On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four

Part Four.1.0
Part Four.2.1
Part Four.2.2
Part Four.2.3
Part Four.2.4
Part Four.3.0
Part Four.4.0
Part Four.5.0
Part Four.6.1
Part Four.6.2
Part Four.6.3
Part Four.7.0

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.7.0

7. Occasionally, circumstances require a breaking away from associate groupings. A clean dissolution is better accomplished by not betraying confidences and generally keeping one’s mouth shut. The advantages are several: one may always come back; third parties will take note of the situation; ugly scenes will be kept to a minimum; and one is more likely to continue breathing.

End of Part Four.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.6.3

6c. Among friends and comrades, group think may become especially prevalent through constant direct reinforcement. Immediate sources have the potential to become the strongest. However, one should take care. Some herds are smaller than others.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.6.2

6b. Manipulation may be reinforced by the acceptance of others. Mass adoption does not confer truth. If everyone can agree on a solution to a problem, then why bother asking why? Motivations need not be universal; in fact, absence is better–thus rash action may be braked without being broken.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.6.1

6a. Motivation can be voluntary or based on fear. The relationship may be best viewed as a spectra. In which case, as always, the question must be asked, is this spectra straight or curved? In some regards, it might be both with apathy at the center. Fear will inspire volunteers. Consequences might be worse than any alternative. Of course, to avoid being used, one must be capable of delving into the truth of the situation.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.5.0

5. Occasionally, a judgement regarding character requires a re-evaluation. One might find that dependability is lacking. Talk is cheap, but action speaks. However, be wary, a reluctance of action on the part of an associate may be a sign of wisdom. One must listen to one’s instincts, yet realize the nothing is infallible. One may be wrong; others may have a poor communication method regarding how.

Math Deficiencies 1

1. A few years back, when I was teaching math at the community college level, I observed that many bright students were mathematically deficient. They were packed into my remedial class, which was the equivalent of high school algebra II, but rather than having difficulty, did quite well and easily passed in a five credit ten week academic quarter. Some claimed to have learning disabilities. They made it through as well. I have no formal training teaching math. I just disliked most math classes. So I tried to present the subject more concretely and let the students use open notes (but never textbooks) on tests and quizzes. I had always hated these things. I also went through every step on the board. My student evaluations were very good and some students even claimed to have developed an appreciation for the subject. Perhaps my methods were effective, but in actuality I would have to say that really the "average" student these days is perfectly capable of doing math. Most people think concretely; most mathematicians have a more abstract appreciation of their subjects. Also, memorization does not aide in problem solving. In short, mathematics needs to be taught concretely to the greater number of concrete thinkers. It needs a point. Mathematicians would disagree, but they are a minority. However, no matter the reasons, the fact is that these students were ill served by the public education system.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #14

Faced with strikes, the Federación Patronal used the tactic of the lockout. At the start of November, 1919, workers from several factories were turned out into the streets. This was the owners' response to the strike at La Canadiense. The lockout lasted until January, 1920, and ended in a humiliating defeat for the working class.

The CNT had planned its national conference for December. Around the same time the Catalan bourgeoisie organized the "Free Unions", composed of paid thugs recruited by the bourgeoisie and the military authorities. These were armed and guaranteed complete impunity, and they lost no time making their force felt throughout the country, above all in Catalonia, Levante and Aragon. Their sponsors, in addition to the Federación Patronal, were Industrial Spain, the Fomento de Trabajo Nacional. [11] the Hispano-Suiza Company, Miró y Trepat, and the Sindicato de Banca y Bolsa.

According to Farré Morego (Los atentados sociales en España), from 1917 to 1922 1,472 assassinations were attempted. Miguel Sastre (La esclavitud moderna) puts the number at 1,012, of which 753 were workers, 112 policemen, 95 owners, and 52 foremen. Ramon Rucabado (En torno al sindicalismo) counts 1,207 and, finally, according to an official source (Jos6 Pernartin, Los valores historicos de la dictadura española), from 1918 to 1923 there were 843 attacks in Barcelona, and 1,259 in all of Spain.

The most important confederal source is a booklet published by the Committee for Prisoners in Barcelona in 1923, which lists major trials, sentences and murders of the 1920-1923 period. The number of CNT members killed is given as 104, with 33 wounded. 12 Note one detail: in most military actions the number of wounded usually exceeds-even doubles-the number killed. Here, as can be seen (on the CNT side of course), the opposite occurred. This detail says more than might appear at first glance.

End of Excerpts.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #13

For the beginnings of pistolerismo, one must go back to the time of the First World War. As indicated previously, the industries of Catalonia supplied the Allied troops, although they also traded with the other side. The German high command wasted no time and spared no effort setting up espionage networks in ports and industrial centres. In Barcelona one such team worked fairly openly, reporting port traffic and shipping destinations to submarines on the high seas. The head of this team was known as the Baron de Koenig. One of the subordinates of "the Baron" was a police inspector named Bravo Portillo. The rest were recruited from the underworld of the city, armed with pistols, and sent to intimidate industrialists and other speculators who supplied the Allies. If their warnings had no effect, the gang used violence. To disguise their activities, they shot workers and owners alternately, giving the impression that a violent social struggle was underway and further irritating class antagonisms. One of the best known of Koenig's victims was the manager of a large factory that manufactured artillery shells.

In 1918, Solidaridad Obrera, the CNT organ, published irrefutable proof that Bravo Portillo was a spy. He was fired from the police force and jailed. Although he was subsequently freed and readmitted to the force, he always held a grudge against the CNT and its principal activists. From then 9n he directed his gangsters against the workers' movement.

When the war was over all this human flotsam was left unemployed. Miró y Trepat, Barcelona industrialist, with the goodwill of the Captain General of the garrison, Miláns del Bosch, offered his services to the Federación Patronal. The result was soon evident. One of the first victims of the new cycle of terror was an activist from the Dyer's section of the union, Pablo Sabater, murdered in July, 1919. Within two months Bravo Portillo was killed in revenge.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #12

In July, 1918, an important regional congress, called to modernise the structure of the unions, was held in Barcelona. The sindicato unico (single union) was devised as a way of avoiding rivalries between unions.8 In December, the CNT sent its finest speakers on a propaganda campaign through remote parts of the country. Although many of them were eventually arrested and put into jails and ships anchored in Barcelona harbour, they had sown the seed. Unions sprang up everywhere. The CNT soon had more than a million members.

On February 21, 1919, a well-organized general strike took place against the powerful La Canadiense electricity company. This strike, the most successful for the anarchist working class in that period, marked the climax of the period of expansion. It was a united, disciplined action: it caused panic in the bourgeoisie and the government and they responded in the usual fashion. When the conflict had virtually been resolved by negotiation between the parties directly involved, the Barcelona military authorities broke up the talks and arrested many of the militant workers. Thus the second phase of the struggle was against the authorities. The strikers had returned to work with the promise that all prisoners would be freed. But some were kept in jail on the pretext that they had been indicted. The strikers contended that the trials should have been dropped by executive fiat. The truth is that the only reason the indictments had been issued was to keep certain prisoners in jail, and thus save face for the authorities. In ignoring this and insisting upon total victory, the strikers were excessively optimistic. In fact, they played into the hands of the authorities. What had at first been a great victory turned into a modest success.

The strike of La Canadiense gave an idea of the power, the degree of coordination, and the militancy of the worker movement. The bourgeoisie and the authorities knew that the defeat of so dangerous an adversary, by any means necessary, was a question of life and death. In the face of the dread Sindicato Unico, industrialists organized the Federación Patronal (Owners' Federation). Hostilities broke out at once: a dialogue of pistols. Who had fired the first shot?

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #11

The Spanish State declared its neutrality in the war because its political leadership was divided between francophiles and germanophiles, and possibly because a neutral Spain was useful to France and England as supplier for their armies. Neutrality meant commercial paradise for the bourgeoisie. All the industrialists received contracts to supply the belligerents. Shipbuilders appeared overnight and amassed great fortunes. Mines, most abandoned, were reactivated and still could not keep up with demand. New industries were created and old industries were converted for war production. The Bank of Spain reaped a harvest of gold.

The demand for labour brought a flood of immigrants to Barcelona from other regions. Exporters sold even the food that would normally have been consumed in Spain. Prices of essential goods rose sharply due to speculation and shortages, causing large-scale social unrest. In mid- 1916 the Socialist Party adopted a program of political agitation bringing it closer to the CNT. Both movements declared a general strike against the rise in prices. Syndicalism gained great power and even a certain cachet.

Lower ranking army officers, in an effort to get rid of the nepotism of the military hierarchy, formed their own union known as the Juntas of Defence. Liberal politicians took this as evidence of a new mentality among younger officers and demanded that parliament be reconvened and a new federal constitution drawn up. A united front of members of Parliament held a meeting in Barcelona, but government forces broke in and quickly dispersed it. However the CNT and the UGT had agreed upon a revolutionary alliance, and on August 12, 1917, they proclaimed a general strike throughout Spain. The Juntas of Defence quickly showed their true colours and soldiers entered the streets of Barcelona firing at will. Within seven days the revolutionary outbreak was stifled. Four Socialist leaders, Largo Caballero, Saborit, Besteiro, and Anguiano, were held responsible. They were imprisoned, but were freed the next year because of the parliamentary elections. Referring to the strike, Socialist leader Prieto declared to the new parliament: "It's true that we gave the people weapons. But we didn't give them ammunition."

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.4.0

4. From time to time, principal loyalties may be tried and tested. Means can be a source of contention. How far should one go. Whether one likes it or not, the better answer might be no more than necessary. As for individuals, the case is even more important for groupings. Absent fear and intimidation, cohesion cannot be maintained by pressing much further beyond the tolerance level of the most reticent in action. This baseline is something akin to a ground state–although it may change over time. Confidence is an excellent motivational aide beyond the baser inclinations. The sure are less used.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.3.0

3. Occasionally, a associate may feel a compulsion to rash action and expect one to support their stupidity. Often, the better course of action is to standby, let them take their lumps but intervene when they are down. They might learn nothing but you will.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #10

In the fall of 1911 the CNT celebrated its First Congress in Barcelona. Soon afterwards two serious incidents took place: the metalworkers' strike organized by the Socialist Party in Bilbao, spread across Spain; and the bloody incidents in Cullera (Valencia), where a judge from Sueca, invested with full powers, provoked popular violence and was lynched. Seven suspects were condemned to death on January 10, 1912. All seven were reprieved, the last, Juan Jover, by the king.

The various CNT headquarters were shut down because of their solidarity with the strikers organized by the Socialist Party in the Bilbao mining region. In October, 1911, a Barcelona judge outlawed the CNT. Not until the eve of the First World War, in 1914, would the CNT return to public life.

Because of the reprieves after Cullera, the President of the Council of Ministers, José Canalejas, submitted the resignation of his government. The king reiterated his confidence in Canalejas, and the government toughened its anti-popular stance. In September, 1912, there was a railway strike. Canalejas, following the example of the socialist Aristide Briand, drafted the strikers into the army. The decree was known as the "Law of Handcuffs". On November 12, 1912, Canalejas was assassinated in Madrid's Puerta del Sol. His killer, Manuel Pardifias, immediately committed suicide. Perhaps the act was motivated by Canalejas' refusal to reverse the conviction of Ferrer. But there are other hypotheses. Among the proposed reforms of Canalejas was the so-called "padlock" law, which forbade the establishment of new religious orders. This law caused much unrest among the clergy, and throughout the country there were processions presided over by bishops and aristocratic ladies.

Even underground the CNT continued to have an effect, in particular in a strike of 100,000 textile workers. Again legal in 1914, the CNT waged a campaign against the European war. In 1915 it held an international anti-militarist conference in Galicia in spite of government prohibition. Some of the participants were jailed, and foreign delegates like Sebastian Fauré and Malatesta were not allowed to enter the country. Some foreign anarchists, notably Kropotkin, Malato, and Grave, openly favoured the allies as did some of the anarchists and syndicalists in Spain. The most notable of the Spaniards was Ricardo Mella, who argued in Acción Libertaria against the position taken by José Prat in Tierra y Libertad. This dispute darkened the last days of Anselmo Lorenzo, who died on November 30, 1914.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #9

In the face of such repression, Solidaridad Obrera convened a national congress in Barcelona. The syndicalists realized that the lack of a national organization had hindered the cause of the rebels of 1909 and facilitated the Ferrer trial and execution. A kind of guilt complex led to the founding of an anarcho-syndicalist central committee on a national level. The other national union, The General Union of Workers (UGT), was only a docile satellite of the Pablo Iglesias Socialist Party, organized between 1879 and 1881. The Congress of Solidaridad Obrera took place in Barcelona's Palace of Fine Arts, and so was known as the "Congress of Fine Arts". It met on October 30 and November 1, 1910 and was composed of delegates from almost all of the regions of Spain. One of the most notable adherents was Anselmo Lorenzo, founder of the old Spanish Regional Federation. His message was prophetic:

You are going to make an accord that will influence the ever-progressive march of humanity. A page of the book of history lies blank before you; prepare yourselves to fill it in a way that will be to your credit and to the benefit of all persons, now and in the future.

The Congress of Solidaridad Obrera founded the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) on the model of French revolutionary syndicalism. Perhaps old Anselmo Lorenzo smiled when the syndicalist Charter of Amiens was used as a model by the Spaniards. For in fact this syndicalism had been invented by the Spanish members of the International, and brought to the London conference of 1870 in a speech that produced astonishment and admiration. The speaker had been none other than Anselmo Lorenzo himself, then a youth, sent for the first time to an international conference.

The Congress of Fine Arts defined syndicalism as

... a way of struggle ... to obtain at once all those advantages that enable the working class to intensify the struggle within the present order, so as to gain .... its complete freedom, by means of the revolutionary expropriation of the bourgeoisie, as soon as syndicalism .... considers itself numerically strong enough and intellectually competent to carry out the general strike. The general strike by definition must be revolutionary, and have as its watchword the motto of the First International: The workers must free themselves. Consequently only workers, who earn their wages in factories or businesses run by the bourgeoisie and the State, may be members of the unions of the CNT.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #8

During the first days of June, 1909, serious incidents took place near Melilla, in Spanish Morocco. The local people were violently opposed to the construction of a mine railway, which they saw as an encroachment on their sovereignty. A Spanish military counterattack was beaten back with heavy losses at Barranco del Lobo. On July 11, 1909, the government called up the reserves.

The Moroccan campaigns had always been unpopular in Catalonia. Spontaneous demonstrations broke out in the port district of Barcelona when the reservists were leaving. Workers¹ Solidarity called a general strike, which the people turned into an uprising. The people threw up barricades in the streets and burned 17 churches and 23 convents and other religious establishments, The government proclaimed martial law and cut off Catalonia from the rest of Spain with troops. A heavy repression followed. Reactionary civilians formed Councils of Civil Defense and a special judge was charged with indicting those responsible for the uprising. The official press undertook a campaign of slander against the people and centred the blame on the founder of the Modem School, Francisco Ferrer. They brought out his prior revolutionary activities in France and Spain as militant anarchist and enemy of the nation, the army and the Church. The government produced false witnesses who testified they had seen him direct the uprising from the barricades. Some of these perjurers departed for America after being paid for their testimony.

On August 31, Ferrer was arrested and accused of leading the rebellion. A public hearing was held for anyone wishing to testify against him and police, aristocrats and Carlists took advantage of the opportunity. The edict of the judge in charge of the case made no mention of those who might testify in his favour. This public appeal for witnesses shows that the government had no proof of Ferrer's guilt. The Captain General of the garrison ordered the military judges to select "all indications, evidence, and charges against Ferrer" from the transcripts "and forward them to the instructing judge, Raso Negrin. "Thus all evidence and testimony in favour of the prisoner was eliminated.

The government had previously banished all close friends of the prisoner. Three of his longtime associates, Soledad Villafranca, Cristóbal Litrán, and Anselmo Lorenzo, were sent to Teruel. The letters they sent the judge asking to testify were mysteriously lost or "delayed." On one of these "delayed" letters Raso Negrin wrote, "The case has already been sent to court, and because in court only those witnesses may testify who have testified in the hearing, to my great regret I cannot allow this testimony." Nevertheless, the case was taken to court October I and two days later a new witness was permitted to testify against Ferrer. From then on the trial picked up unusual speed. It was very clear that, come what may, Ferrer was to be shot. And yet the uprising had been leaderless. Ossorio y Gallardo, the governor at the time, admitted as much.

But because the government needed a well known person as a scapegoat for the recent events, they fixed on Ferrer, a man already marked as an agitator by the military and clergy. Ferrer was a good catch for the reactionaries. He had succeeded in escaping unpunished from the investigation of the attack on the royal couple in 1906. Besides being a revolutionary, Ferrer was a dangerous innovator in education and therefore profoundly disliked by the clergy. With convents and churches gutted by flames, the clergy could not bring themselves to forgive the people for the events of July, 1909.

Francisco Ferrer was condemned to death according to plan and executed in Montjuich on September 13, 1909. To mitigate the effect of the execution other more obscure citizens were also shot: José Miguel Baró, Antonio Malets, Eugenio del Hoya, a night watchman, and Ramón Clemente.

The Maura government was unable to survive the protests throughout Spain and abroad during and after the trials. Ferrer's statue stands in Brussels; Maura's career was ruined by the crime. In 1910 he was wounded in Barcelona by an anarchist, Manuel Possa. (In 1904 another attempt on his life had been made by the anarchist Joaquin Miguel Artal.) At the beginning of 1911 there was a widespread movement to reopen the Ferrer case. Although the case was never reopened, the verdict was in effect reversed by a series of brilliant speeches in Parliament.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #7

Repression and anarchist attacks followed one another well into the twentieth century. In 1898 Spain lost the last vestiges of its overseas empire. Defeated in America and the Pacific, the army decided to colonize Spain itself. Alfonso XIII began his reign by humouring the army. But the liberal press satirized the army's arrogance and in retaliation a group of officers sacked the office of a satirical newspaper in Barcelona. The government gave in to military pressure and promulgated the Law of Jurisdictions. By this law any offence, verbal or written, against military institutions would be judged by the military code. In newspapers and public meetings the workers' movement protested this extension of martial law to the civilian sector. The king continued to cultivate the army's favour.

In 1906 the anarchist Mateo Morral broke up the royal wedding by throwing a bomb as the royal couple passed. The king and queen were unhurt, and Morral committed suicide. The subsequent repression concentrated on Francisco Ferrer, director of the Modern School of Barcelona, where Mateo Morral had been a teacher.

Francisco Ferrer had arrived in Barcelona at the beginning of the century with a respectable fortune inherited from a Frenchwoman who sympathized with his projects. A convinced revolutionary and experienced conspirator, he proposed to advance the revolution on two fronts: on the industrial front by means of the general strike; and on the educational and cultural front with rationalist and positivist teachings. In 1901 he opened the first Modem School in Barcelona with 30 students. His publishing house undertook the translation of the best examples of scientific thinking and modern philosophy. His school was the working class equivalent of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza on the university level. His collaborators included Elisée Reclus, Jean Grave, Pyotr Kropotkin, Charles Malato, and Anselmo Lorenzo. This serious revolutionary movement frightened government officials and the clergy. Ferrer was freed unharmed from his first jailing only with great difficulty. But the clergy and the military did not lose sight of him.

In 1907 the local Barcelona federation, called Solidaridad Obrera (Workers¹ Solidarity), became a regional federation. In October, 1907, there appeared the weekly Solidaridad Obrera, edited by José Prat and Anselmo Lorenzo. In January, 1908, the government of Maura and La Cierva proposed a new law for the repression of terrorism. La Cierva, the Minister of the Interior, began a campaign of provocation in Barcelona to ensure the bill's passage. Bombs went off daily in virtually all parts of town, especially in the meeting places of the Catalan nationalists. Curiously, no one was arrested. The government had prepared a plan to stop, once and for all, the political and social rebirth of Catalonia. A private detective was able to establish the true source of these explosions, implicating the police, the Governor, and the Ministry of the Interior. A provocateur named Juan Rull was paid for his services on the scaffold. The proposed law for the repression of terrorism had to be withdrawn from Parliament because of the concerted opposition of the republicans, Socialists, and anarchists.

Operational Art

In Operational IEDs, William S. Lind makes the following point: Operational art is not a thing, but a linkage: the connection between the tactical and strategic levels of war. The area connecting the local and global is often murky. The whole is different than the sum of its parts. He goes on to say:

Unfortunately, it appears our Fourth Generation opponents have figured out a way to act operationally against us. I touched on this in an earlier column, but as I thought more about it, I decided that what is happening deserves fuller consideration. What our opponents are doing is brilliantly simple. By relying mostly on IEDs to attack us, they have created a situation where our troops have no one to shoot back at. That, in turn, ramps up the troops’ frustration level to the point where two things happen: our morale collapses and our troops take their frustration out on the local population. Both results have strategic significance, and at least the potential of being strategically decisive, the first because it affects American home front morale and the second because it drives the local population to identify with the insurgents instead of the government we are trying to support.

And

The second operational effect, getting U.S. troops to take out their frustration on the local population, was illustrated in what an officer whose unit recently came back from Iraq said to me. “We were hit 3000 times and in only fifteen of those attacks did we have anyone to shoot back at,” he told me. He quoted another officer in the battalion who had gone out on patrol many times as saying, “We are worse than the SS in the way we are treating these people,” meaning Iraqi civilians. This is a classic result of “the war of the flea:” as morale collapses, so does discipline, and poorly disciplined troops often treat local civilians badly.

It would appear that local populations can effectively fight state-based military occupations. I would also have to say that the same thing can sometimes be accomplished by peaceful means. The Palestinians would probably find peaceful means much more profitable as a means of eliciting sympathy from Europe. An official EU trade Embargo would devastate the Israeli economy. It's hard to have sympathy for suicide bombers and those who us them. However, it would seem that overwhelming response can effectively even overcome the natural distaste for suicide bombers. Pictures of Fallujah do no good for the US government on the world stage. Rather than a military response, which is grossly uneven, why not just use local bounty hunters? At least less bystanders will be killed in the cross fire.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #6

In June, 1896, in Barcelona, two bombs were thrown at a procession attended by the Captain General. There were several victims. As a result, hundreds of prisoners, many brought on foot from the countryside, were crowded into the dungeons of the notorious Barcelona fortress of Montjuich. Among them were Anselmo Lorenzo, Tarrida de Mármol, Teresa Claramunt, Federico Urales and José Llunas.

Commander Enrique Marzo was in charge of the case, and a lieutenant of the Civil Guard, Narciso Portas, conducted the interrogations. On his orders hired thugs tried to obtain confessions from the prisoners, who were whipped into running for hours at a time until they dropped from exhaustion. They were also prevented from sleeping and given dry cod instead of water. In desperation they came to drink their own urine. Their testicles were twisted, and glowing irons were inserted under their fingernails and toenails. These tortures took place deep inside the fortress.

By the end of September the executioners had chosen their victims. Five of them, Aschery, Más, Nogués, Molas, and Alsina, were condemned to death and executed inside the castle. Twenty-two others were given maximum penalties (they too were freed by international pressure in the spring of 1900) and the rest were banished from the country. During the trial the climate of international opinion changed to the extent that those exiled were given asylum in England. Fernando Tarrida de Mhrmol, an anarchist professor in the Barcelona Politechnical Atheneum, who, because of his intellectual reputation and his wealthy family, had been released in the first phase of the investigation, roused the international community with a powerful book denouncing the trial.

Influenced by these reports, Miguele Angiolillo, an Italian anarchist, left London for Spain in August, 1897 with the express purpose of assassinating the Prime Minister, Chnovas del Castillo. Angiolillo was executed on August 20, 1897. The following month, a Spanish anarchist named Sempau tried in vain to attack Portas, the interrogator.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #5

In 1892 a peasant uprising took place in Jerez de la Frontera. More than 4,000 peasants took over the city, shouting "Long Live Anarchy!"

The peasant rebellion of '92 was the act of dreamers. Armed with staves and scythes they thought they would overcome the wen guarded lords of Jerez who lived off lands they never even saw, while those who worked the lands could hardly eat.

Blasco lbáñez has written of this episode in his novel, La Bodega. The anarchist apostle of Andalusia, Fermin Salvochea, was in the Cadiz prison at the time of the events, but he was still held responsible for the uprising and condemned to twelve years imprisonment. (The prosecutor demanded 52 years.) Four men were condemned and executed. Eighteen other defendants were sentenced to heavy terms, some of them for life. They, too, were given amnesty at the beginning of this century.

The end of the century in Spain was punctuated by explosions of anarchist dynamite. In Barcelona on September 24, 11892, Paulino Pallás threw a bomb at General Martinez Campos, one of the architects of the Restoration. Pallás acted in retaliation for the Jerez executions. When Pallás in turn was executed, another anarchist, Santiago Salvador, tried to avenge him by throwing another bomb, this time into the orchestra section of the Lyceum, a patrician theatre in Barcelona, on November 8, 1892. Twenty persons were killed. The police rounded up a number of anarchists and tortured some of them into confessing that they had committed the crime. José Codina, Mariano Cerezuela, José Bernat, Jaime Sogas, José Salvat, and Manuel Archs were condemned to death. In the meantime the police discovered the real culprit, but in spite of his confession they carried out all of the executions.

Manuel Archs, wrote his son a letter shortly before his execution in which he said:

Perhaps tomorrow people will tell you your father was a criminal. Tell them loudly that he was innocent of the crime he was accused of. I hope you will understand and will not despair because of what happened to your father. On the contrary, may my end serve to inspire you to spread far and wide the principles for which I give my life.

Years later Archs' son was assassinated by one of the gangs of gunmen which operated with impunity under the reign of the Generals, Martinez Anido and Arlegui.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #4

At times in public, at times underground, the anarchist workers' movement has been in existence in Spain since the founding of the Spanish section of the First International in 1869. It began as the Spanish Regional Federation, outlawed from 1872 to 1874 but continuing underground until the dissolution of the International. It became known, in turn, as the Federation of Workers of the Spanish Region (1881-1889), the Pact for Union and Solidarity (1889-1896), Worker Solidarity (1904-1909), and since 1910 as the National Confederation of Labour, CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo).

At the turn of the century the movement declined, both because it was forced to go underground and because it was divided internally. At this time the more authoritarian members, influenced by the doctrines of Karl Marx and his representative in Spain, the Frenchman Paul Lafargue, split off from the movement. Also, there was heavy repression, the bloodiest of which was the persecution in 1882 of an alleged organization of evildoers called "The Black Hand".

In response to government repression, some of the followers of the International formed secret societies. In Andalusia members of one such group swore to avenge assassinated or imprisoned members, and to aid their families where necessary. One member, jealous of another's love affair, informed on the group. When the informer was killed, local landowners and the police seized on the incident to fabricate a bizarre plot. On a wall in the village of Villamartín the print of a hand appeared in paint; this was the famous "black hand". Likewise the police "discovered," this time under a pile of stones on a mountain, the macabre rules of a secret society "founded for the robbery and murder of decent people". Two sinister figures, the head of the Civil Guard of Jerez, Tomás Pérez Monforte, and his aide Oliver, directed the repression that followed. All unsolved murders, thefts, or fires were included in the case. Numerous prisoners were severely tortured to force confessions of pre-selected crimes. The reactionaries sought to discredit the anarchist movement and deprive it of its leaders. Three members of the District Commission, Juan Ruiz, Pedro Corbacho, and Francisco Corbacho, along with Cristábal Fernández, Manuel Gago, Gregorio Shnchez, and Juan Galftn, were condemned and executed. Le6n Ortega avoided the scaffold by going mad in jail. Eleven other men were condemned to life imprisonment and several of them died in jail before amnesty was declared twenty years later, after an international campaign.

From 1880 until the turn of the century a kind of renaissance took place in anarchist intellectual circles: the founding of the satirical periodical La Tramontana by José Llunas (Barcelona, 1881); the First Socialist Literary Competition, organized by the Centre of the Friends of Reus, Tarragona, in 1885; the founding of the review Acracia (Barcelona, 1886); the publication of the newspaper El Productor (Barcelona, 1887); and the Second Socialist Literary Competition (Barcelona, 1889). The best Spanish anarchist writers, most notably Ricardo Mella, took part in these competitions.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.2.4

2d. Intra-group bonding may prove detrimental in certain situations. Detrimental actions committed by one member of the group almost always reflects badly on all members of the groups. The lack of internal discipline inevitably leads toward corruption and predation. Such behavior invites confrontation. In a technological world, as witnessed by current events, anyone sufficiently motivated can prove a threat. As previously stated, whom needs more enemies? Certain actions deserve censure or repudiation. The local standards set the bar. Yet be wary. The whole world might be watching.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.2.3

2c. Individuals may form groupings for a common objective. Real freedom is the ability to walk away even before completed. Anything meaningful is worth staying to the end; anything else is not worth the effort. The moral high ground gives the better vantage point.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.2.2

2b. Employed skillfully, quickness often proves the surest means to success (at least in the short term). The non-hierarchical are always disadvantaged compared to authoritarian systems with respect to operational speed. However, flexibility will often overcome this deficiency. Unlike those ordered from above, anti-authoritarian drive must come from within both the group and the self. As witnessed, hierarchies are vulnerable.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.2.1

2a. Occasionally, circumstances require cooperation with others. Often similarities will prove the greatest impedance to a successful working relationship. In situations where one's ability obviously make one most suited, little argument regarding superiority is likely. However, when skills are evenly matched, the danger lies wherein a clash of egos and the resulting needless expenditure of energy. In a hierarchical situation, leadership may act as a mediator. In the case of a grouping of individuals, decision making still requires process. Dispute resolution must be quick. How is a matter for and only for those involved.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three

Second Draft

Part Three.1.1
Part Three.1.2
Part Three.1.3
Part Three.2.1
Part Three.2.2
Part Three.3.1
Part Three.3.2
Part Three.3.3
Part Three.3.4
Part Three.4.1
Part Three.4.2
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Part Three.6.2
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On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Four.1.0

Part Three.

On Groupings and Cooperation–

Draft 2.0

1. A Note–

Ego might be a concept useful as a psychological description, but it is not an absolute. Language can be used to describe the same thing in many different ways. For the purposes of this discussion (and this discussion only), the term will refer to something akin to that which drives so-called "pissing matches." In conflict, it does not really matter that which is inside someone’s skull, only that action is decisive and not reckless. In the absence of a hierarchy, this ability is something that needs to be instilled without the benefit of indoctrination. Cultural strengths and weaknesses are a big factor in contributing to successful conflict resolution or otherwise.

Interlude: "Democratization of Warfare"

In Women Warriors by Fabius Maximus, the reality of women and child soldiers is discussed. The author points out that modern warfare has essentially become an undertaking devoid of honor. He concludes:

What drives this democratization of warfare, providing women and children the opportunity to die for their tribe, religion, or nation?

Technology is the obvious candidate. Many powerful weapons require little strength, such as pulling the trigger on an AK-47 or detonating 10 kg of SEMTEX wrapped around your waist.

Today even the physically weak can fight. And they do fight, proving that bravery is a universal aspect of the human spirit. Many kinds of societies send women and children to fight and die, another example of the soulless, Darwinian nature of warfare. What works gets used. Even the most fundamental social rules bow to the necessities of war.

Consider this trend from another perspective.

Many armies have traditionally relied on “stand-off” weapons, such as cavalry armed with the
composite bow, to combat heavy infantry. Now armies can in some circumstances rely almost
entirely on mines, mortars, and missiles – with no need to even face their enemy.

We see this in Iraq, where about 2/3 of our deaths result from insurgents’ IEDs. We see the
same trend in our own forces, as the day nears when remotely piloted vehicles sweep manned
aircraft from the sky. What need for the traditional warrior virtues in this form of combat? Bravery, discipline, and loyalty have no role. Armies themselves become unnecessary in any conventional sense. Perhaps armies become strange in form, mixing fighters who face their foe and those who do not – a more radical divide than anything in today’s military.

These trends affect all soldiers in another way. Warfare is an intimate relationship between
enemies. What glory for our elaborately equipped soldiers when they kill “armies” containing
women and children? Or for a “pilot” sitting in a comfortable chair, commanding a RPV to drop
500-pound bombs on a densely populated neighborhood hundreds of miles distant?

This puts a new spin on Thomas Barnett’s sunny tales about a future in which American
Expeditionary forces sail off to civilize dark corners of the world. To do so means wars of a kind alien to our culture and experience. Are we willing to kill women and children soldiers who are defending their cultures, however misguided we believe them to be?
This is our times’ Revolution in Military Affairs, perhaps the most significant in many millennia.

What might this mean for warfare as a social phenomenon?
Often the entrance of significant numbers of women into a profession both lowers its social
standing and sparks an exodus of men. Examples are teaching in the United States and medicine
in the Soviet Union.

The increased role of women in both conventional and unconventional armies might do this for
warfare. The increased role of children in guerilla warfare might do so even more powerfully,
especially in tribal societies where the role of Warrior has deep connections with concepts of manhood and glory.

Perhaps men will no longer see war as a high status occupation, but just another nasty but
occasionally necessary task. Like fixing sewers.

We will have moved from the Clausewitz’s ordered theater of war to a new world where war
becomes a more primal thing – still terrible, but with little room for glory or honor.
Perhaps then it will become less common.

Perhaps that is an acceptable trade-off, if one wants to live in societies that send women and children to fight and die – or sends soldiers to kill armies of women and children -- for politically convenient goals.

For myself, it seems better to stay at home, waging defensive warfare.

I would have to agree with this sentiment. The fact is aggression through warfare can only end when the warriors refuse to fight. Even for the warrior, killing for the lies of politicians is becoming less attractive. Personally, if I am not defending myself or my own, then I have no interest (which is why the military never had any appeal). It would appear others are beginning to agree. The inevitable conclusion is that those who wage aggression are a threat to be defended against. My question is when will the obvious next step be taken?

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.7.0

7. Pride is a stupid thing. Even Christians understand its folly. Occasionally, an obstacle is too big or challenging to overcome alone. Aid is required. The lone individual may only do so much. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows that a time comes when allies may be needed. The difficult part is discerning reliability.

End of Part Three.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.6.2

6b. Unless extremely fortunate, from time to time, everyone loses. A fall-back plan is an advisable means of mitigating failure. In addition, one must examine defeat with the greatest clarity. An honest assessment may enable future success. Why endlessly repeat the same error? Those whom lack adaptability are doomed.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.6.1

6a. Many struggles are a waste of time and resources. Battles must be carefully chosen. The high ground is better identified preceding conflict. The immediate terrain and environment should be reconnoitered well before the start of any troubles. Escape points and bolt holes can thus be identified. Things can go wrong. If one knows where to run and hide, one will less likely be caught in a dead end and trapped. Feet are the optimal means. Speed distorts and hides detail. During conflict, small things may become great. Through planning, failure can become success. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows it may fail. It knows swagger is mainly theater.[1]

[1] After writing this last sentence, I started laughing as I recalled a drag queen loudly proclaiming, "it’s all just theater, baby."

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.5.2

5b. Leadership is often a lie. Rather than earned, status is conferred. Legitimacy is eroded. The pretenders seek influence but only spawn alienation. Their failure is inevitable. Their cause is not worth supporting. This Modern Warrior Archetype does not require enemies. All scales and levels suffer the idiot. Stampedes are better avoided. Fortunately, anyone with minimal powers of observation and a little sense can see it. History is a good guide of what not to be.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.5.1

5a. Rash action often results in disaster. As for nations, so may individuals become bogged down in quagmires of their own making. A situation may engulf one whole. Since satisfaction will never be achieved, the price is never worth it. Trying is often over-rated by those who have never done anything worth mentioning. This Modern Warrior Archetype has done enough to know better.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.4.3

4c. Self-discipline is sometimes necessary in achieving the means to an end. One must learn to control reaction. In conflict situation, maintaining a cool head is imperative. At the very least, the appearance is intimidating. The easiest targets are not calm. The hurricane’s eye is shielded by fury. Even if one has not truly reached the level of this Modern Warrior Archetype, the screen will allow one to build confidence. If those you fear also fear you, then they must not have been so very fearsome in the first place.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.4.2

4b. Suffering may impart harsh but extremely useful lessons. Pain is an excellent means for motivating memory retention. Of course, care must be taken not to cross the line into sadism (or masochism). Physical exertion is an almost universal means for pushing toward individual limits. Intellectual and most other heights are too uneven. One may develop sufficient character towards greatly ensuring survival under adverse conditions through physical means. At least, one knows things could be worse.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.4.1

4a. In conflict situations, weakness can be compensated, but one must be self-aware to be successful. By failing to acknowledge limitations, one will never fully recognize those subtle strengths found within. However, a danger does lie when one becomes self-absorbed by the process. This Modern Warrior Archetype must walk the line between introversion and extroversion, or else one may stare downward when one should be facing forward. Therefore, the moment is not seized, and failure is part of the price. Even so, one may still learn from such errors. As noted by Nietzsche, that which does not kill us makes us stronger.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.3.4

3d. Inflation is a danger spawned by projection. One whom projects their desires on reality often gets burned. Self-image is inflated beyond anything sustainable, thus vulnerable to bursting. In addition, as a consequence, one will often find oneself a target. Predators can smell those whom are all talk with nothing to back it up. This Modern Warrior Archetype is realistic in identifying weakness and finding a way to overcome. One may even find strength through acknowledging failings. However, in doing so, it is not necessary to broadcast everything.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.3.3

3c. Anger can be a positive or negative force for motivation. Its extremes are generally self-destructive over all but the shortest periods. Struggle can lead to constant agitation. Anger can fester. Internalized, anger leads towards depression. Externalized, one loses self-control and makes stupid mistakes. One may loose the ability to calculate. Response is better measured than spewed. Backlash is ensured through instability. Moderation can be doled-out slowly and surely. The result can bring down mountains. Restraint will greatly increase the chance that one is not buried by the collapse. This Modern Warrior Archetype does not need any more enemies.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.3.2

3b. The insecure often wear their anxieties like an old coat. Their fear is obvious. Easily manipulated, they may be driven. The herd is only as smart as its dimmest members. The sub-average may rise to great heights. This Modern Warrior Archetype had better never underestimate the stupid. The worst wallow. The most annoying are those whom believe their mediocrity to be something superior. Avoidance becomes a primary maladaptive trait. As usual, their faith is misplaced. History has no qualms grinding anyone into the dirt.

Interlude: Concerning 5GW

A few thoughts, mulled over while reading ZenPundit's post 5GW REVOLUTIONS:

I believe 5GW is warfare waged by individuals or very small groups. The Unibomber and possibly the OKC bombers are examples (assuming no greater network was involved). In making Things Fall Apart, their major role is showing individuals can make a difference in helping to destroy the state. It emboldens those individuals with a serious grudge against their targets. The ruling power elite are very vulnerable to the lone actor. He emerges without warning and strikes. He also creates a state backlash that further helps to erode the legitimacy of the state.

Although, I don't condone such things as mass destructions of innocents[1], I see the success of 4GW and 5GW actors against a mediocre power structure as basically inevitable. Once a lone nut can unleash a plague we are all going to pay.

As an aside, Man Accused of Sabotaging Ariz. Gas Lines illustrates the potential for trouble a disgruntled individual may cause.

[1] The victims of terrorism are not pretty sights. I am acquainted with someone, who was sleeping several block from the OKC bombing, that had her womb blown apart by the concussion of the blast. Thinking it was thunder (Oklahoma's weather really is that bad). she rolled over and went back to sleep. She awoke to a mis-carriage situated in the middle of a medical crisis.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.3.1

3a. Guilt is an obstacle to empathy. One will never understand without experience. Relating requires certainty that may only be gained through adversity. One must know failure to understand reaction. The fragile lash out unnecessarily. The sturdy know there is a time and place for everything. This Modern Warrior Archetype might be anti-social but never sociopathic. The rigid only break. Adaptability implies observation. The maladaptive eventually wilt. Those unable to see must listen. Fortune does not favor the stupid. Idiocy is a challenge.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.2.2

2b. Intimidation is both a learned and innate art. Some just don't have the means. The inability can be compensated with attitude and bearing. The ability to shoot straight does not hurt either. This Modern Warrior Archetype walks like it owns the place. The fact is predators look for easier prey than someone capable of striking back. Unfortunately, such judgements are not equal. If called out, one must be willing to strike quickly and then leave quickly. Ground is not always worth keeping.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.2.1

2a. Fear requires management. A little fear is healthy; too much may lead to rashness or even prove paralyzing. A simmer allows for better direction. Opponent may be lead down the path of their own consternation. The disquiet life is profitable. This Modern Warrior Archetype is a master of unease. Swimming below the surface, an adversary's dread is an opportunity for managed projection. Why put effort into something that will maintain itself. The mental plane is a primary sphere of conflict. However, it must be executed with enough consistency to avoid ambiguity. The consequences should be obvious.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.1.3

1c. Escalation often marks the path of no return. This Modern Warrior Archetype must tread wearily when stepping into such courses. Alternatives must be exhausted. The psychological battle must be entirely spent. In such situations, covert methods and means will often be preferable to overt action as less neutral parties will be dragged into the conflict. Nobody needs more enemies. People like things quiet. Feuds are better silent and distant. The shadows provide useful concealment but muffle nothing.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.1.2

1b. Psychological warfare can be cooler than other forms of conflict. Insecurities are opportunities to be capitalized. The most subtle will keep an adversary away. The better approach is encouraging an antagonist to further believe that which they already want to believe. Why swim up stream? Fears are easily magnified. If someone chooses to believe something anyway, reinforcement is a much easier task. Why worry about those who will become paralyzed. Hence, neutralization is achieved without lifting a finger. Anything more or less is wasted effort.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Three.1.1

Part Three.

On Conflict–

1a. As stated previously, conflict is better avoided by this Modern Warrior Archetype. Unfortunately, sometimes conflict is unavoidable. In such circumstances, initiative is the surest (although not assured) path to prevailing. However, unless forced by outright physical attack, this Modern Warrior Archetype preferably ramps escalation forward. In fact, the lower intensities may be played subtly enough to be barely noticed. Intimidation can be a fine art. For such purposes, human behavior is key. One whom knows oneself sufficiently, one may better understand and exploit the small weaknesses of one's adversaries.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two

Second Draft

Part Two.1.1
Part Two.1.2
Part Two.1.3
Part Two.2.1
Part Two.2.2
Part Two.3.1 Revisited
Part Two.3.2 Revisited
Part Two.4.0 Revisited
Part Two.5.1 Revisited
Part Two.5.2 Revisited
Part Two.6.0 Revisited
Part Two.7.1 Revisited
Part Two.7.2-8.0 Revisited

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.8.0

8. Power and control are not the only things that matter in life. Those consumed by megalomania are something to be resisted by this Modern Warrior Archetype as a disease to be eliminated. However, if applied effectively, power will allow one to remain free with the assistance of those so like minded, a little can go along way. The prize must be made to not be worth the price. The high ground is not just landscape. Control is over-rated. This Modern Warrior Archetype is something to be feared by and only by those that deserve to be a target.

End of Part Two.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.7.4

7d. Society and culture may stagnate, but the world always moves on. Stasis leads to decadence; decadence leads to nihilism. The strong and vibrant always eventually supplant the weak and complacent. One might be a product; one need not act like it. An awareness is required. Outside reference frames must be cultivated in order to awake. The current state is not universal nor inevitable. This Modern Warrior Archetype must be detached enough to know it, but enmeshed enough to still care. Else nothing will nor can change for the better. Degeneration is the greatest threat.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.7.3

7c. Power is better gained by influence rather than at gunpoint. Everyone has to sleep sometime. This Modern Warrior Archetype must be knowledgeable concerning the greater world and act accordingly. Ignorance is a recipe for disaster. One must understand the motivations of potential allies and act upon that insight beyond Maximum Advantage in all Things. Often, the top disregards the bottom. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows where the real action lies. Everything falls back to Earth. Below always trumps above in the end.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.7.2

7b. Power and Control are better quietly accumulated. The noisy are threatening and make easy targets. The process should be as silent as possible. Slow motion makes the least noise. Stalk with no one watching. This Modern Warrior Archetype must not show its hand prematurely. The best defense is surprise. Shock is an insulator. Who knew?

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.7.1

7a. Power and control are not mutually inclusive. Control is over-rated. Generally, it expends far more energy than is truly worthwhile. Only the insecure bother with the trivial and unimportant. The calm assurance of retaliation is a far more valuable trait. Some targets are just not worth the effort. Too much makes one bloated; rivals gun for the top dog. Too little risks being rolled over; an easy target is too tempting. The middle ground is preferable. This Modern Warrior Archetype must be balanced. Overreach is off equilibrium. The world seeks the ground state. Space is limited.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.6.0

6. Power may be over-stretched thus compromising control. Unless carefully calculated, so as to only appear extended, the slope will inevitably head downward. Backlash is an accelerant against an already strained power. Eventually, power and control will fall into complete disarray. Empires fall in such manners. Error propagates. The scavengers descend and pick clean the carcass. The remains rot away and fade into history. This Modern Warrior Archetype must learn to avoid he turmoil. Order will be sought, and can be provided without the pathological need for control.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.5.2

5b. Brutal power displays lead toward resolve in one's enemies. Provocation is an attempt to draw forth brutality which in turn drives the neutral parties toward the other side. Massive retaliation is better curtailed. True power is the ability to eliminate one's enemies without collateral damage. Who needs more enemies? This Modern Warrior Archetype certainly does not need more opposition. Only those lacking control require struggle. This Modern Warrior Archetype does not need control. Power is something else entirely different.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.5.1

5a. In maintaining power, one sometimes requires a display. If not carefully calculated, the resultant spectacle may prove detrimental. One needs to possess the wisdom to know the degree demanded. When, Where and How Much are important considerations. Lest ones enemies and opponents become emboldened, one does not wish to become over extended. Most sociopaths do not have possession of the correct level of detachment for such determinations. They believe their power to be absolute. In reality, due to systemic failings, those attracted to the notion of power have deeply flawed characters. This Modern Warrior Archetype must learn the means and methods in counter-acting and/or exploiting these defects for and beyond Maximum Advantage in all Things. In so doing, one must understand empathy. One must also know the real enemies. Else one will fail.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.4.0

4. For a time, power may be maintained through lies. One must know when to quit. Else one risks backlash and control will henceforth suffer. If the lies continue, backlash will continue in a vicious cycle that will bring everything down. Often, as untruths propagate, the propagandist will actually begin to believe it in nearly indirect proportion to other's disbelief. Inflated egos lead to arrogance which in turn lead to idiocy. Eventually, the whole thing begs to be broken like a rotten egg. Additionally, the active attempt will have many passive supporters. Megalomania is a social disease. Its contact vectors are many and varied. This Modern Warrior Archetype will know when to deliver the final blow. The best time to kick someone is when they are down. As always, death to the stupid!

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.3.2

3b. Martyrdom is the ultimate moral authority. The martyr may produced the most sublime myth and legends. Ultimate sacrifice is rare but powerful. The action creates a legitimacy like no other. Such energy, if not foolishly spent, is the life bread of the fanatic. That kind wishes for death in a glorious cause, therefore better unprovoked. This Modern Warrior Archetype stays away from initiating conflict, but must be willing to engage fanatics whenever necessary. Foreign adventures are entirely different than local affairs. Unless operating locally, This Modern Warrior Archetype must disregard the fanatic. Other cultures have their own internal mechanisms. Mind your own business.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.3.1

3a. Establishing mythos is power. The ground floor is always the most energetic. The inheritors have the potential for even greater power. However, everything grows old and declines. The heirs inevitably forget how to create their own legend. If unsustained, relevance is lost. Everything becomes a fable. The strongest mythos are based in religion. Their power is difficult to counter, except possibly another religion (or anti-religion). Economic and political mythos have less staying power. Religion is partially not of this world; all else is more concrete and hence weathers more quickly. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows some battles are best left well alone. The fanatic is not something lightly provoked.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.2.2

2b. Enemies are generally not created without reason. Only a fanatic requires universal enmity. A primary means of avoiding conflicted is accomplished by acting as a middle and brokering deals. Neutral ground is very valuable. Let others destroy themselves by needless expenditures. Squandering resources must be avoided. One must require. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows how to conserve.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.2.1

2a. As stated previously, control is not necessarily a prerequisite for power. Power may be earned rather than taken. In such cases, control is a hindrance. Only the weak need it. Influence is exploited more easily beyond Maximum Advantage. When one speaks other want to listen. The influential do not need to exert themselves. Their advice is sought. They become powerful. Of course, enemies can be made by such tactics, others will feel threatened by someone who can move without lifting a finger. This Modern Warrior Archetype must seek and cultivate such power, and thus avoid outright struggle. Enemies can be dealt with more effectively with allies. Counsel is a resource.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.1.3

In gaining respect, one must also relate. Understanding is the key. It need not convey anything more. Projection is better avoided. Judgment is clouded by imposing upon the universe one’s psyche. Interpretation is an entirely different matter. Guides abound, but many lead nowhere worth going. Only the stupid respect the stupid. One must know enough to know the difference. Too few do, therefore few may be this Modern Warrior Archetype. Everything else is a pretender.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.1.2

1.2 Likelihood is not certainty. Certainty may not be the result of desire. This Modern Warrior Archetype must be emotionally prepared. The world will do as it will. Respect is the surest means of survival. Fighting should be a last resort, and as such likely be brutal. Anything else is not worth it. Outright intimidation will be answered by some one. Someone is always stronger (or luckier). The key for the best defense lies in making offense too costly. Some potential targets are not worth the price. This Modern Warrior Archetype seeks to be one such and allied to such. The whole is different than the sum of its parts. The gentle can kill. In fact, justification makes it all the easier through lack of remorse. They deserve it.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Two.1.1

1.1 Although often considered as synonymous, in most realities, control and power represent opposite ends of a variable spectrum. In less stable conditions, the spectrum would be curved or even circular (in which case the two terms would in fact be one). If one goes around the world, one will eventually return. However, in the most stable states, the spectrum becomes truly linear. One has no need of control where power is balanced. The need for control is often an indicator of a loss of status or power. However, often, the resulting actions serve only to decrease power further as the result of backlash mechanisms. Hence, authority declines. This downward spiral will continue until either a different reaction is realized or no power remains. Eventually all power and control is lost and the world moves onward. Control destroys power. Real power is obtained and collected through respect. This Modern Warrior Archetype knows the difference.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #3

The war of fronts led the CNT into the mire of political collaboration and to give up our past without any kind of recompense, since the more we surrendered as we collaborated, the more was demanded of us. While the policy of collaboration went ahead, we anarchists were able to gain some influence, but it was inevitable that we would fall sooner or later on the side of the State, and we were soon absorbed by the State bureaucracy. Many of our comrades realized the inevitability of the process and found they enjoyed the seats of power.

What redeemed our role in the revolution of July 19 was the work of the regular militants, who echoed the position of our classic theorists, and fled the bureaucratising ambience of committees, trying instead to make the revolution in concrete ways, or who simply fought, without ever having read Bakunin or Kropotkin.

We still argue in our circles about whether we should have instituted full libertarian communism in Catalonia from the start, with all of its consequences. Assuming something which is very dubious, that "going all out" would have had the virtue of being able to extend anarchism to all of the loyal zone, I am still convinced, even without the Fascist presence, that we would not have been able to avoid a civil war. In such a situation, what would have happened? Most likely, the formation of a strong revolutionary government, which excluded the opposition - a supremely centralized power with a coercive apparatus to prevent and repress opposition. In such a situation the means would have completely obliviated our ends, as occurred in the Russian experience.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One

Second Draft

Part 1-2
Part 3
Part 4-5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.12.0

12. This Modern Warrior Archetype requires balance and self-discipline to stay away from the shadows. One must be selective in belonging. Lest one descend to the realm of reptiles, certain lines should not be crossed. Only the insane embrace such retrograde natures. Insight can be an excellent guide away from such paths, but beware: too much introversion can devour one whole. One must be equally discerning in seeking a guide. Many desiring the roll have their own agenda that might prove detrimental. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a tool. Agitation will attempt to prove otherwise. The state is a prime actor in such attempts. Unless goals and aims coincide, avoid it. The state will use and discard. Purpose can be higher. A government is not a nation; a nation is not a people. Sacrifice can be found elsewhere. Duty can be discharged in many ways. In matters of life and death, abstractions are mostly lies. Preservation for its own sake leads to stagnation. As a result, the final fall is from the greatest heights. Terminal velocity is the hardest hit. Very much may be done without lifting a finger. All else might lie within shadow.

End of Part One.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.11.0

11. Daylight does not require swagger. Presence may be conveyed by more subtle means. Why broadcast challenge? This Modern Warrior Archetype seeks to defuse tension. "Bring it on" is for idiots. Protracted battles are exhausting and leave long shadows at days end. Shadows are not cast in the dark. Intentions are less obvious and uncertain. Priorities and loyalties are masked. Freaks come out at night. Those whom feel the need to prove something walk at night. Certain deviants are harmful. The harshest battles are fought at night. Intimidation has its time. Power can be projected. Fear is best contained. Repression is for fools. This Modern Warrior Archetype can allow its passage to be felt and known.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.10.0

10. This Modern Warrior Archetype understands asymmetric and systemic warfare. Offense and defense are compliments. Weak points must be shored and/or exploited beyond Maximum Advantage in all Things. Mediocre strategies and tactics must be discarded. Error is worse compounded. One must have the courage to admit and correct mistakes. Reforms are lesser errors. Things can go farther. Progress is a dead end because it must never end. The world always moves onward and outward.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.9.0

9. The meek might be destined to inherit the Earth six feet under, but one need not hasten the day. This Modern Warrior Archetype has certain responsibilities towards others and commitments to others. Certain burdens must be born. Blatant disregard can never accomplish anything lasting in a world where all eyes see all. Suppression and repression are the herd's preservation instincts. Civilization is an attempt at neutralization. The warrior made itself more threatening and feared than the yoke. The civilizing drive often fails. It has created something worse the warrior. Killing has become detached and remote; this Modern Warrior Archetype is more personal, yet psychologically aware enough to recognize the damage. The personal toll had better be worth it. The surreal must be ignored. Lunatics deserve a purge.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.8.0

8. Chaos may be feared and reviled, or be a time for the reveler. A little decadence, every now and again, is not a bad thing. Coping mechanisms are an essentially defense against snapping. Too many gravitate towards intensity, thus leaving unnecessary destruction in their wake. Comrades can escalate atrocities. Ramping is necessary for struggle, but only produces needless agitation in other respects. The backlash produces a need for authority. Most people are simply ill-equipped to deal with massive violence. This Modern Warrior Archetype must understand that freedom is derived from service. It just does not need to be an abstraction or the state. Killing for no good reason must be avoided; retribution must be swift, decisive and deadly against those choosing otherwise. The code of silence is a failure in shadow. Inappropriate reaction is the road in shadow. This Modern Warrior Archetype does not require enemies.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.7.0

7. Commitments and codes are necessary to avoid shadow. Honor need not come from above. As Things Fall Apart, certain choices must be made. This Modern Warrior Archetype must step softly. Power can be more addictive than any mere chemical. The impulse towards domination must be resisted. The weak are a responsibility. Their mass is a grave danger and an easy weapon. When threatened, their unattended panic can bury one. Else, like one standing beneath an exploding volcano, survival is mere chance. Tasks and attainable goals, with something shown, are superior to projection. The world will not just go one's way because one wills it. It must be made to happen. The exceptions are coincidence or certainties. Folly is a dance. One is better off refusing certain steps. Codes of conduct must come from within, else once coercive force is removed it will evaporate. Laws are best ignored. What matters is self and those immediately around us. A group or individual code means something. The decrees of corrupt politicians are meaningless. Empathy is the primary tool for understanding others. One does not act indiscriminately against fellow human being, merely others. One can be free, but must accept limits to avoid the shadows and insanity.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.6.0

6. One needs outlets. Constant agitation uses and expends. This Modern Warrior Archetype must be whole to resist the shadow. Life must be worth living or misery will spread. One must be willing to cull (or at least retire) the un-whole. Unless actively prevented the worst will happen in war. In a hierarchal organization that which is allowed to happen is never accidental. If the shadow is found it is either condoned or willingly ignored. Anything else is a lie. Stratification is division. The denominator is always on the bottom and often gets reduced.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.4-5.0

4. The shadow does not fear deterioration of the spirit. Fanatics and tyrants believe the ends justify the means. The shadow can even not care. The daylight knows better and mitigates accordingly. One need not lose to win.

5. Struggle can often lead to accommodations. The high ground must be identified and set unless events require re-evaluation. Instincts must be developed to quickly identify the new high ground. High noon has less shadows. One must start somewhere.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.3.0

3a. This Modern Warrior Archetype sizes up all obstacles and opponents. Avoidance is best determined. Action must be decisive, but need not be fast. Time will often yield the better victory. Fear is a weapon that can be exploited beyond Maximum Advantage. Anything else amounts to digging one's own grave in shadow.

3b. The shadow would rather use others against others. This Modern Warrior Archetype does its own dirty work.

3c. Unless utterly brutal and sustained, the shadow's major flaw is impatience. The gun can be jumped. Only the fanatic can sustain the energy; the rest become (or already are) psychologically damaged by the means and methods of modern conflict. Blood stains on the street have meaning.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part One.1-2.0

Regarding the Shadow that must be avoided–

1. For warrior archetypes, as most feared, the shadow is the most discussed aspect. In fact, many warrior archetypes would appear to be nothing except shadow. This Modern Warrior Archetype can slide into shadow; it does not need stay. Violence is numbing. The shadow has no sense of honor and usually no real grounding.

2. Where the means must be avoided at any price, the shadow must be avoided at all cost. Death brings forth the shadow. The uninvolved must stay uninvolved. Having been drawn, enemies multiply and never go away. The eyes of the world should always be assumed to be watching. Once habitual, the spiral is always downward. The shadow sees collaborators everywhere; the light illuminates opportunities.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #2

Anarchism is largely responsible for its own bad reputation in the world. It did not consider the thorny problem of means and ends. In their writings, many anarchists conceived of a miraculous solution to the problem of revolution. We fell easily into this trap in Spain. We believed that "once the dog is dead, the rabies is over." We proclaimed a full-blown revolution without worrying about the many complex problems that a revolution brings with it. Nettlau said that those who believe that a society can change itself overnight through a heroic struggle have not learned the lessons of history. As Bakunin was wont to say, "a people develops extraordinary capacities when it is able to defeat its worst enemy: the State." But we must not forget what we have learned from more recent history (which Bakunin did not experience) - that the state is a virus that can take hold in each of us, and that revolutions set free not only the enslaved masses, but also millions and millions of viruses. For example, to the Iberian anarchist of my generation the notion that there is an inevitable reaction to any revolution was unthinkable, or unimportant. Some Spanish comrades still lament that our revolution happened to be accompanied by a civil war. But when had there been a revolution without a civil war? Is not a revolution a civil war by its very nature?

And yet we were caught unprepared when our revolution inevitably provoked a civil war. As I say in the text of this book, the Spanish anarchists suffered from an excessively urban orientation in their revolutionary, or rather insurrectionary, plans. If the insurrection was lost in the cities, the villages were written off. We never thought that we would have to prepare for civil war by organizing support bases for guerrilla actions in the countryside and the mountains, and by developing supply systems for such activities and training select troops as guerrillas. With its tortuous geography Spain is a good terrain for guerrilla warfare, and a wen organized guerrilla force would have defeated soldiers trained for a war of continuous fronts. In the last world war the Spanish Army itself used guerrilla warfare (which it called commandos), and the Vietnamese and the Palestinians are still using it. Guerrilla organization could have saved the North from Franco. Our trench warfare was a gift that we made to Franco, Mola, Quiepo del Llano, Yagile and the other strategists of the enemy camp.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero

Second Draft

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.12.0

xxxviii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not everything it can be and does not desire to be. Who really wants the choice will not get it; those wanting otherwise will be found.

last. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not the Ancient Warrior Archetype but its roots are the same. Neither were ever seen at knight but can be noble. Codes are restraints to ensure trust in behavior, through word and deed. This Modern Warrior Archetype lives in a land of daylight and shadow much like most everyone else. A need might arise, but otherwise the art of war can be left alone. Why be obsessive? Look where it has gotten the world. This Modern Warrior Archetype walks in the light through shadows and walls.

End of Part Zero (Second Draft).

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.11.0

xxxv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not immediate gratification. Delay (rather than inertia) is often the better choice. The future is the focus by understanding the past.

xxxvi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not blind. It orients, decides and acts or does not.

xxxvii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not action at any price. Patience is victory over stupidity.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.10.0

xxxii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a projection.

xxxiii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not hollow.

xxxiv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not rage nor fanaticism. Mindless slaughter is something to be stopped, but not by state products.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.9.0

xxix. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not beyond or between itself. It must go under but can resurface. The failures do not. Some things are worse than death.

xxx. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not its own end. Everything becomes superceded. Some actually know it.

xxxi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not afraid of initiative. Compulsion is another matter.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.8.0

xxv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a cure but it can become diseased.

xxvi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not something more or less greater than any other professional archetype. It does have a more unpleasant destiny than most. The most notable exceptions are the police and criminal archetypes. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not either; it can become either through degeneration and uplift.

xxvii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not avenging rather more surgical.

xxviii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not greater than the sum of its parts.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.7.0

xxi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not its own myth.

xxii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a resident of a single shade.

xxiii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a thing unto itself.

xxiv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a cure but it can become diseased.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.6.0

xviii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not reactive nor reactionary. The world moves on and one must move with it to avoid being crushed by the wheels of history (or drowned).

xix. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not useful without a cause but can happily live without. One doesn't always need to be doing something.

xx. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not ever going to go away, unless and until it is replaced by something worse. Someone will always need to fight. The pastoral days are over.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.5.0

xiv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not just doing but thinking; it can even be empathic.

xv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not either passive aggressive nor active aggression. The reaction is certainty. Knowing and doing are powerful compliments beyond division.

xvi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a worshiper of death nor necessarily a bearer. It can deliver a beating. It knows the better victories are accomplished without lifting a finger.

xvii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a matter of faith but can be spiritual

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.4.0

x. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not affiliation beyond affinity. It can begin otherwise.

xi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not cultural but can be a part of culture.

xii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not what one wants it to be.

xiii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not degeneration.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.3.0

vii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not the sum of its feared and trusted parts.

viii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not theater but can use it. A posture can be either escalation or de-escalation. It might signify a willingness to avoid and unleash or not. In a world of long range retaliation, image can mean anything and everything when exploited to Maximum Advantage in all Things. As the path is cleared by all, the truly strong can walk away.

ix. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not its own highest order. It may descend.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.2.0

iv. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not without honor but can be. Some choices are difficult. In a decadent society and culture, honor needs to be re-claimed, re-gained and re-taught. Failures slide into history's dustbin. All empires crumble. Their failures are not pretty but can be mitigated by acceptance. One should never kneel.

v. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not avoidance nor seeking. One better goes where one needs. Arbitrary control destroys the spirit of This Modern Warrior Archetype and becomes another stillborn.

vi. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not predator nor prey. A game warden is more benign and less innocent.

On This Modern Warrior Archetype Part Zero.1.0

–Shadow and Light

Draft 2.0 – Summer/Fall 2005

This feature is a chapter in a work in progress called Backlash. The product is a result of artistic license and hopefully less boring.

Part Zero.

What This Modern Warrior Archetype is not–

i. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a mass media creation. This archetype will never be a mass media creation; it's roots are far too ancient. Affect is not effect. The best mirror is heavily distorted and can never be. The world is not 2-dimensional. False constraints are only worth ignoring.

ii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not a product of government. This archetype is useful and even necessary for the state; but only within limits. Else, the prisons and jails would not be loaded with veterans. As before, This Modern Warrior Archetype will outlive the state. The rest will die with it.

iii. This Modern Warrior Archetype is not above anything but can be below falling down and apart.

Excerpts from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION by José Pierats #1

Excerpt from ANARCHISTS IN THE SPANISH REVOLUTION
Part 1 - Preface
by José Pierats
Published by Freedom Press, London, 1990

Regarding the Spanish Revolution and the Paris Uprising:

The Spanish revolution has had both an external and an internal continuity. Until recently the exterior had a monopoly, because virtually all of the works on the Spanish revolution were published abroad. This literature suffered at first from political writers, who with rare exceptions distorted the history to fit their particular perspective. Hence the conspiracy of silence concerning the revolutionary accomplishments of the CNT, FAI and part of the revolutionary socialists. But beginning in the 1950's, and continuing to the present the revolutionary truth of those accomplishments has begun to be known. Scholars in Anglo-saxon countries and others made major contributions to the process of demystifying the Marxists and fellow travellers, in their effort to understand fully and profoundly the "War in Spain" (for they did not refer to it as the "Spanish Revolution"). From then on there began to be available a true, historical account of the Spanish struggle, which, consciously or unconsciously, broadened the debate and made a significant mark on the spirit of a new generation of students. This extension of the Spanish revolution came forth with the explosion of the events of May in Paris, which not only shook the world, but which also sparked a set of demands that until then had remained quiescent.

Of course we must disabuse ourselves of the notion that the Spanish revolution was the only inspiration behind the May days. But we can affirm that it did have considerable effect in shaking anarchism out of its lethargy throughout the world, to the point of causing alarm in the well-prepared ranks of the Stalinists, who rushed like any firemen to put out a dangerous fire. One need only recall the indecent instructions of the French Communist Party to gauge the heat they felt from the left, which threatened their control over their domesticated masses. If they were able to repel the assault it was because the rebelling youth was not well-grounded in the history of the last 40 years. But the events of Paris in 1968 had the virtue of arousing not only rebellious youth, but also a great number of adults, social and national groups. Today we see them concerned with a series of issues that until recently were taboo, such as conscientious objection, abortion, divorce and regional autonomy movements. In these areas anarchists have a broad field of concrete issues which they can influence without neglecting what could be called their philosophical or doctrinal tenets, for decades their only preoccupation. With its collectivist accomplishments, the Spanish revolution opened the way to the consideration of concrete problems - if only through an understanding that specific accomplishments have a far greater effect than lenten sermons. Today there is much talk of self-government or se If-ad ministration. For many this is still a mystification of true collectivisation. Confusions of this kind occurred in Spain, also. in certain milieu of revolutionary collectivists. This is not surprising since it is difficult to shake off ancient prejudices from even the most sublime ideas.

Interlude: On the Poverty of Hip Life

I contemplated writing about the Hippie Archetype but I found that it's already been done.

Introduction to Maximum Advantage Collection by Travis B.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14

Introduction to Maximum Advantage Collection by Travis B. Part 14

This text focuses on the mechanisms that are available for the transmittal of a “technical morality”. This morality is inherently artificial, and thus dependent on the continual transmission of associations and relationships to overcome the natural resistance of society’s psychological membrane (or contact vector). In an effort to recreate society, and distribute equality amongst the community, it is important that we recognize the principle of population density. The close proximity of a culture of ideas and beliefs that we believe in inherently necessitates a will to action. Without the deliberate de-construction of our personal life references, this anti-natural and artificial “technical morality” will continue to lead us blindly towards someone else’s predetermined end. Our true potential can not be realized in a state of artificial contentment, defined by a lack of reference as well as substance.

A study of how propaganda works, its goals and results, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its products, enables us to understand how we have been led to believe we will benefit from its devices. The understanding that its benefits are actually secondary to its actual goals will then provide us with a more balanced understanding of how a theory of society actually works. The Mother and Father Archetypes will continually pursue new materials to maintain their existence, but we have the ability to control the rate and form of the materials supplied, inevitably shaping our communities. As a result, we will then become the parental figures in charge of our destiny.

End of Introduction to Maximum Advantage Collection.

Comments are welcome.

Introduction to Maximum Advantage Collection by Travis B. Part 13

The Tribes of Israel were built through a series of associations that permeated the contact vectors of the Jewish community’s forefathers. This association as a historic people was maintained through the trials and tribulations suffered upon the Jewish people, during the six thousand years of their existence. The state of Israel is just a natural result of this group identification, united through a Zionist movement that will unite their people and provide a sanctuary from future threats to their way of life.

The preceding graph illustrates how SRL’s theory of “contact vectors” relates to the transmission of information. Research available on the Jewish community provides an example of how contact vectors’ permeability directly relate to population density and the transmission of morality. The greater proportion of the Jewish community reside around metropolitan areas. Of higher population density than outlying country areas, the urban Jewish population contains an observed increase in group identification as well as participation in the Jewish culture. This can be explained by the availability of associations and relationships that are available to identify with the surrounding Jewish community. These identifying markers are transmitted through the individual’s contact vectors, eventually binding the larger Jewish community together through a series of transmitted associations. In many circumstances these associations would simply be considered culture.