The Tao Te Ching was libertarian like 2,500 years before libertarianism became a thing.
Chapter 75: Stephen Mitchell translation:
When taxes are too high,
people go hungry.
When the government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit.
Act for the people's benefit.
Trust them; leave them alone.
🧡💜 #Bitcoin ⚡️🚀☝️🫶
Ya I'm sure you already know about the 36 strategies or w.e
What is even more bad ass: the authors of such works only major audience was the political class themselves. Common people didn’t read.
This is advice from 老子 is given to the government, directly. 老子 spoke truth to power. Saying what needed to be said.
Derek Lin translation is a good one too: https://terebess.hu/english/tao/DerekLin.html#Kap75
Pure Wisdom
Lao Tzu message is clear: excessive control and taxation crush the human spirit. A true leader trusts their people and steps back, letting them thrive. 2,500 years later, this wisdom remains as relevant as ever.
The more laws and restrictions there are,
The poorer people become.
The sharper men’s weapons,
The more trouble in the land.
The more ingenious and clever men are,
The more strange things happen.
The more rules and regulations,
The more thieves and robbers.
Therefore, the sage says:
I take no action and people are reformed.
I enjoy peace and people become honest.
I do nothing and people become rich.
I have no desires and people return to the good and simple life.
https://mises.org/mises-wire/tao-and-synergy-spontaneous-order
True wisdom
… truth is constant
Essa frase é do Taoísta, mas não deixa de ser importante.
Stephen Mitchell is smart AF. One of the highest intelligence individuals on the planet.
nostr:npub1upalcp82slrj4yv9kzy37p2nv8nyjte9n7qjga5r6myuev4k28ks8zx054 Thanks for the zaps. 👍🙏
The True Bitcoin is the Bitcoin which cannot be told.
it must have been easy to be a libertarian before the mongols showed up
a timeless #wisdom that transcends temporal and cultural boundaries!
The Tao Te Ching is the second most translated text in the world (after the Bible).
I've studied it extensively. It is so deep, yet so simple. It is close to perfection for me.
A fun thing I've experienced with reading it: at first, you might read a verse and think 'ahh this is not true'. But, then, something magical happens. Time goes by. And through experience, it hits you, like a light bulb moment 'Oh! This is what Lao Tzu ment!!!' And then it just clicks.
It's so cool.
P.S. Lao Tzu was also a privacy advocate. Because, he wrote 81 verses and vanished without taking credit. Lao Tzu translates roughly to 'old man'. A.k.a. Anonymous.
民之飢，以其上食稅之多，是以飢。
民之難治，以其上之有為，是以難治。
民之輕死，以其求生之厚，是以輕死。
夫唯無以生為者，是賢於貴生。
