Max Freiheit

Raised a Pacifist

2007-09-25T21:23:00.000-05:00

As I’ve mentioned before, my father died when I was very young. But he left me a legacy that colors my thought to this day.

My father tried to raise me as a pacifist. He didn’t believe in settling issues with violence and wanted to instill that belief system in me.

That is, until he got that call from the school.

“Mr. Freiheit, we’d like you to come in to discuss the fights your son has been getting into.”

“But, he shouldn’t be fighting. I’ve tried to teach him not to fight!”

“That’s just it, Mr. Freiheit, he won’t fight. He just stands there and takes the beating. But what disturbs us is that children that normally wouldn’t think about hitting another child will beat on him because they know that they can get away with it. He won’t hit back.”

Now, to give him credit, my father recovered rather well. He took me out after school and gave me some pointers on how to fight. Not that a non-violent person knows much about fighting, but as a farm boy, he did learn something that he was able to pass on to me.

My start in second grade in a new school would have gone a lot different had he not taught me something. About a dozen bullies got the new kid cornered, were picking up sticks and stones, and were going to teach the new kid the pecking order on the playground. I refused to participate in the beating. Or rather, I followed my father’s advice: “You take the guy out front, making all the fight talk, and you close his mouth for him.”

So I did. It actually required three stitches to put his nose back in proper working order.

I never had to fight in that school again. I had learned something that day that General Douglass McArthur had spoken about, “Timidity breeds conflict and courage often prevents it. Never enter a conflict unless you are committed to victory.”

Later I found that bullies learn to offset the advantages of one student who can and will defend himself by attacking without warning in large groups. So I went back to getting beat. But at least this time I resisted the beatings as much as possible, sometimes actually causing some damage. They had to pay something for the privilege of beating me.

Later, after I had started a family, I trained in Tae Kwon Do, and as these things usually go, never got in another fight.

But, in all deference to my father, I’m not a pacifist. And I’m not a non-violent person.

I learned from Robert Heinlein, in his novel The Puppet Masters, that "The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle, anywhere, any time, and with utter recklessness. If we did not learn that from the slugs, well--"Dinosaurs, move over! We are ready to become extinct!""

I also learned the Zero Aggression Principle ("Zap") from L. Neil Smith. "A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim."

By that definition, I’m a libertarian.

Do You Own Yourself?

2006-08-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I've learned a few things. Some times I've learned the hard way. I guess the quote attributed to Robert A. Heinlein was right, "Human beings hardly ever learn from the experience of others. They learn; when they do, which isn't often, on their own, the hard way."

One of the things I've learned is you can't fool Mother Nature; you can't trifle with the laws of nature. That probably accounts for the "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature" commercial from too many years ago.

I consider myself to be in good company, however, for even our Founding Fathers made mention of "...the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God..." in their unanimous Declaration AKA The Declaration of Independence.

So, when it comes to thinking about a situation, I reflect on how nature handles things, and learn from her example. I'll be building more on that later.

Anyway, when someone else points out how nature handles things, I tend to pay attention. Like this quote I found while digging through my files:

"Observe the rest of nature: trees, birds, fish, plants, other mammals, bacteria, all stake out claims to space and sources of energy in the world, and will defend such claims against intruders, particularly members of their own species. This is not because they are mean-spirited or uncooperative: quite the contrary, many of us have discovered that cooperation is a great way of increasing the availability of the energy we need to live well. We have found out that, if we will respect the property claims of one another and work together, each of us can enjoy more property in our lives than if we try to function independently of one another. Such a discovery has
permitted us to create economic systems."

With a name like Freiheit (German for 'freedom'), I've had to think long and hard about what constitutes freedom. So, I've been storing articles and comments away for years intending to, at some point in time, try to clear away some of the confusion that I find in the world today. The quote above is taken from an 2002 article entitled Do You Own Yourself by Butler Schaffer that I "squirreled away" (pun intended) some time ago.

Another meaningful quote from his article is this:

"There is one person who can restore you to a state of self-ownership, however, and that person is you. To do so, you need only assert your claim, not as some empty gesture, but in full understanding of the existential meaning of such a claim, including the willingness to take full control of and responsibility for your life. While your claim will likely evoke cries of contempt from many, you may also find yourself energized by a life force that permeates all of nature; an élan vital that reminds us that life manifests itself only through individuals, and not as collective monstrosities; that life belongs to the living, not to the state or any other abstraction."

Now, don't go too far; I am leading up to something.

MONSTER / SUICIDE / AMERICA

2006-07-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Isn't technology great?

I've been moving a lot of my albums (there's a hint about my age) and CD's to my new mp3 player for my listening pleasure. The other day, I had my player set on shuffle when an old Steppenwolf trilogy came up; Monster/Suicide/America. Now I hadn't listened to Steppenwolf for many, many years. I had forgotten almost all their songs except for the one that usually gets air play; Magic Carpet Ride.

So I listened to the song with almost virgin ears. It blew me away!! I couldn't believe how timely this trilogy was. I can't believe that I had forgotten this great song with the great lyrics.

Read 'em and weep....

(Monster)
Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope
Like good Christians, some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war over
They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)
The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watchin'

Our cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching

(America)
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

Now, if you don't have this song in your player, I suggest you run out and buy the album, the CD, or even download the darn thing, but set it up as a favorite so it shows up often in your playlists. And think about it.

Happy Independence Day

2006-07-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Sunday, July 2, 2006, we celebrate the 230th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.

What's that you say; we celebrate the anniversary Tuesday, July 4th?

Well, maybe you do. But as for me, I'll continue to celebrate Independence Day on the 2nd, thank you. You see, it was on July 2nd that the United Colonies of America voted to officially become the United States of America. That was the act that started the ball rolling. The document that announced the act of voting into existence a new country wasn't polished and "initialed" until July 4.

Now, do you celebrate the day the decision was made, especially such a momentous decision such as that, or do you celebrate the day the paperwork was "initialed?"

John Adams thought you should celebrate the decision to separate the colonies from Great Britain. In a letter to his wife, Abigail, he wrote: "The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

I mentioned that the document was only "initialed" on July 4. There were only two signatures placed on the Declaration of Independence on that day, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. The Declaration of Independence that you normally see with all the signatures affixed was actually signed on August 2, 1776.

So, if you're going to celebrate the date the paperwork was completed, why aren't we celebrating August 2nd as Independence day?

Do you really want to know how July 4th became the day you celebrate Independence Day? In 1777, Congress didn't think about a celebration until July 3, so they decided to celebrate the next day, July 4th. That's Congress for you; always a day or two late.

BTW, if you don't believe me, you do the research!

A New "Classic" Bumpersticker

2006-05-14T09:01:00.000-05:00

"When FREEDOMS are outlawed, only outlaws will have FREEDOM."

Serenity

2005-11-06T12:39:00.000-06:00

I didn't mean for this to be a 'once-a-month' blog, but I have been keeping busier than normal. My apologies. I'll try to do better in the future. With emphasis on the word 'try.'

According to sources, the Serenity DVD will be out December 20, just in time for Christmas. I know what I want for Christmas!!! But the soundtrack is out NOW!!!

I was somewhat disappointed in that the portions that I liked were so short. And I understand that writing the score is different than taking excerpts from existing songs. But all in all, it makes for some interesting background music when one is concentrating.

I absolutely love track 3, Serenity, and track 23, End Credits. Track 20, Funeral / Rebuilding Serenity, still leaves me with goose-bumps. I was even surprised to hear a short X-Files-type 'riff' in Jane (sic) & Zoe / Final Battle that I didn't catch in the theater.

From the insert, Joss Whedon speaking of David Newman:

"He gave me my space western, my multi-cultural mishmash, my movie, which is so much more than mine.

"Because the ship doesn't fly by itself. or with just one person inside. As the actors, the cinematographer, the editor, and others had all shown me before, it takes a crew to fly a ship, especially an odd little bird like mine. I'm incredibly proud of my crew, especially this guy, the last man on board. I may have designed Serenity, but it's David Newman that made her soar."

You don't know about Serenity and the late-lamented TV-series, Firefly, that sparked a cult following? Where have you been?

Just to get you started, read Claire Wolfe's comments here and here. Then go out and Google to your heart's content. I hope that you like it half as much as I do.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to download my music to my MP3 player.

F. Paul Wilson quote!

2005-10-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

I've been rearranging my bookcase and unpacking boxes of books with the intent of deciding which books I keep forever and which I can live without. I have too many books.

I have noted several references lately to F. Paul Wilson's words and works on several blogs that I visit more or less daily, so when I ran across his books during my unpacking, I set them aside for special attention. Today I finished two of his books: The Barrens and Others and Masque.

Now, while I'm not a big fan of his horror and (gasp) Repaiman Jack books, I do like his sci-fi works. As a matter of fact, I think his An Enemy of the State to be a defining libertarian work. And his political philosophy bleeds over into his other works. (Pun intended.)

Masque is about a mime. Not the mimes we are familiar with, however. From the back cover of his book, a mime is "an artificially created human whose metamorphic DNA can be programmed with 'masques'--genetic copies of anyone--over and over and over again. Until his body breaks down." Mimes are owned by corporations in circumstances that equate to slavery. Is a mime a person or is he property?

Mr. Wilson made a point that I'd like to pass on. He said, "A slave can't ask the master for freedom. A slave must take it. By deceipt or force or stealth, by whatever means necessary." I may, at a later time, explain why this means so much to me.

Definitions

2005-09-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

As noted science fiction author Philip K. Dick opined, "The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words."

There are a couple of words I’m going to use quite a bit, so I thought it would be a good idea to define them.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my surname happens to be the German word for “freedom.” My father died when I was quite young so I never got a chance to ask him why he named me Max. My mother told me that I was named after a family friend. I suppose it could have happened that way.

Now I don’t believe my name had anything to do with my classic liberal views; I never made the connection until later in life. In any case, I have a very big “thing” for the concept of freedom, and freedom’s handmaiden, liberty.

Now, most people equate freedom and liberty. They believe the two words mean the same thing. They don’t.

I’m sure that most of you have watched Mel Gibson’s movie, Braveheart. I direct your attention to the line that Gibson, as William Wallace, delivers so well, “…they may take our lives but they will never take our freedom!"

Liberty can be taken away, freedom cannot. You were born into freedom; you are granted liberty by your fellow man, or not.

When I need to make the distinction between the terms freedom and liberty, I will point them out. Until then, I will yield to common usage and pretend that they mean the same thing.

So what does liberty/freedom mean? Let’s see what others had to say about the subject:

“Live and let live.” -Friedrich von Schiller.

"Freedom is the right to live as we wish." -Epictetus

"Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." -Albert Camus

"The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or to impede their efforts to obtain it.” -John Stuart Mill

“I believe that every individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other men's rights.” -Abraham Lincoln

“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’, because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” -Thomas Jefferson

I especially like Jefferson’s definition although I have to admit that Lincoln did state it rather succinctly as well.

But notice that there are two distinct components to liberty: what we have the freedom to do, and the limits we place on ourselves due to the equal freedoms of others. Most people have trouble understanding this. Sadly, most Libertarians have that same trouble.

But again, I wax cynical; I point out distinctions that most people don’t want to see.

I’m going to leave you with what I consider to be an excellent explanation of The Philosophy of Liberty.

Four Boxes

2005-09-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

Based on my training and professional experience, I recognize the need for a mission statement--why am I doing this; what is my goal; that sort of thing.

I’ve always enjoyed the writings of cynics. For example, Ben Franklin is reported to have said, “In the affairs of this world men are saved, not by faith, but by the want of it.”

Ambrose Bierce, in his Devil's Dictionary, defines a cynic as “A blackguard whose faulty vision causes him to see things as they are, not as they ought to be.”

Not only do cynics see things as they are, they have the nasty habit of pointing them out to others. I hope to do that on these pages.

Bierce is also reported to have said, “... Democracy is defended in 3 stages. Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box." Later, some unknown person updated and clarified his quote to read, "We have four boxes used to guarantee our liberty: The soap box, the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box."

This blog is my “soap box.”

Later I'll be adding more blogs and links referencing the "four boxes."

A New Beginning

2005-07-30T12:20:00.000-05:00

I don’t know what there is about sitting down and starting a blog that strikes fear into the heart of man. OK, maybe not fear, but at least, “writer’s block.” Not so much from what to write, but "Where to begin, where to begin? So many targets, so little time..."

I was glad to see that I was not alone in this regard. One of my favorite bloggers, Bob Smith at No Force, No Fraud, in his July 27, 2005, post makes pretty much the same point.

I know where I want to go, but what is the best way to get there with the resources at hand? So, I guess since I’m having to learn as I go--I have to learn HTML? What the heck is that?--the best thing to do is get something on the scoreboard, learn the ropes and try to improve as I go. You'll have to be my judge on how well I do.

I'm not new to the Internet. I have been on many forums, both local and national. But time constraints have limited my involvement in online discussions. And email has opened up a new side of me that I hadn't know existed. I never used to write paper letters. But these "electron letters" are great. So I try to maintain an active email correspondence as well. Although some would complain not as active as they would like.

In any case, there are still many things that I want to say, things I need to get out. This seems like the way to do it.