Hope for Ending the Terror War is Alive
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Note: This article is a compliment to Shane’s, “There is Hope… For Liberty in our Lifetime.”
By: Matt K. [social title=”” subtitle=”” link=”endtheterrorwar.tumblr.com” icon=”fa-tumblr”]
July 31st, 2015
I started blogging on Tumblr in May 2012, the blog “St. Confused” only lasted two years into the following July. Before starting ETTW, I searched around tags on the website relative to the antiwar movement or anything on the status of the so-called “Global War on Terror” (later what I would term the Terror Industrial Complex due to its obvious lack of genuine consistently in seeking ways to resolve the subject of international terrorism and its historic upbringing as the military industrial complex). I found many bloggers posting about the separate war zones (Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria) but none really called an end to whole charade in its overarching madness across the geopolitical landscape, here in The States or abroad. The antiwar movement during the transition from Bush’s to Obama’s current administration had merely played reformist party politics amongst themselves, leaving it to a completely compromised dead-end of unprincipled contesting of voting power for the next harbinger who proclaimed to be for peace while seeking political rulership. Did reformist daydreaming save the day for the antiwar movement? No, I don’t believe it had. While simultaneously perpetuating the war, Obama pulled the wool over America’s eyes by signing the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 (what would later become the ACA) into law. He had played a very clever stratagem: Continue the war to appease the facetious GOP, and squeeze tighter the tax racket on Americans in the name of “healthcare” legislation. I’ve tired of the party politics in the District of Criminals for a long while now, so I could honestly give a damned less about the banter between self-proclaimed “rulers” over myself and others. They can all find a seat in the Nine Circles of Hell for all I care.
Liberty Under Attack?
As Shane has explained in his article “Turning Away from the Violent Monopoly“, when we first met, he had identified as a Constitutionalist. Despite my reservations on the document itself, I was more interested in his long-term objectives and how I could help improve his YouTube channel. Later on, that would the very first place I’ve ever had on online interview. December of last year, to be precise. I found it rather admirable that Shane attempted to tackle the current circumstances surrounding Iraq, Syria, and ISIS. One thing Shane and myself had definitely agreed upon is the libertarian principles of self-ownership and the non-aggression principle and we had worked to apply that later on in the confirmation of the LUA-ETTW partnership, first announced on our very first show on FPRN. I’m rushing ahead of myself here a bit on this one. I started my newest blog on Tumblr “End The Terror War” in March 2013, and has lasted currently up to July this year. In summary, I’ve technically been blogging for 3 years between my oldest and newest blogs. I’m an opportunist, a risk-taker, a bit of a daredevil, and a defiant spirit. It felt like a gamble in my first few conversations with Shane, but he had gained my trust before we even thought of doing online radio together after he first interviewed me. It’s a choice I can honestly say that I don’t feel like backing out of, I’m committed to the LUA-ETTW partnership for as long as I can do my part to keep it alive and hope to share this experience with others who would like to join Shane and myself. Before he had learned about the political deception that formulated the Federalist’s Constitution that I had quoted about at length during our show on evidence of Communist takeover in the States (internally, rather than externally), Shane was fairly adamant about trying to push forth the idea of the “organic Constitution” (the notion that the only role’s the U.S. government must be afforded to are the “common defense” of Americans and leaving the securing of liberty in the hands of the State). The biggest contradiction that can be found within the Constitution itself lies between Article 1, Section 8, clause 8 :”To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;” and the Declaration of Independence’s calls for the abolishment of government (which also trips on itself in calling for a “new government”, but I digress..) “that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness”. The dangers of confusing the “right to revolution” with “terrorism” has made any anarchist achievements of successfully abolishing government all the more difficult in the broader context of the so-called “War on Terror.” The Federal government would rather re-categorize its subjects as enemies before ‘permitting’ or embracing its long-overdue death. Even if you could find a legal how-to guide in peacefully removing governments, you would still be playing by “their” rules and they wouldn’t judiciously accept the abolishment of their means of employment. Indeed, the law is a racket.
The Last Bastille: From Reformism to Direct Action
Kyle Rearden from The Last Bastille first joined LUA radio in March 2015, discussing the dangers of dragnet wiretapping with Shane. In May of 2015, Kyle and I debated the efficiency of protesting, and we had agreed on the use of security culture. Shane and I have had no shortage of subjects to discuss, however, with Kyle on board we’ve been able to produce various shows on FPRN that doesn’t steer away from the original intent of LUA radio: Truth and freedom, for Americans and others across the world. Shane, Kyle and myself have reached a consensus against reformist tactics in the fight for liberty – the only notable discrepancy born out of the protesting debate is how it can be applied as a means of direct action, or acting outside the political franchise known classically as voting. Voting isn’t the default card that everybody is obligated to play during elections, you can always do much more.
Here is a list of things you can participate in during elections that EXCLUDE voting (these are my personal recommendations):
- Sit-in.
- Stand-in.
- Ride-in.
- Mill-in.
- Pray-in.
- Hunger strike.
- Sit-down.
- Electoral boycott.
- Refusal to accept appointed rulers.
- Withdrawal allegiance.
- Stay-at-home / stay away.
- Lysistratic nonaction (the spouses of aspiring political rulers would be apt for this)
- Teach-ins. (Can feasibly be mixed with 1-5)
- Display flags / symbolic colors.
- Mock awards.
- Simon Jestering.
- Radio / online radio.
- Leaflets, pamphlets, books.
There’s no reason people can’t be Good Samaritans to others as an alternative to voting either, here are a few examples:
- Assisting injured animals.
- Protecting children from kidnappers.
- Standing up to bullies who harass others.
- Saving babies from drowning.
- Standing up to predatory animals to protect children.
- Helping people with seizures.
- Saving others from building fires.
- Protecting the body of someone being injured by mob rulers.
- Swimming to rescue others in freezing water from drowning.
- Risking your life for the well-being of others.
- Assisting handicapped people.
- Rescuing people in car accidents and/or crashes.
- Recycling or cleaning up your home, neighborhood, and town.
- Provide assistance to the elderly.
- Try out Freeganism.
- Plan freedom holidays or integrate ones you already know of into your life.
- Start Committees of Safety.
There’s no shortage of activities a person can devote themselves towards when they step away from the voting booth. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been particularly hopeless about Liberty Under Attack’s progress, but Kyle and myself have made decent steps in attempting to formulate the best case FOR direct action, as opposed to reformism. It’s a difficult task, but I’m not backing down from the challenge. Brainstorming, collaboration, and source sharing has done a lot of good between Shane, Kyle, and myself. ETTW is reaching eyes and ears across the world, and in places across the States who’ve never heard of it before. That keeps me optimistic.
Liberate RVA & ETTW
During June this year, in our very first interview with Kal Molinet, I had been gratefully notified that Kal supports the cause I’ve been promoting. Until I open my own “Liberate” chapter, in the meantime, it’s great to have organizational outreach between two different movements. Originally, ETTW has simply been a means of preserving the anti-war movement in a serious tone that doesn’t play the ridiculous game of Washington’s Republican-Democrat party political nonsense. While I’ve no bones about sharing my anarchist convictions with others, the thought of doing a “Spreading Anarchy” series was a bit alien to me at first. Kal’s “Three Questions of Anarchy” concept is also practically useful.
Here they are:
- In your day to day life, do you use violence to solve your personal problems?
- With the exception of self-defense of yourself and others, would you consider it wrong and immoral to initiate that violence?
- Would you also consider wrong and immoral to violently force your ideas onto other people?
I’ve every intention of attempting to work together with Liberate RVA, as they are plausibly the closest I have to organization among fellow anarchists. This is certainly a hopeful prospect for me personally.
ETTW milestones
Despite its slow progress, my Anarchist Odyssey of the Federalist Papers is coming along fairly well. My series on Statist holidays is an ongoing educational examination regarding the troubles of government’s involvement or creation of celebratory events to treat American’s as cattle to be prodded into subservience. I’ve honestly never had a platform to write pamphlets for my anti-war cause before, so I consider my first-edition guidebook to be quite the achievement. With more people interested in Liberty Under Attack, this gives me hope for ETTW as well. If you had asked me where I saw myself going in life five or even ten years ago, I would’ve never thought that I could publish my own articles on an independent website, much less be a cohost to an online radio show. While Shane and I try to schedule everything in a comprehensive manner for ourselves and others, we’ve no shortage of interesting content to discuss, share, and maybe even have a friendly moderated debate (again). I wasn’t quite ready for Kyle’s rebuttal’s, only answering Shane’s questions, in the first LUA debate – but it served as a great learning curve to me personally and hopefully to others as well.
Conclusion
To conclude, I would say there is much to be optimistic about for Liberty Under Attack and ETTW. We’ve only just started, and enjoy having your support in our endeavors.
Yours in truth and freedom.
