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The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook
Claire Wolfe is back and has expanded her original 101 Things to Do 'Til the Revolution to 179 thought-and-action items. Some will work for nearly everyone. Some are for those who are more radical. Some are serious. Some are fun. All of them will shore up the privacy barrier that's being eroded - if not downright blasted away - by the Patriot Act, by corporate "Little Brotherism," and by other laws and regulations. Better yet, Claire will inspire you to free your own Inner Outlaw and kick tyrant butt so you can win back freedom. The choices you make are up to you. But if you've been sitting back waiting for the water to get a little hotter before you jump out of the big government, total control vat, Claire gives you 179 tools to help you plan and work.
- GenresNonfiction
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 30, 2011
Yes, it's true. Our own government hates us for our freedom. That's the only possible explanation for the patriot act. I was pondering this and other matters one morning, after having arisen rather early. Enough about the combined effects of priapism and satyriasis, though. Today, I'd like to discuss books.
A few reviews ago, I suggested appropriate reading material for children. As I was carefully placing teeny, tiny, floating mines in the commode (that friggerty Tidy Bowl Man’s ass is mine, lemme tell ya!) and tossing shuriken and Irish darts at an enlarged photo of a certain person, taken some years ago – interesting that when worn by the right person, the effect of the very sight of a pink sweater upon me can be identical to that of red rag upon a bull -- it occurred to me that perhaps I should recommend a bit of reading material for adults, as well.
Well, here goes.
I picked this one up at a gun show back in ’05 and still refer to it from time to time. It's called The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook: 179 Things to Do Until the Revolution, by Claire Wolfe.
Since the publisher, Loompanics Unlimited, went tits-up some time ago, you’ll probably have to ferret this one out on Amazon or at a gun show. The title is self-explanatory, for all that I think Ms. Wolfe is a tad overoptimistic, insofar as expecting a revolution of any sort in the foreseeable future is concerned.
TFOHAB is a post-9-11, expanded and updated version of Wolfe’s underground classic, 101 Things to Do Until the Revolution, aimed those of us who still have a pre-911 mindset. As 1776 preceded 9-11 by quite some times, I’ll cop to having just such a mindset, and would recommend the book to the few remaining, like-minded patriots in this country.
Divided into six chapters (“Whew! Some Things You Can Quit Wasting Your Time On”; “Better Yet: Active Non-cooperation With Tyrants”; “The Ground You Stand On: Self-Reliance”; “Way Better Than Voting: Agitation for Outlaws”; “Way Better Than Agitation: Monkeywrenching”; and “If It Comes Down to That: Someday”), TFOHB, as the subtitle claims, contains 179 suggestions for resisting tyranny. A few of ‘em are, admittedly, somewhat dated. Damn near all of’ ‘em are sure to see the brave soul who attempts ‘em branded a “terrorist,” as well. Not that this should worry anyone overmuch. These days, after all, one need only be suspected of “terrorist” tendencies to be treated as one. To put things into perspective: under the sickeningly misnamed “patriot act,” our own country’s Founding Fathers would have been considered terrorists, as would the “Regulators” of 1768-71, the French Resistance, the embattled Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto, Burma’s Karen, Kachin, and Shan ethnic minorities; and the Nicaraguan Contras of the 1980s, among others. So do our Kurdish “allies” in Mesopotamia, for the record, but apparently, some terrorists are more “terroristic” than others.
Gotta love hypocrisy…
As, in this day and age, the term “terrorist” is simply another meaningless smear -- rather like “extremist,” “racist,” or, in ages past, “barbarian” – being branded one is more of a practical than a moral concern. There’s little sense in becoming too keyed-up over an insult, after all. The kind of person who worries about such things probably shouldn’t read books of this sort anyway.
For the rest of us, though, it’s a goldmine of snarky little tricks, calculated to drive “the Man” batshit. Along with suggestions for practical non-cooperation and outright resistance are included quite a number of “inspirational” quotes, as pointed reminders of what we Americans have thrown away through apathy, greed, and fear – each a stinging rebuke to this “land of the freeloaders and the home of the slaves.”
"Once you stop fearing the government, the government fears you." – Robert D. Graham
"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams
"The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime." -- Max Stirner
What sets this book apart from others of its kind, however (not that there are many of those in this day and age, mind you -- unfortunately, we seem to be stuck with and endless stream of trite shite from the Limbaughs and Coulters of the world, wherein it is explained to us poor, drooling retardates, why it's hunky dory to surrender our liberty to neocons, but not to liberals) is Wolfe & Co.’s utter contempt for the scum who run the country, and the mindless sheep who blindly heap adulation upon them. Here’s an example:
"We all know how afraid politicians are of terrorists. It was these same frightened politicians who (without the authority of the Constitution) recently passed legislation that makes certain that all new cars manufactured in the U.S. will be equipped with airbags. What the politicians (apparently) don’t know is that the active ingredient in airbags is sodium azide. Sodium azide, when mixed with any soluble salt of lead, forms lead azide – the shock-sensitive primer explosive used in bombs since WWII began. Making airbags available at all is practically an invitation to terrorists to make cheap, and very easily constructed, bombs. There is no small irony in the fact that the same politicians who are so afraid of terrorists are passing laws that (in effect) make possession of terrorist raw materials mandatory." (Pp 179-80)
This, Gentle Reader, is what happens when we pass laws as a knee-jerk reaction to our own panic.
Or, from page 13:
"Some say we should respect the office – like that of the presidency – even if we don’t respect the individual in it. Bullshit. The office doesn’t exist aside from the individual. The office is only as worthy as the lowest oaf who plants his or her ass on its chair."
My sentiments, exactly.
Among other of Wolfe’s more interesting and entertaining suggestions, and challenges to mental stagnation, we find:
3. Don’t give in to the fear
Fear is the most potent weapon of power-mongers. They spook us with some threat – which may be real or illusory. Then they promise to save us from it – as long as we just give up a few more billion dollars, a few rights, a little of our privacy, a lot of our independence, and ultimately all of our freedom.
12. Don’t get too hung up on financial security
If government has become the modern world’s religion, then security has become our god. We demand not only national security (whatever that may be), but every possible form of persona security, from protection against chickenpox to bailouts of crooked or inefficient businesses to programs that steal money from the young in order to protect us in our old age.
17. Don’t get all goo-goo about cops and soldiers.
We should be very, very suspicious any time any profession gets surrounded with a halo. Any profession. It’s a sure sign our eyes and minds are being directed away from reality. NOT all soldiers are sacrificing themselves so we can have freedom. NOT all teachers are saints toiling away for the sake of the children. NOT all mothers are June Cleaver reborn. And above all, NOT all cops…not even most cops…not even some teeny, tiny percentage of cops…are “heroes”
71. Instead of television
If you find yourself – or worse, your kids! – sitting like a toadstool in front of The Box, consider switching it off and doing any of the following simple but independent and *actively engaged things you can do at home:
(A list of suggested activities follows.)
There are plenty more, to be sure, so get out and locate a copy. Beyond suggestions for causing the “powers that be” a bit of well-deserved grief, however (a worthy pursuit, in and of itself), the main value of The Freedom Outlaw’s Handbook lies in the fact that ultimately, it’s about rejecting “groupthink” yanking off the government, corporate, and media blinders that seem to descend upon us all at one time or another, and reclaiming one’s own mind.
In the past, I’ve jokingly referred to it as “the real-life Matrix, for dummies,” and I find that it still holds true. All in all, it’s a worthwhile addition to any freedom-lover’s library, and I recommend it highly.
If nothing else, it’ll make for interesting reading while you’re awaiting that luxury suite in the Hanoi Hilton – uh, I mean “Guantanamo.” Yeah, that’s the ticket…
A few reviews ago, I suggested appropriate reading material for children. As I was carefully placing teeny, tiny, floating mines in the commode (that friggerty Tidy Bowl Man’s ass is mine, lemme tell ya!) and tossing shuriken and Irish darts at an enlarged photo of a certain person, taken some years ago – interesting that when worn by the right person, the effect of the very sight of a pink sweater upon me can be identical to that of red rag upon a bull -- it occurred to me that perhaps I should recommend a bit of reading material for adults, as well.
Well, here goes.
I picked this one up at a gun show back in ’05 and still refer to it from time to time. It's called The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook: 179 Things to Do Until the Revolution, by Claire Wolfe.
Since the publisher, Loompanics Unlimited, went tits-up some time ago, you’ll probably have to ferret this one out on Amazon or at a gun show. The title is self-explanatory, for all that I think Ms. Wolfe is a tad overoptimistic, insofar as expecting a revolution of any sort in the foreseeable future is concerned.
TFOHAB is a post-9-11, expanded and updated version of Wolfe’s underground classic, 101 Things to Do Until the Revolution, aimed those of us who still have a pre-911 mindset. As 1776 preceded 9-11 by quite some times, I’ll cop to having just such a mindset, and would recommend the book to the few remaining, like-minded patriots in this country.
Divided into six chapters (“Whew! Some Things You Can Quit Wasting Your Time On”; “Better Yet: Active Non-cooperation With Tyrants”; “The Ground You Stand On: Self-Reliance”; “Way Better Than Voting: Agitation for Outlaws”; “Way Better Than Agitation: Monkeywrenching”; and “If It Comes Down to That: Someday”), TFOHB, as the subtitle claims, contains 179 suggestions for resisting tyranny. A few of ‘em are, admittedly, somewhat dated. Damn near all of’ ‘em are sure to see the brave soul who attempts ‘em branded a “terrorist,” as well. Not that this should worry anyone overmuch. These days, after all, one need only be suspected of “terrorist” tendencies to be treated as one. To put things into perspective: under the sickeningly misnamed “patriot act,” our own country’s Founding Fathers would have been considered terrorists, as would the “Regulators” of 1768-71, the French Resistance, the embattled Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto, Burma’s Karen, Kachin, and Shan ethnic minorities; and the Nicaraguan Contras of the 1980s, among others. So do our Kurdish “allies” in Mesopotamia, for the record, but apparently, some terrorists are more “terroristic” than others.
Gotta love hypocrisy…
As, in this day and age, the term “terrorist” is simply another meaningless smear -- rather like “extremist,” “racist,” or, in ages past, “barbarian” – being branded one is more of a practical than a moral concern. There’s little sense in becoming too keyed-up over an insult, after all. The kind of person who worries about such things probably shouldn’t read books of this sort anyway.
For the rest of us, though, it’s a goldmine of snarky little tricks, calculated to drive “the Man” batshit. Along with suggestions for practical non-cooperation and outright resistance are included quite a number of “inspirational” quotes, as pointed reminders of what we Americans have thrown away through apathy, greed, and fear – each a stinging rebuke to this “land of the freeloaders and the home of the slaves.”
"Once you stop fearing the government, the government fears you." – Robert D. Graham
"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams
"The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime." -- Max Stirner
What sets this book apart from others of its kind, however (not that there are many of those in this day and age, mind you -- unfortunately, we seem to be stuck with and endless stream of trite shite from the Limbaughs and Coulters of the world, wherein it is explained to us poor, drooling retardates, why it's hunky dory to surrender our liberty to neocons, but not to liberals) is Wolfe & Co.’s utter contempt for the scum who run the country, and the mindless sheep who blindly heap adulation upon them. Here’s an example:
"We all know how afraid politicians are of terrorists. It was these same frightened politicians who (without the authority of the Constitution) recently passed legislation that makes certain that all new cars manufactured in the U.S. will be equipped with airbags. What the politicians (apparently) don’t know is that the active ingredient in airbags is sodium azide. Sodium azide, when mixed with any soluble salt of lead, forms lead azide – the shock-sensitive primer explosive used in bombs since WWII began. Making airbags available at all is practically an invitation to terrorists to make cheap, and very easily constructed, bombs. There is no small irony in the fact that the same politicians who are so afraid of terrorists are passing laws that (in effect) make possession of terrorist raw materials mandatory." (Pp 179-80)
This, Gentle Reader, is what happens when we pass laws as a knee-jerk reaction to our own panic.
Or, from page 13:
"Some say we should respect the office – like that of the presidency – even if we don’t respect the individual in it. Bullshit. The office doesn’t exist aside from the individual. The office is only as worthy as the lowest oaf who plants his or her ass on its chair."
My sentiments, exactly.
Among other of Wolfe’s more interesting and entertaining suggestions, and challenges to mental stagnation, we find:
3. Don’t give in to the fear
Fear is the most potent weapon of power-mongers. They spook us with some threat – which may be real or illusory. Then they promise to save us from it – as long as we just give up a few more billion dollars, a few rights, a little of our privacy, a lot of our independence, and ultimately all of our freedom.
12. Don’t get too hung up on financial security
If government has become the modern world’s religion, then security has become our god. We demand not only national security (whatever that may be), but every possible form of persona security, from protection against chickenpox to bailouts of crooked or inefficient businesses to programs that steal money from the young in order to protect us in our old age.
17. Don’t get all goo-goo about cops and soldiers.
We should be very, very suspicious any time any profession gets surrounded with a halo. Any profession. It’s a sure sign our eyes and minds are being directed away from reality. NOT all soldiers are sacrificing themselves so we can have freedom. NOT all teachers are saints toiling away for the sake of the children. NOT all mothers are June Cleaver reborn. And above all, NOT all cops…not even most cops…not even some teeny, tiny percentage of cops…are “heroes”
71. Instead of television
If you find yourself – or worse, your kids! – sitting like a toadstool in front of The Box, consider switching it off and doing any of the following simple but independent and *actively engaged things you can do at home:
(A list of suggested activities follows.)
There are plenty more, to be sure, so get out and locate a copy. Beyond suggestions for causing the “powers that be” a bit of well-deserved grief, however (a worthy pursuit, in and of itself), the main value of The Freedom Outlaw’s Handbook lies in the fact that ultimately, it’s about rejecting “groupthink” yanking off the government, corporate, and media blinders that seem to descend upon us all at one time or another, and reclaiming one’s own mind.
In the past, I’ve jokingly referred to it as “the real-life Matrix, for dummies,” and I find that it still holds true. All in all, it’s a worthwhile addition to any freedom-lover’s library, and I recommend it highly.
If nothing else, it’ll make for interesting reading while you’re awaiting that luxury suite in the Hanoi Hilton – uh, I mean “Guantanamo.” Yeah, that’s the ticket…
February 4, 2020
This book talks about ways to avoid government interference in your life, from maintaining privacy, living “on the low”, and other strategies to essentially make yourself feel safe. The tone is light, some of the points seem extreme, I expect many of the websites and companies mentioned are no longer around, and a lot of it comes off as pointedly libertarian. But I enjoyed reading it and maybe even learned a thing.
August 6, 2008
If you despise the State, and everything it does, then this is the book for you. Currently out of print, this book is a wonderful tool for anti-government activists of all colors, creeds, religions, and nations. Claire Wolfe, a pro-freedom activist herself, lists 179 things you can do to speed up the inevitable crash of the system we know today as Leviathan. Whether you want to stay in the shadows and monkeywrench the system without anyone suspecting you from within, or being on the front lines of pro-liberty activism holding signs and chanting "hell no we won't go" while staring Storm Troopers in the face, this book has everything you could want.
July 25, 2015
Fun quick read. Light tone, though the subject is serious. Not many new ideas, really, but a good refresher if you've been thinking about TEOTWAWKI. A few ideas were provocative. A bit dated given the speed of change of social media, NSA spying, encryption tech, etc. But still fun. Worth a couple hours to run thru it. Perhaps, before the revolution, she'll do an updated 201 Things to Do 'Till the Revolution?
December 30, 2008
the best practical book on the subject that i've come across, with a relative minimum of crazy.
May 28, 2009
A little paranoid in my opinion but still really cool.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews