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L. Neil Smith's
THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE
Number 467, May 11, 2008

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Letter from L. Neil Smith

Letter from Jane Cochran

Letter from Someone Or Other

Letter from Geneva Robinson

Letter from Jim Davidson

Letter from Kaptain Kanada, a.k.a. Manuel Miles


"... Obama has authored a bill, and it is now in the Senate, to give the UN .7% of our GNP to be used to feed hungry 3rd worlders, AND to use UN force to disarm you and me and all gun owners."

http://www.infowars.com/?p=1992

L. Neil Smith
lneil@netzero.com


Re: "Time for a Purge?" by L. Neil Smith

I just wanted to add some brief thoughts to "Time for a Purge?", in case anyone thought that maybe this was a good idea.

The government is NOT the right medium to deal with this problem. They have no credibility. Even the sex offender d-base, which sounded like a good idea to me when I first heard of it, has proven that no idea is so good that it can't be ruined by the government getting involved. Now the list is not only full of names that are no real threat save to those in their immediate family (in which the government has often forced children to live with due to "incest exception laws" — look it up if you never heard of it), but now includes the names of teens having consensual sex with other teens (where those involved were seen as both victim AND perpetrator!), exotic dancers convicted more than once of prostitution (which happens frequently when dancers refuse to give sex favors to undercover cops), and even drunks peeing in a park at 2 AM.

Even worse, there was that moral crusade in the 1980s, pushed by various factions on both Left and Right, that destroyed countless innocent lives at the cost of billions of dollars at tax payer expense, and even had the tax payers force the sexual abuse and child pornography (which is what I call government doctors sticking instruments into the anus and/or vagina of children and taking photos of the children screaming as this happens to show the jury). When the craze was peaking, politicians and prosecutors both were drooling to be seen as harsh on perps and so made it even worse as they sought victims to scapegoat. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that in this time the feds came up with a d-base that PERMANENTLY records all images of child porn — and if so, I'd think you'd have to be naive to believe that those images didn't find their way back onto the black market.

While I don't know how true it actually is, L.A. Secret Police: Inside the LAPD Elite Spy Network by Mike Rothmiller and David Goldman, detailed vast corruption and abuses, including how one innocent man who chose the wrong time to use a park bathroom had been framed (and successfully convicted) by a cop seeking promotion. They'd backed the cop, thinking he was telling the truth, but after the conviction and promotion of the officer making the arrest, he'd bragged about setting the guy up. In any case, add another guy to the sex offender d-base.

And even to this day, many states have incest exception laws, many cities (from cops to courts) knowingly and willfully pimp underage prostitutes (they prefer to call it a "fine" and let them go — and cops are also known to not only demand free sex from the prostitutes but even deliver some to pimps, though I presume this is done on their own initiative as opposed to "just doing the job"), and have even been caught (but no punishment) licensing teens as young as 14 to dance as exotic dancers in one town. Back when I was a runaway and saw a lot of this, I also saw a girl (not a prostitute — and being 17, I think she was of age in Texas) and a john both get busted on a "vice night" after he kissed her feet for money...probably more names for the sex offender d-base.

The FBI in particular have an especially noxious reputation, including in framing and blackmailing others (supposedly, they even tried blackmailing Martin Luther King into committing suicide). Surely everyone has at least heard of COINTELPRO, and that's just the tip of that iceberg. While that specific former secret program was supposedly shut down after being exposed through the Freedom of Information Act (with a lot of lines crossed out in what was released, btw), such tactics are still used by them by all appearances, including the car bombing of Judi Bari (I'm one of those who believe the FBI did it — and btw, I'm NOT a supporter of Earth First!, so save your ad hominems).

Even when they make a sincere attempt at finding the truth, their crime labs have come under repeat condemnation for inexcusably shoddy practices by both outsiders and even FBI personnel themselves (look up Dr. Frederic Whitehurst, former special agent for the FBI for an excellent example). While I think the ATF and DEA are even worse, the FBI itself has NO credibility with me, and I'd frankly be cynical of any case of child porn they actually brought to trial. Their rep for lies, false testimony, and worse is, after all, decades long. (For that matter, Lon Horiuchi was a FBI sniper present at both Ruby Ridge and Waco, and I believe I heard he's a teacher for other snipers there now — in any case, he does, or did, work for them — and you, the American tax payer, of course.)

IIRC, Bush and his cabinet have also made a lot of noise of going against child porn, but instead went after adult porn. Like those against "gun violence," they went after the legal stuff instead of even attempting to curb the illegal.

Finally, please look up the The Matt Bandy Story.

The point is, I don't want the government involved in this. While protecting children sounds good, the government routinely does more harm — including to those they "protect" — than good. Understand, if any of you can convince me that you were sexually abused, or someone near and dear to you was, and you took vigilante justice against the perp, I'd be strongly inclined to refuse to convict if I were on your jury (granted, I'm of a very small minority).

If you'd like to help to stop child pornography, one thing you can do is decriminalize running away. Right now, there are many children who are abused in a variety of ways that the law will not intervene on. Oddly, until a couple of years ago or so, children were even forced to live with sexually abusive fathers in California (due to the "incest exception law" mentioned above) while at the same time families could lose their children to a dirty home! And the 9th Circuit of Appeals also excused social workers that returned a little girl to her father in California and the girl was promptly stabbed by him. (She survived, but after considerable physical trauma.) Agencies can be draconian in enforcing the rules (especially when it's time to justify their funding), but all too much abuse still goes on. And even during the enforcement fests, a regrettable number of children are simply abandoned by the system. (Frequently, when it tries, it makes life a lot worse — I met enough kids fleeing "foster hell" on the streets when I was a runaway, as well as those who were abandoned after the social worker showed up just enough to totally tick off abusive parents). Such children can't go to abuse shelters on their own because the abuse shelter would be "contributing to the delinquincy of a minor" and can be shut down. (Worse, Covenant House staff has been known to go to missions with "don't ask, don't tell" policies regarding age, and report them if they shelter teens). What this means is that runaways are forced onto the streets where the predators, the perverts, the child pornographers, and the pimps (who owe much to cops and judges) hunt for them. These evil people THANK the system for making it illegal for children to run, because it puts the most desperate runaways into their power. Worse, runaways typically don't dare go to a hospital when they need to, nor report those who prey upon them out of fear of being returned home and worse (especially after they experience the system also preying on them).

These laws to "protect kids" do more harm than good. Please urge a decriminalization of running away, at least if they go to shelters and hospitals (just like with other illegals). Shelters, after all, are perfectly capable of refusing to shelter those who don't follow the rules of the place, so there's no reason to think "they'll become party centrals for crack whores" and other such shameful nonsense that people with no experience of the street come up with. As long as these "sanctuary zones" exist, then many underage teens will be spared the trauma of being abused by pervs AND the system, and will have an alternative to home. Given how boring many of these shelters would be, I don't see many kids going to them unless life really was a lot worse elsewhere. Likewise, most kids that I met that ran away from home as a lark "Huck Finn" style, went home real fast once they experienced how gritty life on the streets was compared to going to air conditioned shopping malls, talking to their friends on cell phones and IM, playing video games, or even just eating 3 full meals a day and not worrying as they go to sleep in a soft bed at night about either predators or parasites.

As for even younger children, I can see reporting a crime should you come across it, but that's different than actually trying to become an volunteer branch of an abusive organization known for its deceitful (and murderous) practices. I'd think that helping in the underground RR that already exists for such children to find sanctuary in (since the law fails to do so, and often makes it worse) would be a better idea, but far be it for me to suggest anything illegal.

Jane Cochran
janerhynn@hotmail.com


The Ultimate "Don't talk to police" video:

http://www.regent.edu/admin/media/schlaw/LawPreview/

Apparently this video is really, really popular right now, so don't be surprised if it doesn't let you in.

Summary:

Professor James Duane gives a lecture explaining how anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. This is a lecture being given to law students, and it's explaining why any attorney worth his salt will ALWAYS advise his client to remain silent.

He then proceeds to give examples of seemingly harmless statements that have resulted in convictions.

He says that there is nothing you can tell the police that will help you.

Your own statements to the police cannot be used in your defense at trial.

He says that 25% of those who have been proven innocent due to DNA evidence, were convicted based on their own statements.

He says that no matter what you say, you'll always say something that can be used against you.

He gives a lot of scenarios that show how the prosecution will take pieces of your testimony and shove it in the jury's face.

He cites a Supreme Court decision which states, in part:

"One of the Fifth Amendment's basic functions is to protect innocent men who otherwise might be ensnared by ambiguous circumstances. Truthful responses of an innocent witness, as well as those of a wrongdoer, may provide the government with incriminating evidence from the speaker's own mouth."

A police officer comes for the second half and shows how, as a police officer, his job is to get you to talk. He goes into great detail the techniques he uses to get people to talk. He gives examples of suspects and how he was able to use their own personality types against them during the interview.

He explains how strongly the cards are stacked against you, and how the police use that against you.

He also said that he will lie to the suspect and say that he may be able to get their sentence reduced if they'll write an apology letter to the victim. If the suspect takes the bait, he'll have them write their letter and sign it, then he'll sign it, and he'll pass that letter straight to the prosecutor as a written confession.

Someone Or Other
Address Unknown


Recently you asked about a person's favorite firearm... while my response isn't purely on topic, so to speak, and my answer is rather unorthodox, I suppose, here is such: I really have to say I have a favorite weapon.... I'd have to answer my mind, or more to point, my words, both verbal and written.

You see, there is nothing stronger than such. Granted, if I'm faced with a PCP-crazed nutcase, I'm heading for a Desert Eagle AE, sorry, but words don't help one bit against that deranged mind, whereas a .50 slug has the potentiality of at least creating a pause. Back to words as weapons... I had never really had it much ingrained into my brain that words could be weapons, sure, I head that my whole life, 'the pen is mightier than the sword', yada yada. It wasn't really until I made the discovery of a book, which changed my life, yes, plug once again, The American Zone. Wow! It made me think.. and the aftermath of thought, was a little fruit saying that your work had opened my eyes.

Slide down a time tunnel into my future, and I had learned that could be applied for my use as well. Amazingly, care in selecting how and what I said, and how I phrased even the most asinine of demands made a difference. On top of that, on the occasions where I've been urinated upon further than the fire hydrant on the end of the block, my carefully chosen, and often not-so-veiled threats, worded correctly, have had the wondrous effect I sought.

So just to make it short, and sweet, I'll take a Desert Eagle AE, I believe in making a person who's physically crossed my sacrosanct, holy line, very, very, well, 'holey'. For lesser offenses, my words seem to work best of all, thanks to learning that when a person's words are heard, or read, they can truly have an impact in the future.

Geneva Robinson
geneva.robinson77@gmail.com


Dear Editor,

Re: "Taxi to the Dark Side — The Axis of American Evil" by Kahentinetha Horn

I wanted to thank you for publishing and thank Kahentinetha Horn for writing about the Oka crisis involving the Mohawk Nation and the vicious thugs of the Canadian national and provincial governments.
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2008/tle462-20080330-04.html

In 2000, I was privileged to attend the International Society for Individual Liberty conference in London, Ontario. One of the speakers there was Meaghan Walker who explained some of her involvement in the Somena people's struggles with oppression on Vancouver Island.

The long history of French, British, and Canadian relations with native peoples in North America is a history of viciousness and brutality. It was a British officer, Sir Jeffrey Amherst, who first openly wrote (to a subordinate by way of planning) about using smallpox as a weapon against natives in the Pontiac Rebellion of 1763. The British, the French, and the Canadian governments have never respected the native people, have frequently stolen and occupied their lands, and have only recently, on some occasions, made some effort to recognize the sovereignty of, for example, the Nunavut peoples.

North America has about 600 native clans, tribes, and peoples each with distinct territory. Recognizing the aboriginal sovereignty of these people would make a patchwork of the continent. Given the heinous nature of the police states functioning in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, to name but three, and given the comparatively individualistic and peaceful cultures of the many native groups that I've encountered, it seems to me that Americans would be better off if more of the first nations were more thoroughly sovereign and independent.

Among other things that I found impressive about the Somena was the word they use to describe tax collectors. I'm told that the elders of Meaghan's clan met in their long house to discuss this word, and the word they came up with is the word they use for "thief."

In my list above, I have not included the United States. But it, too, has a long history of removals, clearances, massacres, and outrages against native peoples.

In my study of history, I have also studied my own family. I come from a Scottish Highland clan which in many ways was a sort of native Celtic people in a territory occupied by the British. (There are a number of similarities among ancient European clan cultures and native cultures on other continents.)

After the 1744 war, the British encouraged the Scottish nobles who fought on their side to begin a program of Highland Clearances which ultimately force my family off our traditional land. My ancestors ended up on boats to North America about 1746. Other Davidsons were transported to Botany Bay in Australia. Possibly the most notable Davidson of the Botany Bay side of the family is James Dale Davidson, who wrote The Sovereign Individual in the 1990s.

I am not without sympathy for the record of victims among the European population, often brought to North America as indentured servants or slaves, often transported as criminals for crimes such as sleeping under bridges or urinating on the streets — for the crime of being poor. Obviously, there are land claims by European settlers that have been handed down for generations. Most of the native peoples I've read about or encountered are happy to recognize the legitimate sales of territory or treaty obligations, provided only that their own territory is also recognized as legitimate.

I can see no merit in the case of the Oka dispute in a 1716 grant by a French provincial governor of land that was clearly a Mohawk sacred ground. The Quebec government's behavior in this matter was disgusting and outrageous. And, as Kahentinetha Horn notes in the comparison to Afghanistan, it is the sort of behavior — vilifying and brutalizing people who oppose the state — which we saw again at Ruby Ridge, again at Mount Carmel near Waco, again in Somalia in 1993, again in the pursuit of militias after the Oklahoma City bombing, again in Afghanistan, again in Iraq, again in Somalia in 2006 and lately, and which the statists are going to pursue as a preferred behavior until they are prevented from doing so.

The path forward, it seems to me, is mostly in the areas of changing the culture and in working with new technologies. Given the repeated enthusiasm for native removals and atrocities against all kinds of peoples (including notably European folks in the Waco Massacre of 1993) by majority opinion, I do not expect any good results from political activities. Politics is, in my view, a waste of time, whether it be campaigning, voting, rioting, rebellion, or revolution. (War is a sort of political activity.)

If we are to win the culture war, as L. Neil Smith has written since at least 1995 in this magazine, we need cultural artifacts. We need to tell the stories of oppression and brutality. We need novels and films and documentaries and games and books and comics and graphic novels and online roleplaying games and television shows. I believe that most people have the capacity to recognize decency and justice, and all people have self interest enough to see more value in peace and freedom than injustice and slavery.

Some of the stories that need to be told, some of the history that has to be understood, is the history of brutalizing native people and stealing their lands. Thus, I welcome Kahentinetha Horn here, and eagerly await other contributions from the same, or from similar sources.

Thank you.

Regards,

Jim Davidson
planetaryjim@yahoo.com
www.hisovs.org


Dear Editor and TLE readers,

I thought you might be interested in this, which Gary Kohls sent me. It's a fine sentiment for Mothers' Day and every day, for that matter:

Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation 1870

"Arise then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!

"Say firmly: 'We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.

Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.

Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have taught them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.'

"From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, 'Disarm, disarm!'

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor does violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar but of God.

"In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace."

Peace and Liberty,

Kaptain Kanada, a.k.a. Manuel Miles
manuel_miles@shaw.ca


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