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he convinced me that all political violence, regardless of its
merely serves to strengthen the State,
ideological less, morally justification, criminal protection nothing of legitimacy, rackets
and that what we now think of as governments are more or
and ethically, than
which have surrounded themselves with a mystique
be it Divine Right, constitutionalism, or whatever. LeFevre believes
that self-government is a viable alternative to the State and that
when nations begin to attain a level of civilization where self-
government predominates, political rule will fall into disrepute
much in the way that cannibalism has been abandoned by most of
the human race in today's world. In the mean time he advocates
education as the only means of bringing that day nearer.
His arguments profoundly impressed me and shortly thereafter,
when I moved out to Southern California to take a job as editor
of a libertarian newsletter, I found myself very much at odds
with the Randites and the other right libertarians who maintained
a belief in government as a "necessary evil. I also soon started
calling myself an anarchist and began acquainting myself with the
ideas of the anarchists in history, especially those who argued
against the State from an individualist ethical position.
I also soon discovered the New Left, and I helped pioneer a
movement among libertarian elements to cooperate politically with
the New Left, many members of which were anarchistic and individual-
istic, instead of with the conservatives, among whom racism,
antisexualism, and unthinking patriotism limited the possibilities
for genuine freedom.
My move to Los Angeles took place shortly before the Goldwater
defeat and I remained in that area until autumn of 1967. It proved
to be a period of enormous growth for me, both politically and
personally.
I had traveled through Chicago on the way back to the Arlington
area after the Freedom School visit, and there I stopped by to see
publisher Paul Neimark, whose Randite magazine articles and paper-
back anthologies had impressed me, and with whose secretary, Louise
Lacey, I had been corresponding for many months.
During my interview with Neimark (of Novel Books) I mentioned
having known Oswald and having written The Idle Warriors and
suggested that Neimark might be interested in publishing it.
Soon after my arrival in California I got a letter from Neimark
in which he stated that while he was not interested in publishing
the Warriors (because, he said, he thought I would be able to get
more for it from a hardback publisher), he would like me to do a
nonfiction paperback on Oswald.
Neimark had very specific notions about what he wanted the book
to contain. For one thing he wanted a psychological portrait of
the accused assassin which interpreted his projected motives in
terms of Objectivist Psychology. For another thing, he insisted
upon a fictionalized chapter in which the readers could see the
assassination, as the Warren Report outlined it, through the eyes
and mind of Lee Oswald. Also, he wanted to include selected
excerpts from the version of The Idle Warriors which was written
before the assassination.
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"ocrText": "he convinced me that all political violence, regardless of its\nmerely serves to strengthen the State,\nideological less, morally justification, criminal protection nothing of legitimacy, rackets\nand that what we now think of as governments are more or\nand ethically, than\nwhich have surrounded themselves with a mystique\nbe it Divine Right, constitutionalism, or whatever. LeFevre believes\nthat self-government is a viable alternative to the State and that\nwhen nations begin to attain a level of civilization where self-\ngovernment predominates, political rule will fall into disrepute\nmuch in the way that cannibalism has been abandoned by most of\nthe human race in today's world. In the mean time he advocates\neducation as the only means of bringing that day nearer.\nHis arguments profoundly impressed me and shortly thereafter,\nwhen I moved out to Southern California to take a job as editor\nof a libertarian newsletter, I found myself very much at odds\nwith the Randites and the other right libertarians who maintained\na belief in government as a \"necessary evil. I also soon started\ncalling myself an anarchist and began acquainting myself with the\nideas of the anarchists in history, especially those who argued\nagainst the State from an individualist ethical position.\nI also soon discovered the New Left, and I helped pioneer a\nmovement among libertarian elements to cooperate politically with\nthe New Left, many members of which were anarchistic and individual-\nistic, instead of with the conservatives, among whom racism,\nantisexualism, and unthinking patriotism limited the possibilities\nfor genuine freedom.\nMy move to Los Angeles took place shortly before the Goldwater\ndefeat and I remained in that area until autumn of 1967. It proved\nto be a period of enormous growth for me, both politically and\npersonally.\nI had traveled through Chicago on the way back to the Arlington\narea after the Freedom School visit, and there I stopped by to see\npublisher Paul Neimark, whose Randite magazine articles and paper-\nback anthologies had impressed me, and with whose secretary, Louise\nLacey, I had been corresponding for many months.\nDuring my interview with Neimark (of Novel Books) I mentioned\nhaving known Oswald and having written The Idle Warriors and\nsuggested that Neimark might be interested in publishing it.\nSoon after my arrival in California I got a letter from Neimark\nin which he stated that while he was not interested in publishing\nthe Warriors (because, he said, he thought I would be able to get\nmore for it from a hardback publisher), he would like me to do a\nnonfiction paperback on Oswald.\nNeimark had very specific notions about what he wanted the book\nto contain. For one thing he wanted a psychological portrait of\nthe accused assassin which interpreted his projected motives in\nterms of Objectivist Psychology. For another thing, he insisted\nupon a fictionalized chapter in which the readers could see the\nassassination, as the Warren Report outlined it, through the eyes\nand mind of Lee Oswald. Also, he wanted to include selected\nexcerpts from the version of The Idle Warriors which was written\nbefore the assassination."
}