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By Jordan LaPorta

Forty years ago, pop culture was changed forever by a film most people thought would be nothing more than an ephemeral summer flick. The movies mastermind had minimal acclaim prior to its release, and his biggest hit before 1977 was American Graffiti. But in 2017, Star Wars is now a household name. Its characters have become as recognizable as any in cinema, and its lines of dialogue are co-opted and spoofed on a daily basis.

Almost everyone loves Star Wars, and anyone who does not share that opinion is generally seen as a cultural outlier. Every franchise made since has tried to mimic the success of the space opera saga, but few, if any, have been able to capture the same magic.

Star Wars appeals to people for varying reasons, as the movies tell exciting tales of adventure, romance, and friendship that cut across all ages, races, and backgrounds. At the center of the beloved galaxy far, far away is an idea also similar to that which has also made America great: the idea of liberty.

When people go to the movies, politics is generally not their primary concern. Average, everyday people go the theater to be entertained and escape the drama and perils of real life. What makes movies like the Star Wars saga so successful is their ability to connect with people on a basic human level. Whether hardcore or casual American fans realize it or not, Star Wars taps into key political elements of the American identity that have been present since the Nations founding.

Anyone who has made it farther than grade school knows about the story of the American Revolution. The story was about a land, ravaged by taxes which were being imposed by a distant empire that excluded their voices and oppressed their people utilizing a large police state. The colonists, growing tired, rose up against the British Crown, eventually declaring independence in 1776.

The story is told over and over again in schools, tv shows, and movies. The revolutions heroes are represented on national monuments, the names of cities, and even on our currency. It is a story that Americans cannot escape, and it is a critical part of who we are as a society.

The rebels in the Star Wars universe are hardly different from the men Americans grew up learning about in history books. Like their American counterparts, the Galactic Rebellion opposed a harsh, militaristic, distant Empire, whose harsh tactics were fleshed out in the recent smash hit Rogue One. The Galactic Empire, headed by the tyrannical Sheev Palpatine, used fear to keep the local systems in line.

Palpatines Nazi-like regime employed the iconic storm troopers to maintain its rule, headed by none other than the ruthless Darth Vader. In its short thirty-year reign, the Empire wiped out an entire religious group, established work camps for political dissenters, and oppressed lesser alien species.

The Emperor came to power by consolidating his authority over the original Galactic Republic through emergency war powers. He then mobilized the government against an external threat he concocted, and persuaded the Senate to abdicate its role and reorganize as a centralized empire for a safe and secure society.

Throughout the original six movies (plus Rogue One), the government is the villain, and the heroes take armed action to actively overthrow it. Whether liberals like it or not, the rebellion is a gun-carrying group of ruffians opposed to the evils of an oppressive, overbearing state.

Consider the original cast of characters. Luke Skywalker was a simple farm boy looking for a better life and higher sense of meaning. Han Solo was a shoot-first space pirate who actively ignored the governments rules on intergalactic shipping. Princess Leia was a diplomat who helped organize the rebellion against imperial rule. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a relic of a religious group systematically wiped out by a government looking to avoid conflict. These people despised the Empire, and they dedicated their lives to seeing its violent end.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that the progressive opposition to Donald Trump has dubbed itself The Resistance the same name of the group that succeeds the rebels in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. While Donald Trump is certainly no libertarian, the members of the so-called Resistance are not exactly classical liberals, either. In fact, they prefer centralization, forced conformity, and big government more than almost anyone else just not when the person at the helm is Donald J. Trump. These tactics favored by todays progressive left formed the bedrock of the Empires galactic tyranny.

Americans may not always favor libertarian solutions in practice, but they still look to libertarianism as an ideal to strive toward. No matter how statist a politicians plans actually are, voters always gravitate towards the rhetoric of limited government, personal responsibility, and liberty. It was clear in the words of The Declaration of Independence, and it is still clear today in our love for Star Wars.

May the force be with you.

EmpireGovernmentgunslibertarianismphilosophyrebellionstar wars

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Star Wars Highlights America's Libertarian Spirit - The Libertarian Republic

Financial Post

From Libertarian to Populist: Conservative leadership candidates lay down their economic cards Financial Post Maxime Bernier, a Quebec MP known for his libertarian views, opposes agricultural supply management a position few Canadian politicians would ever dare embrace. He is also calling for a revamp of the equalization formula that redistributes wealth ... As it's laid out, Bernier's health-care plan may be electoral poisonMacleans.ca all 41 news articles »

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From Libertarian to Populist: Conservative leadership candidates lay down their economic cards - Financial Post

The United States Court of Appeals for theDistrict of Columbia Circuit has struck down a regulation requiring ordinary citizens to register drone aircraft.

The May 19 decision stated that the Federal Aviation Administration did not have the authority to regulate model aircraft.

Prior to the ruling, the FAA told the appeals court, it would threaten the safety of the national airspace system if they were to do away with the registration requirement. The reasoning for its nullification was in reference to the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama. The law had a rule which stated that the FAA may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.

All citizens who wish to legally fly a drone are required to pay a $5 fee and register the drone with their name, email address, and home address. They also have to place a registration sticker on the drone with a unique identifying number. This regulation has been in place since 2015.

Failure to comply with the registration would result in up to a $250,000 fine as well as up to three years in prison. The registration must be redone every three years in order to remain compliant. Commercial drones were already under a different set of rules. Currentlythere are about 550,000 registered drones in the USA.

In response to the outcome of the case with the appellate court, the FAA had stated that they are carefully reviewing the US Court of Appeals decision as it relates to drone registrations. The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.

The reaction to the decisionregarding the FAA drone regulationmade by the US court of appeals was met with mixed reactions. Those against it said the registration was worthwhile to provide some accountability for individuals who could be reckless and endangering others, whereas the hobbyists, includingJohn Taylor who filed the suit, stated the registration requirement was a burden on hobbyists that Congress did not want to create.

He also stated in an interview with Market Watchthatas of today, no American has been seriously injured by hobby drones, they may get cuts or bruises, but look at ATVs and watercraft, where dozens are killed every year. Its all a reaction to new technology. People are afraid of drones because theyre something new. I just dont see that the risk justifies the action that has been taken over the last 100 years around model aircraft.

The reality of all this fear mongering by government officials is that this is the natural response to all new technology as detailed in aWired Magazinearticle titledWhy the US Government Is Terrified of Hobbyist Dronesas well as Tech Republics12 drone disasters that show why the FAA hates drones.Love them or hate them, they will be here to stay.

It should be noted, however, that the ruling is not yet enforced as the court gave the FAA seven days to consider their current legal options.

Photo: Sukie Kim

This post was written by Alon Ganon.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Knowledge of Mac, GNU/Linux, Windows but preferring to use GNU/Linux. Bitcoin user and expert, Cyber Punk, Minarchist libertarian, Businessman, Firearm lover, Constitutionalist, and a supporter of Free, Libre, and Open Source Software (FLOSS).Businessman and IT Contractor by trade available for hire. Specializing in Medical, Dental, and Small Business IT solutions https://alonganon.info

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Appellate Court Lets Your Drone GoUnregistered - Being Libertarian

According to Zach Foster, International Libertarian activist, the Cuban Libertarian Party spokesman Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand was kidnapped by theCubanPolice. the State Security shows he is not in the records. Chartrand will either be held hostage or sent to the gulag. According to Mises Cuba, Chartrand was scheduled to meet up at the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library but never made it. This is not uncommon and is actually a norm for the states treatment of political prisoners.

In fact, the Cuban Libertarian Party (Partido Libertario Cubano- Jose Marti) was founded after two members of Mises Cuba were arrested for promoting free markets, small governments, and freedom. According to Tho Bishop, Director of Social Media Marketing at the Mises Institute:

[Ubaldo Herrera] Hernandez, who also oversees the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library project, was charged with the crime of attack, a common charge for political opponents. According to Mises Cuba and the PanAmPost, Hernandez was arrested after refusing to show ID to an undercover officer working for state security forces.

The Chair of the Libertarian National Committee has come out in defense of the two activists and said: Hernandez and Velazquez are political prisoners whose actions have harmed no one and damaged no property. We stand in solidarity with our fellow freedom fighters in Cuba.

A further message from the Libertarian Party States:

The Libertarian National Committee of the United States condemns the arrest and detention of political dissidents Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez, who have been detained by the Cuban government since their arrest on February 2.

Minutes after the passing of Fidel Castro, many world leaders came out to praise the communist dictator, and now with a little exposure we are coming to see the realities that these brave Cubans face.

You can message the Cancilleria de Cuba on Facebook or tweet them at @CubaMINREX. Right now letting them know that the world is watching could potentially help. Often it is public exposure that canstop the abuse of civil liberties or actually save lives.

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Spokesman Of The Cuban Libertarian Party Kidnapped By State Police - The Liberty Conservative

Nassim Taleb, hedge-fund adviser and author of The Black Swan, may be a prophet of doom when it comes to the perilous state of financial markets, but, in a rare splash of cheer, he says hes optimistic about the future overall.

He recently went on Ron Pauls Liberty Report to spread his rosy view of what lies ahead, which he described as a libertarians dream:

So what needs to be destroyed, exactly?

Taleb, like the man he supports in the White House, probably wouldnt miss the New York Times NYT, +0.00% too much if it were to disappear.

We have today so many people sitting in the New York Times Washington office, in an air-conditioned office, who can dictate foreign policy with zero risk, he said.

Taleb added that we are no longer victims of the New York Times, thanks in part to Twitters role in shaking up the traditional news flow.

Another entity hed be fine without, of course, is the Federal Reserve. He used this metaphor to describe whats been happening in recent years.

Without the Federal Reserve, Taleb said that the price of money would be negotiated between people.

He pointed to bitcoin BTCUSD, +6.00% which continues to explode to new highs, as part of some sort of organic order in the future.

You cannot have incompetence, serial incompetence, for such a long time without some kind of pushback, Taleb said.

Watch the full interview:

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Nassim 'Black Swan' Taleb says the future will be 'a libertarian's dream' - MarketWatch