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.

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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 

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

Five Libertarian Ideas #14 - Muslims, Mexican border, Libyan militias, Bundy Ranch

Pat Dollard's call "for Americans to start slaughtering Muslims in the streets"

Folks, just to clarify, the kind of behavior this gentleman calls for is NOT acceptable. People are being slaughtered by criminals in Chicago yet this guy wants to punish Americans for the actions of extremists on the other side of the planet. This service member's blind hatred may be and probably is tied to extreme combat PTSD from the Middle East. If so, then this man is mentally not all there and should be pitied and helped, not shunned and scorned. -4/4


Mexican soldiers invading Arizona

Mexican Army troops working for drug cartels have infiltrated American soil at least 20 times in recent years. The most recent incursion happened between lightly armed US Border Patrol agents and heavily armed Mexican soldiers. WHY are our troops protecting outposts in other countries in undeclared wars when armed criminal insurgents are criss-crossing our country's border??? -4/4

Libya, the militia state

The US/UN intervention in the Libyan Civil War brought an end to the war so quickly... the rebel government couldn't consolidate power or establish any sort of legitimacy. Now Libya is carved up by 300+ militias, at least one of which is selling oil to North Korea. Great... Oh hey, have we caught Kony yet? -4/4


Bundy Ranch standoff

If the Bundy Ranch invasion ignites a freaking armed uprising, I'm gonna be one REALLY pissed off dude. At everybody. Liberty is worth fighting for; cows and land are not worth dying for. We've had too much death and destruction since 2001. I'd much rather try Gandhi's methods for resisting tyranny than John Brown's. -4/11
　


Bundy Ranch standoff, continued

Dear God, help us all. As more federal law enforcement arrives with a military-grade arsenal, militia groups from all over are flocking to Nevada for an armed stand off. I don't want there to be any killing. Peaceful resistance has not been exhausted. I want the ALL feds and ALL the militias alike to come home to their families. -4/11

 

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Mexican soldiers photo by "BSMFBSMF" in the public domain. Militarized police photo by Tony Webster courtesy of CC BY-SA license.  Both photos obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #13 - Star Wars, organized crime and POLITICAL CORRUPTION

Star Wars and the Fed

I love the STAR WARS novel "Darth Plagueis". The protagonist is a Sith lord (the same who plans the Clone Wars and rise of the Empire). His day job is intergalactic banking. Hmm, large-scale banking and planning wars... FEDERAL RESERVE!!! –3/26

Organized crime in politics

Leland Yee

California State Senator Leland Yee is in big trouble now. While his helping broker a major arms deal for the Triads is definitely laudable for ambitious creativity alone, Yee is definitely not the first American politician to be caught in bed with organized crime.

He's also not the first California Democratic legislator to be charged with corruption. I think it's safe to say every State Senator and Assembly member in California with a "D" after their name on the ballot ought to be investigated by the Feds. –3/28

Perspectives on the American Revolution

Conservatives: The Founding Fathers were all conservatives and they were of one mind when they wrote the Constitution.

Libertarians: The founding fathers were all libertarians and, even though they screwed up a few times, they were of one perfect mind when they wrote the Constitution.

An-Caps: Constitution? Pssh. I didn't sign that crap, I do what I want! And btw, the unorganized militia at Concord was the greatest fighting force IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE!!!!!!!! –4/2

ObamaCare and voter fraud

Models of health coverage

So the Covered California (ObamaCare) people are sending out voter registration forms with "Democrat" already marked... This reminds me of why I left the Left. They don't actually give a damn about democracy nor choice, only the IDEA of democracy while special interests bamboozle the Left into securing plunder via a Democrat party-state. –4/2

Second Fort Hood shooting

Not that I know anything about the military, but Presidents HW Bush and Clinton did the military no favors by turning installations into virtual gun-free zones.  After two shootings at Fort Hood and other shootings at Washington Navy Yard, Norfolk Naval Station, and the National Guard armory in Kentucky, it's time to re-arm the rank and file troops (who are more trained to safely handle weapons than most Americans). Disarming them has only given domestic terrorists and psychos plenty of targets in pretty camouflage. –4/2

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Leland Yee image by X and used via CC BY 3.0 license.  Health care systems graphic by "Kborer" and in the public domain. Both images obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Thoughts on the American Militia Movement

Alaska Citizens Militia founders Ray Southwell and Norm Olson

Why I disagree with the movement

I believe in the 2nd Amendment and I'm against gun control. I also don't believe in people forming their own armies BEFORE actual hostilities ensue. I love my libertarian and conservative brothers and sisters but we have a few too many loose cannons. We NEED to keep the struggle at the ballot box. Should we own firearms? Yes. Should we join gun clubs and network with other liberty folks who own firearms? Yes

Should we assemble our own armies and give the Feds an extra excuse to steal liberty? NO. We need to hold the absolute moral high ground. Remember, it was an enrolled (local government) militia at Lexington that the British fired on. AFTER that volley, THEN the unorganized militia rose up in Concord and they had the moral high ground to do so.

The Second Amendment’s militia clause

The founders wrote that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed, and that a well-regulated militia is necessary to the security of a Free State. There are many ways to interpret that.  “Well-regulated” means orderly, high functioning, etc.  The way the militia clause makes most sense to me is sticking with the current distinction between the organized and unorganized militia, as neither category contradicts the militia clause.

Militia law in the Revolutionary War era

American militia, Battle of Guilford Courthouse by Don Troiani

We also have the militia law of the Revolutionary War era and preceding years. The militia system in colonial America was based on the English system which dates back to the English Muster Law of 1572. The militia at Lexington was a legally mustered local militia, not a spontaneous uprising. There were also mustered militias at Concord. Many of the 3,000+ irregulars that fought at Concord were un-mustered, unorganized "militia" but at that point they had the legal and moral standing to do what they did because their government (the Crown) broke the social contract by shooting on its citizens without it being necessary.

How realistic would the militia revolution be?

It's a little hard for me to take the militia movement seriously sometimes. For starters, most militia members I’ve encountered are all rhetoric; as far as those who vigorously drill for combat in the “next revolutionary war,” they overestimate their abilities.  Sure, they're great patriots who know their Constitution and own an AR-15. Muster one of these private militias versus one volley of hellfire missiles fired from a federal drone and their private militia is vaporized. They died for nothing.  

Alternatives for the present

WHAT WOULD RON PAUL DO?  Would he join a militia or organize political campaigns to peacefully change government? If these militia members spent half the time they spent on their private armies on activism instead, we'd have way more liberty devotees elected to public office.  It's best to own firearms in case the shit really does go down, but in the meantime WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO KEEP POLITICS AT THE BALLOT BOX, NOT THE BATTLEFIELD.

Media coverage of militia groups

I disagree with the militia movement but I have to say the leftist media outlets cause unbalanced distractions. In the last decade there have been a handful of militia-related murders (mostly white supremacists) whereas gun-control Chicago alone has had 50+ murders in the first quarter of this year. Can we prioritize puh-leez???

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Southwell and Olson photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter; image courtesy of Democratic Underground discussion boards; no copyrights given or implied. Don Troiani artwork is in the public domain (as it was published by the U.S. National Park Service) and was obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #12 - The Russian New World Order, US/Mexico militias

Focusing on militias or gangs?

I disagree with the militia movement but I have to say the leftist media outlets cause unbalanced distractions. In the last decade there have been a handful of militia-related murders (mostly white supremacists) whereas gun-control Chicago alone has had 50+ murders this quarter. Can we prioritize puh-leez??? -3/21

"Comandante Bonita" staging with other self-defense volunteers

“La bonita autodefensa de Michoacán”

This female Mexican militia volunteer is a hero with recent combat experience and Telemundo wants to do a story about her beauty, complete with close ups of her ass. Yes, yes, she's attractive, but are they covering a war or doing a calendar shoot??? -3/23

Civilian human shields in Crimea

Cossack militias and "Crimean self-defense forces" (Russian soldiers) are using civilians as human shields for storming Ukrainian military bases in Crimea.  If the Crimean "unorganized militia" want to fight, that's understandable, but for the Russians to have invaded AND adopt a tactic of using civilians as human shields, while firing on Ukrainian troops, is just plain sick. If I can call out my country when it's wrong to invade others, I can sure as hell call out the neo-Stalin in the Kremlin. -3/23

"For the Soviet east!" 10th years of the Red Army

The Russian New World Order

I don't read much into the New World Order conspiracies, but the way some people in the movement are portraying Vladimir Putin as a self-defensive hero is WRONG and it MAKES ME SICK. If you believe in a New World Order, you'd better believe that Putin represents a DIFFERENT NWO. He may not call it such, but in conquering multiple former Soviet territories for Russia, Putin is trying to rebuild the Soviet Union. -3/24

Unity in the liberty movement

Well, fellow liberty folks, we COULD focus on the 98.7% of the things we agree on, OR we could argue over that 1.3% until it escalates to the point of madness like unto Jack Nicholson in The Shining -3/24

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Comandante Bonita image courtesy of Union Jalisco (www.unionjalisco.mx). Russian Red Army poster in the public domain and obtained from Wikimedia Commons.