One thing that’s come up in the Libertarian Left ends and means discussions is Keith Preston assertion that people are inherently tribal and tend to stick to their own kind. (If I’m misrepresenting, please let me know – I can’t open the long thread right now.) Preston’s statement is superficially true, but it’s packed with bullshit and smelly baggage.

1) What kind of kind are we talking about here? I do seem to get on better with people I’m interested in, but I’m not interested in forming an autarkic clique or nation of any kind. The type of exclusivity that traditional notions of “tribalism” conjure is absent. Association based on one’s “kind” seems (in my limited observation) to revolve around commonality of interests and/or commonality of experience. Those whose actions bolster ethnic enclaves appear to act by one of, or a combination of the following motives: A) seeking something familiar to compare the rest of one’s experience with and fall back on customs and food you’ve grown to like, B) a lack of interest in changing and incorporating other ideas, C) pooling resources to defend oneself when attacked for the group to which you’ve been assigned, or D) outright bigotry. A is fine. B is acceptable behavior, but very lame and doesn’t show much promise for growing a libertarian consciousness. C is fine so long as it is recognized that the enemy is authority and the ideas that enable it, and not whoever is placed in the rival ethnicity. D is backwards and should be minimized through a variety of responses depending on the individual expressing it and the circumstances.

2) Why the hell would I let someone else decide who is my “kind,” especially someone who wants to define it based on some genetic or geographical accident?

3) It’s in people’s nature to do a lot of things. Why be fatalistic and accept a bad trait (defining identity in an authoritarian manner) when it’s also in our nature to use reason and willpower to change things about ourselves? If we’re going to build a post-state world, I’m going to build one I’d prefer to live in, especially in light of my observation that the Westphalian state system is declining in importance. And if we’re going to narrowly focus on attacking the current system, then we ought to attack its enabling ideas by any means appropriate.

I’ve long been against multiculturalism because it rests on the expectation that we ought to respect cultures equally regardless of their respect for us as human beings, and because it reinforces divisions among humanity that are, at the very best, obsolete, and more often than not dangerous. Any effort to batter individual liberty through support for concepts that drop stones on healthy desires will be opposed by whatever means appropriate. The goal is liberty, the enemy is authority, the individual is everything, and the nation is nothing.

[Try to take some time out to follow the monster thread at Rad's on...well a lot of things. Here is my contribution regarding localist sentiment in ALL]

I’m glad this is being discussed, but unfortunately don’t have time for more than a few comments right now; hopefully they will be somewhat cohesive.

I think that localism, when advanced in a specifically individualist and anarchist context, can be useful strategically. As I wrote in the ALL intro pamphlet I made (http://nj.libertarianleft.org/downloads/allintrozine.pdf):

Liberty must be seized by the individual, then secured by cooperating individuals. To do so requires those serious about liberty to communicate, network, and build… We build – ALLies are working on counter-establishment projects that will empower individuals and communities to survive apart from, and eventually in opposition to, all attempted governance.

Such a project would imply local building in addition to long distance networks like we see on this blog. For example, it would be easier for an “attempted governor” to control an area with 90% of its food coming from one source 100 miles away, than it would be to control an area with 90% of its food coming from multiple sources within a twenty mile area. So when I speak positively of decentralization, I usually mean it as a breakup of monopoly and authority, not the creation of local monopoly and authority.

As Rad said: “we have no hope of influencing (halting) national politics unless we have first built up the connections and the networks to influence (halt) politics in our own hometowns.”

It is worth noting here that more local production does not require autarky or the increased risk of conflict – politicians value power above all goods, so armies can still cross borders when goods do, and paramilitaries can keep people from crossing borders that the goods they produce are sent over.

I also think that from a purely subjective view, interacting with more individuals and the rest of the environment on a local level is preferable to not doing so. One of the many things I love about the 21st century is the greater accessibility and miniaturization of technology. This should not be viewed as a desire for a more hippie version of Hoppe-esque feudalism, but I recognize the danger of it becoming so if the focus on individualism is lost.

The above being said, it is easy for me to see the danger of concepts getting muddled and ALL folks ending up mistakenly supporting some kind of authoritarian localism because it looks sort of like our vision of the freed market. Even if this isn’t a major threat, I’m glad this discussion is being raised to prevent it from becoming a major threat. I don’t think that we need to be right-on exact with our conclusions, but having good ideas will help guide the market to the best outcomes. With Soviet’s and William’s comments in mind, I’ll be careful that my writing doesn’t confuse the breakup of political power and the building of local economic power with the building of local authority.

[and below is another comment I made]

SO:

Freedom means options for individuals, not the “right” of some reified community to enact boundaries around them according to some arbitrary, two-dimensional geographic division (which is bullshit anyway, because we live on a sphere, people.)

Word.

SO also mentioned the Cultural Revolution at some point. I don’t feel like going back and finding the quote. What I would like to say is that in my (somewhat limited) reading of the events, Cultural Revolutionaries seemed to be trying to structure their actions to please Mao and the Maoist doctrine that had been drilled into them. Even if this is only partially true, it highlights the dangers of authority, authoritarian schooling and social authority, more than anything else.

Monkeywithsoda says,

On April 25 2009,

I took this video of protesters marching on the IMF and World Bank buildings to coincide with the conference being held there. Protesters earlier had locked down in several intersections while this protest march seized the streets in front of the IMF and World Bank. Police reacted with brute force and chemical weapons.

For more information: http://www.globaljusticeaction.org/

This is the last week to get the early registration discount for this June’s Porcupine Freedom Festival. Porcfest is a great time to experience things market and anarchy. The Alliance of the Libertarian Left is already a registered vendor. Not only will we have a table full of the greatest libertarian zines, but we’re also planning a presentation on agorism and counter-economics. Be there!

Today is Monday, AKA Metal Monday. I recently experienced Amon Amarth raiding New Jersey with a Viking metal onslaught. But since I’ve featured their awesomeness here before, I’ll show a couple of lesser-known bands that played with them.

Skeletonwitch – “Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod”

Lazarus A.D. – “Thou Shall Not Fear”

Heavy.

I’ve noticed that some of my friends are listing their top five things to have in a zombie apocalypse on Facebook. As an author and gun nut, I am well suited to help the world prepare for this imminent threat. So instead of adding another Facebook application, I’m going to take a nerd break and discuss my top five right here.

I am assuming that a) heavy military equipment is being monopolized by governments unresponsive to the needs of my character, b) otherwise cost and current availability of items is not a factor, c) I am wearing sturdy shoes and cargo pants and carrying a multitool or knife like I usually am, and d) unlike the characters of every zombie movie I’ve seen, I actually know what a zombie is and how to kill it.

1. HK416 with 14.5” barrel, tactical sling, and ACOG scope. Obviously there would be extra loaded magazines also. Zombies require either destruction of the brain or dismemberment to be stopped. A weapon with enough power to dismember the zombie will probably be heavy, slower to deploy against multiple threats, and difficult to carry lots of ammo for. A 5.56mm round has plenty of power to destroy a brain, but it does not cause much recoil and you can carry a lot of extra ammo. (Note that breaking the pelvis with a bullet will cause a human body to fall, but a being without fear or pain will likely drag itself toward you if you try this.) The 416 is ergonomic and many parts are interchangeable with the common AR-15 series. It also has the more reliable gas piston operating system. I don’t want to worry about cleaning my weapons when there are undead afoot, and the AR-15’s system of blowing hot gas and residue straight into the bolt to cycle it is a bad idea in general. The 14.5” barrel is plenty accurate for headshots at 100 yards and better in close quarters than a longer barrel would be.

2. Jeep Cherokee with run-flat tires, a serious brush guard, automatic transmission, and straight six engine. Bulletproof windows and auxiliary fuel tanks would be nice too, but let’s be realistic. Mobility will likely be important in the zombie-infested future. Some would say that a bigger vehicle is inherently better for such a scenario. I’m not a car expert, but a midsize SUV would be more versatile and better able to navigate the obstacles that will litter any post-apocalyptic (or apocalypse-contemporary) road. The driving distance provided by one tank of fuel would definitely be something to look into, and a faster vehicle might be helpful in evading the motorcycle gangs or warpunx that may want to steal my supplyz and womynz. But for now I’ll go with what I know and hope there is a tactical-minded gearhead in my party.

3. MREs and water rations. This is totally one thing put together, and something many people don’t think about. You can’t mow down the horde of undead when you can’t steady a rifle or focus your eyes. There won’t be much time to rest either. A lot of water and nutritious food will help keep you going through it all. I’m sure there is better tasting dehydrated food, but MREs are pretty handy and don’t require a stove to heat.

4. Armor. This is something people don’t seem to think about in the zombie movies I’ve seen. How much plastic can a zombie bite through? Probably not very much. I wouldn’t go for a full suit, since that would limit mobility and make it harder to carry my gear, but knee and shin guards, forearm protection, safety glasses, sturdy gloves, a light armor vest, and possibly shoulder pads could be helpful.

5. Springfield XD9 Tactical with holster and spare loaded magazines. 9mm is just as effective as .45 on zombies, but the smaller 9mm allows for faster shooting and more rounds to be carried. I would of course fill the mags with quality hollowpoints in case those pesky post-apocalyptic badguys were out in force. I personally like the XD design a lot and have experience with it, but there are many other quality pistols out there.

There are other good items for zombie preparedness.

First of all is a plan. To hell with hanging out at the mall – I want to drag my party on a hopeless quest to save humanity. We’re going to have to navigate treacherous highways to get to some kind of research facility where photogenic scientists can find a cure for zombitis that doesn’t involve a bullet to the head.

Plenty of other stuff would be helpful. Hand grenades and RPGs seem like a simple way to destroy out lots of undead persons. A Camelbak pack would be a good way to carry extra water and gear. Claymore-style mines would help fortify your stronghold and alert you to intruders (it might be a good idea to mark them in a way that will warn non-undead humans of their presence). Extra fuel would be good for your retreat vehicle, and handy when you need to set things on fire. Of course the camping kit with firestarters, food, clothes, raingear, rope, bags, compass, utensils, and flashlight would be handy. Also maps.

For an anti-zombie impact weapon, I’m going to have to go with a combat tomahawk with a hammer end. I know that the chainsaw is the archetypical horror film weapon, but using one of those is going to get zombie blood all over the place, and I don’t think that would be a good idea. Chainsaws are also heavy and can be slow to start up.

Of course, women are going to be a necessary part of any zombie scenario. I hope the ones in my party are the angry/empowered type, because I really don’t want to spend the whole movie saving some chick who won’t crush a skull with a hammer. What would be great to have on my team would be a former soldier who knows how to use heavy weaponry we might come across, a mechanic, a psychic whose uptight brother is a doctor, and a sex worker to complete the package.

I just uploaded the new Trade War website, and made adjustments to the darianworden.com fiction page. Comments, criticism, and questions are welcome. At some point I hope to integrate this blog better with the rest of darianworden.com (or at least make them look similar), and turn the “Latest Updates” page of tradewarbook.com into more of a blog format. This might exceed my personal web design capability.

My history classes told me the Lusitania was carrying nice Americans across the ocean when the bad Germans sank it. It turns out the ship was also carrying weapons that the European ruling classes intended to use in their war against liberalism and the poor. But I’m sure we’re getting the full truth about piracy today.

Stefan Molyneux shares some background and perspectives on piracy in a recent video.

Now that the progressives are trying to rule the world, we can expect military force to be used to uphold the bleeding hearts’ enlightened management of people – and expect a bullet to the head for anyone who gets in the way.

In a Democracy Now interview, Mohamed Abshir Waldo, a Somali consultant and analyst, describes how piracy developed in response to the theft of seafood from areas that local fisherman had occupied and used for years, and the dumping of toxic waste where it caused people to get sick.

The gangsters who patrol the Somali shores have as much right to call themselves a coast guard as the gangsters who abduct migrating people and narcotics entrepreneurs along American shores do.

Of course, a stateless America would have more resources at its disposal to prevent exploitation from international capitalists, whether they be thieving trawlers or bankers appalled that we have no intention to pay the debts that the government ran up to finance our enslavement.

I’m going to try to get a webpage up for my upcoming novel Trade War, which you can read about on my fiction page.

Roderick Long recently described how statists can argue against libertarians.

If they advocate the abolition of some government program from which they personally benefit, call them hypocrites.

If they advocate the abolition of some government program from which they don’t personally benefit, call them selfish.

A statist could also say they are too young or too old-fashioned to understand the world today.

I came across a cool little zine, Politicians Love Gun Control: Reframing the Debate Around Gun Ownership. I think it overemphasizes racism, but that is much better than ignoring the racial undertones in much advocacy for and against disarmament laws (long story short and muddled: the political establishment and many adherents of both sides want to enforce social control by keeping guns away from the poor and/or people of color). It also does not mention well-known (but of course outside the establishment) gun freedom folks like Jews For the Preservation of Firearms Ownership or free market libertarians like L. Neil Smith. It’s definitely worth a read though.

Today’s metal is two badass songs from Nevermore, one of which has a cool video.

Born

Poison God Machine

I recently got back from handing out anarchist literature at the NYC Tea Party. As a free market libertarian, I’ve been trying to get to a tax day protest for years. Now Santelli and Gingrich (yeah, he’s still around) are trying to rip me off (or more precisely, trying to steal discontent to gain political power). Not going to happen, guys. If you’re going to say revolution, I’m going to show you what it looks like. I gave out about 40 of the new Freedom in Chains flyers I made, and about 30 of the old Freedom in Chains bundled with de Cleyre’s Anarchism and American Traditions. I pitched them as “individualist literature” or “free market stuff.” If inquired further, I generally said they were about some ways we can take power back from the political system.

And that’s what my mission was about – people shouldn’t let professional politicians make their revolts for them. Instead, get together with people you trust, show them the score, and overthrow.

The rally itself was lamer than I expected. It began with a speaker thanking the NYC Parks Department and the NYPD for whatever it was we were supposed to be grateful for. The latter, by the way, had the rally orderly barricaded between a fence and metal barriers. More of a playtime tea party than a Boston Tea Party. I didn’t listen to the speakers closely. The Star Spangled Banner was sang, and chants of “U-S-A!” rang out at times (yeah, people seriously do that).

I made my way back through the crowd as some kind of self-styled “hip hop republican” was assuring listeners that the government “works for us” and we’re going to tell them what to do. It works for the professional crowd-pleasers, I guess. I should have talked more to the Campaign for Liberty and End the Fed folks who were hanging round the back, but I guess the general asshattery of the crowd in front dissuaded me from long talk.

I did get a video interview with a guy seeking young peoples’ opinions on the national debt for a documentary. I mentioned in the interview that I was an anarchist, unlike most of the attendees, and that I don’t really owe any debt because I didn’t ask for the projects the politicians borrowed for. However I didn’t plug the Alliance of the Libertarian Left while being filmed and I probably looked at the camera a little (so unprofessional).

But hey, we do what we can, right? The more people reading de Cleyre when they’re supposed to be listening to Gingrich the better, as I see things.

[UPDATE: Libertarian perspectives on other Tea Party rallies can be found at Knappster and Social Memory Complex. Also I changed "failed to restore liberty" to "failed to protect liberty" on the Freedom in Chains flyer today, because I like it better that way.]

A Reuters report says:

Right-wing extremists in the United States are gaining new recruits by exploiting fears about the economy and the election of the first black U.S. president, the Department of Homeland Security warned in a report to law enforcement officials.

The April 7 report, which Reuters and other news media obtained on Tuesday, said such fears were driving a resurgence in “recruitment and radicalization activity” by white supremacist groups, antigovernment extremists and militia movements. It did not identify any by name…

…A similar assessment of left-wing radicals completed in January was distributed to federal, state and local police agencies at that time.

“These assessments are done all the time, this is nothing unusual,” Kuban said.

Prepare accordingly.