I do not think that statement from Ayn Rand works in my case. I'm not arguing against your statements because it might be popular to do so but because they are wrong.

Just saying that I don't understand something doesn't make it so. You have to show your work. Which part don't I understand?

Your ignorance is telling. You clearly do not understand technocracy.
Ayn Rand says “ There is a level of cowardice lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist.”

I think Fauci is far from being any sort of expert. He is more of a government bureaucrat.

However, if Fauci was in fact an 'expert', that wouldn't give him any more rights and privileges than anybody else. He would just be more effective and doing whatever he is an expert in.

What is wrong with technocracy is not that experts are running things. It is that somebody is in charge involuntarily / by force. Clearly, having an expert in charge is better than some random idiot that the masses have voted for. Still, even better option by far is not to have anybody in charge at all. I agree with you, the free market (which is a decentralized algorithm) should be allocating resources.

You guys would be pretty close to being my allies, that's true. Except, you guys are still pretty far.

As I understand it, most people posting here believe that government/'the state' is needed to run society. I would define a statist as a proponent of that exact belief, an advocate of statism.

You, for example, believe that borders are needed. However, that implies a monopolist organization that would be in charge of enforcing the border. Everyone residing within would need to pay taxes to this organization in order to keep it funded. Anyone that refuses to pay would be seen as a free loader. I don't see how a stateless society can exist with the concept of a 'country' that has borders.

I tried hard to persuade you guys, but so far I didn't have much luck, even though my arguments seemed to have not been proven erroneous.

I'm not sure how I insulted anybody. Although the word 'statist' may carry a negative connotation in my view, it should not in yours. Calling you guys 'statist' is not really an insult, just a statement of an unfortunate fact. I did, however, express my sore dissatisfaction with the fact that your belief and preference for the existence of state keeps you from realizing that the state is the exact source of your troubles (debasement of money in this case).

If you must sling insults, please be specific about who you are targeting.
"You guys" and "you statists" doesn't apply to 99.99% of people posting here and you insult people who could be your allies.
This quote may apply:
It's better to remain silent and have people wonder about your intelligence than to speak and remove all doubt.

Thanks for the good suggestions, sekeres.
You're right, we need to visit flyover country.

Yes he was, he should have just let it play out, he was going to be sullied either way.
He could have went down swinging, instead he went down with a whimper. Sad.
I've had my ass kicked more times than I can count, but I never went down without a fight.

i had to look it up :-)
to be sure.
i could not have told you who Ford's VP was if i had not

i really wish i was back in high school
we had to read a book on watergate and i'd have a LOT more to say on the subject now
how Nixon was screwed

Yup like Fauci during the PlanDEMic. Use your imagination , what could be wrong with a centralized selected expert dictating your amount of goods or services you are allocated. Decentralized is the road to sovereignty.

Anybody willing/able to enlighten me as to the reason for down-voting?

If you haven't already, I'd recommend going into "fly-over country" for a pick-me-up. There are more than a few energetic, young people providing goods and services -- building under, over and around the snares of the bureaucratic, red-tape state. Many more people decided to "retire early" or "become freelance " or "homeschool" as a result of the COVID debacle. And, according to reports, the entire state of Wyoming neglected to lock down.

As Rand had Hank Rearden say at his trial, those who "choose to deal with men by means of compulsion . . .discover that [they] need the voluntary co-operation of [their] victims." "Refuse to be a victim."

2 other sources for encouragement are:
-- https://www.abelard.org/e-f-russell.php -- Eric Frank Russell's "And Then There Were None." Dated, but still a delicious example of "malicious compliance" and,
-- https://accordingtohoyt.com/ Nominally a sci-fi/fantasy/writers gathering place, but actually much more.

Ah... But in the 1976 election was Ford (with Rockefeller as VP) running against Cater?
I should remember this, as it was the first election I was old enough to vote in.

Its all by design. Destroy the economy then like a Phoenix the new leadership will emerge promising utopia. Its all about control and power. Covid gave them a taste of complete power. The global elitists are behind the curtain pulling the strings.

if i remember correctly, Agnew was Nixon's VP
Agnew had resigned due to some scandal
Ford was approved by the Senate as VP
then later Nixon resigned

Rockefeller was Ford's VP

Nixon's VP was Nelson Rockefeller, why didn't he assume the presidency after Watergate?
I was under the false assumption Rockefeller was not tinged by the scandal.
Yet he was immediately replaced by Ford after Nixon resigned.

"Politicians. If their lips are moving ..."

she is not the first...

Carter was a fool, well meaning, but a fool
biden was never qualified
ford likely got there for helping to cover up the JFK murder

this is why i have my own solar panels, batteries
i am looking at a good solar battery system now

i can get my panels out when needed, they are EMP protected now

plan is to have at least 500 watts of power, averaged over 24 hours, just in case

Yes, I voted for him and felt betrayed when he enacted these controls, scrapped the gold standard, and sold us to the CCP. Mao is still laughing!

I think Lebanon got what they deserved. These are a bunch of entitled free loaders that voted themselves a bunch of freebies. Now that the bill came due, they are shit out of luck. I will show no mercy to corrupt societies. I guess there are other factors, but this one here is a big one.

Technocracy (the management of society and its resources by experts in technology and engineering, rather than by elected politicians) actually sounds pretty good. What is wrong with it is not that part above but the part where force is used to impose this control on people not willing to follow decrees of the managers. In other words, statism is what is wrong with it, just like with any other system that requires 'the state'.

I would actually prefer a system in which people managing society be not some random unqualified uneducated corrupt bums but people who are best qualified to do the job. However, in my humble opinion, there should not be anybody in charge of managing society, period. Society should be managed by a free market in a decentralized way without giving anybody special privileges. The people best qualified to do the job will naturally emerge in control and will be there until they are no longer best qualified. Also, they wouldn't need force to impose the control, it would be voluntary.

The state imposes price controls as an attempt to solve poverty it is creating with outrageously high taxation/inflation. This extreme taxation/inflation occurs due to the government overspending caused by the continual increase in its inefficiency/corruption.

Of course, there is no free lunch, price controls will not solve the root problem.

You guys don't understand that without a free market in the area of services that the government provides, there is no way to naturally get rid of inefficiencies and corruption via bankruptcy. A monopoly organization (government/the state) imposed on society by law will eventually become corrupt and inefficient. Because government is not allowed to go bankrupt naturally, it will keep increasing prices (taxes) on its 'customers' until they cannot pay any longer and all their wealth is exhausted. Then, a collapse of the government commences and with it goes the society.

There is a simple solution to this problem: don't put a monopoly organization in charge of your society that can charge any price it wants for its services and that doesn't allow competitors. However, I think you statists will die of poverty and hunger before you will admit you were wrong about your misguided world views.

I truly wish I could believe that.

Perhaps the DagnyTaggart, et al. equivalents have already shrugged and are waiting for the lights of New York to go out. Some Owen Kellogg, Jeff Allen & Quentin Daniels types are still around.

Trump Derailment Syndrome is poisoning this Republic to the point where a complete, total idiot is seriously being considered for the most powerful position in the free world.
God help us.