Y Ahora, Bailamos!

Nietzsche, "Twilight of the Idols"

My conception of freedom. -- The value of a thing sometimes does not lie in that which one attains by it, but in what one pays for it--what it costs us. I shall give an example. Liberal institutions cease to be liberal as soon as they are attained: later on, there are no worse and no more thorough injurers of freedom than liberal institutions. Their effects are known well enough: they undermine the will to power; they level mountain and valley, and call that morality; they make men small, cowardly, and hedonistic--every time it is the herd animal that triumphs with them. Liberalism: in other words, herd-animalization.

These same institutions produce quite different effects while they are still being fought for; then they really promote freedom in a powerful way. On closer inspection it is war that produces these effects, the war for liberal institutions, which, as a war, permits illiberal instincts to continue. And war educates for freedom. For what is freedom? That one has the will to assume responsibility for oneself. That one maintains the distance which separates us. That one becomes more indifferent to difficulties, hardships, privation, even to life itself. That one is prepared to sacrifice human beings for one's cause, not excluding oneself. Freedom means that the manly instincts which delight in war and victory dominate over other instincts, for example, over those of "pleasure." The human being who has become free--and how much more the spirit who has become free--spits on the contemptible type of well-being dreamed of by shopkeepers, Christians, cows, females, Englishmen, and other democrats. The free man is a warrior.

How is freedom measured in individuals and peoples? According to the resistance which must be overcome, according to the exertion required, to remain on top. The highest type of free men should be sought where the highest resistance is constantly overcome: five steps from tyranny, close to the threshold of the danger of servitude. This is true psychologically if by "tyrants" are meant inexorable and fearful instincts that provoke the maximum of authority and discipline against themselves; most beautiful type: Julius Caesar. This is true politically too; one need only go through history. The peoples who had some value, attained some value, never attained it under liberal institutions: it was great danger that made something of them that merits respect. Danger alone acquaints us with our own resources, our virtues, our armor and weapons, our spirit, and forces us to be strong. First principle: one must need to be strong--otherwise one will never become strong.

Those large hothouses for the strong--for the strongest kind of human being that has so far been known--the aristocratic commonwealths of the type of Rome or Venice, understood freedom exactly in the sense in which I understand it: as something one has or does not have, something one wants, something one conquers.

FARC Guerilla Fighter Code Name "Geronimo" Killed

from Noticias 24

Bogata - 21 March 2011. The guerilla fighter known as Geronimo, head of security of Maximum Leader of the FARC "Alfonso Cano" died in combat against the regular Columbian Army in the southern state of Huila, it was confirmed by the Columbian Government and the police.

Since Sunday, speculation had begun that Geronimo, alias Arguimedes Munoz Villamil, captain of the Central Command of the FARC and right hand man to the commanding general of the insurgent group, Guillermo Lein Saenz ("Alfonso Cano").

The Director of the Technical Investigations Group (CIT) of the Legislature, Carmen Maritza Gonzalez, explained to the press that the body of the guerilla fighter was amply identified in an installation of police medicine in Neiva, the capital of Huila.

Chavex Caught Again Arming FARC Rebels

from El Universal

The Colombian army seized on Thursday an arsenal belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The weapons allegedly come from the Venezuelan Armed Forces. The military operation was carried out in the Colombian department of Arauca (eastern Colombia), near the border with Venezuela, an official spokesman said on Thursday.

Gen. Jaime Reyes, commander of Colombian Army's 18th Brigade, said that a total of 17 rifles, 42,000 cartridges and 195 camouflage uniforms were found. They have a seal of the Venezuelan Military Industries Company (CAVIM), DPA reported.

Reyes said that the arsenal was planned to be delivered to several FARC fronts.

There were no arrests in the raid, official sources said.

Hugo Chavez's Revenge Against the Student Opposition

Last August the Chavez Administration proposed and National Assembly approved a complete restructuring of the once independent university system along a socialist model in direct contravention to the Bolivarian Constitution. A once autonomous curriculum was to be replaced by one developed by the State Ministry of Education. A once selective and independent student admissions process was to be replaced by "open admissions". An education was to be replaced by an indoctrination. On January 14, President Chavez, facing increased protests, unexpectedly vetoed the proposed changes. Why this sudden "change of heart"? An incident earlier in the day...EnglishSpanish Summary of Proposed Changes Today, thousands of "Socialist" students and wannabe's took to the streets demanding the "right" to a "socialist education." Will the Legislature take over the Venezuelan university system? Only time will tell. It's clear that a "victory" today is no guarantee that tomorrow won't bring yet another assault on the freedoms and liberties of the Venezuelan people.

The Next Cuban Invasion...