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L. Neil Smith's THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 253, January 4, 2004 Free Hunter!
Send Letters to mr-ed@webleyweb.com
TLE: HELP! I've read, read, READ and RE-READ the Dec 14 edition of TLE 'til I turned blue! Three weeks is just TOO LONG to go without my fix! Please! Have pity on me and forward the 'good stuff', right away! OK. So it just seems like forever. Does anyone have a universe-sized time accelerator? Derek Benner
[It's nice to be needed—Mr. Ed] Re: "History Lessons", by Lady Liberty http://www.webleyweb.com/tle/tle252-20031221-04.html I think in her recent article "History Lessons", Lady Liberty has a somewhat romantic notion of what Japan prior to the Meiji Restoration was actually like. Until Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Japan was largely under the sword for several hundred years, during which time, bushido was often used for less than honourable purposes. Ieyasu did bring peace to a unified Japan, but the price of this was a highly regimented and hierarchical society. It was hardly a libertarian model. As far as the history of "bushido" goes, there were certainly those who promoted the "do" ("way", which is derived from the word "tao" and is essentially a disciplined path to enlightenment) aspect more than the "bu" ("war") aspect, but these were generally in the minority. The vast majority of samurai were born into a social class and were concerned with advancing their own careers and those of their feudal lords, whatever this might require. Likewise, all notion of honour did not go out the window with the Meiji Restoration. The "do" had been promoted in forms such as "sado" (the tea ceremony) and "shodo" (calligraphy) long before the modern era. However, during the modern era, when swords (and other weapons) were no longer applicable or necessary, the emphasis shifted from killing arts (jutsu) to "ways" of personal growth. Hence, the development of the modern martial arts of kendo, judo and aikido. Many of the attrocities that occurred in the twentieth century were indeed a leave over of the rigid social system developed in Japan over preceeding centuries, and not necessarily due to a moral decline in the twentieth century. If anything, they were the product of a mindless devotion to a corrupt notion of a particular philosophy. In the second half of the twentieth century, the modern "ways" had to re-evaluate themselves and their purposes in modern life, which was a good thing. In the modern martial arts in Japan, the ultimate goal is the "do" and this is practised by two million Japanese just in the form of kendo (the way of the sword) alone, not to mention those who also practise judo, aikido, iaido and other "ways". Many, of course, play them as sports or for recreation, but there are a good many who don't, and for whom they are a philosophy and a way to live. The ideas have also gained root in the west. Indeed, there is actually an International Budo University in Japan for training westerners to take the forms (and philosophies) back to the west, and the more popular forms such as kendo and judo are practised all over the world and shared as a common, unifying endeavour by people from disparate backgrounds and cultures. The notion of bushido has changed over the centuries, but I believe it's better that many have forgotten and ignored it (and thus, it's become purified) than it be used as an instrument for fascism and authoritarianism under the guise of "morality" or "honour" as it was in the past. Caleb Paul
Re: "gay liberal republican", by Lehr Duquesne http://www.webleyweb.com/tle/tle252-20031221-05.html Lehr Dequesne wrote:
Whoops, reversed that. The truth is revealed in foreign policy. Both parties are socialist. But the Democrats, with their appeals to the UN, are international socialists. The Republicans then, with their appeals to patriotism, would be the National Socialists. Jeffrey Quick, USUM (ret.)
Fellow Freedom Fighters, I have been working on a fun little project that maybe others would like to join in on. I am printing up business card-sized "Declaration of Liberation" cards. Under the heading, the cards say "I hereby withdraw any and all consent (if, indeed, consent was ever given) to be subject to the whims of the murderous, criminal collective known as "government"!" At the bottom I have provided a signature line and a date line. On the back, I have placed the Simon Jester character surrounded by his name. I leave these cards around town anonymously. I think these cards would make a nice replacement for drivers licenses, Socialist Insecurity cards, and any other statist papers we are "required" to carry. Hypothetically speaking, of course? Kent McManigal
Suppressed Bush Harriman Hitler history comes to light link WASHINGTON—After 60 years of inattention and even denial by the U.S. media, newly-uncovered government documents in The National Archives and Library of Congress reveal that Prescott Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush, served as a business partner of and U.S. banking operative for the financial architect of the Nazi war machine from 1926 until mid 1942, when Congress took aggressive action against Bush and his "enemy national" partners. Sent by:
Friends, Thanks to one and all for your support, ideas, information, and willingness to pitch in. The outpouring of caring has really meant a lot to Hunter, and given him a lot of motivation to fight this injustice. He's becoming quite keen on making these statist thugs wish they'd never pulled him over ... but it won't be cheap, so he's particularly grateful to those who've pledged funds to his legal defense. Fighting will certainly cost a bunch more than copping a plea, and it's risky for him. Not only would he be putting his freedom on the line, but if he loses, the govgoons will say he can never possess a firearm again. Exactly what the final charges work out to be, and what difference a plea might make for Hunter's future will have a lot to say about what the final strategy. But even the minimum defense, aimed at keeping him out of jail and able to keep and bear arms w/o further imperial entanglements, will be costly. He's working with a SAF-recommended attorney in Ohio, James E. Brightbill, whom several of us have spoken with and seems very competent. He's also retained Marc Victor, the famous libertarian criminal defense attorney from Phoenix who was kicked off the bench for recusing himself from drug cases. Brightbill is willing to take help from more lawyers, as making a strong constitutional case will be challenging, and that could run into some serious cash ... but there are grounds on which to challenge the Ohio law (not to mention the bungled procedure of the traffic stop), so this could actually turn into a big win for RKBA. Hunter is seriously thinking about liquidating his house and assets and pouring everything into a strong constitutional challenge to the Ohio law. So, for those who've pledged to help foot the legal bill, and those who are now thinking they want to help, here's the scoop: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/ has agreed to accept the funds for hunter and manage the account. They'll be setting up a web page soon to take donations online, but folks who would be sending a check can do so already by sending them to: Keep And Bear Arms PMB # 141
The check should be made out to KeepAndBearArms.com, with the memo reading: "Hunter's Defense". Please spread the word. We want to teach the Bad Guys a lesson with this one! Thanks again, DLT
(Don Lobo Tiggre & Sunni Maravillosa
P.S. We've set up a web page outlining the situation on the LRT web site and will update it as the case progresses:
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