Flootus5: "Well, this a very timely question. After 16 months of working on our gold property in Northern Nevada, we find it is subject to a regulatory takings with the sage grouse FEIS... I am wide open to suggestions."

Contact the Pacific Legal Foundation for advice. PLF is a "public interest law" organization that specializes in defending private property rights in the courts and setting precedents.

I have personally met Cliven a couple of times. But, it has been quite some time since. We met individually during the Jefferson Canyon road opening event that led to the Nye County lawsuit. And then I was introduced to him by some key rebellion players at a NACO meeting in Fallon.

It was in Jefferson Canyon, tho, on that eventful day on July 4th, 1994 that he impressed me the most in a small but key way. The big events of the day ( a huge story in itself, that I address in the book) were over. It was hot. A lot of people were sitting in the shade of the now "evil" Pinyon-Juniper Forest trees just gabbing away. I heard Cliven nearby telling another rancher that he would like to buy a copy of his VHS footage of the days events. My immediate thought was: He did not just say "Can I get a copy?". He said "Can I buy a copy?" He knows the value of trade and of giving value for value. That has stuck with me all these years.

I have all of my own footage of the events of that day on VHS. I must get them into digital.

I can only second that! Oh my...I hope you don't have many more stories like that. Good thing you got yourself here to this Gulch! Hope you find some people here near you in Florida too.

Hmm, you obviously know a lot more about that than me. But I'm thinking about Cliven Bundy's standoff with the BLM recently, and the Oath Keepers who assembled from all around the country to help him. Familiar with that situation?

Thanks for your answer Benjamin! And I'm happy you like my question! :-)
When I was a young and new Objectivist, religion was my hot button in a big way. And I was good at activating religious people's hot buttons too...the highlight was when someone set a paper on my door on fire (in the dorm). I've since learned to project myself differently...anyway, I know your challenge! Thanks again for sharing it. If you are willing to continue discussing what you've tried and how it's worked (or not), that would be great and appreciated. Probably a good standalone question or topic however.

Very interesting, thanks for your answer! I can tell you are picky, but in a good way. :-)
I hope you find many people here in the online Gulch who are positive and also "grounded" with a strong net. Hopefully I'll be one of them...and if you want to find more people local to you I hope you find them through this community too. (That isn't me currently, I see from your profile.)

Hi Brett, thanks for reaching out.

I don't have 'producer' access on this site, so it won't let me message you. I don't have Twitter either, but would be happy to create an account, or if there are any admins or Producer-level folks here, I could pass my email address on to them to forward to you.

Thanks, much better for me! And it sounds like you have become an excellent communicator and negotiator! Reminds me of several tips from Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends..." and other strategies from negotiating and influencing books I've read. There have been some courses and lectures on how Objectivists can be more effective communicators. Maybe we need to pull something out of you on that topic. ;-) Ever thought of doing something along those lines?

It's the same today as it's been for well over 1/2 century. Daily encounters with those that can't or won't comprehend the reality of the world around them and the others that they share this life with; and watching the effects on the world I live in.

Good post. +1

Thanks David. We need to talk more! And directly. You can overcome your past brainwashing, and the desire to do something entrepreneurial is a great motivation to make it happen. I would like to share and discuss some powerful and effective tools that have done great things for me. Can you message me directly here? If not, are you on Twitter?

Thanks for the suggestion. I agree! But you know we don't have to be limited by geography any more for much of our commerce. We have the marketplace here. And a few years ago I built and launched a website that aimed to be the primary hub for Objectivist-friendly businesses that had e-commerce capability. Perhaps it was too early then. Changing buying habits takes effort, but perhaps there are enough of us to create a robust, critical mass now. Thoughts, anyone?

OK, thanks. From your first response it appears you solve your challenge by moving on to other things and getting it out of your attention...so I'd say you're doing very well dealing with it, if that's really your biggest challenge!

OK, glad you found it worth purchasing! I just bought it too. I'll have to schedule time to read it but it's on my agenda now. Then I'll have to make time to share my thoughts on it here in this forum.

Thanks! That helps a lot.

I could never reduce my "benefits" down to what they take in taxes, so I take whatever I can UNTIL I get to that point.

The federal government is bad in proportion to the square of the money it takes from us.. Their revenues SHOULD be decreased about 75% at least.

And I would add: try to reduce any "benefits" we receive from taxes.

As I understand it, no income tax and strong respect for the 2nd Amendment.

The separation I'm looking for is legal, financial, moral. For example, I hope to retire by the time I'm 70, but I don't want to participate in the S.S. system. I work for a company that a few times a year takes some large orders from county and city governments, but I don't want to be on the receiving end of tax money. I don't want to be beholden to the county or state for the roads I drive on, especially knowing that gas taxes do not cover the entire cost of upkeep. I don't want to be the receiver of any special consideration just because I am over 40, yet I suspect I am being treated differently.

See what I mean? Everything we touch is tainted. I've minimized it in my own life, but I can't eradicate it. Short of cutting off all contact with the outside world and living as a self-supporting hermit, I am subject to the undeserved costs and unearned benefits of living under a socialist government.

I have resolved to never take any money directly from a government, and to always take the private option over the public option if that is available. So, no subsidized Obamacare, no government loans, etc.

Just downloaded it, I am not promising a review.....

I don't think the position is true that we gain nothing from dealing with those that have different opinions than us. Not all such people are actually actively attempting to destroy us or calling for others to do so. Many are simply mistaken, including about some pretty fundamental things needed to even honestly see and correct their mistake.

As long as a trade with someone doesn't involve putting up more in the trade than we are receiving, for instance giving up a really important value more important than what we are receiving, the trade is rational. Or to put it another way, if the trade doesn't involve actual sacrifice of a greater value for a lesser one or a non-value then to trade is rational.

I guess it would be finding people that take philosophical ideas seriously. Even among the best people in my life most think I am on some bender when I attempt to present a philosophical basis for individual rights and freedom or explain exactly why I am against some things they mostly accept and why I am so strongly against them.

I have people in my life that are pro-freedom and are productive and highly moral people but they are in my eyes operating totally without a net. And some of them have huge gaps where they assume some ideas or people are alright to bring into their life where I see glaring contradictions and dangers from doing so.

It is a challenge to find even objectivist friends who are not so busy looking for an excuse to cast judgment that they seemingly can't have an honest and far reaching philosophical discussion.

I've taken numerous steps to overcome this issue. I've read AS and TF several times. I'm one semester away from graduating with a business degree in enterprise development (although that university was a bit left-leaning).

Where I struggle is in the formulation of entrepreneurial ideas and plans for bringing these into fruition. Too many years of working as a wage slave, and surrounded by too many non-businesspeople.

Brett, great post. The biggest challenge in applying Objectivism for me is not becoming emotional when people accuse me of being "extremist" or a crack pot. I am outspoken against the philosophic underpinnings of the Dems and the GOP, but find that I am treated as a traitor when I do not support certain GOP actions on the basis that the reason was not valid. I fight against what I call religionists, those who want to implement religion politically or who believe religion is the basis for politics. "Morality comes from the Bible", etc. My GOP friends then accuse me of being anti-religion or implementing my ideals instead of theirs. The intrinsicist argument that religiosity holds as fundamental has to be the most frustrating and biggest challenge for me.