In a recent commentary, we talked about monkeywrenching to defeat tyranny. Several folks have commented (privately) about their ideas or what they have heard.

But monkeywrenching is pretty high up the sequence. We are seeing even more of the lower-level actions: these may or may not be effective, but they are essential to prepare for more action. And they are clearly defensive in nature. Let us take a look at a few of these, which we are seeing in more and more States during the COVID-19 panic. Are all of these effective, in response to the Lockdown, and for the restoration of liberty? If they are, they need to be increased.

Again, here is the sequence as I see it:

1. Warning (private) (to the person who is threatening your freedom)
2. Refusal to obey (private) (the person demanding you give up your freedom)
3. Warning (public) to organizations, agencies, or individuals threatening you
4. Refusal to obey (public) those entities’ attempts to take away your liberty
5. Spreading the word and gaining allies to defend against those seeking control
6. Encouraging aggressive actions (attacks) by the tyrants
7. Responding to the tyrant’s actions by interfering with their ability to take action
8. Responding to the tyrant’s actions by destroying their capability to take action
9. Destroying the tyrant (and minions, as appropriate)

Again, the objective is NOT just to “resist” but to overcome: the goal of these actions is to restore (or preserve) our liberty, our freedoms. And those of our families, neighbors, friends, and and communities.

Remember, the enemies of liberty (EOL), the tyrants and their minions, do NOT give up with a simple warning or threat. They WILL continue to push until we do one of three things:

• converting them to the cause of liberty
• removing their capabilities to control and enslave us
• eliminating them

Now, don’t get me wrong – by “eliminate” I do not mean that they must die. We can eliminate the tyrants by shunning them, withdrawing from them (or making them withdraw from us), or banishment. Obviously, the best outcome is to convert them – to cause them to recognize the nature of liberty, repent of their past actions and understand, love, and accept liberty – for themselves and others.

All of these happen, and can happen, all the time.

For example, we see free people issuing private and public warnings. Often that is as simple as “no, Ms. Politician, you can NOT do that.” Like telling a child to “Stop!” Sometimes these are in the form of protests and petitions. Sometimes they can be in the form of legal action. Our response needs to be proportional to the scope and nature of the threat. Even when we know that our warning will be ignored, it is still the right thing to do, before we ramp up.

But we know that our warning, first private and then public, is nearly always brushed aside. So it is necessary to disobey whomever or whatever tries to coerce us.

That is the state in which we find ourselves today in the Fifty States (with the Beer Virus Panic). Our warnings, public and private, in hearings and meetings and media, have often been ignored. Indeed, except for a few states and localities, MOST have been ignored. Indeed, sometimes the tyrannical behavior has extended to DENYING the opportunities, the venues to do so. So we have to up the ante. Now, the end of April, we are seeing a lot of plain refusal to obey the dictats. So we are now both privately and publicly disobeying the thugs.

We are seeing quite a few virtually spontaneous actions like that. People swarming to beaches in Georgia, Florida, Texas, and California. Small city governments listening to their businesses and turning a blind eye to businesses reopening – either partially or fully. Counties not just ignoring governor’s edicts but loudly rejecting the cautious timelines that the media crows over so much. At least some of these efforts include the cooperation of local government officials and even cops, refusing what they know to be illegal orders.

Indeed, this is egging the tyrants on – challenging them to take more aggressive actions “to protect the public health” and force compliance. Or even double down as governors in Michigan and Maryland seem to have done.

And the thugs are upping the ante, of course. As well as further dividing society. The vicious response of people on social media shows this. Even a suggestion (that we don’t need to (and didn’t need to) close schools and businesses, to stop routine medical care, or to start these common AND NECESSARY actions back up) brings out demands for MORE government control. For MORE restrictions.

But I do not believe that such whinging, such abject submission to tyranny and demands for more, should cause those who love liberty from pushing back against the tyrants. Enough is enough, and we are far beyond that.

The only way I see to beginning to repair our society and our economy is to take action, to take matters into our own hands. And if that means taking action to prevent the authorities – at whatever level – from continuing to lord it over us, so be it.

Lets discuss that in the next installment of this series. We still are not (quite) to the monkeywrenching effort (in this discussion, NOT in the Fifty States in April and May 2020).