A Conspiracy of Liberty
Reflections on Ron Paul's "The War on Us" Conference
We are well past the point where government policy effects each and every one of us on a daily basis. If one aspires to pedantry, as libertarians often do, this has long been the case, at least according to denotation.
But no, the effect I am referring to is the daily usurpation of individual autonomy which consciously reminds you that your submission to the state is either complete or inevitable.
I would posit that this usurpation is the hallmark of a dystopian novel—where the tyranny of the state so permeates life that obedience to its diktat is daily routine. This is the case with Winston in 1984, Bernard in Brave New World, Montague in Fahrenheit 451, Mannie in The Moon is A Harsh Mistress and likely for every single dystopian protagonist you can think of.
Because of their reactions to COVID-19, both the Federal and State governments now have an inescapable effect on our daily lives. This either comes in the form of masking, lockdown orders and vaxxports, or the Federal CDC “guidelines” they emulate.
All of the above notwithstanding, I was shocked at just how dire the messaging was at the Ron Paul Conference.
Audio/video recordings of the speeches do exist, but I do not believe they will be posted publicly. I do not want to reveal some of the most radical messages that were conveyed, but the sentiment was clear: now is the time to fight (…peacefully).
Most of the above dystopian novels feature a conspiracy to resist or escape a totalitarian regime. Some efforts are more successful than others, but all captivate the reader—for more than the great appeal of imagining such insidious societies, the reader identifies most with their resistance.
Indeed, in the last few months, I’ve felt the thrill of conspiring for liberty. But in those months, the thrill has never been as strong as this weekend’s conference. Above all, it was the sheer sense of history that I felt most strongly.
Despite the state’s corruption of America’s founding mythos, the real history of the colonists’ insurrection and insurgency persists. That must be the history that we forge with our actions, be it clandestine meetings of the Sons of Liberty or a boisterous town hall. We know the revolution is imminent when common, decent folk become radicals. That time is upon us.
Once in a number of decades, fate calls upon a generation to reclaim lost liberty. It is clear this generation is facing no less than the extinction of human freedom on this planet.
As Judge Napolitano said, some of us may die in a government cell. Some of us may die in a government square or in a government camp.
If death is required of me, it will not be the death of inaction.
For the first time since I rebooted Liberty Weekly last October, I missed this weekend’s release schedule. I will be shooting for two episodes next week to make up. In the meantime, check out a Liberty Weekly classic from the archives: “Non-State Justice Systems, a Primer Ep. 36”
Don’t miss my weekly bonus episodes for paid subscribers. There are many ways to subscribe, but the best value is with Rokfin.
Rokfin ($10/mo for premium content to me and MANY other creators)
If you’d like to support with crypto (preferred), please find my addresses here.
Comments ()