One Cheer for the Imperfectly Excellent

On February 9, Oathkeepers.org ran a long article by Brandon Smith that asked (and answered) the question, “What is the Best Method of Rebellion Against Tyranny?”

A lot of you probably saw it then; the Oregon standoff was just spiraling into disaster and this was one of many afteraction analyses. It was also more; a thought piece about the kinds of people and preparations needed for eventual confrontation with tyranny. It got a lot of notice in the gunblogosphere. I meant to link to it and comment then, but life got away from me. You know how that goes. But then, it’s not an article that goes stale. If you haven’t already, you should probably stop and read it first.

Generally I agree with everything Smith writes and my quibbles are small. Don’t consider this disagreement, but 95% agreement but ….

Smith’s belief that confronting agencies like the Bureau of Land Management is futile and marginalizing isn’t right, IMHO. If major confrontation comes, it will almost inevitably begin with agencies people are intimately affected by, with issues that personally hurt ordinary souls. That the real quarrels go to D.C. and New York and Brussels and beyond everybody knows. But nothing is going to begin or end with a march on the White House or the Federal Reserve or EU Headquarters. If it happens, it’s going to erupt first through some small fissure, quite possibly in some way and place the mainstream initially considers marginal — until they see otherwise.

Smith says that instead of targeting the BLM (or, by extension I assume the ATF, IRS, FBI, DEA, TSA or one of the other plagues of so many people’s existence), “Eventually, someone is going to have to bring the international banking elites to justice for their direct influence over government corruption and destructive economic policy.”

And while that may be true (as he notes) eventually, in an article talking about the near-future strategies of the grassroots it’s too easy to read “international banking elites” as “international Jewish conspiracy” and attract the typical bigots to a cause (not that Smith does anything else to suggest that’s his meaning). And it’s too hard for any actual grassroots activists, or coalitions of grassroots activists, to do much of anything to ensure that someday, somebody will hold the crony bankers accountable.

IF the U.S. is to have a 21st century “Lexington and Concord moment,” I guarantee you those infamous bankers will be well out of both the line of fire and the thoughts of most people doing the fighting.

Actually, I think Smith understands this well. His emphasis is on local people making local preparations for local action. His call to hold “international bankers” responsible feels like an anomaly in that article.

Definitely worth a read.

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But now I want to address a different audience. Not Oathkeepers. Smith’s final message of personal excellence in skill-building and preparation is made for them even though he originally wrote the piece for a different market.

I’m all for excellence in training, preparation, mindset, and leadership. Booyah. Go get ’em. And I mean that sincerely. The freedom movement needs people exactly like the ones Smith is writing about, exactly like the ones Stewart Rhodes intended to bring together when he founded Oath Keepers.

What the freedom movement has, always has had, and always will have, is a total mixed bag. Ye Olde American melting pot of beliefs, personal styles, abilities, aims, faults, and virtues.

Alas, we have more than our share of yammerheads, trolls, loudmouthed fools, jerks who can’t get along with anybody, idiots whose entire action plan amounts to the patriotic version of “Hold my beer and watch this,” and of course informants, cowards, knaves, and Gilderoy Lockharts.

But we also have perfectly ordinary people with (almost) perfectly ordinary lives, and perfectly ordinary skillsets and ambitions who are nevertheless devoted freedomistas. And to dismiss these less-than-booyah millions would be a big mistake. I don’t think Smith does dismiss them, mind you. I just think he’s aiming elsewhere. Which is good. He’s aiming at the leaders he hopes will be ready to stand above the mob and ensure that wise actions get taken.

I’m just thinking that there are many more out there who’ll surprise us all. People who don’t train every weekend, who don’t read Sun Tzu or Machiavelli or Clausewitz for pleasure.* But who will nevertheless be quietly helpful when some dire day comes.

I look around my own average, ordinary neighborhood of people going about their average, ordinary businesses. And I see solid people with good sense who could be counted on. I see a nurse and a volunteer fireman. I see people with food pantries and generators. I see people with multiple firearms. But also people with abundant connections in local leadership and the local supply line. I see people who keep their mouths shut, but also share important matters in common.

I don’t know when, where, or even whether another “Lexington moment” will come to this country. But I do know that these people don’t need anybody to groom and recruit them. Will they act on emotion, as Smith fears, if they’re pushed to some extreme? Of course. But that doesn’t always mean abandoning all good sense. Will they all be tough fighting material? Hell no! But not all have to be. Let’s never, ever forget or fail to give credit to those who run the underground railroads or supply the resistance or transport or transmit the messages. Let’s not forget those who hide the weapons or carry the packages or nurse the sick or wounded.

Will they all be steely-eyed, strategically steeped, conscientiously acting soldiers? No way. Absolutely no way. Will they be first to the barricades and willing to fight to the death? Not likely. But don’t count them out. Don’t look down on them. And don’t feel you have to recruit and train those few you deem worthwhile. Find common interests and build on them; but not with the attitude that you’re teaching or training. Chaces are, in some way or another, we have as much to learn from our neighbors as they from us.

Don’t ever discount the possibility that the most valuable person in some future crisis might come straight out of the house next door. And might act in some way, at some moment, that nobody could have planned for or anticipated.

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BTW, if you plan to read Sun Tzu or Machiavelli or Clausewitz — or for that matter purchase a range bag, first-aid kit, year’s supply of MREs, or a pair of high-heeled shoes or diapers for Junior — please use my Amazon links. For ALL your Amazon shopping. Just enter Amazon through any of my links and every purchase you make during that visit will be credited to my account. It means a lot to me — thank you!