Frequently Asked Questions

Why “The Agitator?” It sounds like a professional wrestler/garden tool/sex toy.

It’s memorable, and the URL was available. Also, I tend to admire people who have historically agitated for liberty. The abolitionists, for example. Or people like Voltaire, Thomas Paine, Susan B. Anthony, or Britain's Levellers.

You're for ending drug prohibition. You must smoke alot of weed.

I’ve smoked marijuana once (so far) and was underwhelmed. I ate some chicken wings and fell asleep.

You write quite a bit about sin. Are you a libertine?

Not really. I'm an advocate for keeping sin legal, not necessarily an advocate for sin. Though one man's sin is another man's....

I read that piece you wrote about the environment. You conservative corporate shill Fox News types are all alike.

I like markets, not corporations. I do write for Fox News, but I’m not a conservative.

Oh, I see. You’re a Libertarian. Those guys are nuts.

I’m a “libertarian,” not a “Libertarian.” “Libertarians” are sometimes nuts. Many of them, anyway. But “libertarians” I think are probably closer to the values most people hold than either Republicans or Democrats. We believe in free markets, limited government, low taxes, free trade, individual rights, personal responsibility, and peace. On fiscal issues, we generally side with the right. On cultural and social issues, we generally side with the left. We don’t like Jesse Jackson or Pat Robertson. Enron bothers us, but so does Ralph Nader. We’re not big fans of war -- the Iraq thing bugs most of us. But the United Nations bugs us too. During the Iraq war, I for one was mortified to be on the same side as France -- on anything.

How can I find out if I’m a libertarian?

There’s a nice overview of libertarianism here. Or you could take this short quiz. Or this slightly longer one. You could read this book, or this one. If you like the sound of the following statement, and how it might apply to public policy, you’re probably a libertarian:

“We should all be free to live our lives as we please, so long as we don’t harm anyone else.”

I want to be a writer. How do I get published?

I’d say three things helped me achieve some small modicum of success freelancing:

1) Persistence. I write a lot. Seriously. Tons. It’s not a hobby. It’s an addiction. No, it’s not an addiction. It’s a necessity. Like breathing. I was dinged probably at least twenty times before I finally got an op-ed published. I still get shot down. Most people do. There’s just too many writers, too little op-ed space. But keep trying.

2) Persistence. Promote yourself. Always. Be constantly on the lookout for writing opportunities. Be willing to write for free. My ears still perk up whenever someone is introduced to me as an “editor.” Other writers, editors -- these are people you should be taking measures to meet. It doesn’t hurt to live in Washington. Or New York.

3) Persistence. The more you write, the better you’ll get. I shudder at stuff I wrote as recently as a year ago. When you do finally get an editor to read your submissions, you’ll want them to be your best work. So write. As often as you can. Ask for feedback from friends and colleagues. Start a weblog.

Will you put in a good word for me -- help me get published?

No.

Hey, it’s a tough market.

Hey, jerk, why didn’t you answer my email?

I read it all. No way I can answer it all. Particularly if you email around the time my Fox column runs (every other Thursday). Around then, I’m swimming in email. Otherwise, I try to respond as best I can. If I couldn't get to you, email me again. If you're cute and female, send pictures.

Can I send you links/articles/stuff for you to post on?

Yes. Please do. Ideas for columns/articles are also welcome. Particularly if it's something not already all over the news.

Hey, jerk, I sent you links/articles/stuff for you to post on, and you didn’t post on them!

My posting habits are ragged and irregular. I probably didn’t get around to your suggestion until it was old news. Or I might package it with something else in the future. Or it violates my personal code of decency, which means it must have been really twisted.

Or it just didn’t appeal to me. Nothing personal. Thanks for the heads-up.

Will you give me credit for having sent stuff to you?

Usually.

I’m an editor. Or I have a ghost writing project for you. Will you write for me?

Why are you in the FAQ section? We should be having drinks! Send me an email.

Hey jerk, why did you publish that nasty email I sent you on your website?

All email will be considered for publication unless you expressly request otherwise. And if it's particularly nasty, or written in verse, I might publish it anyway.

What’s with all the monkey stuff?

Many months ago, a quasi-serious discussion broke out in the comments section about a bunch of libertarians getting together to purchase an emerging island, where we’d live in a tropical utopia. Naturally, we’d need someone to serve us. So in a nod to The Simpsons, we concluded that well-trained monkey butlers would be ideal for the task.

From there, it was determined that, for entertainment, the monkey butlers would fight one another for their freedom. They’d be armed with frozen fish, to prevent any potential insurrection (once thawed, the fish would make poor weapons, of course). The rules for the monkey fights can be found here.

You’re joking, right?

Yes.

Do you edit your comments section?

With a very light hand. Only the most racist/bigoted/ad hominem/ useless stuff gets deleted and/or banned. Spam, solicitations, and other useless posts will also be banned. I think I've deleted less than ten comments out of almost 8,000 so far left on this site. However, also note that anything posted in the comments section is not my opinion, and I stand by none of it. If someone libels/flames/comes on to you in the comments section, your issue is with the commenter, not with me.

Will you link to me?

I hate this whole linking game. I use my blogroll as a reminder of what sites I should try to hit with some regularity. I feel no obligation to reciprocate links. It’s nothing personal. But I only have so much time to read other blogs, so I only have so much space on my blogroll. Also, it's a huge pain to keep a blogroll current. If you think your site would be of interest, email me. If I have time, I’ll check it out. If it’s something I want to remind myself to check out regularly, I’ll add it to the blogroll.

Frankly, interesting and provocative posts will bring you tons more traffic than getting blogrolled on a site like this one.

Where do you find the stuff you link to? You must surf the web all day.

Since the blogging thing took off, lots of websites have emerged that serve as clearinghouses for blog-fodder (neat how markets work, isn’t it?). I also get links from you, loyal readers. And yes, I am a pretty hungry consumer of information, myself. I read while eating. While waiting for a haircut. Sometimes I read while driving. Once, I caught myself reading while reading.

Why do you post about (X) all the time? I’m tired of it. Please stop.

You’d be surprised how much email I get like this. People come to my site and tell me I need to stop posting about stuff they disagree with. This strikes me as similar to you inviting me over for dinner, and me telling you that I really wish you had painted your living room a different color, and oh, by the way, that chair in the corner is ugly. And your dog has gas. And your daughter is fat.

You’d probably tell me to go to hell. And rightly so. If you don’t like the subject of a post, don’t read it. If a majority of the posts on my blog fail to entertain you, read another blog. There are over a half million of them out there. You’re bound to find one you like. Better yet, start your own. I don’t mean to sound bitter. I love my readers. But you’re readers. You aren’t shareholders.

Do you make money? Do you lose money? What about donations?

I’m solidly in the black with this whole blogging thing, but mostly because my site is generously hosted for a pittance by PJ Doland Web Design. Few bloggers make any money to speak of, precisely because there are so many of them, and 99% offer all of their content for free. That said, donations are certainly welcome. Occasionally, someone will purchase something off my Amazon wishlist. I really like it when that happens.

Contributions are wonderful, of course, but not expected. I blog because I enjoy it. It’s a huge rush to think that several thousand of you actually care what I think about things. Also, it can’t hurt to have a solid base of regular readers when, for example, I finally write a book. Then I’ll expect you to buy it.