Laughing In The Face Of Goliath: The Virtue Of Fighting Back

Brandon Smith, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

With the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act and all the malicious intent contained within its virulent pages, many in the Liberty Movement, once relegated as “extremists” in documents such as the MIAC Report and the Virginia Fusion Center white papers, now find themselves faced with the very real possibility of being targeted as “enemy combatants” in their own country and in their own front yards.  No longer is the fight between globalist and Constitutionalist obscured in the mire of cold war style information drilling and propaganda.  Today, it’s all out in the open, and it’s nothing to be taken lightly.

Unfortunately, however, an incessant belief remains amongst a large subsection of Americans, who assume that there is no need to act, or to choose sides.  Apathy and fear cling to our culture like manure to a new leather shoe.

In my years as an analyst and activist, I cannot possibly estimate how often I have heard cries of nihilism, futility, and submission.  The redirections and rationalizations used by naysayers and quivering weaklings at the onset of any social crisis always carry the taste of logic, but in those of us who have resolved to stand firm in our principles, such excuses illicit reactions of utter disgust.  There is nothing more distasteful to the courageous than being presented with a man who would sell his own soul (or the souls of others) for a few extra minutes of oxygen.

Life is inherently dangerous.  Always has been.  Always will be.  Regardless of the time or place in which we live, the threat of calamity is ever present.  American culture has strained every sinew and burst every blood vessel trying to wrap itself in a bubble of artificial safety…to no avail.  While we live, there is no permanent escape from struggle, beyond increasingly brief moments of calm.  At bottom, those who embrace the reality of danger and conflict, and who have the will to see it through, are the men and women who are most likely to make a difference in this world.  Those who run, hide, or easily surrender, matter little in the grand streams of history.  They become cannon fodder buried in the dreary dust bowl pages of abandoned encyclopedias, and nothing more.

As the preeminence of this cold hard truth dawns on us, we are faced with what amounts to very simple choices, at least, in my mind.  Terror or valor.  Slavery or freedom.  Obedience or defiance.

The stature and vicious nature of our opponent appears overpowering, just like any other monster worth the effort to slay.  The greatest enemy of the citizenry, though, has never been the leviathans of establishment and oligarchy, but the apprehensions of the people themselves.  Let’s examine this concept more thoroughly by confronting the attitudes of some activists towards the very solutions that could save them and their country if they only had the guts to hold fast….

Organization

In the Liberty Movement, more than any other political and philosophical social shift I can think of, the process of practical organization has been ridiculously subdued.  The alarm that arises over the possibility of being added to multiple arbitrary lists of alphabet agencies from the FBI to the DHS has until recently inspired a sort of proactive paralysis.  In most situations, whether we like it or not, activism involves exposure, and risk.  Sorry folks, that’s just how it goes.  Frankly, if you are not on a government list somewhere, then you probably aren’t much of a threat, and therefore, need to try harder. 

Solid organization does not necessarily require centralization or a top-down command structure.  In fact, the more decentralized a group or network is, the more flexible and durable it becomes.  What is required, though, are common objectives and consistent leadership through example.  In a movement at odds with itself at the most basic level, the juggernaut of elitism rolls forward unimpeded across lands of ghosts and jello. 

Without mutual aid, mutual defense, and synchronous strategies, individual proponents of Constitutional law and transparency will find themselves completely isolated from one another.  Faces in a crowd of the destitute and hungry.  Ultimately, what the government does or does not do when it comes to categorizing our movement is not our concern.  Safe haven relocation, barter networking, open protest, neighborhood defense, will attract negative responses from elitists because these strategies WORK.  When faced with the potential of full-spectrum national collapse and economic implosion, federal intervention or demonization becomes a rather puny concession in comparison.  Our very first concern should be that of local insulation and survival in the wake of financial Armageddon, not the chest beating of overconfident bureaucrats.

Protest

Protest, for the most part, has become a completely ineffective tactic for legitimate change, not because it is passé, but because the methods used today have not evolved for several decades.  Public demonstrations in modern times in the face of technically advanced media manipulations must assert a specific objective in order to be successful.  The objective could be as simple as refusing to move from a particular place despite the perceived consequences, or preventing an opponent from finishing a task.  Signs and slogans are meaningless compared to the act of drawing a line in the proverbial sand and denying the enemy access.  The problem is, many protest groups in these times are afraid to commit so completely to any redress of grievances.

A peaceful protest requires incredible courage, including the courage to get arrested, or to take a beating.  It demands an unwavering sense of urgency.  That which can be accomplished today MUST be accomplished today, or not at all.  There may not be an opportunity tomorrow. 

A protest which melts and cowers in the wake of authoritarian violence will not affect an awakening or a repositioning of the system.  The first protest organization which is willing to take their stand against the elites all the way no matter what hell is unleashed upon them will garner the unerring respect of a majority of the nation and drive the methodology of liberty forward to the point of critical mass.  Only those who are willing to set their consciences and their principles above their own personal safety have the ability to accomplish this.

Political Steadfastness

While top-down solutions to the problem of globalist corruption are slim at best, and economic destabilization is a certainty despite the success of any Constitutional candidate, there is still vital utility in political action on the part of the Liberty Movement.  Our brand of politics, however, can have nothing to do with the grandstanding baby kissing propaganda plays of traditional campaigns.  It must abandon the concepts of “moderation” and “bi-partisanship”; both disingenuous phrases that are often misapplied in order to steer public perception.  Our candidates, instead of consistently trying to placate special interest groups and the uninformed, must have the audacity to become totally uncompromising. 

Limp-wristed and easily bought politicians are a dime a dozen.  Some of the public may still vote for them because they are ignorant of the false left/right paradigm, but most Americans, I believe, are irrevocably disenchanted with the never-ending throng of establishment thespians posing as human beings with beating hearts.  There can be no room given to indecisive or dishonest candidates anymore.  This is why men like Ron Paul have attained so much support despite the ongoing and gleeful sabotage by the mainstream media; he refuses to be deterred, or to sacrifice his original position.  All Liberty Movement candidates should take a page from Paul’s campaign and learn well.  The message, the truth, is more important than winning the game.  Sacrifice the truth, and all subsequent victories become hollow.

Self Defense And Revolution

All predators seek first to hunt prey they think will offer the least amount of resistance.  From wolves to rapists, the meek make irresistible targets.  The point?  Make the predator pay hardily for his pursuit of you and he will think twice before trying again. 

The size and strength of an attacker is irrelevant.  His technological superiority and logistical support are irrelevant.  His ferociousness and his veracity are irrelevant.  His numbers are irrelevant.  His lack of moral concern?  Still irrelevant.  In self defense, and in revolution, there is no choice but to stop the aggressor, no matter how long his shadow is cast.  One fights back, or one loses everything.  Period. 

In rebellion, there is, of course, a right time and a right place.  Barreling forward like a brainless bull charging the deceptive red cape of the matador is not the way to win back one’s freedoms, but a great way to end up impaled by the weight of one’s own thoughtless force.  Respectively, resorting to random violence, or extraneous acts of revenge against current representatives, no matter how traitorous, would do nothing to alleviate the stresses of our country.  They are mere middle men.  Errand boys for corporate interests.  Sock puppets. They are not the root of the ailment, only a symptom. 

If the conflict we are now caught up in reaches the point of no return, and all peaceful methods are exhausted, no citizen spy program, no black boot, no SWAT team, no remote controlled drone should be allowed to overwhelm the resolve of the people.  No one ever said that keeping a free Republic would be easy, but it is, indeed, crucial.

The Wages Of Fear

Being afraid, and living in fear, are two entirely different states of being.  If they are honest, all people will admit they suffer from some measure of uncertainty.  The most impressive of all heroes endure this uncertainty and take action in spite of it.  That is to say, they do not allow themselves to be ruled by it.  Nor do they shirk this responsibility as a lost cause.  Cynicism in the wake of adversity is a familiar disguise for cowardice.

When faced with a menacing giant of mythological proportions, the light-footed warrior is not without recourse.  There is no such thing as an invincible enemy.  There is no such thing as an insurmountable obstacle.  In all battles, whether combatants wield ideas or arms, human will is the most important determinant.  The side with the deepest and most sincere internal relationship with its own principles will have an advantage that goes far beyond any military industrial edifice.  Missiles cannot kill honor, or the growing sense of awareness that it inspires.   

In the end, true activists for liberty understand that no one lives forever, but legacy is eternal.  What we leave behind here now should be more than footsteps and gravestones.  What we build for the future should be more than structures of wood and stone cutting tall in the fog of distant and terrible fires.  What we have been given, is an infinitely rare opportunity; to defend not only ourselves and our families, but the prosperity of many generations to come.  This challenge is at once startling, horrifying, and in some ways, beautiful.  And, as much as I sometimes dread the dark days ahead of us, I cannot in all honesty think of another moment in history where I would rather be alive.  We have been given a chance to sever the chains of global elitism; perhaps the most overwhelming tyranny of our age, or any other age, and start anew.  When one comes to this realization, walking away or giving in seems like a laughable proposal. 

At the edge of this fantastic tempest, we make camp, we warm our hands patiently by the fire, we remain vigilant, and when the time comes, we will not be moved….                

Brandon Smith is the founder of Alt-Market is an organization designed to help you find like-minded activists and preppers in your local area so that you can network and construct communities for mutual aid and defense. Join Alt-Market.com today and learn what it means to step away from the system and build something better or contribute to their Safe Haven Project. You can contact Brandon Smith at: [email protected]