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Zen and similar styles of meditation, along with the yoga disciplines,
I came to see as methods for maintaining psychedelic levels of
once the chemicals had demonstrated the nature of such
modes awareness, of consciousness. As for speed, downers, the opium derivatives,
and alcohol in anything but moderate amounts -- I have always seen
these as drugs which shut down human awareness, harm the body,
provide escapist solutions to problems, and therefore simply shore
the status quo. I have also tended to oppose authoritarian
up systems of belief and rip-off gurus in the mystical disciplines
for similar reasons.
Regarding treason, I came gradually to a position of supporting
nearly all factions on the radical left, except in their quarreling
with each other and the dogmatic insistence of some of these groups
on the necessity of political violence (or, in other cases, the
immorality of violence under all circumstances). I came to
this
position without ever abandoning some of the more libertarian
elements on the extreme right. Meanwhile, I continued to refine
my own political philosophy of anarchism -- not because I favored
"violence and chaos" with which anarchism is nearly always falsely
equated, but because of my opposition to violence and chaos, for
which government military machines and bureaucratic structures
are largely responsible in today's world.
During the past eight or nine years most of my writing, speak-
ing, and social organizing efforts have centered around the "sex,
drugs, and treason" theme, which I have continually refined and
elaborated with special areas of focus. Moreover, I have as the
years have passed aquired more confidence and more social courage
in these areas, and hence I have become extremely outspoken.
Consequently, most of the straight media people I have encountered
and even some culturally conservative types within the Movement
tend to regard me as "some kind of nut, " which is one way of
avoiding dealing with what I have to say.
I believe that recently my image as a 37-year-old beatnik has
lessened my credibility as an assassination witness. For had I
been clean shaven, suit-wearing, and utterly devoid of any original
ideas, I am almost certain it would not have taken me some six
months to get serious investigative attention for my charges
regarding Kirstein.
By late 1966 and early 1967 the only elements of the Ayn Rand
philosophy that remained with me were those of feeling guilty unless
I justified everything I did in terms of self-interest, a blindness
to the destructive role of the large corporations in modern society,
and a lack of understanding regarding the nature and effect of
socioeconomic classes. Since about 1972 my thinking has taken a
distinctly Marxian turn in those three areas.
Late in 1966 Cara and I made another "Christmas visit, this
time by automobile, to Pennsylvania in order to spend a couple of
weeks with her folks. As we crossed through the Midwest, the first
sensational news of Jim Garrison's New Orleans investigation of the
John Kennedy assassination hit the newspapers and televison screens.
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"ocrText": "Zen and similar styles of meditation, along with the yoga disciplines,\nI came to see as methods for maintaining psychedelic levels of\nonce the chemicals had demonstrated the nature of such\nmodes awareness, of consciousness. As for speed, downers, the opium derivatives,\nand alcohol in anything but moderate amounts -- I have always seen\nthese as drugs which shut down human awareness, harm the body,\nprovide escapist solutions to problems, and therefore simply shore\nthe status quo. I have also tended to oppose authoritarian\nup systems of belief and rip-off gurus in the mystical disciplines\nfor similar reasons.\nRegarding treason, I came gradually to a position of supporting\nnearly all factions on the radical left, except in their quarreling\nwith each other and the dogmatic insistence of some of these groups\non the necessity of political violence (or, in other cases, the\nimmorality of violence under all circumstances). I came to\nthis\nposition without ever abandoning some of the more libertarian\nelements on the extreme right. Meanwhile, I continued to refine\nmy own political philosophy of anarchism -- not because I favored\n\"violence and chaos\" with which anarchism is nearly always falsely\nequated, but because of my opposition to violence and chaos, for\nwhich government military machines and bureaucratic structures\nare largely responsible in today's world.\nDuring the past eight or nine years most of my writing, speak-\ning, and social organizing efforts have centered around the \"sex,\ndrugs, and treason\" theme, which I have continually refined and\nelaborated with special areas of focus. Moreover, I have as the\nyears have passed aquired more confidence and more social courage\nin these areas, and hence I have become extremely outspoken.\nConsequently, most of the straight media people I have encountered\nand even some culturally conservative types within the Movement\ntend to regard me as \"some kind of nut, \" which is one way of\navoiding dealing with what I have to say.\nI believe that recently my image as a 37-year-old beatnik has\nlessened my credibility as an assassination witness. For had I\nbeen clean shaven, suit-wearing, and utterly devoid of any original\nideas, I am almost certain it would not have taken me some six\nmonths to get serious investigative attention for my charges\nregarding Kirstein.\nBy late 1966 and early 1967 the only elements of the Ayn Rand\nphilosophy that remained with me were those of feeling guilty unless\nI justified everything I did in terms of self-interest, a blindness\nto the destructive role of the large corporations in modern society,\nand a lack of understanding regarding the nature and effect of\nsocioeconomic classes. Since about 1972 my thinking has taken a\ndistinctly Marxian turn in those three areas.\nLate in 1966 Cara and I made another \"Christmas visit, this\ntime by automobile, to Pennsylvania in order to spend a couple of\nweeks with her folks. As we crossed through the Midwest, the first\nsensational news of Jim Garrison's New Orleans investigation of the\nJohn Kennedy assassination hit the newspapers and televison screens."
}