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 THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 728, July 7, 2013 "Obama doesn't seem to have learned the most important lesson of our times: never fuck with the geeks."
Send Letters to editor@ncc-1776.org
Letters from Rich Matarese, L. Neil Smith, and Jeff Fullerton Dear Editor, Pluto the Proper Planet Here's a matter that may reveal more about psychology or politics than it does about astronomy. You'll recall, a couple of years ago, the flap over the "demotion" of Pluto, theretofore the tenth planet of the Solar System, to the mean and niggardly status of "dwarf planet". I have always believed that an international conspiracy, possibly composed of those who hate our freedom, carried out this astronomical assassination because Pluto is the only planet discovered by an American, Clyde Tombaugh. However, given the fact that Pluto, whatever its size, is an independent body circling the same primary we do (unlike the Asteroids of the Belt or those found at various Trojan positions around the System, or parked in orbit around Mars) and the pathetic and petty way this demotion was carried out, many people, including yours truly, objected to it as unnecessary, inaccurate, and stupid. Now we learn (because we don't always keep up on these things) that in addition to the moon Charon, which we've known about for a long while, Pluto possesses four other moons, Nix, Hydra, and more recently, Styx and Kerberos, all named for various underworld-related entities in Greek mythology. The System's "gas giants", Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and the one whose pronunciation mysteriously changes whenever it's mentioned on TV, all have more moons than we can properly keep track of. Mars, Earth, and Venus, which are also full-blown planets in good standing, possess, respectively, two, one, and zero moons. And yet Pluto, the little world that has been ignominiously stripped of its rank, and its sword ceremonially broken, has five moons. Count 'em: five whole moons! I maintain that this confirms its proper dignity as a first-class planet, and to the list of historic phrases like "Carthage must be destroyed!" "Remember the Alamo", and "Hillary wears army boots!", we should now add "Restore Pluto!" Scientifically yours, L. Neil Smith
To Which A.X. Perez Commented: I must question the statement "Hillary wears army boots!" This particular insult comes from the day when whores accompanied marching armies and often had to dress in spare military apparel (when off the clock and their backs). In fact, just South of the Border this would not be considered an insult as prostitutes were part of a group of women composed of wives, sweethearts, and whores who accompanied the various revolutionary forces between 1910 and 1919. Besides their usual tasks they were also nurses, cooks, and even fighters when need arose. The Adelitas, as these women are collectively known, are considered heroines of the Mexican revolution. Hillary ain't no heroine, she does not care for American soldiers enough to whore for them, and in any case no soldier is that hard up. She is not good enough to "wear army" boots in the old insulting meaning and her existence is an affront to the women in the American military giving a new meaning to the phrase. A.X. Perez
P.S.: Check This YouTube link for the song (not one of the best) and This YouTube link for a bit of satire.
Saving Pennsylvania It took a while to finish my submission to the current issue. [ published last issue as "From the Rust Belt to the Asteroid Belt: a GUT (Grand Unified Theory of Freeholding)"—Editor ] Had a good idea for the concept of Freeholding as the optimum state of human life which was born of many political conversations with my friend and fellow fish hobbyist Ray from Wisconsin and a neighbor who is not only quite versed in the history of the region but also a great mentor on many things. Yet something was missing. That something turned out to be something that El Neil said [ in "Hick, It's Time To Hang Em Up" in Issue 725 (June 16, 2013)—Editor ] by L. Neil Smith in regard to the gun grabbing Colorado governor who originally hailed from Pennsylvania. And no, we don't want him back—really—California is the place he ought to be so when you get rid of him- ship his ass to Beverly! When I read it—I thought Neil may be right about Pennsylvania being lost. But in a way I loathe the idea much in the same way I loathe the idea that 2012 was the last good year. After that awful summer of heat waves and an Azolla infestation choking my pond and other losses on top of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare I need at least one more good year to get it right. And as things are looking now—I just may get it! And despite Glenn Beck's urging "GET OUT OF THE EAST" on the heels of last Year's presidential election- I am not yet ready to give up on the Keystone State. My roots like many around here are pretty deep. Guess that makes me a bonafide bitter clinger. I have thought about the West. I could grow cacti and Agaves as outside rather than as house plants and with the abundance of clear skies and sunlight- I could actually run a solar greenhouse on natural inputs and minimal wood or propane! Might be a good tradeoff—but other places—Colorado, Arizona, even Texas have their own problems and I might just be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Freedom is in trouble everywhere so I might as well hunker down and try to save Pennsylvania. I think there may be hope in that regard for my state and America as a whole. With Glenn Beck saying with increasing frequency that the Republicans are about to go the way of the Whig Party and Sarah Palin talking about quitting the GOP—the handwriting is on the wall. This really looks like the coming of a major shift in the political alignment of the country. This is the golden opportunity for Libertarians to rise. And everyone else who wants to be free to pursue the things they value in life for that matter. Which is a big part of what brought me to become a Libertarian and also a Tea Party supporter. I don't want a future in which being a reptile hobbyist is a criminal offense or you can't operate a greenhouse because carbon emissions are being rationed in a war time command economy scheme. I want a future in which even the sky is no limit and we and our descendants are free to express their creativity in turning the sterile wastes of outer space into lush green abodes for humanity and other life—like in the pages of Marshall T. Savage's "The Millennial Project" and Dandridge Cole's "Islands in Space". I had written to Mr Savage years ago and joined his foundation for a while—a dream which in the very words of its author—eventually guttered out and died like so many others. That prospect looks grim too—but like Pennsylvania- I don't want to give up on it either! My deepest conviction right now is that the Pursuit of Happiness angle could become our most potent weapon in advancing the cause of freedom. Ultimately that is what life is all about once the issues of safety and creature comforts are addressed. It is also a positive message. Like my pursuits with the air plants and other hobbies. A way of saying- hey, look what I can do! Pretty cool, huh? You could do that or something else too! A lot of people I know from across the whole political spectrum think so. And many of them have interesting hobbies of their own going on. Democrat, republican, Tea Party, Libertarian- whatever- at the end of the day they just want to do their own thing and be left alone. There is a great potential for awakening some here to what is at stake if tyranny wins or the world is plunged into a new, savage dark age. A point will come where many will have to make the choice between the guarantee of basic survival and creature comforts that central planners offer vs the freedom to exercise their own human creativity and accept the risks that go with it. The latter is truly the more colorful and attractive way of life. Like the Bible said—Man cannot live by bread alone. And I think it was Ayn Rand who said—when you put central planners in charge, the bread ends up tasting like shoes and the shoes might as well be made out of bread! Have one more thing before I go to enjoy what is left of a beautiful weekend. Has anyone thought about a "Down With Power" bumper sticker. Would love to have one to replace the former Senate candidate "Tea Party" Tom Smith who was destroyed by a litany of populist pandering and scare mongering to senior citizens in the last election. Be a good way to get exposure for a great plan that would save our country and human freedom. Would make a great Tea Party sign also. Yellow, red and black. Those are Tea Party colors! And who made it a rule that Libertarians can't participate in Tea Parties or throw Tea Parties of their own? Sent from my iPad Jeff Fullerton
[ The thing about "Tea Pary" is that is has no central command and control (ignore those who claim to speak for "it"—there IS NO IT!) This may be why The Political and Ruling Class Establishment is so afraid of it (not that there is an "it")—Editor ]
Re: "Fighting Dirty in Colorado" by Rex May So... getting Republicans elected is going to save us? Now there is an article by someone completely bamboozled by the statist-engineered left-right paradigm. I felt like I was reading verbiage from 1980. Time to look reality in its face, Rex, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. Paul Bonneau
Re: "From the Rust Belt to the Asteroid Belt: a GUT (Grand Unified Theory of Freeholding)" by Jeff Fullerton Mr. Fullerton: Please see Raymond Z. Gallun's 1961 speculative fiction novel The Planet Strappers (freely available at Project Gutenberg), a story focused on a small group of students who exploit the nuts and bolts of near-future technology to seek their opportunities in outer space. From the first chapter: "...it was clear that the asteroids, those fragments of an exploded and once populated world, orbiting out beyond Mars, would be for them. Osmium, iridium, uranium. The rich, metallic guts of a planet exposed for easy mining. Thousands of prospectors, hopeful characters, and men brutalized by the life in space, were already drifting around in the Asteroid Belt." Rich Matarese
Which caused L. Neil Smith to ask: Question: has anybody here read my novels Pallas and Ceres? They are the first two volumes of a five-volume family saga specifically about homesteading the Asteroid Belt and Mars. Check Amazon.com and B&N.com for both dead-tree and electronic editions:
L. Neil Smith
And Jeff Fullerton remarked: Life may soon imitate art—or so we hope. See [LINK] One platinum group rich asteroid may have more gold and other rare metals than the total volume mined in the history of mankind on Earth. A real stretch of the imagination until you take in consideration that it would fill a few Olympic sized swimming pools See [THIS LINK] Jeff Fullerton
Being a little silly.... Rex May
Silver Circle is out on iTunes! Download it today! This week is monumental for the 'End the Fed' movement and for us here at Two Lanterns Media. Our long-awaited, Ron Paul endorsed, 3D-animated film, Silver Circle finally releases for home viewing on a variety of convenient Video On Demand platforms—most excitedly... iTunes! In honor of the occasion, sympathetic rebels worldwide are joining us in our initiative to spread the word about Silver Circle's iTunes launch by encouraging friends to "Rent, Rate, and Review" the film on blogs and social media. The more reviews, ratings, and downloads that the film generates around launch time, the more visible it will be to the masses. By helping to expose audiences to Silver Circle, you will be spreading the message of sound money in a compelling and entertaining way—at least, that's what Ron Paul said! To participate, first visit iTunes to download and check out the film! Fans can buy the film in HD for $12.99 or standard definition for $9.99, and rentals cost $4.99 for HD and $3.99 for standard definition. Then, simply rate and review the film on iTunes and create your own blog and social media postings encouraging friends to do the same! Help us make this VOD-Day launch a viral phenomenon! Let's use the compelling vehicle of entertainment to spread the "End the Fed" message. If you have any questions about VOD-Day or Silver Circle, feel free to contact [email protected]. For those interested in DVDs, a DVD/Blu Ray release is being planned for later this summer, so hang tight! To peace and rebellion, Megan Duffield
p.s. Rent, rate & review today! Gazing in My Crystal Ball Barrack Obama is not a particularly good President. It took him a year and a half to get "Healthcare Reform" passed in spite of the fact that his party and others who supported him controlled Congress. He was unable to translate recent tragedies into support for his gun control agenda, instead he has polarized the American people on the issue worse than ever. He has not been able to get a budget through Congress, even when his supporters controlled Congress. He is not a particularly effective legislative leader, in a parliamentary system he would have been tossed from office by now. He has permitted the Operation Fast and Furious Scandal, the Benghazi Scandal, the NSA snooping scandal, and the IRS harassment scandal. He has angered people by claiming the power to arrest and detain without charges and kill without trial. Forget left or right, statist or libertarian. The man and his puppet handlers, have messed up, and in 2016 I predict all candidates will run against his record. A.X. Perez
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