Avoiding the Painful Ambivalence of Questioning (The Need For) The State

" ... being told that 'anarchism' is just bad, bad, bad helps us avoid the anxiety and ambivalence we in fact feel about that which we both fear and love at the same time. Our educational and political leaders 'sell' us relief from ambivalence and uncomfortable exploration – inevitably, at the expense of truth – and so far, we have been relatively eager consumers."

- from Everyday Anarchy by Stefan Molyneux

In A Society ... Adventure, Property, and The State

In a society that has destroyed all adventure, the only adventure left is to destroy that society.

- "The Anti-Media" Facebook photo

I don't agree with that quote, but I believe in the sentiment. There could be multiple ways to reformulate that quote to better reflect an anarchocapitalist/libertarian ethic.

When __________ destroys all __________, the only __________ left is to destroy that __________.

But first, what is questionable about the quote? Well, has society really destroyed adventure? The easiest response is: no, and that the government is really the culprit. But in that interpretation one needs to address the culpability of society in the aggressive usurpation of power by the government. And what is "adventure?" Is it really the act of being alive? Has the society-enabled state deadened the adventure of being alive?

Credit: HighExistence.com

The quote is in your face, shocking, but to  be more accurate and hopefully constructive:

When a state destroys all property,

the only ethically act left is to destroy that state.

Of course, destroying the state does not require violence.  You can destroy a state simple through, for example, nullification, and similar nonviolent means.

The Technocrat Myth

There was a collective myth during the '50s, and late '40s, at least among the Hollywood B-movie power "elite," that scientists should rule - or at least save - the world.

Well, it didn't actually turn out that way. It seems more like the technocrats have taken over. We have the rank-and-file bureaucrats. And all those damn Congress members that appear to be mostly brief-writing and gobbledygook-reading lawyers. They all fall to the feet of the "professional" and banking technocrats, and the occasional real-hard scientist, who are practicing their narrow areas of expertise, that the ignorant faithful see as their guiding light in the messy journey of life.

Technocrats place an artificial screen of "knowledge" over what is truly ruled by natural rights. YOU are the ruler of your life - more so than any technocrat - bound by the tenuous string that holds us here in this existence.

No bureaucrat, technocrat, statute maker, or self-important judge holds the high ground over your principles or morals.

Update (12/13/13)

So is my assertion factual about the deference of judgement to scientists and technocrats? More on that later.

Harry Reid Was So Prophetic

" ... the anarchists have taken over."
- Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, September 2013

Not quite, but we're working on it.

Hell On High Quad Bock (Er!) Belgian-Style Ale

Marginally defeated on BeerAdvocate.com, I've found at least one use for Hell On High Quad Bock Belgian-Style Ale.

Nose: Strong medicinal, strong alcohol-based vanilla extract.

Taste: Alcohol, possible Belgian earthiness (give 'em that , eh?),  low to absent hops, more drinkable than Skullsplitter.

Alcohol (by volume): 14%.

I read on Beer Advocate, that the alcohol was overwhelming, and the remains of one reviewer's sample was two thirds down the drain. But if you have tried whiskey or scotch neat, then Hell On High is a cakewalk - with bubbles to boot.

So that one use I recommend for this beer? I feel that it pairs nicely with a cold.

Pairing: Early-onset common cold.

Rating: 2/5.

Crony Capitalism

Everytime your elected officials say they are working to attract industry and create jobs, they are advancing the cause of crony capitalism. They are acting like fascists. 

Tax breaks and credits, abuse of imminent domain, and "donations" of infrastructure  all cement the marriage of business and state - an accepted definition of fascism, a bastardization of capitalism, and not the responsibility of a true free market.

Tyranny Is A Cancer

Tyranny is a cancer that the              wants you to ignore ... so that it can spread.

A. Republican Party
B. Democratic Party
C. Federal administration
D. Congress
E. Judiciary
F. State legislature
G. State administration
H. Local council
I. Local administration
J. ALL OF THE ABOVE (GOVERNMENT)

Freedom Fundamentalist: Another Descriptor For Libertarian

In generally, I describe myself as a small-"L" libertarian. But as a rule of thumb, it depends on who I am talking to:

When speaking with a ...
... Democrat, I'm a "libertarian."
... Republican, I'm a "libertarian" or "Liberty Caucus" supporter.
... Libertarian, I'm a "small-'L' libertarian."
... small-"L" libertarian, I'm an "anarchist."
... "anarchist," I'm an "anarchist," "agorist," "anarcho-capitalist," "voluntaryist," or whatever is the best label at the moment.

But when I was doing some crowdsource work, and when a question came up to clarify my political bent, I typed "freedom fundamentalist."

As a non-bomb-throwing descriptor - that is not an easily-confused, mouth-full garble like "voluntaryist" or "voluntaryianist"- I'd call myself a "freedom fundamentalist," for now.

Left/Right Politics are Smoke and Mirrors

The left/right paradigm is an illusion. The true political struggle is between authoritarianism and libertarianism, tryanny and liberty, the state and freedom.

President (sic) Barrack Obama warned against the warnings in the U.S. about tyranny. It sickens me to say that he was partially right. Higher taxes and burdensome regulation do not seem too tyrannical, until ... Someone ...kicks ... In ... Your door, shoots your dog, smashes your daughters' face into the wall, bed frame, amd floor, and hauls you off to jail for a felony victimless false crime. Tyranny is a cancer - Obama wants you to ignore it - so that it can spread.

The Free Market Stops Statism

The more big government and megacorporations push their statist ("liberal") agenda, the more the free market will step in and provide what people want and need to live free lives.

Case in point, credit-card processing companies and banks are dropping gun retailers and manufacturers like cheap dates.  Now there is McMillan Market Solutions, an alternative to (short term) loan and credit processing services "that will never turn [gun companies] down for political reasons."

This is a great thing from an anarcho capitalist position, because we believe that giant corporations couldn't exist in a truely free market without government largesse (with strings)  and protection.

This is an epic battle between the megacorps and the freemarketers. The more the likes of Walmart and Kmart depend on the government to subsidized their anticompetitive pricing by using socialized services to pay their employees' healthcare coverage needs (Medicaid), the stronger AND weaker they will be. The more the megabanks carry-out statutory (but naturally illegal) government policies while getting bailed out by big government, the stronger AND weaker they will be. What a paradox.

But again, the free market can fill the gaps that big government and megacorps create - or ignore.

The Military Service Divide

I've heard the military-service divide bemoaned in print and among my extended family. The general line goes something like this: Since conscription has ended and we have shifted to a volunteer force, the American people have become disconnected from the sacrifice, culture, discipline, and manners of our service members.

I agree with such concern, but not exactly for the same loss. Conscription is slavery, so there is no loss in its absence. Military service is not as noble as it sounds, because it is indentured servitude. So service in our national military - or even the national guards - is a boondoggle, a false ideal, an avenue for misguided pride, and a vehicle for promoting an logical fallacy.

I bemoan the loss of true civil service - the loss of truly voluntary militia service.

What have we gotten in exchange for giving up the militias? An adventurous military. An oppressive police state. A web of bureaucratic internal spying. A less trustful society.

Will revitalizing the militias solve all our ills? Of course not, but it would move us toward stronger communities, be a foil to an out of control bureaucracy, and discourage the illegal and illegitimate activities of non-peace-officer LEOs.

Socialism The Carrot, Crony Capitalism The Stick

 

 Credit: Cop Spike Project on Facebook

In 1848, in Italy, the Austrian overlords joined forces with bourgeoise militias to suppress a popular uprising. Things turned out pretty much the same across Europe. 

One of the results: the birth of the welfare state. Socialism is the panacea for the masses in a crony-capitalist state. 

Companies like Walmart have no motive to pay workers higher wages, if they can turn to government to supplement workers' income through socialized services. So it is quite easy for megacorps to maintain low prices, low wages, and to call out the official militia.

Applying Science To Social Issues

There's a danger to applying science to social interactions and economics. You might end up with technocrats trying to use Tinkertoys to build society, when people on an individual basis have the ability to form themselves into useful social structures without imposed, utopian, artificial order. But the quest for truth in science can inform our quest for truths about the human condition.

Brian Cox, during his TedTalks: Space Trek episode, "Why We Need Explorers," closed with this about Humphry Davy, English inventor and chemist:

The argument has always been made, and it will always be made, that we know enough about the universe. You could have made it in the 1920s; you wouldn't have penicillin. You could have made it in the 1890s; you wouldn't have had the transistor. And it's made today, in these difficult economic times. Surely we know enough. We don't need to know anything else about the universe.

Let me leave the last words to someone who is rapidly becoming a hero of mine. Humphry Davy, who did his science at the turn of the 19th century. He was clearly under assault all of the time. We know enough at the time of the 19th century. Just exploit it. Just build things ...

Wikipedia.org

"Nothing is more fatal to the progress of the human mind than to presume that our views of science are ultimate, that triumphs are complete, that there are no new mysteries of nature, and no new worlds to conquer." Humphry Davy (1778-1829).

So to paraphrase Davy:

Nothing is more fatal to the progress of the human condition than to presume that our views of life, freedom, and property are ultimate, that triumphs are complete, that there are no new mysteries in society, and no new evils to conquer.

Counterstatism

The freedom movement seems to be torn in two directions. On the one hand we have: practicing freedom. On the other hand we have: fighting the state.

Free living versus counterstatism.

Both are needed. If you only fight the state, then you have nothing to defend. For example, support the gun-rights movement, but make sure to go shooting, talk guns, and patronize those who support your freedom.

USA Ripe for Denazification?

Bear with me.

In no way do I see the current state of the United States as an analog for Nazi Germany, so bear with me.

But the United States does have a political system, that has as part of its core, a strong propaganda machine (MSM and Federal govt produced documents, media, and advertising) and a cadre of (party) members, but bear with me.

Denazification was a system put into place by the victorious allies after World War II to remove Nazi's from positions of influence, rehabilitate and punish former Nazi administration members, Nazi Party members, war profiteers, etc., and rehabilitate the entire population through censorship and education in democracy.

So what's the point?

Obama and our politically system have been labeled nazis, communists, fascists, and statists often in the alternative media. There is an assumption that there is something totalitarian about our current government. So where does denazification play into the current state of the country? We have a presumption within and without government institutions that the central state has the authority and right to determine what is best for individuals, businesses, communities, states, and foreign countries. That belief is pervasive and runs counter to the belief that was central to the founding of this country's original independent government - natural law (classical liberalism). We can call the current political system statist, though our system is officially known as representative democracy. The pervasiveness of statism within our culture might need a strong response that is multifaceted - a destatification program.

As Michael Bolton likes to say, the Federal government is powerless without the help of state and local governments - and individuals. That's another story, when it comes to local and state governments. That's another reason that a multifaceted destatification program is needed to restore classical liberalism, natural law, and to carry forth the promise of libertarianism, anarcho capitalism, anarchism, and voluntaryism.

Fatal Statist Fallacy 3.1: Social Cooperation

The state is required for the promotion of social cooperation.

Libertarians (including anarcho-capitalists, anarchists, and voluntaryists) have been accused of being selfish, social atomists, and against the organizing ability of society. But if one takes classical liberalism and anarchism to their logical conclusion, one finds that there would be more social cooperation in the absence of state's forced "cooperation" and the resulting avoidance behaviors of individuals.

Fatal Statist Fallacy 4: Military Justice

A separate military legal system is required for the discipline, readiness, and fighting capability of service members.

Fatal Statist Fallacy 3: Social Cooperation

The state is required for the promotion of social cooperation.

Fatal Statist Fallacy 2: Anarchy

Anarchy equals chaos.

Fatal Statist Fallacy 1: National Interest

National interest requires national control.

Arsenal (and Imposed Denial) of Democracy 1.0

1.0: The Question

A conventional wisdom is that one of the reasons that Nazi Germany lost WWII was that it was still devoting resources to production of "luxury" goods even up until the very last days of the war. The implication is that, in contrast, the United States was rationing everything, so therefore the U.S. won the war. That stands in sharp contrast to what the federal government was pushing post 9/11. There was a fear that our economy would collapse, if we didn't spend spend spend.

Which approach is correct: A command economy that stiffles consumer spending or a command economy that promotes it - or neither? Well, Nazi Germany was dealing with a vastly different economic reality than WWII U.S. or War-on-Terrorism U.S., but I think it is profitable to compare the approaches, or at least bust some myths.

The Strong-Arm U.S. Corporate Empire

I had forgotten that crony statism (crony capitalism/corporatism/"corptocracy") of U.S. corporations extends so much beyond our borders. Everyone knew that Halliburton was screwing the U.S. government in Iraq, but I was not aware of the extent our corporations were screwing foreign nations with World Bank help and threats to and "regime change" in foreign lands.

I was reminded of the extent that U.S. corporations and the U.S. government go to secure economic power abroad, when the CIA finally officially confirmed the truth that it was instrumental in the overthrow of democratically-elected Mossadegh in 1950s Iran.

Speaking Freely: Vol. 1: John Perkins is a documentary that is a good primer or refresher on the topic. Though it doesn't offer up any strong solutions, it does offer another very convincing example of how crony statism is destroying economies.

Netflix.com

The Most Attractive P-Series Ruger

Though it is out of production, and this judgment goes against my own purchase, the most attractive Ruger P-Series pistol, surpassing the original P89 and the transitional P345 and the workhorse P95, rising to the top, for grace and not necessarily functionality, neutered by a lack of picatinny rail, and a slave to the ubiquitous and controversial cartridge .40S&W is the P944.

Fukushima Ineptitude, Coverup Act Of War?

The case could be made that the Japanese government's handling of the Fukushima disaster could be considered an act of war. Whether by ineptitude, nationalism, neglect, or malice, the damage, though meted out through prolonged suffering, could kill ten times the 9/11 benchmark.

The above is a recollection based on snippets of news stories. But if it is 70% true, then Japan could be on its way to isolating itself from its "natural" ally, while tensions grow with China, because the contaminated seawater is drifting to California, the leftist coast.

This brings to mind another act of war: the FDA's reassurance to the people of Manhattan that toxic levels were OK, even though they exceeded all previous  FDA standards prior to 9/11.

Again, I am basing these "facts" on a recollection, but I am convinced that they are born out by the facts as the truth.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/08/japan-pm-fukushima-leaks

An Agorist Roadmap

An Agorist Roadmap, by Kyle Bennett, guest poster on Let A Thousand Nations Blossom blog.  A very interesting article. A little light on substance, but heavy on "Rah rah!" And I think the libertarian movement needs a little more of both, so the post is worth a read - and is compelling enough to stimulate some further reading.

The Fed Gov Needs to Stoke a Dubbie

My dad, a medical professional, went to another conference that featured a lecture that picked on a recreational drug (The last drug of ill repute was alcohol and the "discovered" genetic determiner for alcoholism.).

The gist of the talk was that marijuana saps initiative, so it must be kept from the hands of the young.

Well, maybe the Obama administration needs to light up some herb, because the bureaucracy has done far too much.

Natural Law Supercedes the State

It's about time to purge criminals and their government-class code of conduct from the halls of the state.

End state-sanctioned crime.

Decriminalize Freedom.

Freedom is Legal.

A state that violates freedom is illegal.

Your statute does not make my freedom illegal.

Statute ≠ Law

Statute = unNatural Law

Secession As A Foil For World Government

Interview of Hans-Herman Hoppe by Le Québécois Libre, December 7, 2002:
 
QL: Political globalism tends towards the emergence of a world state. Is this phenomenon reversible? How should we oppose it? 
  
H.-H. H.: Interstate competition has indeed the tendency of leading ultimately to the formation of a world state. This phenomenon is reversible, however. For one, people should be reminded that it was precisely the near anarchistic structure of Europe as compared to China, for instance, that explains the rise of capitalism, i.e., the so-called European economic miracle: small states, in direct competition with others, must be moderate to their own population in order not to lose their most productive citizens.  
  
For instance, small states must engage in free trade rather than protectionism. All government interference with foreign trade forcibly limits the range of mutually beneficial inter territorial exchanges and thus leads to relative impoverishment at home as well as abroad. But the smaller a country, the more dramatic this effect will be. A country the size of the U.S. might attain comparatively high standards of living even if it renounced all foreign trade. In contrast, if a territory the size of a city or village engaged in protectionism, this would likely spell disaster or even death.  
  
In order to reverse the trend toward centralization and ultimately the creation of a world government, it is crucial that an alternative vision be promoted and popularized in public opinion. We must promote the idea of secession. Or more specifically, we must promote the idea of a world composed of tens of thousands of distinct districts, regions, and cantons, and hundred of thousands of independent free cities such as the present day oddities of Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Greatly increased opportunities for economically motivated migration would thus result, and the world would be one of small liberal governments economically integrated through free trade and an international commodity money such as gold.  

"1984" In Our More "Sophisticated" Times

"War is peace," but we'll just call it "Defense." "Freedom is slavery," but we'll just call it "Fairness." "Ignorance is strength," but we'll just call it "Mainstream Common Sense."

How I Became An Anarchist

Jeff Berwick always asks his guests on Anarchast podcast: "How did you become an anarchist?"

Well, personally, I was born of two career military personnel, one who had been previously maternally discharged. It seemed, when I met a few Army brats that were not like me, in other words very happy with the brat lifestyle , that I was more like Jim Morrison, yet less self destructive. So in more words, I was developing into a non-bomb-throwing anarchist.

How did I discover that I was an anarchist? More on that later.

Channeling Obama For Purposes Of Commenting On Our Surveillance State

I have been forced by circumstance and a few small people to address the issue of domestic spying.

I made a campaign promise to not spy on innocent Americans, and to , of course, supply law enforcement with the tools they needed to fight crime and terrorism. That was a promise not an oath, I did not swear to it, I did not place my hand on TWO bibles - one from my intellectual hero and one from a person I was politically bound to honor, and I'll let you figure out who was who - I did not place my hand on two bibles, I did not swear to tell the truth. So once I entered the Oval Office, I had to deal with reality. I made a measured response to what I had to deal with. I weighed your freedoms against my quest for power. I came down on the side of crony statism. If you don't get what I'M getting to, then look it up, there are resources out there, even in public libraries, for a while yet.

And for all you out there who speak of tyranny and that flexible, adaptable, breakable document called the Constitution: You ... Haven't ... Seen ... Nothing ... Yet.

Market Failure Theory

From Organized Crime: The Unvarnished Truth About Government by Thomas DiLorenzo:

Market failure theorists, whose epicenter was for many years the Harvard and M.I.T. economics departments, had three main characteristics: 

First, they concocted mathematical models that were usually far removed if not totally detached from economic reality. ...

The second characteristic of the market failure theorists is a con- sistent application of what UCLA economist Harold Demsetz labeled “the nirvana fallacy.” The game is played as follows: First, construct a totally un- realistic theory of “perfect” competition that assumes away all real-world competition with assumptions of perfect information, homogenous prod- ucts and prices, free or costless entry and exit from industry, and “many” firms. Second, compare real-world markets to this utopian Nirvana state and condemn the markets as “imperfect” or “failed.”

The third characteristic of market failure theories is to recommend intervention by presumably perfect government that is assumed to suffer from no failures and which will correct the failures of the market. (p. ix-x)

"Crony Capitalism" Is An Affront To Capitalism

What is the best term for our current system that has merged corporate and federal state power (not to mention, devolved to the local level of business and town power)?

I had settled on "crony capitalism," but I am uncomfortable with including capitalism in the term, because the behavior or activity is more about privilege than capitalism.

An element of our current system is "socialism," but that only describes a portion of the system. Socialism seems to only served as a panacea for the masses - and a weapon to wip free-market actors.

"Fascism" seems to be what I constantly return to. Mussolini was purported to have called it "corporatism," but "corporatism" can refer to an entirely state-run or civic entity, and Mussolini probably didn't say the quote anyway. Also, "fascism" is such a loaded term with connotations with rabid nationalism (though our system is nationalistic, e.g. "community of nations" crap, etc.) and racism (the current use of race bating and urban-favoring rhetoric illustrates the fault in that vein of the current federal administration).

"Corporatism" excuses the local businesses that crony up to city councils and mayors.

So what can I finally settled on? The state is the final nexus of control over individual's lives, no matter how complicit mega banks and mega corporations are in that control. The state is the nexus of evil, worshipped unconsciously by subjects and overtly by the "supercitizens."

For now, I'm settling on "crony statism," because the state coops the power of corporations, civic organizations, individuals, and other businesses in exchange for favor and protection.

UPDATE: And I can't claim to have invented the term, so I might be onto something:

Submitted by Ed Thompson, Jan 20, 2012 18:11

To quote Mr. Kudlow, “Strong stuff. Good stuff.” But it’s crony *statism*, not crony capitalism. Crony capitalism reverses cause and effect. It is government that is selling favors it has no right to sell. It should stop. There should be laissez-faire, complete separation of economics and state. See www.PrinciplesOfaFreeSociety.com.

http://www.nysun.com/comments/81013

But neither can Ed Thompson:

Apparently  T.M. Callagny can claim inventing the term around 1990. See page 4 at the link below, "Child Soldiers In the Civil War in Sierra Leone:"

http://repository.forcedmigration.org/pdf/?pid=fmo:3365

NEXT: Searching for a blanket term to label the privileged class of individuals in a crony-statist system. "

Individualism vs. Collectivism

There is a vast casm between the philosophies of individualism and collectivism. The vast majority of Americans occupy the space in between - until collective action affects an individual.

If a collective action benefits an individual, then the individual leans towards collectivism. If a collective action harms an individual, then the individual leans towards individualism.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans, in that vast casm, are clustered on the statist bank of collectivism. Pragmatically, the individual garners exponentially more on the free bank of individualism by virtue of - freedom. Fortunately, there is a great awakening in our country. People are seeing the error of putting faith in the state and the truth that rights and sovereignty are inherently individualistic.

Obama, The Nation-Statist

What essentially sets a nation state apart is the monopoly of violence.
-Barack Obama

Then Obama must be saying that the USA is a failed nation state, because at most the USA is a member of an oligarchy of violence (in concert with local and state aggressors), and in reality the USA is part of a mixed economy of violence. Either way, Obama is earning his labels with gusto: socialist, communist, fascist, statist, very-bad man.

Judged By 12 Or Carried By 6

An often stated quote in the self-defense community is:

I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

It is ironic, or symbiotic, that the following encapsulates the sentiment of the self-righteous community:

That criminal deserves that he's being carried by six than judged by twelve. 

Beer Instead of Pure Water

My dad has a narrative for his theory about the necessity of beer in Middle Ages that goes something like this:

In the Middle Ages, everyone drank beer, because water was not safe to drink. The people then did not know that one  part of the brewing process was actually what made the drink safe: boiling. Therefore, with modern water purification processes, we don't need to drink beer.

That's all well and good, but it ignores a couple facts that counter those conclusions:

(1) Distilled water will leach minerals from your body. So water boiled to extreme is actually bad for you. But then again, even if they did know about boiling to kill germs in the Middle Ages, they would probably not be distilling it.

(2) Water storage. Water will turn, get infected by germs, in storage. That's why sailors made grog with bad water and rum on ocean voyages.

(3) Wine was never boiled and was also a safe substitute for water.

(4) Fermented products have additional benefits from amino acids acids, trace minerals, active live cultures (if not pasteurized), etc.

Reformulated Aphorism #9: "We" Crap Made Good

When the UK government decided to give more land to agricultural laborers in Ireland. It seemed like a not-too-unfair-move in a land that had misappropriate land. I'm debated the issue of land redistribution and "right to roam" based on past land theft, such as William-the-Conqueror stuff. I think I agree with this aphorism, because I don't think that past grievances can be legislated away and remedied through statute, but through the courts and common law (still debatable for evolved-past-minarchism libertarian), or the good will of private individuals who have inherited or purchased past-stolen property:

We are all socialists now.
- William Vernor Harcourt, responding to the Labourers (Ireland) Allotment Bill of 1887

Time magazine pretty much misused this following reformulation, but the sentiment has proven itself out in the hearts of most Americans, until the Tea Party movement. And it was later attributed to Nixon:

We are all Keynesians now.
- Milton Friedman, quoted in article favoring Keynes

Ron Paul chimed in while selling freedom on the campaign trail. He paraphrased Nixon as saying:

... we’re all Keynesians now, which meant that even the Republicans accepted liberal economics. He says I’m waiting for the day when we can say we’re all Austrians now.
-Ron Paul, before supporters 2012

And to reformulate past reformulations, and to reflect the temper of our times, especially with the past few years of Tea Party uproar and the recent pro-2nd-amendment furor:

We are all libertarians now.
- CR Cobb

Reformulated Aphorism #10: Friends and Enemies

I've criticized our federal government repeatedly, and with malice, for pursuing a foreign policy illuminated by:

My enemy's enemy is my friend.
- Chinese/Arab proverb

And I silently applauded - or really smiled ear to ear - when I heard that the macrobreweries were distributing malt and/or barley to the microbreweries, because there was a shortage. It was probably self serving, because maintaining a beer percentage in the alcoholic-beverage segment was their most-likely goal. But I was delighted, no less.

Within the firearms "community" (really segment), there are many contentious arguments, usually highlighted by caliber and safety parsing. But there is a general espirit de corps, though there are some insular accuracy and hunting fundamentalists. And there is a growing understanding that for the gun culture to survive, us gray hairs (I've got one or two) need to embrace "Gun Culture 2.0" with their oft (at least I'm told) gaming origin. Of course, more comfortably for some, we need to embrace the next generation - yes, the children. And there has also been much talk about taking a friend shooting, to let that person demonstrate to themselves that shooting is fun and not scary (with safety protocols in place, etc.).

All of this lovey-dovey crap is signaling a desire for us to be inclusive of all members of the gun culture. So in that spirit, I have discovered a reformulation of the aphorism and proverb above:

My friend is my enemy's enemy.
- CR Cobb

Assiduus Bellum Pro Libertas 1.0: Constant War For Freedom

I oppose the term war like it is a pox upon us. The "War on Poverty" "War on Crime", J. Edgar Hoover's euphemism for his war on individuals, seemed to be the starting point. Then we had "War on Poverty" (instead of a "War in Vietnam"), "War on Drugs," "War on Gangs" (ignoring the previous "Gang Warfare" concept), "War on Cancer," ad nauseum.

Those wars, their earlier connection to a real war, and the empetus to concentrate power in single individuals with technocratic zeal gave us the continued use of the term: czar. 

During the latter stages of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson appointed financier Bernard Baruch to run the War Industries Board. This position was sometimes dubbed the "industry czar".
- Wikipedia article, "Czar (political term)"

I know that the term czar is out of vogue, but it was an apt term for a petite dictator charged with enforcing draconian statutes and armed with willing bureaucrats.

credit: Wikipedia

Of course, the irony can't be lost on any freedom-loving individual. In a natural-rights-based, constitutional republic, our government has consistently violated individual freedom with the threat of illegitimate force for collective good and false rights.

So why would I stoop to suggesting another war? Well, if anything is worth winning, then it is freedom. If we have to call the struggle a war to get a little attention, then so be it. And quite frankly, all those wars declared for supposed good were really wars on people violating no true laws or on individuals in the way of progression.

A War on Tyranny, even if it is only rhetorical, is a just war of the utmost moral good and importance. And to state the struggle in positive terms, and to highlight its perpetual status: Assiduus Bellum Pro Libertas.

U.S. Supreme Court Proved Illegitimacy of the Federal State

"In Bowers v. Devito, it was stated that 'there is no constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen. It is monstrous if the state fails to protect its residents against such predators, but it does not violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, or, we suppose, any other provision of the Constitution. The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties; it tells the state to let the people alone; it does not require the federal government or the state to provide services, even so elementary a service as maintaining law and order.' Bowers v. Devito, 686 F.2d 616 (7th Cir. 1982)" 

 - from As King by Paranoid

Because the Supreme Court is hell bent on abiding by the precedents set forth in its own decisions, then it must abide by its paraphrasing of the bedrock of the limits on the federal state: "The Constitution ... tells the state to let people alone ..." The Supreme Court must get the federal state out of our individual lives and stop the infringement of the full breadth of our property rights.

“We want government to largely leave us alone, protect our personal security, but then to butt-out, leave us free to pursue our hopes and dreams, as long as we don't hurt anybody else.” - John Stossel

But again, since the Supreme Court ruled no duty of the state to protect us, then:

"Would you leave us the hell alone?" - Ted Nugent to Piers Morgan

"From a small 'L' libertarian standpoint, leave me alone ... That's what I want from you ... If you want to marry a sheep on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, and you want me to be best man - as long as the sheep is consenting - I'm 100%. I'm there for you. I'll carry the flowers ... For the most part, I don't care what you do. But I do care about you leaving me alone ..." - Michael Bane

The true individualistic spirit that resides in all of us, and which is boiling to the surface in many of us under the incessant onslaught of collectivism and its endgame, deserves the material support of the last federal arbiter of constitutionalism.

And to reformulate an old phrase that has been previously reformulated:

We are all libertarians now.

Air-Rifle Shooting: Great Use of Presidents Day

The night before last, my son asked if he could go to Papa & Nana's farm and shoot his BB gun. So after tutoring sessions for him and his sister, and a little light shopping for spring clothes on Presidents Day, we packed up the three kids, my mom, and all our air-rifle stuff for a short afternoon of shooting.

My son has a Red Ryder that Santa brought him, so we were shooting at targets, cans, and bottles at fifteen feet. He was having a pretty good time, but I really wanted to see what I could hit farther out. I didn't want to stop the fun in order to retrieve materials to place additional paper targets, so I headed out with some empty 8-ounce water bottles. I quickly found my target stands - some dead weed stalks that were strong enough to drop the bottles on.

From 25 yards I was able to consistently hit the bottles with a loud "thwack" and dramatic cartwheeling - at least when the crosswind died down. I don't know if that is impressive or on par for a 25-year-old Daisy Powerline 880, but I sure had fun shooting those little water bottles.

And those little thin-walled 8-ounce water bottles really jump around when hit by a BB launched from my son's Red Ryder at short range. Great fun all around.

If You're Looking for an Opportunity, Then You're Looking for People.

Joseph Priestley, networked for science

 

[B]reakout opportunities are what transform your career. Opportunities do not float like clouds. They are firmly attached to individuals. If you’re looking for an opportunity, you’re really looking for people. If you’re evaluating an opportunity, you’re really evaluating people. If you’re trying to marshal resources to go after an opportunity, you’re really trying to enlist the support and involvement of other people. A company doesn’t offer you a job, people do. Opportunities flow through congregations of people. Those with good ideas and information tend to hang out with one another. You will get ahead if you can tap the circles that dish the best opportunities. In fact, it’s how people have gotten ahead for centuries.

-Reid Hoffman, in LinkedIn post "Connect to Human Networks To Find Breakout Opportunities"

Every word of that is worth reading again.

A Federal Reserve Note is a Microloan

My Reasoning for Black Listing Anti-Gun Organizations

Some companies discriminate against gunmakers, distributors, retailers, and firearm shoppers and owners. This is a problem that I have witnessed for decades. While I was living out west, there was a gun dealer that sold primarily black rifles - before black rifles were popular. The local branch of a national bank declined to open a checking account for the company. They settled out of court, and the gun dealer signed a nondisclosure agreement. I almost switched banks, but the bank was convenient.

But since Obama won his first election, the political environment has definitely changed. There were harbingers of a renewed politically correct move against the firearms industry within the last year. I vaguely remember that several months ago after Aurora and before Sandy Hook, Bank of America closed the account of a stock manufacturer, because the bank manager handling the account said that BoA did not approve of what the company sold. But now there is a wave of companies forming new internal policies or discoverying old internal policies that restrict the companies involvement in the free-trade of arms.

I've slowly been accumulating info about such companies. I'm doing so because I've read that some lists, such as the NRA's, are possibly inaccurate, outdated, and incomplete. Also, I wanted more detailed information of the extent of the discrimination against the free market of private arms and the proof for the accusations.

I respect the right of private companies to choose who they do business with - that is their right. But I do have a problem with government entities and corporations discriminating against the private-arms community. And I feel that is it my duty to direct my business away from companies that discriminate against those who are exercising their rights enumerated in the Second Amendment.

Oly Arms Stops Sales to NY Government Orgs

Another strong response to the NY SAFE Act.

Olympic Arms, maker of ARs and pistols - including some interesting looking pistol-caliber carbines - announced that it will no longer sell or provide services to the NYS government, law-enforcement agencies, and police or other first responders in that state.

In a press release posted on Facebook by President Brian Schuetz, Olympic Arms is following in the footsteps of LaRue Tactical. But Olympic Arms is taking its response one step further. LaRue had stated that they would limit sales to NY LEO to what is available to non-LEO civilians in NY.



Now we just need to see one of the big gun companies follow suit.

Who Has A Monopoly of the Use of Force?

I often hear the quip that "Government has a monopoly of the use of force." Is that true? Really?

Government might have a laundry list of justifications for using force, but other people use force all the time: criminals, citizens defending themselves and others against criminals (and occasionally the government), and private police.

And to be more precise, the aphorism is from Max Weber's Politics as Vocation. He wrote that it was the state that "upholds the claim to the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of its order." And here's a gem: "private force (as in private security) can be used too, as long as it has legitimacy derived from the state." - Wikipedia.

That sounds nice, but if you believe in rights, then the legitimate use of force does not rest with the state, but in the hands of the individual - for self defense or in the defense of another. No agent of a government has the right to use force to enforce the state's order.

Even if government has created a pile of statutes that violate natural, common, and constitutional law, government has not yet created an illegal monopoly of violence - yet. Good for us.

Florida Sheriffs to Start Monitoring and Arresting State Troopers for 4th Amend Violations

Not really, but they should.

FLORIDA -- Florida Highway Patrol has announced it will be conducting daytime vehicle checkpoints, where they will demand that drivers present their papers, and allow the police to poke around and inspect their vehicles. No warrants or probable cause are necessary in the new America.

- Police State USA: Land of the Checkpoints

Time for Florida sheriffs to start monitoring and arresting state troopers that violate the Fourth Amendment, especially since the Florida Sheriffs Association issued a "Support of the Second Amendment" proclamation:

http://cspoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Second-Amendment-Proclamation.pdf

The Florida State Highway Patrol is taking advantage of the lack of mandated, state-controlled vehicle inspections. I think a notarized affidavit signed by a certified mechanic should be your cop-out-of-car shield. LOL.

Thanks to Statism Is Slavery for sharing this news on Facebook.

Couple People Destroying Arguments For Gun Control

Bill Stevens, Newtown resident, and parent of girl that survived the Sandy Hook murders, speaking before a "working group" in the Connecticut General Assembly.

"I’m not here to cite crime statistics, lives saved with guns, or the economic impact of the proposed asinine legislation – some of these gun control bills you have proposed – I will, however, read from the Connecticut state constitution. Section 15 reads very clearly – we all know what the Second Amendment says – but Section 15 in the state constitution says very clearly 'every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.' There’s no registration, there’s no permitting, there’s no background checks. It’s quite clear."

- Bill Stevens

And then there was Ted Nugent, being interviewed by Piers Morgan.

"I care about all death." - Piers Morgan

"I don't think you do. I think you care about guns. You're obsessed with guns ... Would you leave us the hell alone?" - Ted Nugent

Thanks to Walls of the City blog for the transcript.

Teachers Have Something To Learn

Administrators and teachers at several schools in our country have thrown themselves into tizzies about anything that students might do that might in anyway have anything to do with guns.

Freshman Daniel McClain, Jr. was suspended from Poston Butte High School in Florence, Arizona for having a picture of a rifle on his school-issued laptop computer.

A Kindergartner was suspended from Mount Carmel Elementary School in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania for telling another student she was going to shoot her with her bubble gun.

Etc., et cetera, and so forth.

Teachers and administrations need to learn a little about the nature of reality.

Resistance to New York SAFE Act is Public

Some western New York citizens appear bound to disobey New York State's new draconian gun statutes.

New York citizens asked lots of questions, made lots of statements, and apparently got no real answers from state officials at a meeting in Erie, New York on 1/29/13 about the NY SAFE Act.



When a bunch of regular guys start laughing when a state official says that "if you have an illegal gun or [normal-capacity] magazine then you have to dispose of those things," and when one of those regular guys says:

"When angry people get together they form militias, folks. This country, this western New York area is prime for something like that."

And when the crowd of regular guys cheer and clap in response to that statement, then you know that the NY state legislature has just stuck their foot in a mess of crap. This is a mess bigger than forgetting to exempt police from the new gun statute.

Open Letter To Sturm Ruger & Company

Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) has informed the public that its member mayors are looking at ways to punish firearms and ammunition manufacturers for opposing additional gun control. I think firearm-industry companies should preempt such discriminatory actions by the MAIG mayors, city councils, and city regulatory agencies.

Here is what I wrote to Ruger CEO Michael Fifer:

February 1, 2013

Sturm Ruger & Co.

Attn: CEO Michael O Fifer

Southport, Connecticut

Re: Proposed Procurement Discrimination By Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Dear Mr. Fifer:

First, let me thank Ruger for its effort to make it easier for gun owners and 2^nd amendment proponents to contact their elected officials about proposed gun statutes. Though I had already been contacting politicians, I appreciate your effort to help preserve our natural right.

I was disappointed in the past by Bill Ruger’s tacit clear support of magazine restrictions. But I have been and am a proud owner of Ruger firearms, and I was glad to see that Ruger has changed its political stance since that time. I owned an SP101 and 10/22, before I moved to NYC a little over a decade ago and sold my guns, because of NYC’s draconian gun laws. Since moving to North Carolina, I acquired a P95. Ruger makes great guns.

It is my opinion that the gun industry should preempt any action the mayors take based on Mayors Against Illegal Guns’s threat to punish gun-industry companies for opposing additional gun control. I am writing under the assumption that the governments of those cities need the gun industry more than the gun industry needs their business.

I think Barrett did it best.  After California’s .50-cal ban, Barrett told agencies in California that Barrett would no longer sell nor service guns owned by those agencies. I don’t know that the best approach is to be confrontational, but in that vein, I have attached a model letter.

Another alternative, which I think the gun industry should seriously consider, is to actively encourage citizens to purchase firearms – even helping with the licensing process – in restrictive “gun free” cities, and even if it means that the de facto firearms are “double-barrel shotguns”.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

CR Cobb

Proud American, NRA Member, and Ruger Owner

cc: open letter

MODEL LETTER TO MAYORS

(DATE)________

Re: Proposed Procurement Changes By Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Dear Mayor______:

Based on the recent statements by Mayors Against Illegal Guns in your name, [company] has decided to end any business relationship we have with your municipality. Since we oppose any additional gun-control statutes, we accept that you intend to proceed with discriminatory procurement practices against [company].

We are suspending all transfer of goods or services to your city, including but not limited to firearms, components, parts, ammunition, ammunition components, test data, and literature – excluding anything that would comprise a firearm- or ammunition-safety recall or safety literature.

If [company] has a contractual relationship with your city, then we will determine whether we are legally bound to maintain that relationship and proceed accordingly.

Due to our commitment to rank-and-file peace officers, we will continue maintaining relationships with individual officers, if those officers have or will acquire their duty weapons and ammunition privately and maintain private ownership.

Sincerely,

[CEO/Owner]

My Blacklist of Anti-Gun Companies and Organizations

eBay
Why?: Has banned the sale of "assault weapon" parts, bayonets that fit modern-military-style rifles, and 11+ magazines.
When?: Approximately 1/31/13, but not confirmed.
Proof?: Firearms, weapons, and knives policy on eBay's website (see assault weapon).
Extent of Treachery?: eBay still allows the sale of gun components, BUT it is acting like the Feinstein Modern Rifle & Standard-Capacity Magazine Ban for False-Security Bill has already passed. And they don't allow gun sales, anyway.
Rating?: Blacklisted.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Why?: Has threatened to punish firearms-industry companies with procurement restrictions, if gun companies oppose more gun control.
When?: Approximately 2/1/13.
Proof?: Minneapolis mayor's statements to Minneapolis City Council's Public Safety and Civil Rights Committee.
Rating?: Blacklisted. Brown listed? Handgun listed?
 
MORE TO COME
Banks
Etc. 

Growing Pro-Gun Blacklist Bumper Stickers and Buttons @ CafePress.com.

eBay Bans Modern Rifle Component Sales

Big corporations are inventing new anti-gun policies - or are discovering old anti-gun policies - to enFORCE in the wake of the official federal assault on modern rifles and magazines. eBay has followed suit.

eBay's Firearms, weapons, and knives policy. See the assault weapons section.

Big corps are running scared. It is time for some real entrepreneurs to step up their marketing efforts and takeover the business generated by eBay customers that want to sell their property. Here are a few that should benefit from eBay's cowardice.

http://www.slickguns.com/
http://www.gunsamerica.com/
http://www.gunbroker.com/

Thanks to The Truth About Guns for the heads up on this one. I am expanding my blacklist of anti-gun companies.

So, to put a fine point on it. Screw eBay.

Growing Pro-Gun Blacklist Bumper Stickers and Buttons @ CafePress.com.

What agencies have adopted the P95?

return to FAQs: Ruger P95
What agencies have adopted the P95?: There was a lot of excitement in 2004, when Ruger P95 fanatics read that the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command had purchased 5000 KP95Ds (decocker only). The Ruger that was built like a tank would be carried by tank drivers.

Glock G19 later supplanted the P95

But there was something wrong with that story. It was not too long after the USA had defeated Sadam Hussein, and the USA had decided to arm the new Iraqi Police Service with civilized handguns. The move was so quick that the USA needed to procure guns from several different manufacturers to fill the need. So it ended up that one of the biggest issuers of the P95 was not some patriotic law enforcement org, but our vanquished enemy that we were helping to haphazardly renation build.

So were there any other agencies that adopted the pistol? The Federal Bureau of Prisons bought 1750 DAO P95s, per a Ruger press release in March 2008, under a five-year contract (note: the Google date of Tactical Life's copy of the press release is incorrect.).

But you hear about cops carrying the P95? Well, a lot of police departments require the officers to supply their own weapons, and the officers have to complete training at a POST academy before they can apply for a job, and a lot of police academies require the cadets to bring a gun, and the Ruger P95 is a quality, inexpensive service-size and service-capacity gun for a job seeker on a budget.
return to FAQs: Ruger P95

Tyranny or Liberty: Representative Democracy's Failed Promise

Queen and Prince Charles given at least 39 chances to veto government policies before becoming new law

"Secret papers released by Downing Street show the most senior royals have had numerous chances to torpedo bills that could change their powers, including one relating to the Iraq war."
- The Daily Mail
 
1st thought: That's outrageous! 2nd thought: Well, Obama just makes up any old law he wants (legislature and executive in one - tyrant). 3rd thought: I guess that justifies their public-funds stipend, and all that land. 

I hear anarcho-capitalists say all the time that democracy is an illusion, and it sounds trite, but all the evidence is before us. Constitutions and representative democracy were suppose to be a break on the tyranny of the masses and absolute democracy, but instead we have allowed our representatives to become leaders (TINFOIL HAT WARNING: Obama seems ready to form a system of gauleiters). Our sheepdogs, our custodians of our natural rights, have become wolves. But that should not be surprising. In the USA, there are very early examples of even the founding fathers turning on the people (Whiskey Rebellion).

What was the P95 designed for?

return to FAQs: Ruger P95

Ruger P89

(UPDATE: 8/9/18)
What was the P95 designed for?: Well, the first gun in Ruger's P-series pistols was the P89 P85. The Ruger P89 P85 was designed for the service-pistol competition to replace the 1911. The Beretta 92 won that competition and became the M9 (beating out the Sig Sauer, which was debatably the better pistol, because Beretta offered lower overall cost including parts, etc. - but that's another story). The P95 descended from the P89 P85 and was Ruger's first polymer-framed pistol. It appeared to be an interim step, reducing production cost, weight, and using a proven fire-control system. But it also seemed to be a classic Ruger solution - time-tested functioning with advances in materials and production methods. Ruger had created classic firearms with the same methodology, for example the Mark I, Single Six, Blackhawk, No. 1, and Mini-14.

Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle

So to make a long story short and actually answer the question, the Ruger P95 was an evolution of Ruger's entry in the wondernine competition, which combined our military's move to NATO-standard 9mm and  America's law-enforcement organizations move from revolvers to semi-automatic pistols. And as part of the evolution of those handguns, not only was the P95 Ruger's polymer offering, but it also was shortened to a service-length barrel of approximately 4 inches from the tactical-length 5-inch barrel - before 5-inches meant tacticool.

Glock G19

And to frame the Ruger P95 among it peers: The Ruger P95 is a basic carry pistol of the approximate size, weight, and capacity of a striker-fired Glock 19, Springfield XD Service, and M&P9, but it's old-school hammer-fired like a CZ-75 P07, EAA Witness Polymer Carry, and Sig Sauer SP2022.

CZ P-07

And it is still the highest-quality offering for a budget-entry, service-caliber, service-size, semi-automatic, new-production handgun on the USED market. (The Ruger P95 was quietly discontinued sometime during September 2013.)

return to FAQs: Ruger P95

FAQs: Ruger P95

What was the P95 designed for?: Well, the first gun in Ruger's P-series pistols was the P89 P85. The Ruger P89 P85 was designed for the service-pistol competition to replace the 1911. continued

What agencies have adopted the P95?: There was a lot of excitement in 2004, when Ruger P95 fanatics read that the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command had purchased 5000 KP95Ds (decocker only). The Ruger that was built like a tank would be carried by tank drivers. continued

The Judge Distilled The Truth

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=323593157742678&set=a.323593137742680.59978.316880428413951&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf
Well, The Libertarian, a UK libertarian blog, posted on its Facebook page that "Such sentiment sounds hyperbolic in stable countries in the west, but all citizens must be forever vigilant."

I was waiting for someone to object the the Judge's words, because I have seen this quote many times over the last few months. But  The Libertarian was not offering a condemnation. But neither were Judge Napolitano's words hyperbole. They are a distillation of the truth. Everyone, everywhere has the right to oppose their government, and if need be by force, if the government oversteps its written and natural bounds. Government does not have a monopoly of force; that is a myth.

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it."

- Thomas Jefferson

I do think that Judge Napolitano's words are dangerous and are an affront to a government that disbelieves them, but then the government is dangerous.

Feinstein: Military-Style Weapons Are For the Police And Military - Not You, the 2nd Ammendent's Intended Bearer of Arms

If someone could sit through this whole video, then I commend you.

Feinstein rails against military-style weapons in civilian hands, but that is what the founding fathers intended. Feinstein plans to gut the 2nd Amendment by pushing the "sporting purpose" definition, while ignoring the THREAT of gun-free zones. There is no evidence that the founding fathers intended that the 2nd Amendment should ONLY protect the sporting use of arms.

I've gotten 10:31 minutes into the news conference, and there is already a lot of fiction, exaggeration, and lies by omission. www.c-spanvideo.org/program/310581-1

The Founders Couldn't Envision ARs ("assault weapons") Fallacy

The fallacy goes something like this: There were no semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines when the founding fathers were alive, and they did not write the 2nd Amendment to allow them. Therefore, civilians should only be guaranteed the right to own flint-lock, muzzleloading rifles.

So the police, military, and federal-agency statute enforcers will also have muzzleloaders? Well, that would be nice, but there was no intent in the 2nd amendment to limit technology to the people, and they were aware of and benefited from a game-changing technology in their time. The American civilian militia members were using privately-owned rifled weapons to provide accurate fire against the British. The rifle did not entirely replace the smoothbore, because the rifle took much more time to reload, but it did allow small numbers of Rebels to effectively harass soldiers on the move and incapacitate commanders in pitched battles.

Another thing, the 2nd amendment addresses arms. It doesn't say sporting arms or self-defense arms. It means weapons of war, including cannons and tanks (which are still legal by statute to own, not just natural law).

If SWAT has fully-auto arms when they're kicking in doors, or the USA military is carrying them around in our neck of the woods, then so should we. Parity to prevent tyranny.