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Anarchist Icons
Don J. Cormier In popular culture, there are two images or icons of "the anarchist", one positive and one negative. The negative image is promoted by the forces of "law and order" and is openly identified as anarchist. The positive image is widespread in popular fiction, but is seldom openly identified as anarchist. The overt, negative stereotype of "the anarchist" arose around the turn of the century, when real-life anarchists were associated with a series of bombings and assassinations. The stereotype of the "Bad Anarchist" pictured a seedy, bearded individual wearing a sinister, broad-brimmed hat, and carrying a large bomb. More recently, the punk movement has given a modern wardrobe to the stereotyped anarchist, but the linkage of anarchy and terrorism has persisted. The self-proclaimed anarchism of the Unabomber has reinforced the terrorist image. Let's imagine, as an experiment, what a person would be like if that person really conformed to the "Bad Anarchist" stereotype, as depicted and promulgated by the forces of "law and order". The place to start would be to imagine what ideas such a person would hold. Obviously, the first idea would be a total rejection of government and law. The second idea would be that it was good to engage in the direct, physical removal of anyone and anything that stood in the way of happiness. Another "Bad Anarchist" idea would be that spontaneity is a supreme value, and that obedience to impulse is the path of self-fulfillment. A person holding all of these ideas in real life would have a rather difficult time balancing them. An utterly impulsive person probably couldn't do anything that required consistent behavior over time, yet a person who was dedicated to removing government would probably have to avoid impulsive behavior. A person who was concerned with doing something illegal might have to concentrate on evading the law rather than overthrowing laws. It can be seen that someone who wanted to live up to the "Bad Anarchist" stereotype would have to exercise some selectivity and imagination. Assuming that someone really wanted to live out the stereotype of a self-willed, anti-government life-style, what would be their options in the USA of today? One option might be to become a skid-row alcoholic or drug addict. This option would allow one to live a highly impulsive life, to forget about working for a living, to forget about the abusiveness of government, and to live off of other people, which would have the effect of weakening the over-all social order. Of course, one's life expectancy might be reduced, and one would be sacrificing a large number comforts, but it would be at least somewhat consistent with the "Bad Anarchist" stereotype. Another option might be that of following the example of the Unabomber. One might learn how to make bombs, or any other physical means of neutralizing government activities. Another option might be for the "Bad Anarchist" wannabe to become a wealthy criminal a la John Gotto. Almost any crime you name in some way undermines the government by negating it's imposed social order. The most dramatic option is the "Kamikaze" option. The "Bad Anarchist" might try to die in such a way as to take down as many politicians as possible, secure in the knowledge that death can write the most indelible moral and political statements. It must be mentioned that the stereotype of the "Bad Anarchist" calls for failure. After the crazed "Bad Anarchist" has assassinated a number of people and destroyed a certain amount of property, the forces of reason, order, and justice triumph — or so the story goes. It has to be this way, because it's the forces of authority who propagate the story in the first place. However, as mentioned above, there exists in pop culture another, more positive image of the anarchist which is not openly identified as anarchist. This image or figure is that of the hero who "takes the law into his own hands." There are numerous examples of this type of hero in melodramatic fiction, but in my opinion, the purest example of this type is "Conan the Barbarian". Most of my readers are probably familiar with the figure of Conan the barbarian. Created by Robert Howard back in the thirties, Conan has enjoyed a long fictional career as the hero of short stories, novels, comic books, two feature films, an animated cartoon series, and arcade games. To help any memories in need of refreshing, Conan is a warrior of immense strength, skill, and cunning. He lives in a barbarian world of vast wildernesses, scattered tribes, petty kingdoms, and glittering empires. In Conan's world, magic and sorcery are real things and the gods are real and dangerous entities. Conan drifts from occupation to occupation, but his real occupation is adventure — a life of action and danger. Sometimes he lives on the "wrong" side of the law as a thief, bandit, or pirate. Sometimes he works as a mercenary soldier, and sometimes he is a ruler. He is not a philosopher or psychologist, but he knows himself. He knows what he wants and he will pay any price to achieve his goals. He refuses to be controlled. He is sometimes taken prisoner or enslaved, but those conditions never last for long! Conan is strong and self-disciplined and in many ways his strength comes from self-discipline. In his world, power and wisdom are needed to triumph in the constant struggle with the natural world and with other people. Conan's only "law" is his own will, yet he usually deals honestly with the honest and peacefully with the peaceful. He seldom infringes on the liberty of others. If many people began to emulate Conan the Barbarian in real life, our current herd oriented social order would fall, just as it would fall if enough people began to emulate the "Bad Anarchist" stereotype. Conan and the "Bad Anarchist" are both the enemies of contentment, cowardice, and conformity.
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Letters to the Editor
Dear Frontiersman I've come up with an exercise which may be useful to your readers. I believe that many people who are "for freedom" have not deeply thought about what it might mean for them, personally. Therefore, I suggest an experiment for all of you who think of yourselves as freedom activists: When alone, take a blank piece of paper, and list anything and everything you would like to do, which your are currently deterred from doing because it is against the law. No one else need ever see this paper, and you don't have to do any of the things you write down. The point is to see where you specifically, are being repressed by the government. Once you are clear about that, you will have both an emotional foundation and a focus of attack. — Sir Donald the Elusive
Here's
a suggestion for those who think of themselves as "against repression".
List the things you're afraid other people might enjoy, if those things
were not against the law. Are you willing to repeal those laws and
let other people have the freedom to do those things?
— editor
Editor, Your article, "The Very Definition of Tyranny" [August] is an excellent argument to a problem that has existed almost from the beginning. Executive bureaucracies (for example) tend to think of themselves as internally autonomous and extend that to their clients by unconstitutionally usurping the legislative and judicial powers of government. The autonomous actions that include the usurped functions of government have never been challenged and now have the added power of years of precedence. Should the matter of this abuse of power be challenged, this "house of cards" must fall. If it does not, then this government shall have proved itself to be an unconstitutional tyranny beyond any doubt. This only adds to my conviction that one of the duties of the Supreme Court of the United States of America must be to pronounce every federal law constitutional before it can be enforced. Why should the citizens effected, businesses effected, or special interest groups need to take the time, trouble, and expense to challenge unconstitutional or unfair laws passed by a failed democratic republic (oligarchy)? — James; United States of America
Letter from the Editor Dear Readers For many years, I've been trying to find some way to resolve the problems that I see in America. I've tried a lot of things. When something didn't work, I quit trying it and tried something else. This newsletter is my most recent effort. It is intended to educate people and motivate them to oppose the government. I don't get much feedback, but so far I haven't seen much indication that the newsletter has influenced anyone to change his behavior. So far as I can tell, the readers of this newsletter still use their driver's licenses as a national ID system and get Social Security numbers for their children. They still register their cars and license their businesses. They still submit to pre-employment drug tests. They still get government licenses to get married. They still submit tax returns. They still use the banks and "invest" in the stock market. So far as I can tell, the few people who aren't doing those things weren't motivated by this newsletter. They wouldn't have done those things anyway. Apparently, everybody else is continuing to behave just like they would have behaved if the newsletter had never existed. I can't afford to waste my dwindling resources on something that isn't working. Because of my efforts to resist outrageous government policies and behavior, I'm in a difficult situation. I'm unemployed. I can't get medical insurance. I can't own a car, a house, or a piece of land. I'll never have access to the so-called courts. I can't even sell my fiction. If I were an obedient slave, I could have anything. Since I'm not, I'm effectively excluded from just about everything except maybe jail. I'm about one friend away from living under a bridge and we're both jobless. If we don't acquire a source of cash before our savings are depleted, then we'll both be prime candidates for admission to the ranks of the bridge dwellers. In the meantime, I need some feedback. I need to know if this newsletter has motivated any of my readers to oppose the government even a little. If so, then the newsletter is doing it's job. Otherwise .... I'll be hoping to hear from you. — editor
Acknowledgments • My thanks to Sir Donald the Elusive for paying the production costs of this newsletter. • My thanks to Lady Jan the Voluptuous for her ongoing editorial assistance and for her countless other efforts in support of this newsletter and of its editor. • My thanks to Elliot, of N. Merrick, NY, for his recent letter to the editor. That letter is too long to print here, but I appreciate his comments. I'll provide a copy of Elliot's letter upon request. • My thanks to Lady Helen the Gracious for her generous contribution to this newsletter. — editor
Buck Hunter Shoots Off His Mouth Dear Buck What do you think of Ravel's Bolero? — Music Lover
Dear Music Lover I've never shopped at Ravel's — never even heard of the place, but I do cut quite a figure in a bolero.
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Net Watcher's News "The woman is a complete idiot," said one attorney who asked that we not use his name. "How bright can you be if you think eating a vaginal gel will prevent conception?" "But certain aspects of the case involve truth in labeling and false advertising issues. She may not collect but she'll make a lot of noise and trouble. People are down on lawyers anyway. They think we waste time and money on frivolous lawsuits. This isn't going to help our public relations any." A spokesman for the unnamed mom-and-pop drugstore says he's shocked and angry that such a case could ever be taken seriously. "All she has to do is open the box and read the directions," says the spokesman. "Next thing you know someone will come after us because they couldn't stick things together with their toothpaste. I can just imagine some moron saying: 'It's paste, isn't it? Why can't I glue these papers onto my bulletin board?' " But attorneys for Mrs. Chyton say she was swindled and lied to by implication and they intend to make the pharmacy pay $500,000 for the hardship the woman will have to endure. "It says right on it 'jelly,'" says Mrs. Chyton, a former model who was once a cheerleader for a popular professional basketball team. "And they kept it on the shelf just two aisles from the food section. I know, now, that the directions say it should be used vaginally with a condom. But who has time to sit around reading directions these days - especially when you're sexually aroused? The company should call it something else and the pharmacy shouldn't sell it without telling each and every customer who buys it that eating it won't prevent you from getting pregnant." As bizarre as it sounds, the pharmacy could wind up losing the lawsuit. "It's hard for businesses to avoid troublesome lawsuits," said another attorney. "With the courts bending over backwards to please consumer groups, the temper of the times is perfect for these crackpots to bring legal action against businesses - even a moronic legal action like this." — John Harrah
Frontiersman Cancellations — If you don't want to keep receiving this newsletter, print REFUSED, RETURN TO SENDER above your name and address, cross out your name and address, and return the newsletter. When I receive it, I'll terminate your subscription. You may also cancel by letter, fax, e-mail, zmodem, carrier pigeon, or any other method that gets the message to me. Back Issues — Back issues or extra copies of this newsletter are available upon request. Reprint Policy — Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this newsletter in its entirety or to reproduce material from it, provided that the reproduction is accurate and that proper credit is given. Please note that I do not have the authority to give permission to reprint material that I have reprinted from other publications. For that permission, you must go to the original source. I would appreciate receiving a courtesy copy of any document or publication in which you reprint my material. Submissions — I solicit letters, articles, and cartoons for the newsletter, but I don't pay for them. Short items are more likely to be printed. I suggest that letters and articles be shorter than 500 words, but that's flexible depending on space available and the content of the piece. I give credit for all items printed unless the author specifies otherwise. Payment — This newsletter isn't for sale. If you care to make a voluntary contribution, you may do so. The continued existence of the newsletter will depend, in part, on such contributions. I accept cash and postage stamps. I don't accept checks, money orders, anything that will smell bad by the time it arrives, or anything that requires me to provide ID or a signature to receive it. In case anybody is curious, I also accept gold, silver, platinum, etc. I'm sure you get the idea. — Sam Aurelius Milam III, editor
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