2012 "WTF" Campaign Draft

Go here.

There resides the seed for the 2012 FreeFor "WTF" campaign.

Voice your opinion there at WRSA.

Don't like what you read?

Good.  Write a better one.  Dissatisfaction is the impetus for improvement.

As for me, attempt 3 is in the works.

After you write your better version, distribute it online, in leaflets, in editorials.  Everywhere.

It is time to build legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

That's right.

It's time.

Resist.

A Prayer Likely to be Answered

The following prayers are attributed to an SAS soldier, Andre Zirnheld, who received what he asked for, ultimately losing his life in WW2.  My thanks to Rauðbjorn for bringing this to our attention.

 

It may be a prayer worth of your time, regardless of what god or gods one worships.  Athiests may use it as a guide for introspection.

 

I bring this prayer to You, Lord,
For you alone can give
What one cannot demand from oneself.

Give me, Lord, what You have left over,
Give me what no one ever asks of You.

I don’t ask You for rest,
Or quiet,
Whether of soul or body;
I don’t ask You for wealth,
Nor for success, nor even health perhaps.

That sort of thing You get asked for so much
That You can’t have any of it left.

Give me, Lord, what You have left over,
Give me what no one wants from You.

I want insecurity, strife,
And I want You to give me these
Once and for all.

So that I can be sure of having them always,
Since I shall not always have the courage
To ask You for them.

Give me, Lord, what You have left over,
Give me what others want nothing to do with.

But give me courage, too,
And strength and faith;
For You alone can give
What one cannot demand from oneself.

by André Zirnheld

 

 

Another version:

 

I'm asking You God, to give me what You have left.
Give me those things which others never ask of You.

I don't ask You for rest, or tranquility.
Not that of the spirit, the body, or the mind.

I don't ask You for wealth, or success, or even health.
All those things are asked of You so much Lord,
that you can't have any left to give.

Give me instead Lord what You have left.
Give me what others don't want.
I want uncertainty and doubt.
I want torment and battle.

And I ask that You give them to me now and forever Lord,
so I can be sure to always have them,
because I won't always have the strength to ask again.

But give me also the courage, the energy,
and the spirit to face them.

I ask You these things Lord,
because I can't ask them of myself.

 

American Mercenary and the Equal Application of the Law

American Mercenary has written a very effective short story illustrating what could happen if laws (NDAA) applied to everyone.

Go read his piece, here.

Pop Quiz and food for thought, provoked by the piece-


Was that kidnapping or indefinite detention?  Seems fuzzy to me anymore these days.

Does the fact that it happened to an elected official make it right or wrong?

Does the fact that the kidnapper / "detainer" wore a uniform and stars make it right or wrong?

If the detainee were your neighbor...right or wrong?  You?  Your kid?

What if the "detainer" wore no uniform at all, and made a "citizen's arrest"  Right or wrong?

Who defines kidnapping?  Detention?  Who differentiates between the two?

Oh yeah.  The people with the most guns.

Where was that moral high ground again?  I seem to be unable to find it.

I know of a few people sitting in prison right now for allegedly "plotting" against authorities.  Plotting "kidnapping" was one of the accusations, if I remember correctly.

I know of a bunch of "authorities" right now who are living off our money, and they are actively plotting the same things against us. 

This list includes every sitting Senator and Representative who voted for the NDAA, and every oathbreaking soldier, LEO, and official who allows it to be put into play.

They're plotting nothing less than the kidnapping of American citizens. 

It is a bad thing when a government dissolves the rule of law.

A very bad thing.

Resist.

"Health of the Mother"

From Free North Carolina:

This lady abandoned her cancer treatment in order to give her unborn son a chance to be born healthy.  As a result, the baby was born healthy, and the cancer took her life.

“She told the nurse, ‘I’m done, I did what I was supposed to. My baby is going to get here safe,’” said Diana Phillips, Jenni’s mother.

It is a tragedy and a shame she is no longer with us.  This lady was a true mother, though she'll never get to finish the job.  We need more non-defective mothers like her.

We likewise need more men and women to raise non-defective daughters like her.

This young lady has put the United States of America to shame with her example of selflessness, love to an unseen child, and refusal to endanger the baby, even though the price was her life.

Mothers like her are heroes, equal to any warriors throughout history. 

Her sacrifice has brought warmth to my heart, and a tear to my eye.

Two Minutes of Precision

WRSA links to American Mercenary's "Two Minutes of Precision".

As a bonus feature, additional links to potentially lifesaving information can be found there.

I highly recommend reading all of it, and then applying it to improve your skillset.

Safe queen guns are for collectors and internet-tough guys.  Gear without practice is a disaster in the making.  Don't ever be "that guy".

Weapons are meant to be used, get dirty and gain "character".

.....

In a similar vein...

I got a shooting mat for Christmas.

New Year's Resolution #1-  I resolve to not shoot one round in 2012 from a seated benchrest position.  Not one.

Resist.

Treason and Misprision

From Cornell Law, for your consideration.  As an aside, I find it interesting again to note in 2382 the reference to the United States as a "them", rather than an "it".

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2381

§ 2381. Treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

 

.....

 

Consider the provisions in NDAA that would treat American citizens as non-citizen combatants rather than citizens accused of a crime... levying war against the United States?

 

Taking the concept one step further...

 

.....

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2382

§ 2382. Misprision of treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States and having knowledge of the commission of any treason against them, conceals and does not, as soon as may be, disclose and make known the same to the President or to some judge of the United States, or to the governor or to some judge or justice of a particular State, is guilty of misprision of treason and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than seven years, or both.

 

I just thought these two paragraphs worthy of mention.

 

Resist.

Napoleonic Ammunition Conservation

Nominee for Quote of the Decade, over at WRSA:

If the absolute best that the so-called intelligentsia of the freedom movement can come up with is “Wait behind your door, trembling, until you are confronted with an overwhelmingly superior force who has come to kill you”, we are indeed completely screwed.
 
Or those folks pushing that position are completely full of....

One or the other.

– Holiday talk at an American fast-food restaurant


This is not the situation of Team Freedom- 

 

 

This is not the enemy faced by liberty in our nation-

This is the situation, and the enemy we face.

This is how the enemy approaches citizens now, in their homes.  This is "whites of their eyes" in practice-

So is this-

And this-

And, sadly, this-

It's not too hard to understand, really.

Contemporary America has absolutely NOTHING to do with Bunker Hill, or an admonition based on Napoleonic tactics, smoothbore musket best practices, maximum effective ranges, and attempts to conserve ammunition.  Given the initiative and modern firearms, the "whites of their eyes" admonition would never had been uttered.  

In reality, had the defenders had sufficient ammunition, it never would have been uttered.

How foolish is it to choose to die with a full cartridge box.

The enemies of liberty are all around, and close.  You can see them on TV and on the internet.  They are "whites of their eyes" close to us every day.

This is not Bunker Hill.  Patriots are not nearly out of ammunition.  Smoothbore muskets are for enthusiasts, re-enactors, and museums.  The initiative is still there for the taking. 

Jose Guerena saw the whites of their eyes.  So did Solzhenitsyn, and millions of Russians.

Wait, if you wish, for many reason.  Just don't wait until it is too late.  Do not decide now to give the enemy the initiative in all cases.

Do not be the lone crossbowman holding his fire until he sees the whites of the armored knight's eyes behind his visor.  Shoot that horse down as far away as you can.  Then run, and do it again when you must.

You can see "the whites of their eyes" quite well while strapped to a torture chair.  Likewise from your cell.  You can see the whites of their eyes while standing against the wall.  There's plenty of time for that, later.

What am I saying here, what do I mean?

I am saying that when citizens' hands are forced, they should not limit themselves based on Napoleonic era smoothbore ammunition conservation techniques. Neither should they base their decisions on a movie.  Any movie, even Lord of the Rings.  They should base their decisions based on METT-T, the current reality, and risks vs. rewards.  Nothing else.  Cold.  Calculated. 


I am saying citizens should have already by now have made their decisions and drawn their lines.


I am saying that when "that time" comes...


Win.

Resist. 

Strength, not Ease

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.

Phillips Brooks 
1835-1893

May we endeavor in the coming year to harden our bodies and minds. 

Resist.

BREAKING...Tea Party Terrorists Kill UN Peacekeepers During Winter Holiday Festival

Tea Party Terrorist kill United Nations Peacekeepers During Winter Holiday Festival

"...United Nations Peacekeepers stationed in Trenton, New Jersey were slaughtered in an attack by Tea Party terrorists who apparently crossed the Delaware river by night.  Early reports indicate 22 of the Peacekeepers were killed and 98 wounded.  The brave Colonel Johann Rall may have been wounded in the attack. It is said that the terrorist group was led by George Washington who calls himself a “General.”

(h/t to a reader for the link)

Please go read this humorous, yet sobering piece, and consider again the single, solitary factor that constitutes the only real difference between a "terrorist" and a "legitimate", legal "soldier".

Victory.

This concept, taken further and refined, gives us another difference: perspective.

Ask yourself, from the perspective of the fictitious writer, which side had the "moral high ground".  


"General" Washington?  British clergy? 

What about colonial clergy?  Well, that's a bit more complicated.  They were split, even within denominations.

The colonists were insurgent criminals until winning the fight legitimized them.  Washington had no more or less more "legal" claim to the title "General" than do any of the various militia leaders around our nation today. 

Their legitimacy, their futures, and their very lives depended on winning.  It was, in my opinion, a fight worth fighting.  Defeat, for any reason, was unacceptable.  Many means were used to secure the final victory, and any more than a cursory study of the war will reveal the often vicious and "becoming your enemy" tactics used by both sides during the fight.  The events in the Hackensack Valley illustrate this well as do many of those in the South.


Let us not forget the men who risked their lives during the First Revolution to steal land from the British Empire, and bring thousands of loyal British subjects -against their will- under the rule of a new government.  Let us not forget the men who left wives and children to shoot, bayonet, club, and dismember their countrymen, as well as various agents of their lawful government, in order to be able to live as they pleased.

I cannot help but mention that I do not think that "Lord of the Rings" analogies and advice are always applicable to real-life ugliness. 

It is dishonest and foolish to romanticize, idealize, or demonize any one side in a war, even the one that led to the founding of the united States' nation.

Let us not delude ourselves any longer.  The fight that is coming will be no different, no less ugly, no less confused, no less conflicted and no less divisive when it comes.  If you are not on the "right" side, you will be demonized.  If you are on the "right" side, you will be demonized.  If your side loses, you will be the bad guy.  This might matter to you if you live through it.

Even so-

Resist.

ZOMBIES!!!

While searching online for ammo, I recently found a new (to me, at least) type of ammo.  It's this new anti-zombie ammo.

I told you I would lighten up for the weekend. Maybe sometime I'll ramble on about the recent American obsession with zombies, and what it signifies culturally, in my opinion.  But not now.

This stuff might be just the thing against hordes of mutant zombie bikers.  It's right up there with bleeding zombie targets.

Here's Hornady's "Z-Max" disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is NOT a toy (IT IS LIVE AMMUNITION), but is intended only to be used on…ZOMBIES, also known as the living dead, undead, etc. No human being, plant, animal, vegetable or mineral should ever be shot with Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition. Again, we repeat, Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is for use on ZOMBIES ONLY, and that's not a nickname, phrase or cute way of referring to anybody, place or thing. When we say Zombies, we mean…ZOMBIES!

 It's part gimmick, I know, but I thought it was funny.

Maybe someday I'll try some, but for now I'll stick to:

69 grain Hornady BTHPs for the AR (experimenting with some 55 gr Ballistic tips),

180 grain Federal HSTs and 180 grain Hornady XTPs for the .40,

and 178 grain AMAXs for the .308 (playing with 175 Sierra BTHPs).

I'm a Hornady junkie, I know.  If anyone has any experience with this Z-Max stuff, let me and everyone else know.  When it comes to fighting off entire marauding hordes however, some cheap softpoint stuff or even some surplus FMJ might be more cost-effective.  Just aim for their heads.  They're zombies, after all.

2012 just might be the year of the zombie after all. 

Y'all have a Merry Christmas.

Holiday Moritorium

I sincerely hope everyone reading this has a good time doing what’s important this weekend.

That is, unless you’re a tyrant, agent of a tyrant, a tyrant’s enabler, an oathbreaker, a state-sponsored terrorist wearing a badge (to exclude legitimate and oath keeping peace officers, if there are any left), or some other type of oxygen-thieving lowlife scum who makes it an occupation to steal from or oppress others.  In that case, I hope you take a long road trip through the Yukon and have a miserable break down like I did.  You won't know what to do, 'cuz there's no lobbying or intimidating broken steel.  Have fun freezing.  And I hope you break a toe, or worse.  And become embroiled in an embarrassing scandal and decide to leave the country.  Forever.  (End of childish rant.)

But that won’t happen, no matter how many letters to Santa I write.  That’s why I don’t believe in Santa anymore.

Anyway, although I hope the discussions will continue, I’m putting a moratorium –at least for me, here and in my home- on new posts on gloom, philosophizing and theorizing, and high and noble concepts for a bit.  That is, I’m lightening up.  My family has been through a lot these past months, and I’m just happy we’re safe, warm, and together.  I have some kids who need wrestled and cuddled.  I have a wife who sorely needs a break.

I hope Santa (whom I no longer believe in, primarily for reasons outlined above) brings me lots of good gear this year.  I've been mostly good, depending on who you ask.

Let’s all focus our efforts on living lives worth dying for, during the holidays and beyond.  High and noble concepts, theory, philosophy, gloom and the inevitable consequences of our nation’s course will be there, staring us in the face, for a while yet.  Let’s tick this gloom thing off and ignore it for a while.  It'll be there when we get back.

Start thinking of how your New Year's resolutions are going to include bad times preparedness, family/tribe, and PT.

I missed my last year's max bench press "resolution" by 15 pounds.  Argh.  Next year I hit it harder.  I'm sure 2012 will bring with it plenty of "fuel" for PT...  The idiotry in DC and around the country shows no signs whatsoever of slacking off.

Anyway, thanks for coming here and reading what I have had to say over the course of the past year.  Thanks for commenting, agreeing, and disagreeing.

Have a good time doing what matters. 

Sound minds, sound bodies, living lives worth dying for.

Resist.

Reflection on My Last Post

My last post might be summed up in this short follow-up reflection.  I want to speak in a slightly different "language", if you will, than I did in my last.  That post had many undercurrents in it, and I want to speak more simply here.  I am not backing down or recanting my positions; hopefully I am speaking more clearly here.

If a fight is truly worth fighting, win.  If losing, for any reason, be it morals, scruples, whatever, is acceptable to you, you should not have fought.  Sometimes this decision is made for us.  Still, win.

If there is a moral decision to be made in the question of violence, it is whether or not to initiate/participate/respond to it.  The results and consequences of violence are secondary.  I think if there is a "moral" aspect to violence, it begins with the question "do I fight?" rather than "do I kill?"  Even simple meaningless social violence and posturing can escalate.  One must assume that death/total destruction is always a risk in a fight.  This must always be a part of the risk/reward evaluation.

"If a fight is truly worth fighting, win.  If losing, for any reason, be it morals, scruples, whatever, is acceptable to you, you should not have fought."

I think the question, "Is losing, at all, acceptable under any circumstances?" breaks the violence question down to a common language, and removes many differences of opinion that might otherwise result from the natural differences in people.

This metric, applied to the question of violence, is by far the most stringent measure I know how to use.  It makes war and violence all the more terrible, as its corrolary implies that all wars be total wars until there is no longer a threat, all fights be continued until there is no longer a threat.  It also would make wars all the more rare. 

Think about it.  Is this not the idea behind "walk softly, but carry a big stick"?  Is this not the wisdom of the venerable Mr. Miyagi, who taught that we learn to fight so we don't have to?

Had America used this metric while considering her past wars, many, many young and promising boys, many civilians, many people would not have died objectively horrible deaths.I personally think that this is a much more stringent requirement than other methods of justifying/condemning a given course of action on the personal or national scale.  Whether one sees violence/killing/murder as subjective or objective can be taken out of the picture.  Differing moral codes can be taken out of the picture.  Religion can be removed.

On Subjectivity and the “Moral High Ground”

This post was inspired by this comment thread.  I see some understandable points, and I see that “Moral High Ground” theme again.  Readers might remember some of my thoughts on the subject.

A visual aid, perhaps?

Some of the comments were centered on murder vs. killing, and maintaining the highly subjective and vulnerable-to-indirect-fire (metaphoric and real) “moral high ground”.  It sparked some thoughts on my part, and I am posting them here for consideration.  I don't want to address the act of ending a life (in war or peace) as much as I want to look at the interpretation of action(s).

If a person or nation is in a fight worth fighting, which is in most cases, a fight for survival or for the conditions that will allow it, that person or nation must win.  There is no choice in such a case.  Undertaking a “moral” (if you will allow me to use the term here) fight implies that the outcome of not fighting is unacceptable, immoral, unlivable.  Losing means death, slavery, or severe suffering.  A win is the only acceptable outcome in a fight worth fighting.  The only “moral” outcome, one might say.  It follows logically then that any means that contributes directly to a win is acceptable, while means that do not contribute to, or hinder, a moral outcome are unacceptable, or “immoral”.  My purpose is not to start an ends / means debate, but to illustrate that in this case, losing means it does not matter anymore.

Obviously my criteria for “fights worth fighting” would exclude petty social violence, “small wars” of intervention, “peacekeeping” police-type conflicts, etc.  Morality becomes more difficult in these situations, and for a reason.  This is because they are, almost without exception, not worth fighting.

But let us consider history, the past as seen through the lens of the present.  History, being the past, in the context of present power, culture, and society.  Perspective.

Was Sherman a murderer?  What about Quantrill?  What do the history books say?  What do Southerners say?  Why?  It’s all subjective.  Now, back off and consider the objective evidence and facts.  Who was “worse”, in objective terms?  Who caused more suffering?  Does this matter?  Who is the hero, and who is the villain in today’s world?  More accurately…who won? 

Was Germany wrong in the Battle of Britain?  Was Britain wrong over Dresden?  Ask yourself the same questions.

Are the civilian protestors in Syria being murdered, or is a revolution being put down?

Was the Boston Massacre a case of murder, or merely of killing?  Come on, answer truthfully.  Learn about the background.  What happened?  Do you know?  In spite of not knowing the facts, what is your first reaction?  Murder?  Why?

What is the difference between an al-Qaeda bomber in a 747 and an American pilot over Nagasaki, besides body count?  Budget?  Yes.  Also, perspective.

Was the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia “right”, or “wrong”?  What does America say?  What did the USSR say, when it was around?   Was it more or less right or wrong than the American Revolution?  Both, taken in context, were fought against governmental oppression.  One sought to cure it one way, one sought the other.  I’m not talking about whether the governments that were eventually established were “good” or “bad”, just the actual conflicts themselves.

Libya’s established government was overthrown by “rebels”, after NATO air power smashed any real opposition by government troops.  Did NATO commit murder or war?  What would Ghadaffi have said?  The rebels?  What of the widows and children of the slain government troops, who were just doing their job, defending their government?

David Burgert- the attempted murder of a police officer, or commencement of hostilities against an agent of a government he considers unjust? 

Jose Guerena- casualty or murdered?  He’s dead, either way.

The “law enforcement officers” who died at Waco- murdered or killed?  Ask the dead Davidians.  Ask the government.  Ask the officers’ families.

Perspective.  That is the only difference.

If we are going to use words to differentiate between “killing” and “murder”, I think that it is important to look at a few further issues.

First the word “murder” is generally used to define a killing that is done in defiance of a given law or moral code.  Hence, Jose Guerena’s killing, since it was committed by a team of incompetent and obviously trigger happy state-sponsored terrorists, was not murder in the eyes of the law, or even most of society.  Had Guerena taken down an officer, the state would’ve considered that murder.  Had one of Guerena’s neighbor counterattacked the SWAT team and killed one of them, that would have been considered murder.

Likewise, an Iraqi insurgent killed by an American soldier is not considered murdered, according to most conventions, although he may very well had been merely fighting for his homeland.  The American soldier, however, would’ve been classified as a “victim of a terrorist insurgent” or a “victim of an IED”.  I’ve lost a few friends to IEDs.

Let me lay before you a situation.  The government of Iran, acting in concert with China, Russia, and North Korea decides that America is a “rogue state”.  Or maybe they decide that, Like Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait in the 90s, the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan are unacceptable.  Or, maybe, Iran decides that, according to its moral code, democracy is a cruel and “immoral” form of government, and must be replaced by a more “just system” (for example, Sharia law, as defined by the koran and allah).  Whatever.  The reason doesn’t matter.  The enemy has justified –to himself- an invasion of American soil, and he is here.

There are now, in our scenario, foreign troops on American soil.  Boots and treads on the ground.  A “camp”, built on what used to be your town’s park.  You now have MiGs in the air; foreign private security troops living in your neighborhood, leering at your daughters and wife.  You are now an Iraqi, your homeland has been violated.  Do you see?  As an American, do you care why they are there, really?  Is it not then pure arrogance to expect another nation’s people to accept American occupation for any reason?  Foreign troops occupying your soil, dictating to and changing your government?  Would you not fight?  What if, during the course of establishing military supremacy, a 500 lb bomb was dropped on a convoy of American soldiers, but was close enough to kill your children?  Would you not fight?

If you do, are you now a murderer, terrorist, criminal, freedom fighter, or patriot?  Says who?  Your government?  Iran’s?  Your moral code?  Allah’s?  Whose?  Which is “right”?

All four have their own take on it.  Each is right in its own eyes.  Whoever wins will label you for posterity, because history is the past, seen through the lens of the present.  Or, put otherwise, the winners write the history.

Did David Burgert commit an act of resistance, self-defense, or attempted murder?  What about David Lane and his group?  David Koresh?  Sherman and his raiders?  Quantrill and his raiders?  Randy Weaver?  The team of poorly trained but highly motivated  heavy infantry that killed Jose Guerena?  That traitor to the crown and former British officer Washington?  Lee?  Jackson?  Grant?  Daniel Shay?  What about the Americans –on both sides- in the Whiskey rebellion that was later stomped out by Washington?  How about Captain Parker?  Traitors?  Soldiers?  Murderers?  Heroes?  Killers?

Perspective, people.

You cannot show me one shred of evidence that separates the acts of John Parker from the acts of an average Iraqi who makes a futile stand, killing American soldiers in his town and home who are, as the British were, on a mission to capture “insurgent” weapons.  These situations are nearly identical.  If anything, the Iraqi may be more “justified”, as John Parker and his men were firing upon their own countrymen, their own troops.  But who do we venerate as the hero?  Why?  Because Parker’s side won, and “we” are on Parker’s “side”, that’s why.  Heresy, I know, but this is truth.

I read at Sipsey Street the other day the suggestion to wait for the proverbial “whites of their eyes”, until direct action is initiated against a citizen.  I recognize the wisdom in these words, but I also would like to provide some context to “the whites of their eyes” statement. 

“Whites of their eyes”, in context, is a reference to holding fire until one cannot miss.  This close-ranged mass fire is devastating in Napoleonic tactics.  It makes sense when one is firing a smoothbore musket, into masses of men, in a pitched battle.  It was very effective for the time and situation.

Now imagine a crossbowman, in the open, taking the same advice against a charging, armored knight.  Imagine a man, in his boxers, at 3 AM, in a home full of kids, facing down a heavy infantry squad, complete with APC.  “Whites of their eyes” is foolish in both cases.

This is not Bunker Hill. 

I don’t believe Mike was speaking literally, although he might have been.  I think his meaning was that one should wait until there is a real physical threat physically present.  Consider the case of Mike Anderson in Fairbanks, AK.  “They” (whoever the “bad people” are) will not wait until you’re barricaded in your bunker with your M1 to come.  “They” will do it when there are 8+ kids and women in the house.  Too late, patriot. You are dead or in chains.  Mr. Anderson was detained and released, but upon the signing of the recently passed NDAA legislation, he could have just as easily been “disappeared”.

This issue of violence as it relates to perspective and power is present in the bible, as well.  I mention this because “Moral High Ground” issues seem to trouble those with a strong faith in the judeo-christian belief system. 

I see a clear prohibition in the ten commandments against murder.

Soon after this prohibition was issued, we have the case of Numbers 31:15-18, where a defeated people was slaughtered -down to the last- with the exception of female virgins. Why?  Because they were an “evil nation”?   Is that the excuse?  Evil according to who?  God?  So “evil” people may be exterminated, and it is not murder?  What possible justification is there for the genocide of the Midianites? 

Be careful, because once you excuse genocide in any case, it becomes potentially excusable in all cases. 

It just depends on who’s in power, or who is “relaying god’s words” to the people.  I find it ironic that the same people who say “thou shalt not murder” find it in their heads to justify the “divinely-inspired” deliberate, non-combat killing (genocide) not only of all male Midianites of military age, but of all older people, all adult, non-virgin women, and all males, regardless of age.  I also find it ironic that people who say “morality” is “absolute” condemn Dharfour, condemn the holocaust, but justify what happened to the Midianites in the bible.  At the same time, I am supposed to abhor Hitler for the holocaust...  Why?  Both cases involved the race-based destruction of a people.  These same people rail against jihad, against the holocaust…The “conquest” of Canaan puts Mohammed and his bloody ride through the Middle East to shame.

By old testament standards, America is quite wicked.  Would a nation then be correct or justified in doing this to “us”, today?  Are your young daughters ready for their new husbands?  I cannot accept any Judeo-Christian arguments about murder and moral relativity, or differentiations between “murder” and “killing” until this and other similar examples of “divinely” commanded and sanctioned mass slaughter/genocide/land theft are explained.  If these actions were “morally correct”, then so is Jihad, which is exactly what the Israelites’ conquest of the holy land was.  In fact, Israel was not sufficiently ruthless in their conquest, and was repeatedly punished and chastised for it.

This comment was left on the above-linked WRSA thread, and got me thinking:

It’s all in the words…words have meaning, from that meaning comes action, and from that action, end results, intended or otherwise, from the end result, either ridicule, power, and sometimes death.

I think that is precisely backwards.

Words are an endpoint, not a beginning.  This is where the differences that I have with that statement begin.  They do have meaning, in that they represent concepts.  These concepts are defined by the times, by the spirit of the age, culture, and power.  They are subjective, not objective.  Words describe actions; the meanings of actions are subjective.  

Starting at the correct beginning, the end results of an action, viewed through the lenses of power, culture, and societal norms, determine where the action falls in relation to “right” and “wrong”.  Thus the action itself merely is; whether it is considered “right” or “wrong” is highly subjective, and may change based on power, the spirit of the age, and culture.  Perspective.  Perhaps it is “right” in this age, in this culture.  Perhaps it will be wrong in the next.

If the meanings and interpretations of certain actions are subjective based on power, culture, perspective, and “the spirit of the age”, the words used to describe them are therefore likewise subjective.  An example of this might be the gladiatorial contests in Rome.  “Right” then, to them, “wrong” to us, now.  The slaughter of the Midianites in Numbers is another example.  Right to the Israelites then (and even to many people now) but were it to happen now, it would be considered utterly “wrong”.  I guarantee the Midianites saw it as wrong… everything is different when it’s YOUR child’s blood splashing on the wall, so that a tribe of foreigners may steal your land.

A man who gives too much weight and power to words and subjective concepts finds that words like “right” and “wrong” are not subjective to him, but objective.  These words control his actions.  He is a slave to them, although they will betray him on a whim according to their fluid nature.  Having said that, having hard and fast rules and recognizing absolute truths is not necessarily bad.  Boundaries and structure are sometimes needed.  I recognize absolute truths; I have drawn “lines in the sand” around my family.  There is right; there is wrong, I do not doubt that.  Losing a fight worth fighting negates all right and all wrong, as far as the loser is concerned.  If you must fight, win.  Otherwise, die, and let your enemy define the terms.

In a war, in a struggle, in a fight worth fighting, however, let the words come later.  You cannot control what words the spirit of the age will later use to describe your actions.  You can only control your actions.

I believe most words, especially “right”, “wrong”, and “morality”, represent mostly subjective concepts, and are therefore themselves subjective, shifting and largely meaningless in the historic sense.

Power and culture, perspective, defines history, as history is the past, seen through the lens of the present.  Every act you perform is not now; it is history as soon as it is done.   It is immediately interpreted by others through the lens of the present, through power, through societal norms, and through culture.

“Moral High Ground.”

Killing.

Murder.

Words. 

Subjective.

The decision to partake in violence should be one of greatest gravity.

Sometimes this decision is thrust upon us. 

If losing for any reason is acceptable, you should not fight.

Do not allow words to cause you to lose a fight worth fighting.

Do not be a slave to words.

Resist.

The Gate

So the US Government, duly elected and constituted, has given itself the power -through the legislative process- to detain American citizens indefinitely without trial on the suspicion of "terrorism", assassinate them at home and abroad without trial, and now, as detailed at this ZeroHedge post, send them to other countries to be, ahem, questioned.

A defense spending bill that passed both houses of Congress overwhelmingly and is set to be signed by President Barack Obama as early as this week could make it easier for the government to transfer American terrorist suspects to foreign regimes and security forces.

The National Defense Authorization Act (PDF) contains a section that says the president has the power to transfer suspected members and supporters of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or "associated" groups "to the custody or control of the person's country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity."

The fact is that the government has almost, without consequence or impediment, completely codified the practice of defecating on the founding documents...or at least the individual liberties they are purported to protect...assuming that Obama signs this bill into law. 


How ironic would it be for Obama to step forward now as a "defender of liberty", when many D's and Dead Elephants alike voted for this.

And how ironic would it be for a law meant to "combat" "domestic terrorism" to be the impetus for it.

Sometimes we meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it. 

I fear for my children's future.  And for my grandchildren.

It is a still, clear, pure night.  The stars are out, brighter than usual.  The chill in the air seems almost purifying as he walks softly through the darkened, leafless forest.  It is utterly still.  Still enough to hear each part of every footstep as the man nears an old, rusted gate.  He stops, unsure of his next step.  A deep sense of foreboding courses down his spine and chills his soul.  The man steps forward, through the gate.  Life must go on.  He sighs and tightens his lips as he passes through Solzhenitsyn's gate, into the lamented, lost window of opportunity.  History, present.  Past, future.  The man lives on, living and dying.

Resist.

How Could They Allow Such Evil?

Just by way of caution, while this post is not vulgar, vile or obscene in any way, many will find it offensive.  It is PG rated, but the thoughts expressed herein are blasphemous in the extreme to those who worship America and some of its more modern accepted ideas.  Standard AP fare, in other words.  Moving on...

I overheard the other day a statement that is fairly common, and is the subject for quite a few books.

“How could the German people accept such ‘evil’?  How could they allow the Holocaust to happen?  How could they allow the Nazis to do what they did?"

Most readers will know that I do not accept the idea that Adolf Hitler was absolutely evil, and that I believe that much that is said about him and the Nazis is a result of inter-and post-war Allied propaganda.

Not so, you say?  Not believable?  It's no different than Japanese being told and believing that American Marines kill and eat their parents...the ultimate blasphemy in an ancestor-revering culture.  Propaganda happens in war, and we buy it, because we want to believe that we are right.  We want to believe that our wars are just, that the horror is worth it.  Therefore, the enemy must always be evil.  Still happens, too.  Remember this one?

"They hate us because of our freedoms."

 

Hitler is made into a weapon of sorts by people today, as a tool to use to demonize one's opponents.  Compare "XYZ" (Gun control, GW Bush, Obama, Democrats, Republicans, whatever) to Hitler, and you win automatically.  Nevermind that in many cases the comparisons are inaccurate.

Gasps of horror surface when I say these things, at such outright blasphemy and heresy.  How could you?  What about the Holocaust? 

“How could the German people accept such ‘evil’?  How could they allow Hitler to take power, and remain in power?  How could they let the Nazis do what they did?"

Meanwhile we, America, have put Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot all to shame with our ongoing holocaust.  Our victims never had a chance to resist at all.  Yet Hitler is universally used as a universal and absolute evil, while we Americans go on about our lives.  We're the good guys, remember...   

Look in the damned mirror, American.  You are tolerating a holocaust that you are fully and completely aware of.  One that is codified and protected.  We elect the people who keep protecting and perpetuating it.  This holocaust that is so sacred that, if you oppose it, you are an extremist, a domestic terrorist.  You earn a trip to the SPLC and ADL's "extremist" list.  (Does anyone find it ironic that the ADL persecutes those who oppose this holocaust?)  We, as a society, glorify Bonhoeffer, but look at George Tiller's executioner as a "crazy".

Moral High Ground, and all.  Murder vs. killing.  Hah.  Wrong.  Perspective and power.

I'm not meaning to start another abortion debate here.  On this blog, on my blog, it is the killing of children.  Sure we can debate it.  On this subject, however, my mind is irrevocably closed.  I have changed paths and perspectives in many areas in my life, but never on this one.  I never will.  Never.

Infanticide.  Child sacrifice on the altar of convenience, comfort, and safety.

America puts every despot and dictator throughout history to shame.

How could those Americans live with such evil?  How could they allow it?

New Pages

I've added a few new pages to the top bar.

Check 'em out if you want.

Keep in mind that my list of tactical gear/weapons/ammunition suppliers is at this time limited to those I have had personal experience with.  I will be more than happy to add to it as my experience grows, although I don't see myself trying much else new at this point, unless it's a good deal.  Some are good businesses, some are good people, some are the types that I would like to have at my back, through personal knowledge.  One (Far North) is ran by a hardcore patriot who speaks with his actions.  Apologies if I've left any out; drop me a line if I have.

I may in the near future put up a more general "good guy" business list, open to suggestions and input.  We have to stick together and create value for each other in order to starve those monkeys.  And the mEANIES and sTEALERS, too. 

Resist.

Starving Monkeys & Buying Exotic Ammo...

In my recent search for quality, bulk, and exotic ammo, I ran across Denver Bullets, Inc.

I've recently been working to stock up on ammunition after my move.  I couldn't ship most of mine, and couldn't bring very much through Canada.  I've been reveling in the ability to have ammo shipped right to my door, a luxury unavailable to Alaskans.  There are some advantages to living in "America".  Logistics is one.  Alaska is at the very end of a very long, expensive, and fragile supply chain.

Back to Denver Bullets...I like their specialty ammunition, and they have some of the best prices around on exotic .308/7.62x51 ammo.  Tracers are $.65/round, and incendiary is a very respectable $1.50/round.  Pistol calibers and .50BMG specialty ammo is available, as well.

My decision to do business with this company was made, however, as soon as I read the following statement on their website (emphasis added):

"As a class three (III) gun dealer, Denver Bullets is authorized to sell National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons. We will buy your registered Class III machine guns as well.

We can do everything your average neighborhood gun dealer can do, but we have also taken the extra time and effort to navigate the abusive federal licensing process necessary to be able to legally sell those weapons restricted by the National Firearms Act."

I highly encourage you to do business with Denver bullets, especially if you are in the market for specialty rounds.  These (tracers and incendiary) often go for much, much more elsewhere.  Stock up before it's too late.

Plus, any class three dealer willing to publicly call the federal licensing process "abusive" (as it is), is worthy of doing business with in my book.

Visit their website, pick something out, and give them a shout.  You can mention the blog, but there's nothing in it for you (or me, for that matter).

We have to concentrate (as much as is possible) on providing value for and doing business with those who share our beliefs.  We also must concentrate, as much as possible, on denying business, money, and value to those who do not share our beliefs.  This is one way we can starve the monkeys.

Starving monkeys might not always mean simply minimizing one's tax burden, or opposing handouts and theft at the hands of government and your fellow citizens.  Sometimes it means spending a few more dollars to support a good guy.  I've been looking for ways to starve them, while not starving my family in the process.  This is one small way.

In the case of Denver Bullets, you get to save money, do business with the "good guys", blow stuff up, and starve monkeys all at the same time.

Win.

Resist.

A Declaration

ontoliberty's blog brought my attention to this Bill St. Clair piece:

Sign me up.

We are anonymous
We ask that you post the following in public places
Whereas, on the 14th of December, 2011, the House of Representatives of these United States voted in favor of indefinite military detention, without charges, of any American, anywhere, anytime, without due process of law, at the discretion of the government alone;
Whereas, on the 15th of December, 2011, the Senate of these United States voted in favor of the same bill;
Whereas, the proscription against the use of military force to police the populous has been an essential feature of American civic life and civic liberty since the arrival of our civilization upon this continent;
Whereas, the wanton violation of this proscription was one of the chief causes of the separation of the American peoples from their government in Great Britain;
Whereas, the Constitution so chartering the government of these United States does not grant this power;
Whereas, the Constitution forbids the addition of any power not enumerated to the general government;
Whereas, the use of such draconian measures has been an essential feature of the enforcement of tyranny by totalitarian governments of the 20th century, including, but not limited to, the Nationalist-Socialist government of Germany, the fascist government of Italy, the government of the United Soviet Socialist Republics, and the government of Vietnam;
Whereas, the use of such draconian measures is carefully calculated to quash all political dissent amongst a captive people;
Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures effectively nullifies all civil liberties the people may hope to hold;
Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures are the last act in the quest to hold a people captive to the rapacious will of their government without recourse;
And whereas, the codification of such draconian measures is an act of war against the populous at large;
Therefore, be it declared that a STATE OF WAR formally exists between the Government of these United States and the People of these United States.
We, the People of these United States, declare any and all attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540 to be unlawful, void, and of no force.
We, declare ALL WHO voted in favor of HR 1540, and ALL WHO attempt to enforce HR 1540 to be traitors to these United States, punishable under law.
We, SHALL DISOBEY, APPREHEND, OR RESIST WITH DEADLY FORCE, in our discretion, any person who attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540.
We, SHALL NOT aggress against any employee of any American government who shall not attempt to enforce or aid and abet the enforcement of HR 1540, they being as trapped as the rest of the populous.
Such STATE OF WAR shall continue until HR 1540 is stricken from the code of law, and all who had hand in HR 1540 are brought to justice under due process of law.
Signed and witnessed by we, the individual citizens of these United States, below:

Arctic Patriot.

Pass it on.

The Crossing of the Rubicon...From Gods and Generals

   When he reached the water of the little Rubicon, clearly to the leader through the murky night appeared a mighty image of his country in distress, grief in her face, her white hair streaming from her tower-crowned head, with tresses torn and shoulders bare, she stood before him and sighing said, "Where further do you march? Where do you take my standards warriors? If lawfully you come, if as citizens, this far only is allowed." 

   Then trembling struck the leader's limbs, his hair grew stiff and weakness checked his progress, holding his feet at the rivers edge. At last he speaks, "Oh Thunderer, surveying Rome's walls from the Tarpeian Rock. Oh Phrygian house gods of Iulus, Clan and Mystery of Quirinus who was carried off to heaven, Oh Jupiter of Latium seated in lofty Alda and Hearths of Vesta, Oh Rome, equal to the highest deity, favor my plans! Not with impious weapons do I pursue you. Here am I, Caesar, conqueror of land and sea, your own soldier, everywhere, now too, if I am permitted. The man who makes me your enemy, it is he who be the guilty one." 

   Then he broke the barriers of war and through the swollen river swiftly took his standards. And Caesar crossed the flood and reached the opposite bank. From Hesperia's Forbidden Fields he took his stand and said, "Here I abandoned peace and desecrated law; fortune it is you I follow. Farewell to treaties. From now on war is our judge!" Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you!

Detain Him Indefinitely...

Since the government would like to assert the authority to detain American citizens suspected of terrorism indefinitely, I would like to use the "See something, say something" program to do my part.

This man has played a crucial part, twice, in supplying weapons and explosives, on American soil, to terrorists.  His actions have twice led to large losses of life in America and elsewhere.

He should be arrested and detained indefinitely, I guess.  According to our government, that is.

Or just tried in a court of law for his crimes, wrung for info, and made to pay the price of his treasonous actions.

Who is it?

This guy.

Beautiful Words

This poem was brought to my attention by a friend, and it speaks to me very loudly. 

ENEMY OF THE SUN
by Samih Al Qassem

I may, if you wish, lose my livelihood, 
I may sell my shirt and my bed, 
I may work as a stonecutter, 
A street sweeper, a porter, 
I may clean your store
Or rummage your garbage for food, 
O enemy of the sun
But, I shall not compromise, 
And to the last pulse in my veins, 
I shall resist. 

You may take the last strip of my land, 
You may plunder my heritage, 
You may burn my books and my poems, 
Or throw my flesh to the dogs, 
You may spread a web of terror, 
On the roof tops of my village, 
O enemy of the sun, 
But, I shall not compromise, 
And to the last pulse in my veins, 
I shall resist. 

You may put out the light in my eyes, 
You may deprive me of my mother's kisses, 
You may destroy my history, 
You may curse my father, my people, 
You may deprive my children of their smile
And of life's necessities, 
You may fool my people with a borrowed face, 
You may spread a wall of terror around me, 
You may glue my eyes with humiliation, 
O enemy of the sun, 
But, I shall not compromise, 
And to the last pulse in my veins, 
I shall resist, 
O enemy of the sun. 

The decorations are raised at the port, 
The exclamations fill the air, 
The heart is a glow, 
A sail is seen in the horizon, 
Challenging the wind and the depths, 
It is Homer, 
Returning home from the sea of losses. 
The sun has returned, 
Together with my exiled ones, 
For her sake, and his
I swear, I shall not compromise, 
And to the last pulse in my veins, 
I shall resist, I shall resist, 
I SHALL RESIST!!!!