OWLEXANDRIAN INITIATE

Magazine Overview

The Owlexandrian Initiate, Volume One, Number One, is a journal published by The Albert S. Greenfield Memorial Press, with an approximate date of 1972. Allen H. Greenfield is credited as the editor.

Libertarianism: An Alternative Proposal

This section, presented as a policy statement from the International New Libertarian Union, outlines a libertarian philosophy with a humanitarian and flexible framework. It warns against both vague principles and overly rigid certainty. The proposal is divided into four key areas:

(1) Warfare

It asserts the inalienability of the right to personal self-defense and the moral correctness of voluntary group association for common defense. However, warfare is viewed primarily as a statist institution, an immoral substitute for peaceful trade and negotiation. The Vietnam War is cited as an example of a conflict between statist spheres of influence. Conscription, in any form, is considered involuntary servitude and therefore immoral, regardless of the cause.

(2) Property and Technological Civilization

Technology is seen as both a bane and a boon, with its progress playing an integral role in mankind's destiny. The focus is on a positive influence through an astute conceptual approach that avoids technocracy, environmental corruption, and depersonalization. The libertarian view of property, which can become a fetish, is not fully shared; human rights, particularly individual liberty and personal self-expression, are considered preeminent. While upholding the essential importance of property rights and a free market, the proposal cautions against the concept of "free market justice" as an absolute guarantee against abuse. It strongly supports workers' rights to organize into voluntary associations and unions, and the right to strike, viewing these, along with self-restraint and free market mechanics, as legitimate means of guaranteeing economic justice, as opposed to statist interventionism. This includes economic boycotts, marshalling public opinion, and non-violent demonstrations.

(3) Society and the Individual

Man is seen as having a transcendent role in history, best pursued in a system promoting individual freedom and voluntary, non-coercive interpersonal associations. Moral, philosophical, and associational freedom are considered absolute rights, not granted liberties, and not amendable by governmental procedures. These rights do not extend to acts of violence, force, or undue corruption of the natural environment. The ideal government is one with the barest minimum possible structure, advocating for the total abolition of the state if a realistic possibility, but considering a minimal state structure as the workable and desirable goal. Militarism, social manipulation, most taxation, and economic regulation are deemed outside governmental concern. Legitimate governmental functions include prevention of interpersonal violence, essential environmental regulation, and certain "neutral" spheres beneficial to all.

(4) Life, Reason and Immaterality

Freedom and human fulfillment are dependent on life, the preservation and extension of which are considered sacred duties. A rational and scientific approach to life is favored, balanced with a humanistic perspective. Definitive answers to the nature of the universe and man are not available but are subject to scientific inquiry. The proposal also warns against philosophies that foster alienation from emotional connection and against closed-mindedness.

Some Concepts to Be Wary Of

This section cautions against assertions that instinct is non-existent in humans, citing infant behavior and biological descent from animals as evidence of its presence. It also warns against a myopic view of history that ignores counter-trends like increasing totalitarian control and man's capacity for self-destruction. The danger of philosophies fostering alienation from emotional connection and the pitfalls of closed-mindedness are also highlighted.

Outlaws

Written by Allen H. Greenfield, this is a narrative piece that appears to be a short story or a vignette. It describes an encounter in a bar between a bartender and a man who identifies himself as one of the last "hippies." The man recounts his experiences of feeling increasingly isolated and alone as his subculture dwindled in the late seventies, leading to a sense of being an "outlaw" and a "gutter-sleeping drunk." The bartender reveals a past connection, stating, "we were once brothers."

Voyage

Also by Allen H. Greenfield, this narrative follows a character named Levi, who is being helped to escape Atlanta by associates named Katzman and Sandy Goldner. The escape involves avoiding checkpoints and air travel, suggesting a post-cataclysmic or highly controlled environment. The narrative details a tense rendezvous and the plan to get Levi to Savannah and out of the country. It also touches upon the difficulties of travel and the presence of "checkpoints, patrols."

Operations and Conventions

This section includes a narrative about an operation involving an "Illegal Emmigration Organization" and a suspect referred to as "Goldburg." The protagonist, working for an agency, is tasked with monitoring freighters for potential illegal activity. The operation involves surveillance and a planned interception, which ultimately results in the freighter "Abraham Lincoln" sailing without the target.

Following this, "A Report On Conventions: June, 1972" details the author's attendance at various science fiction and UFO conventions. These include Tri-clave in Johnson City, Tennessee; Mid America Con in Kansas City; the Midwest UFO Conference in Quincy, Illinois; and the Ninth Annual Congress of Scientific UFOlogists in Logansport, Indiana (later renamed the National UFO Conference). The report highlights notable attendees and the general atmosphere of these events.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue strongly advocates for libertarian principles, emphasizing individual freedom, voluntary association, and a minimal role for government. There is a critical view of statist institutions, conscription, and excessive regulation. The narratives explore themes of alienation, societal change, and the search for meaning in a potentially dystopian or controlled future. The reporting on UFO conferences indicates an interest in the unexplained and the broader implications of such phenomena. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of individual liberty and against coercive governmental or societal structures, while acknowledging the complexities of human nature and societal organization.