I am not an advocate of using institutionalized kidnapping- euphemistically called "arrest" when committed by people who work for "government"- to remove "undesirables" from society. But when that kidnapping is used against a person who wasn't doing anything wrong it is even more disgusting.
It doesn't matter if the kidnap victim was Adam Kokesh or that genocidal monster, Abraham Lincoln- if the victim isn't initiating force, stealing/defrauding, or trespassing on PRIVATELY owned property, the "arrest" is wrong. If you won't speak out against the unjust kidnapping of your worst enemy, then you need to reexamine your commitment to liberty.
I have been frankly horrified at the things I have seen written relating to his "arrest" at the Smokedown Prohibition V event. Gun owners, especially those who were not in favor of his planned armed march on DC, have been acting like statists.
The War on Politically Incorrect Drugs and The War Against Gun Owners are not separate issues. They are both aspects of liberty, which can not be cherry picked to make you feel better. You don't have to smoke Cannabis or own guns to support the absolute human right of everyone to do either or both. Among other things. But if you claim to love (and understand) liberty, you don't look convincing when you seem willing to throw someone else to the wolves.
Maybe Kokesh was seeking to be arrested. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe the feds wanted to get him out of the way so they wouldn't have to face the armed march in July. Maybe it isn't smart to put yourself in a position to invite being kidnapped when you are planning something "bigger" for the near future. Maybe, maybe, maybe...
You can always second-guess anyone's actions. You can even disagree with what they are doing. But if a person is not doing anything wrong, then you shouldn't ever support their abuse at the hands of government employees. I can't support the abuse of anyone by government employees at any time, but that's just me.
Free Adam!
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Amen.
ReplyDeleteJudge will deny bail and release citing that "Kokesh is an imminent, clear and present danger to public safety." The danger being his organizing a protest march, with loaded weapons, at locations of national security.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to my blog post on Adam's arrest. It was terrible. My view is that he was thinking as I was, no pot = safe. Not when they're out to get you.
ReplyDeleteJust goes to show you can be "arrested" anytime "they" decide to get you. No one can possibly obey every "law" today, so it makes me wonder, Why try?
ReplyDeleteI have been forceful in my opposition to the planned armed march on the District of Corruption, but from a tactical point of view, not a philosophical position. In my assessment there are many flaws, traps and blind assumptions incorporated into a funneled march across a bridge -- a restricted kill zone -- into the jaws of Leviathan. Whether it ends in simple (simple? -- most likely felony charges)or the death and maiming of participants, nothing of significant value will be gained for liberty as the government and their lapdog media will easily sell it as an extremist right wing armed insurrection against a legally elected and constituted government (I know, I gagged writing that as you probably do reading it). Even Kokesh has defined the march as such when he stated, “This is an armed revolt against the American government. Make no mistake about it. We are going with the aim of overthrowing the government.” In essence, he granted the gestapo license to respond in any manner they desire.
ReplyDeleteYes, the corrupt government needs to be stood up to. But it has to be tactically smart in both accomplishing military and positive PR objectives. This planned armed march is throwing advantages of both to the gestapo.
I agree that this arrest was most likely uncalled for and politically based (gee, you think the Obamanation would resort to such action?) and cavemedic has it right in stating that he will be held on trumped up "national security" charges politically based. Even if released he will be prohibited from participating in any public demonstrations as a condition. (Does that mean that the armed march goes on without him?)
There are just way too many philosophical, logistical and PR problems to make his march viable for the liberty movement while handing the governing elites "justification" to crack down even more on the benighted unwashed masses.
I won't move to stop anyone from participating, nor ask for any "legal police" action to cut it off before the damage is done to liberty (what little is left in our country), and especially to the 2nd amendment, but neither will I shut up in expressing my opposition to the march taking place (and that has black balled me on many of the supposedly liberty advocating sites -- so be it).
Dear David please give a link or site for following supposed quote you posted;
ReplyDelete"Even Kokesh has defined the march as such when he stated, “This is an armed revolt against the American government. Make no mistake about it. We are going with the aim of overthrowing the government.”
Thanks;
Whats it going to take folks ??
ReplyDelete"If the American Revolution was an act of self-defense ... isn’t it appropriate to ask ... at what point do we, as individuals, say enough? At what point do we take up arms in self-defense? Or do we reach the point where we simply observe the end of individual liberty ..."~Erne Lewis~ An Act of Self-Defense.
@anon 2013: Here is the YouTube video of Alex Jones interviewing Kokesh. Although I'm not a big fan of Jones, he does provide some nuggets among the ramblings he throws out. The actual quote you are referencing begins ~6:14 into the video. Overall, Kokesh pretty much explains the actual march and goals he hopes to achieve.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do support his principles entirely, I object to the march due to logistics. Only someone suicidal or a fool will risk his life for the potential of no gain, and any leader who will throw his "soldiers" into almost a perfect ambush kill zone is a pretty piss poor leader.
Operations must be designed to accomplish a needed, positive objective while suffering as few casualties as possible of your army. Whether the end result of this march is arrest (felony most likely) or death, George Patton's quote stands as the rule: "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2n8tXO945Cw
Interesting video of Kokesh arrest -- planted "evidence" or not?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yDTmIwqcqmE