We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
And now a word from Simon Gibbs, who will soon have his own by-line on Samizdata.
We’re nearing the date of the EU referendum we’re having in this part of the world, and a great many people are fed up of being lectured to, or frightened, or lied to. Understandably, people are beginning to have a moan about this atmosphere of negativity – but this just adds to the gloom.
To change the mood you have to go out of your way to do something positive – set appropriately in context but nevertheless positive. It takes effort to think of what positive would look like when the subject is so dangerous and horrid. Ayumi, one of my colleagues at Libertarian Home (which is now very much a joint effort) had an idea about how to do it. We backed her to the hilt.
So here, thanks to Ayumi and to Devika and Richard and little James and teeny tiny Abigail (and dozens of people whose names I quickly lost track of) is a little bit of positivity. Making this was seriously hard work, but it was really very satisfying.
2:20 in a screen capture is my new computer wallpaper.
If I were a theist, I’d pray that GB sees the light…the light of Prometheus, which leads the way to autonomy and self reliance. ‘The way out of Plato’s shackled slave cave, the way out of the “garden of Eden”…which is after all a gilded cage.
Like Eden and Plato’s allegory, getting out means self reliance, hard work and self responsibility, freedom of choice; while remaining in the EU means freedom FROM choice…selling one’s freedom and future in exchange for ‘free dentures’.
But alas, I’m an Ayn Rand Objectivst, not a theist.
I expect that I’m NOT talking to the Late Great Britain.
Why would we even want the US to “save” us? From what? What would that even look like? I’m voting LEAVE because I want the UK to be independent, not to exchange excessive EU control for excessive US control.
Did you just ask people in the street whether they supported Leave then ask if they were happy to be in the video?
Thanks for doing this although I’m afraid its starting to look like we’ve lost unless there is a huge uncounted ‘silent majority’ waiting in the wings. I’m starting to feel a bit guilty about not having done more to help out with ‘the cause’ in general to be honest. Oh well, at least we might see the downfall of Dodgy Dave.
@PeterT: that is exactly right. I think we did not speak to many office workers but 90% of the people we met were Leave. Plenty said they were on our side but had reasons not to be on a video, few were anti. One of those was worried he’s be kicked out if Brexit won. I think we calmed him down on that one.
@Thailover: Devika was flattered to hear that. Anyone else who wants a wall-paper can now download it.
Lovely video, and there’s one ‘Londoner’ who doesn’t get much sunshine, and if there were a ‘Brexit’, he might at least not have to face the European Arrest Warrant and a swift despatch to Sweden (well, after a couple more years).
But I suspect he would be voting ‘Remain’, if he could. In fact, he symbolises ‘Remain’ better than anything else, stay where you are in case it’s worse outside.
At the going down of the sun, we will remember him.
Able Seaman Leonard Moore, ex-RN Submariner WW2, RIP.
Able Seaman Leonard Moore was a submariner during Second World War
His family said his last words before he died were ‘post my Leave vote’
The 91-year-old blind veteran had registered for a postal vote application
Family said ‘The last thing he did with a pen was to tick the Leave box’
The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
All content on this website (including text, photographs, audio files, and any other original works), unless otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa
Excellent 😀
Good stuff. After all we are the ones selling freedom. Can’t get more positive and sunshine-y than freedom.
🙂
May we awake on June 24th to behold white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise. A country that we can truly call our own.
Yoda his head screwed on has!
2:20 in a screen capture is my new computer wallpaper.
If I were a theist, I’d pray that GB sees the light…the light of Prometheus, which leads the way to autonomy and self reliance. ‘The way out of Plato’s shackled slave cave, the way out of the “garden of Eden”…which is after all a gilded cage.
Like Eden and Plato’s allegory, getting out means self reliance, hard work and self responsibility, freedom of choice; while remaining in the EU means freedom FROM choice…selling one’s freedom and future in exchange for ‘free dentures’.
But alas, I’m an Ayn Rand Objectivst, not a theist.
I expect that I’m NOT talking to the Late Great Britain.
The US is f@cked because of our global entanglements . Save the UK, because you know Uncle Sam won’t!
‘Uncle Sam’ came from the initials US, so could UK stand for ‘Uncle Kiljoy’?
Why would we even want the US to “save” us? From what? What would that even look like? I’m voting LEAVE because I want the UK to be independent, not to exchange excessive EU control for excessive US control.
Great video btw 🙂
Good.
I liked this video and re-posted it on my Facebook, for what it’s worth amongst an ocean of remain propaganda. Sorry, memes.
It would have been nice had the individual reasons been a little more legible and a little earlier in the video – this was my only critique.
Nevertheless – your hard work is very much appreciated!
Did you just ask people in the street whether they supported Leave then ask if they were happy to be in the video?
Thanks for doing this although I’m afraid its starting to look like we’ve lost unless there is a huge uncounted ‘silent majority’ waiting in the wings. I’m starting to feel a bit guilty about not having done more to help out with ‘the cause’ in general to be honest. Oh well, at least we might see the downfall of Dodgy Dave.
@PeterT: that is exactly right. I think we did not speak to many office workers but 90% of the people we met were Leave. Plenty said they were on our side but had reasons not to be on a video, few were anti. One of those was worried he’s be kicked out if Brexit won. I think we calmed him down on that one.
@Thailover: Devika was flattered to hear that. Anyone else who wants a wall-paper can now download it.
Lovely video, and there’s one ‘Londoner’ who doesn’t get much sunshine, and if there were a ‘Brexit’, he might at least not have to face the European Arrest Warrant and a swift despatch to Sweden (well, after a couple more years).
But I suspect he would be voting ‘Remain’, if he could. In fact, he symbolises ‘Remain’ better than anything else, stay where you are in case it’s worse outside.
Simon: Outstanding. :>))
(I love the family shot, and the one of the Young Master, who looks happy and delightfully cheeky.)
At the going down of the sun, we will remember him.
Able Seaman Leonard Moore, ex-RN Submariner WW2, RIP.