Dancing with Fire's definitions

Carl von Clausewitz

The Prussian military theorist who is widely acknowledged as the most important of the major strategic theorists. Even though he's been dead for over a century and a half, he remains the most frequently cited, the most controversial, and in many respects the most modern. His most notable work, Vom Kriege (On War), was unfinished at his death.

"To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power and movement, the enemy's centre of gravity." - Carl von Clausewitz

by Dancing with Fire October 11, 2011

In the nick of time

At the last possible moment.
Just at the critical moment.
Just in time.

The beautiful woman was saved just in the nick of time as some man untied her from the train tracks. She later gave him the best head ever.

by Dancing with Fire December 28, 2010

Libertarian

Libertarianism boils down to two simple questions:

1) What does it mean to have liberty?

2) How do we, as a society, implement liberty in our daily lives?

Libertarians believe that people should be free to do whatever they want just as long as they do not hurt other people. For instance, if someone is minding their own business while smoking weed in their car or in their backyard, most libertarians will argue that he or she should be left alone. If the individual is truly sovereign, then they should be able to put whatever they want into their own body. For it is the individual who owns their body, not the state. Libertarians, such as the Libertarian Party, believe in "minimum government, maximum freedom"; while libertarians, such as the anarcho-capitalists wish to abolish the state. For this reason, people tend to stereotype all libertarians as anarchists. Libertarianism is a very broad political philosophy. One doesn't need to be a member of the party to be a libertarian, nor do they need to be an anarcho-capitalist. Finally, they do recognize the potential dangers of large corporations. They are pro-free market; not pro-corporation. They're also not made up of "wealthy individuals." This is also a generalization. They could come from a poor background, a middle class background, or a wealthy background. Libertarians believe everything should be voluntary.

by Dancing with Fire September 29, 2013

Lord's Resistance Army

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, operated in the north from bases in southern Sudan. The LRA committed numerous abuses and atrocities, including the abduction, rape, maiming, and killing of civilians, including children. In addition to destabilizing northern Uganda from bases in Sudan, the LRA congregated in the Bunia area in eastern Congo. They linked up with the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR) and other rebel groups that were battling with forces from the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD).

The Lord's Resistance Army continued to kill, torture, maim, rape, and abduct large numbers of civilians, virtually enslaving numerous children. Although its levels of activity diminished somewhat compared with 1997, the area that the LRA targeted grew. The LRA sought to overthrow the Ugandan Government and inflicted brutal violence on the population in northern Uganda. LRA forces also targeted local government officials and employees. The LRA also targeted international humanitarian convoys and local NGO workers.

by Dancing with Fire June 23, 2011

Menshevik

A member of the non-Leninist wing of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party.

The Mensheviks and Bolsheviks were both Communists, but they disagreed on how the revolution could be achieved. The Mensheviks believed in mobilizing the Russian masses (workers and peasants) against the existing establishment and in using the parliamentry system to achieve it, whereas the more radical Bolsheviks believed that the revolution should come about through the works of a small group of intellectual elites such as Lenin. The reason this confuses a lot of people is because Menshevik means "minority", and Bolshevik means "majority", when actually it was the Mensheviks who believed in a revolution of the majority, and the Bolsheviks in one of the minority. The reason for these paradoxies is that the names actually represent the size of their respective parties rather than their viewpoints-- the 1905 split between the two factions revealed that the MAJORITY of Communists were Bolsheviks, and the minority were Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks went on to carry out the revolution successfully.

by Dancing with Fire April 8, 2013

Simon

Mexican slang for yeah or yes. An alternative to saying si. Said a lot by cholos and chicanos.

José: Yo ese, can I talk to ya for a sec?
Miguel: Simon!

by Dancing with Fire February 25, 2012

Guerrilla Warfare

When a small irregular force takes on a large regular force through the use of hit and run tactics, the element of surprise, sabotage, destroying the enemies line of communications, etc.

For guerrilla warfare to work, the insurgent army must have the full support of the inhabitants in the area in which the guerrilla forces are trying to liberate. The enemy is also the source of the guerrilla army’s ammunition. Guerrilla is Spanish for "little war" and it originated with the actions of small bands of Spanish soldiers who fought against Napoleon’s French army in the Peninsular War (1807-1814).

by Dancing with Fire July 8, 2011