write the reasons for their opinions, but with a view to being approachable rather than an eye to the law journals (or some may write two opinions, at their choice).
These services could indeed be put to the "test" cheaply (much like hidden camera shows evaluate mechanics to see if they're ripping off clients): people could see how the same dispute was resolved across adjudicators without paying an arm and a leg in court and lawyer fees, losing a day of work (heck, the judge might even come to the person's place of business or a mutually agreed-upon spot, especially lesser-known ones desiring to build a good reputation), and with the risk of jail or other rights infringement. (Can't help you regarding victimless "crimes"; they wouldn't exist. I suppose a court could be asked if there was sufficient evidence that someone used drugs for a private employer, or, heck, a parent, though….) For actual crimes, in the Rothbardian sense of aggressive acts against individuals or their property, the opinion of a court can be taken to one's private protection agency or dispute resolution organization (DRO) and justify proceedings—including retaliatory force—against the criminal.
More Walter Block: against taxation, minarchy, public schools, and slavery
Political, Economics ·Thursday April 14, 2011 @ 01:15 EDT (link)
Read a couple more Walter Block articles tonight (some written with other authors; see individual articles):
All quite good and up to his usual standards. A little while ago I opened a raft of tabs from his publications page, and am slowly working my way through them, while reading a few full books, both paper and PDF, at the same time. Great writer, very clear, prone to making devastatingly incisive attacks on weak arguments.
New photo viewer
News ·Sunday April 10, 2011 @ 20:07 EDT (link)
The first post to use the new viewer was the FN SCAR post, which has a couple pictures up. The RSS feed uses flat photos still because Facebook and other importers probably don't allow CSS/Javascript through anyway. This viewer is based on jQuery.popeye 2.0, with a few modifications.
There's also one random photo on this post because I was doing some testing to ensure that having multiple photo sets on the same page worked properly. Seems to be fine. Still some things I want to fix and tidy up, though.
Books finished: Blood of the Fold.
Ultimate rifle case, not so great sling
News ·Thursday March 31, 2011 @ 11:22 EDT (link)
I bought a ModGear Ultimate Rifle Case (42", OD green) for the SCAR; really like it, lots of pockets, fits the rifle really well, appears to be good workmanship. Thought of going with tan to match the rifle but the green looks good. Getting it online was almost $30 cheaper than buying it locally (~$50 vs. ~$77 at WCA with tax, or 54% more); I like to buy local when I can, but not at that premium. You can also see the anarcho-capitalist flag I picked up from eBay recently in the background.
The KNS AR-15 sling I bought for it unfortunately didn't fit—one end was a normal strap on a quick-release buckle, the other a swivel; the swivel didn't fit into the SCAR's attachment point. Hard to see the sizes on the site; live and learn, etc.; I'll keep it to use on my 10/22 (when I attach swivel mounts, perhaps for Appleseed), or some other rifle, or as a backup for the AR-15. I've ordered a replacement sling—and a scope, both from Botach Tactical, but they delayed the scope "3-4 weeks" even though they said nothing about it before the order was placed, which seems like a dirty trick from here.
Bitcoin paper and presentation
News, Technical, Political, School, Trading, Media, Economics ·Wednesday March 30, 2011 @ 00:42 EDT (link)
My final Master's course, Practical Applications of Modern Cryptography (CSEP 590, which is the catch-all course number for "new" courses) required a final project and presentation in lieu of an exam. I am making my final presentation and paper available online—attribute them if you use them, but otherwise use them as you see fit to advance the cause of liberty.
Greenfield rights infringement
News, Political, Law ·Wednesday March 30, 2011 @ 00:27 EDT (link)
There is an email-writing campaign on behalf of Adam Mueller and Pete Eyre, arrested in 2010 in Greenfield, MA for filming police, and charged with illegal wiretapping (despite recording in plain sight) and other sundry crimes (e.g., resisting arrest, when they practiced passive non-resistance). Videos and a detailed timeline are available on CopBlock.org, a great site that collects videos and evidence of police misconduct. To borrow from L. Neil Smith in his (beta) book Where We Stand: Over the hundreds of years of police activity in the US, none have had to contend with such a thing as individuals who have their own portable recorders and information sources—hearing them whimper about the Internet (which is shining light on their many abuses) is nothing but sweet music to my ears.
Here is the letter I sent to EyesonGreenfield@gmail.com, which is collecting them to forward on to Greenfield's police, the judge in the case, city council, and so forth:
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to lend my support to Adam Mueller and Pete Eyre, arrested
last year in Greenfield, MA for no other reason than the police had the
power (force) to do so: "might makes right"! They had harmed nobody;
they had not even broken any rules; and for that they are subjected to
violent incarceration and infringement against their right to liberty.
Is that how things work in the town of Greenfield, in the state of
Massachusetts, in America? This violence against peaceful people must
stop. The people of Greenfield and their representatives must step up
and say, "It stops here."
Restoration of America as a nation ruled by
moral laws rather than arbitrary and capricious men must begin at the
local level. I call upon people of conscience to abjure the wickedness
that condemns harmless acts and to free Mr. Mueller and Mr. Eyre, with
apologies for the aggravation they have been put through and grateful
acknowledgment and thanks for the wake-up call that these two and their
supporters were able to deliver. It is time that victimless so-called
crimes with arbitrary penalties enacted by petty, officious employees of
the state—our servants!—were put to rest as a relic of a barbaric
past. May it begin in Greenfield.
David B. Robins, BMath, MS
Writing an email is an easy thing to do and the cause is certainly just and worth the time to set a few thoughts to paper (perhaps it aims a little high, but one's principles should energize a reach for the stars).
Books finished: The Witling, Hamilton's Curse.
First range trip, SCAR 17S
News, Guns ·Friday March 25, 2011 @ 21:17 EDT (link)
Left work early, 1530; got to the range (SVRC) around 1600; just one person was there, shooting in the pistol pit, so I set up my spotting scope, rifle rest, etc. on a table, got a cease-fire, and put out some targets at 50 yards (which I eventually moved to 25 because my eyes are ozard and they were half-size targets—two rings on a letter-sized sheet—to begin with). I was using the iron sights today; no scope yet, but I plan to try it with my EOTech from the AR-15 and perhaps get an ACOG for it. Nobody else was shooting at the rifle range the whole time I was there; one guy wandered over to give me the lock from the gate (don't know why he took it off; usually I just leave it there, sometimes locked to the gate… person I gave it to when I left thought it odd too) and admired the rifle; couple more showed up to shoot what sounded like .22s in the pistol pit; that was all. It was sunny driving over but then started to rain, which displeased me not at all because I expected it kept the range traffic light.
I was hitting the metal targets at the far end (200') of the range easily with all of the ammo I tried (a 20-round box of American Eagle, some BVAC 150 gr., and some German surplus); but shooting at the paper targets made it clear that I do need to get an optic. Generally, great gun; other reviewers were right about the recoil being very manageable; it's comparable to the AR-15. The main difference is that it's noticeably louder (one guy in the pistol pit said the same thing). Also looking for a case and sling (also in FDE) and some extra mags (which I've had little luck funding).
I left the range around 1700 and got home about 1730; traffic wasn't bad. Friday traffic is always a little weird; sometimes some people are off, or leave early; on balance it's lighter than other days. Good shooting… need to pick up some more ammo; I only have 70 more rounds of .308.
Books finished: Jury Nullification.
FNH SCAR-H (17S) finally secured!
News, Guns ·Saturday March 19, 2011 @ 22:27 EDT (link)
Picked it up today. Shooting it real soon. That is all.
Well, most. I should mention that I bought the firearm through GunBroker, from seller JERRYS GUNS (Turner's Gun Shop in Sidney, Ohio); he was quick to answer questions, everything was as specified; he gave me a tracking number for the package, and it arrived in good time. Thoroughly good experience; would buy from him again; recommend (A+ feedback).
Books finished: Rollback.
Master's degree requirements completed
News, School, Economics ·Friday March 18, 2011 @ 22:26 EDT (link)
Last presentation Friday night, for Cryptography - random ordering, 6th of 12, behind another person not on "the list" who as it happened had the same topic, Bitcoins. Think it went reasonably well; not much over the five minutes; answered questions. One I think I could have answered better in hindsight; but I don't blame myself for not apprehending it immediately. The question was about deflation—causing it—in a Bitcoin system (by recalling coins), presumably after inflation, which really can't happen, given the fixed maximum number of coins (21 million) and (controlled) steady rate of generation (300/hour). Naturally I answered that inflation or deflation (a flood or dearth of coins chasing the same amount of goods), if it were possible, is fixed by the market's price mechanism. But I use inflation and deflation in the economic sense, that is, an increase or decrease in the money supply. The layman sees inflation (deflation) as an increase (decrease) in prices: however this is actually an effect of inflation. But even if the question was more correctly, "How would the Bitcoin system handle rapidly falling (rising) prices?" the answer would be that it would do nothing. First, there is no central controller able to do anything in any case. Second, prices are a market feature, used to convey information about relative scarcity and so forth, and meddling in them is unwarranted and inimical. So, questioner, if you're out there, I hope you find this and this better answers your question.
It is a sigh of relief to be finished. Graduation is Saturday June 11 at Husky Stadium; my parents are coming to town for it. Relief. Won't miss being out late on class evenings or poring over homework, either. Feel bad about this last class: the grader was borderline incompetent and the profs, although I went through the system of appealing first to the grader, and then sent an appeal request to them, and then they asked I resend it and promised in class to give it attention, continued to ignore it. So I felt cheated and hoped the class doesn't hurt my GPA. But in the end, they re-graded everything, so I guess they agreed about the grader.
But it's great to be done. I don't know how or if I can leverage it in my present job, but it may be useful in the future (the Master's is the new Bachelor's, don't you know?) It's an accomplishment; I have an excellent GPA; no debt; I wish I knew more profs to write me a recommendation if I want to do a doctorate, but I'll worry about that when I get there.
For now, it feels good to be done.
Hanging with Matt
News, Political, Guns ·Wednesday March 16, 2011 @ 01:48 EDT (link)
Matt E. let us (the libertarian/voluntaryist/Austrian economist cadre of various DLs such as CLAMS) know he'd be in town (he works out of Microsoft's Fargo, ND office) and so we arranged to have dinner at Rock Bottom in Bellevue at 1830; we arrived a little late due to traffic, but so did Matt (we weren't sure about anyone else; it turned out nobody else could make it—middle of the week is tough, but we did try to plan things earlier and Matt let us know well in advance when he was going to be in town). He had his Murray N. Rothbard, Enemy of the State T-shirt on (first time I'd seen one; would be nice to get one sometime). The three of us ate and talked politics and Microsoft and Fargo and such. I had their pulled pork sandwich which was good.
After eating we headed over to West Coast Armory's Bellevue range to shoot—just handguns this time; we got there at around 2030 and Matt had to sign in since it was his first time there; we finished pretty close to closing time (2100).
We headed back to our place for coffee, Guitar Hero (Honey and Matt played, it's not my game), and more politics. Matt left around 0130; I believe a good time was had by all. It was great to actually meet in person after all the DL and Facebook discussions.
Books finished: Stone of Tears.
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