LiveJournal for Alan R. Weiss

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 23:00:37 GMT

Ares Alliance announces Grand Opening
by Alan R. Weiss
alan at ebenchmarks dot com

http://www.lneilsmith.com/ares-alliance.html has all the details, including the full-color Press Release and the Slide Show.

P R E S S R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release

Ares Alliance announces Grand Opening
L. Neil Smith book and film treatment follows successful Ceres model

Ft. Collins, Colorado and Austin, Texas—Building on the momentum of "The Ceres Project,", which generated more than $50,000 in working capital over only 2 1/2 months from libertarians of every stripe and hue, the same team has announced "The Ares Alliance" to develop the follow-on book and film treatment based on L. Neil Smith's work in progress, Ares.

Smith, the most prolific and most successful living libertarian science fiction writer, has written more than 23 books, won three Prometheus Awards, and is the subject of a draft campaign for the Libertarian Party's 2004 presidential nomination. A long-time Libertarian (including participation in the founding of the Party itself in the 1970s) and a staunch 2nd Amendment defender, Smith has promised to deliver his best work ever in Ceres and Ares, and well as to craft a blockbuster film treatment suitable for major studio backing.

"We were so impressed by the response of individuals to 'The Ceres Project,' I felt we owed it to people to let them in on the big secret: while Ceres is a follow-on to Pallas (Smith's seminal tale of the struggle between libertarians and statists set on the asteroid Pallas), Ares fits between Pallas and Ceres and completes the epic cycle,", says Smith. "I'm gratified by the response, absolutely astounded by the level of participation, and dedicated to turning out the best work of my life. I owe it to libertarians everywhere, and I owe it to the investors who put their faith and trust in me."

"The Ceres Project allowed ordinary libertarians and fans of L. Neil Smith to participate in the funding of the book and film treatment by creating an investment club," explained "Ceres Project" and "Ares Alliance" Chairman Alan R. Weiss.

"By investing $5000, $2500, or as little as $1000, we gave individuals a way to share in building a libertarian future by creating a significant work of art, based on the known talent and track of record a real hero, L. Neil Smith,", Weiss said. "We are going to use the same successful method of raising working capital with Ares, because in doing so we can go to the major publishers (and not just science fiction publishers) with a breakthrough book with major libertarian themes and persuade them that these are the books to publish. Nothing works with the book people like a proven, built- in market backed by real dollars, and we intend tom promote Ceres and Ares as tier-one properties,", said Weiss. "The best part is that for 'The Ares Alliance," we are dropping the lowest level to only $500!"

As with "The Ceres Project", participants in "The Ares Alliance" invest a certain amount of dollars, and agree to wait a certain period of time for the book and film treatment to be produced. These "deliverables" are then sold to a publisher and a film producer or studio for the highest bid, and each investor gets their principal returned as well as a percentage of the profits based on their level of investment. Products producing return may also include e-books, comic books, audio-books, and other media depending upon the level of investment. In case the deliverables are not sold, each investor is guaranteed by contract to receive at least their principal back. All guarantees are backed by the assets of the project itself.

Not many science fiction writers can actually create a new world populated by heroic, but real people—and convey a sense of dynamic ideas about society and technology that you would want the future to become. L. Neil Smith has done just that with Pallas, arguably his best book ever (until the upcoming Ceres and Ares). Pallas tells the story of a child inventor who grows up to become a hero amidst the largely, but not exclusively, liberty-loving colony on Pallas asteroid. While the enemy is obvious, the plot twists and turns are not.

In science fiction, it's the IDEAS that count, and this book abounds in ideas. L. Neil Smith continues to move forward into the unexplored frontiers of libertarianism and freedom. Both Ceres and Ares already have initial chapters and complete character outlines, as well as plot outlines available for review and inspection by interested investors after signing a standard non-disclosure agreement.

"It's true that I have taken at least one important concept from Ayn Rand: in order to sell liberty, you must paint a picture of a better tomorrow," says Smith. "If you are going to fight a cultural war against statism, against totalitarianism, against the forces of regression, you have to have a culture. I think my books deliver the sort of culture that libertarians would love to live," he said.

More information on "The Ceres Project" can be found at http://www.lneilsmith.com/ceres-project.html

Information on "The Ares Alliance" will be available at http://www.lneilsmith.com/ares-alliance.html following this release.

For more information, contact:

Alan R. Weiss, for
The Ares Alliance
512-219-0302 alan at synchromeshcomputing dot com

The Death of the West—or How to End the War, Daddy

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 22:56:57 GMT

The Death of the West—or How to End the War, Daddy
by Alan R. Weiss
Senior Observational Editor, NetPlanet News
alan@ebenchmarks.com

Special to TLE

Patrick J. Buchanan is the only modern pundit in the popular (read: controlled) media promulagating the Old Right's view of Empire, foreign entanglements, and the cost of Empire. The only one. One could argue that Lew Rockwell and his band of inciteful writers do a great job, but they're not on the McLaughlin Group, are not quoted in the New York Times, and in general do not exist for, oh, say, 99.9% of Americans.

Buchanan, in The Death of the West, puts forth a number of assertions, many (but not all) are backed up by facts. First, and most disturbing, is sheer birthrate. At the rate things are going, Western Civilization in Europe is going to die within 20 years or so due to declining birth rates of westerners compared to soaring birthrates and immigration my Muslims. France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Italy—all are doomed. His statistics are factual, and his conclusion that "one man, one vote" combined with these statistics and an utter unwillingness by western European governments to deal with the situation will result in a profoundly Muslim Europe—and Asia. I suppose they better learn to program their GPS units in their Bimmers and Volvos to locate Mecca. Parenthetically, he notes that Russia is likely to suffer a pull-back to the Ural Mountains, leaving most of its Asian/Siberian landmass in the hands of a resurgent—and crowded—China. While I recognize that Buchanan is filtering this through a profoundly Catholic pro-family mindset, his statistics are difficult to argue with.

Second, what will either kill, or transform, western civilization is socialism as it relates to declining birth rates. Social programs cannot be funded by fewer and fewer productive individuals. In this, he points out that the American Social Security crisis is mild compared to western Europe. Japan, with an even more aged problem, is in far worse shape.

Third, and perhaps the most important, is the importance of Antonio Gramsci. If you do not know who he was, you have no idea how politics in the 20th Century has been profoundly changed by this man. Buchanan's assertion that all modern so-called "liberalism" is the result of a Gramscian plot is simply incorrect, but his observation that the pattern has resulted in essentially the takeover of western civilization by socialism is dead-on. The implications for Libertarians are clear: culture, the arts, the media, the churches, the schools, the universities—all are more important than who wins the next election. Study Gramsci, or Buchanan's analysis of Gramsci, and you will clearly understand why this is so. Take over the non-governmental organs of power, and the government will naturally fall into your hands. Fail to do so, and Libertarians will never come to power, nor will they influence anyone in power.

Fourth, America was never supposed to be an Empire, but that by being so we have stirred the hornet's nest of the Arab world and we are now facing the consequences. Our simultaneous abandonment of "Americanism" (cultural suicide) combined with overseas Empire that has turned us into the hated enemy of most of the world. Not some—most. His thesis is clear: every empire has fallen. We are no better. We shall fall.

Whatever you may think of the relentlessly acerbic Mr. Buchanan, he makes many valid points: immigration is having an impact on this country not because they are "foreigners", but because they are not assimilating and the Reconquista of the American West by Mexicans is sapping cultural and financial resources. Our American Empire is bankrupting us, destroying the Constitution, destroying Federalism, and has brought the attacks to our footsteps. Our declining birth rate of assimilated Americans (not just whites) is imperiling the peaceful promulgation of our western values and culture, most of which has been highjacked by the Gramscian-like takeover of non-governmental organs of power.

I fault Buchanan for his insistance upon Catholic morality as superior to all others (and his apologia for all past sins of his church, i.e. Pope Pius). I fault him for his relentless debasement of the right of free contract (i.e. homosexuals innate right to marry whomever they wish). I fault him for not speaking up more fervently about the death of the Constitution, and how the patRIOT Act has debased and destroyed that which we seek to preserve. I fault him for many things—but his analysis of the situation with respect to American Empire, the Old Right viewpoint of Albert J. Nock, Frank Chodorov, Rose Wilder Lane, and until very recently the Libertarian Party, is dead-on correct.

"Libertarians" such as Eric Raymond note that "we are at war", that 9/11 was a clarion call to arms, and that having been attacked we have every right to fight the war and win. What Raymond ignores is that, by having American armed forces in well over 100 countries, (including ass-deep into Saudi Arabia and the middle eastern tribal politics), "we" have largely brought this upon ourselves. No, not the bombing of the World Trade Center—that was an act of cowardice, of terror. But we have embroiled ourselves in the 13th Century because of oil. Who would give a damn about Saudi Arabia otherwise? I don't see us fighting to secure access to Persian rugs. Now, I use the word "we" and "us" loosely here. If Eric Raymond, Mike Lorrey, and other so-called "libertarians" believe we are at war, then I issue the challenge: shoulder an M16 and stand your post. Don't be a coward—go for it. Volunteer, enlist, and fight the war you so desperately believe we must win by only force of arms.

Curiously for an atheist, I take a Catholic tone as I end with this: America, we must repent for our sins of Empire. We must remember the words of Madison, Washington, Jefferson: free trade with all, foreign entangling alliances with none. Sure, we must defend ourselves. Terror is the province of the weak, the cowardly, the anti-libertarian.

But there are many ways to do this, including this one: leave. Pull out of the Middle East immediately. Now. Defend our *homeland*, allow the citizenry to be armed, cocked, and locked. Renounce Empire, and eliminate the corporate fascism in the energy business so that free market alternatives can flourish. The sooner we get off of the oil-drug, the sooner we can tell those sheiks and mullahs to go drink hydrocarbons. Or, perhaps, to become our friends, instead of our puppetmasters. As for foreign aid, our bribes aren't sticking. Eliminate all foreign aid—immediately—and stop meddling in other people's business.

Alan R. Weiss just returned from the 2nd Annual Free State Project Porcupine Festival in Northern New Hampshire, where he noted he openly carried his sidearm all week long, drank indifferent rum, and partied like it was 1776. He is CEO of two companies, meets the payroll on time, is married with three nearly-adult teenage kids, and treats his labrador retrievers kindly.

My dear friends,

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:07:46 GMT

I will be, more or less, OK. The Total Perspective Vortex hit me - hard - today. Friendship and its betrayal, business, the fuckerment, romance, , the utter hopelessness of any chance at liberty anytime soon, my old folks, my wife, and the current vectors of my life... And more, more ... all at once.

When the bubble bursts, I have to think a new way to grow new bubbles. Resiliency is hurting, hurting badly, and yet perservering.

Those of you who asked about me - why, I cannot express how much it means to me, especially right now. Neil, thank you for calling. Mark, I just got your voice mail - yes, lets meet in San Francisco. You too, Russell, if we can make it so timewise. Mary Lou, thank you for the kind offer - please take care of your momma. She needs you.

I am appalled that I worried some people so. Chagrined? Embarrassed? Why yes, yes I am. Also grateful. And humbled.

I am going to try and arrange for that which I explained to a few people who wrote me, in the order I suggested it. The third item was sleep. Tomorrow is another day.

yvt,

Alan

P.S: I thought no one read my crappy little blog. Wow.

Goodbye

Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:48:04 GMT

I have decided to vanish, to become a cypher, a rumor, a ghost, a memory. None of cyberspace is real, and I have grave doubts of the reality of a life spent working most of the time and worrying about the utter obliteration of liberty and freedom in meatspace the rest of the time. It appears that my life has been wasted chasing canards, dreaming of that which will never be. My "friends" have abandoned me except when they want something from me. I am that person people turn to when they want help, and my generosity in time, money, and energy is rarely if ever returned. It is all so superficial, and I am trapped by the superficiality of it all. When room exist for profundity, there is nothing we can do about it bring about the profound.

I railed against existentialism. What irony.

Nothing I have done is of any substance in the long run.

So be it.