Just Say No: Karl Hess on Resisting Authority


What does authority fear more than attack or subversion? The word “No.” In this video Karl Hess explores the concepts and consequences of defying authority.

Karl Hess

Karl Hess was a noted speechwriter (for Barry Goldwater among others) and author, and later in his life became known as a tax resister and market anarchist.

Karl Hess was a noted speechwriter (for Barry Goldwater among others) and author, and later in his life became known as a tax resister, welder, and market anarchist.

In this video from the 1983 Eris conference in Snowmass, Colorado, Hess explores the concepts and consequences of defying authority. He discusses the importance of developing a sense of personal autonomy and foundational skills as a means of standing up against authoritarianism.