What is the Armed Bohemian?

"The word humanity is a barren abstraction if it is not given existential reality by self-assertive personalities who enjoy a visible degree of autonomy." Murray Bookchin

(There is a more fundamental piece coming on the nature of the armed bohemian – This is both introductory, and a teaser for what is to come.)

In terms of this blog, Armed Bohemian, is a place for me to explore some ideas on society, culture, war, violence, and some of my more “unseemly” interests that I've occasionally explored on Rum & Donuts. R&D is about much more than these things, and I don't want to pigeonhole it as a “war blog” or a “gun blog” or any other single idea-blog. Armed Bohemian is a single idea blog (just a rather vast single idea).
I aim to explore issues of Warriors, War, Violence, and the relationships of these matters with Culture and Civilization. In these explorations, I'm hoping to both reach the final formation of an idea, and promote that idea – A philosophy, a lifestyle, of Armed Bohemianism. From Warlord Personalities, to Professional Soldiers, to Armed Citizens. As suggested in the words of Murray Bookchin above, from Ecology of Freedom, these rough men (and women) give a deeper dimension to the human existence, and are often the drivers of culture, and even civilization. Armed Bohemian, the blog, seeks to explore this in a fuller sense.

What exactly, or who are Armed Bohemians? Is it a good thing to be? What defines this? How do these people shape the world? We're going to find out.

Some rough, initial, thoughts – Primarily on the lifestyle angle:
The Armed Bohemian is a bohemian – He (or she) is most certainly a practitioner of an alternative lifestyle. They tend towards wandering, adventuring, rather than establishing large numbers of conventional ties. They partake in a breadth of culture, arts, literature, music, as a function of their existence, not just their entertainment. The armed bohemian has seceded from conventionality in life, culture, and action.
The armed bohemian is also armed. In a culture where armament, violence and war have become the antithesis of acceptability, normality, and civility, the very act of owning a firearm, is a bohemian act. The Armed Bohemian is also characterized by the differences between an armed man, and one unarmed – an armed citizen, vs. a disarmed subject to use rough analogy – but embodies more than simply being armed, being a citizen. Being armed is not merely in reference to weapons either, as armament takes many forms, including knowledge and skill-sets.

The armed bohemian is dedicated, every day, to becoming more dangerous than he was the day before. This is not solely a measure of skill at arms, or anything necessarily combative, but also of knowledge of any field. Particularly applied learning for his fields of professional/personal interest (finance, science, etc). The armed bohemian seeks to be, in some way, faster every morning than he was the morning before – This requires a daily devotion to improving something about himself, or his position in his world.
The Red Queen theory in full effect, though the armed bohemian may seek to be more at the driving end – His existence forcing the lesser beings (both prey and less skilled or enemy predators) to run faster merely to keep up.
The armed bohemian is a man of the world, in the classical sense – A polymath.

The armed bohemian is a student, but not a disciple – He uses what he learns to pave his own path.

Right now is an excellent time to ponder this personality, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it. At this point in the world, in human history, we're in, or fast approaching, a period in which these personalities not only thrive, but drive.

And more. Much more. This idea is, or will become, far less self-help for the would-be warlord, than this may make it sound. Just, stick around.