Sky Sailing [poem]

Smooth sailing on days like this one
When the rains beckon me

To climb

I climb aboard and climb so high as

Swift high winds kiss my neck

And cheek

I ride this gallant mare through the sun,

Silver cloud gliding o'er

Sand dunes

The burning wasteland far below me,

Such a golden city,

Hidden

Away from the world, from prying eyes

By they who built it long

Ago

I descend from my silver steed to

Put my boot on the rock,

Painted

Bright crimson by the warriors who built

These pyramids of gold,

Altars

Ladders of wood ascending into

The mountainous caverns,

Hiding

The treasure I seek that lays concealed

In gold stone pyramids,

Waiting.

I can almost see her lying in wait,

Beckoning me ever

Louder

I see her in my mind's eye, the key!

Jewels of turquoise quartz

Illuminated by smooth skin

Of fine bronze and alabaster,

Hair in long braids covering

Her breasts as she waits

To be discovered,
Discovered

For in discovering her she holds

The key to happiness

Lifelong

My frantic footsteps bring me closer,

Closer to her, to the

Chamber

The door opens, El Dorado at last!

I sought her so long, but

Alas!

I see only a mirror...

* * *

Arizona desert Native American photo by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is in the public domain. Pyramid of the Moon photo by Diego Delso and used via CC BY SA 3.0 license. Both images were obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Libertarian relaxation videos [ASMR]

Need some relaxation? You should get into ASMR, which is a growing trend of videos made with special sounds to trigger a sleepy, relaxed state. Below are two new Libertarian ASMR videos yo help you relax, and also teach libertarian ideas in a calm, friendly manner. Enjoy!

Five Libertarian Ideas #17 - Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Activism, Cold War

Air Force and Coast Guard Auxiliaries

I've seen conspiratarian blog posts making the Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary out to look like the Waffen-SS. That couldn't be further from the truth!

Both CAP and CGA are consistent with the non-aggression principle. Though they wear military uniforms and carry out missions on behalf of the military, both organizations are privately funded, relying mostly on member dues and charitable gifts.

Furthermore, they engage not in armed campaigns but in search and rescue operations, disaster relief, local community service, and education. Both organizations are the most benevolent manifestation of the organized militia. -4/27

Boy Scouts of America

Almost time to continue teaching Citizenship in the Community merit badge tonight. The Boy Scouts in my troop will get OUR worldview on civil rights and the true role of government. It's not just about activism; education is just as important. If the fight for liberty takes 20 years, we'll need new, young voters already on our side. -4/30

War in Ukraine

38 people are dead in an arson fire in a trade union building in Odessa in south-central Ukraine. The fire is believed to have been caused by Right Sector radicals but so far that's only speculation. It looks to me as if a greater emergency is being manufactured, and the Russians will use this to justify a full-scale invasion. -5/2

The embargo on Cuba

Wealthy joy riders in Havana; modern cars are rare in Cuba

The embargo on Cuba is damning proof of the futility of sanctions, since Fidel Castro still lives a life of wealth at the expense of the common people. I want to end Communism in Cuba by ending the embargo. I WANT Cuba to be flooded with American capitalism. I want the average Cuban who lives on $15 a month to be overwhelmed by drunk FSU students with fistfuls of money to spend, and realize in one day that Castro bamboozled Cuba for 55 years. -5/4

Liberty Letdowns and Pickups

It's been a privilege being a part of the liberty movement. Some people have chosen to be my brothers and sisters while others in the movement chose to remove me from their lives. They let me down, but the staggering amount of patriots who surround me with warm acceptance is always medicine for the soul. -5/6 

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Civil Air Patrol logo courtesy of CAP and in the public domain. Havana photo by "russavia", used via CC BY 2.0 license and obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #16 - YAL Cal Con 2014, Liberty movement activism, war in Ukraine

Ukrainian counter-terrorism operations
In my opinion the Ukrainian army is fully justified in waging counter-terror operations. Had the pro-Russian Ukrainians assembled peacefully and called for plebiscites in their various cities, then I would welcome their secession and voluntary association with Russia. Instead, Russian Special Forces infiltrated the Ukraine and have assembled militias and mobs to use violent measures to conquer eastern Ukraine for Russia. A national army's chief objective is NATIONAL DEFENSE, and the Ukrainian army is doing what it can to defend Ukraine from an invasion. -4/19

Liberty movement activism
Fighting for liberty is a difficult road; assume it's a lonely one. Assume the people you love will stop loving you. Assume your friends will turn their backs on you. Assume that you'll be walking this road ALONE for 20 years. THEN you're ready for anything that may come. Now keep walking, brothers and sisters. -4/22

YAL California State Convention 2014
YAL Cal Con was freaking awesome! It's great to know that libertarians may argue online over stupid differences to the point where they resort to pistols at dawn, but put them in a room together and they party like combat veterans at war's end. -4/27

Russian hypocrisy in Ukraine
So, after admitting that the "Crimean Self-Defense Forces" (a.k.a. the Little Green Men) REALLY WERE Russian Special Forces troops, KGB Colonel Vladimir Putin insists that Russia has NOTHING to do with the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk" in eastern Ukraine. Better yet, despite claims that Ukrainian-Russians are liberating themselves from "fascists", the so-called People's Governor of Donetsk is an actual Russian neo-Nazi. -4/27

Possible U.S./UN intervention in Ukraine
I don't support sending my brothers and sisters in arms to eastern Europe to intervene in an ethnic civil war. Ukraine is GOING to lose more chunks in the east to Russia. If Kiev wants to avoid losing ALL of the east to the neo-Soviet Empire, they NEED to hold plebiscites in every eastern county, which must be administered and votes counted by neutral Switzerland. -4/27

* * *

YAL State Conventions 2014 banner courtesy of Young Americans for Liberty

Poem: Chillin' in the Afternoon (in California)

Chillin’ in the afternoon

I lean back and

Forget the clock’s rhythmic ticking,

Ticking away the minutes

And hours of lonely

Vigils on a lover’s island outpost.

The swift summer breeze

Caresses my hair and

Protests the stillness of palm leaves,

Rouses wind chimes from sleep

And sings in the

Hollow of my snow-cold bottle.

Losing myself in history books

And Cuban cigars

Whose smoke dances is my delight.

I pay no mind to outside worries

While the weather’s mild

In my Californio tropical paradise.

They say summer don’t last forever,

But neither do draughts,

And each passing hour of the clock

I ignore is one moment closer

To action,

Charging bulls,

Ringing bells,

Salty tears,

Laughter and wine,

And then my heavy heart
Is free to fly

In search of El Dorado.

* * *

Tropical island graphic from the game 0 A.D. and used via CC BY-SA 3.0 license. San Juan Capistrano image by "Lordkinbote" and used via CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Both images obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Five Libertarian Ideas #15 - Lenin and Stalin, the NAP, Japan, war in Ukraine

Bundy Ranch standoff, conclusion
I'm very grateful to everyone who took a stand on behalf of Mr. Bundy. I'm twice as thankful to the Almighty that, despite the high tension and potential for an armed clash, the protestors gave in to the better angels of their nature and kept the resistance PEACEFUL. -4/12

Lenin and Stalin
I remember learning in high school about Lenin the revolutionary and Stalin the totalitarian dictator. The standard narrative suggests that Lenin was a visionary whereas Stalin was a barbarian who hijacked the Russian Revolution. In all reality, Stalin simply followed Lenin's bloodthirsty example and improved on it. -4/12

American politicians vs Japanese politicians
When American politicians and CEOs majorly screw up, they get money, a free pass, and they look for another cushy job. When Japanese politicians and CEOs majorly screw up, they commit suicide to show their repentance and that they still have a shred of honor. Would that American voters and shareholders were so lucky... -4/15

Russian troops dressed as civilians
Russian Special Forces dressed as civilian militants are taking over police stations in eastern Ukraine. Shots have been fired and Ukrainians have been killed. AT LEAST when the USA unjustly conquered Mexico and the Southern states, they had the courtesy to not pretend to be local "patriots". -4/17

The non-aggression principle
There are days and there are people that truly test the non-aggression principle. It was said that blood alone moves the wheels of history, but a wise Rothbardian (named Murray) advocates attacking the method before attacking the man. Damn, this whole consistency-with-libertarianism thing ain't easy! (lol) -4/18 

* * *

Stalin and spirit of Lenin poster by the Ukrainian SSR and in the public domain.