Category Archives: Libertarian

Mark Wicks feels like hes got a chance.

The Inverness rancher who also delivers the mail is the Libertarian Partys candidate for Montanas U.S. House seat, which was left vacant when Ryan Zinke became Interior Secretary. Wicks faces Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist in the May 25 race, and as a third-party candidate, hes not expected to win. But hes convinced hes got chance to give his opponents a tough challenge.

Im pulling votes off both of them, the 47-year-old said Friday. Theyre not very shiny candidates.

After impressing panelists in the recent Congressional debate between the three of them, Wicks is doing more to get his name out there. He did an AMA on Reddit on Friday. He held an event in Bozeman, too. Hes working on getting some ads on Facebook, and hes trying to tell people why his philosophy might help solve problems in Washington, D.C., particularly the divisiveness between the parties.

I think we need some voices in there that are not so partisan, he said.

He sat down with the Chronicle to talk about his stance on various issues.

Wicks said candidates for office are always talking about cutting the budget and that it never seems to get done.

I think there needs to be somebody out there thats being a little louder than whats happening, he said. Were $20 trillion in debt. We havent even slowed down the growth of the debt yet, and its going to catch up with us. Lets try to get ahead of it for a change instead of always reacting to the situation after its bad.

To get ahead of the debt, Wicks said he wants to see budget cuts across the board, and that certain agencies are spending too much on the buildings theyre housed in.

Wicks said he wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.

Im a repeal guy. Ive been a repeal since day one, he said. Lets make sure the Medicare, Medicaid patients are protected, and lets kick it back to the states and make some common sense solutions.

He said he wants to see tort reform. He also said the costs of health care and prescription drugs need to be reduced, and that insurance companies need to be able to cross state lines.

He also said he wants to give veterans a Medicare card so they can turn to places other than Veterans Affairs for health care. He thinks VA clinics do well at a couple of things prosthetic limbs, traumatic head injuries and treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

If they stuck to those three, I think they do well. But just for common, everyday treatment, I dont think its cost-effective or even having good outcomes, he said.

He also said he is opposed to transferring money away from either Medicare or Social Security to fill gaps in other parts of the budget.

The transfer of public lands to the states has been a hot button issue in the West for a long time. Wicks said that conversation begins with whether the states want the lands, and he doesnt want to end up with private ownership of some federal lands.

I dont believe that national forests or wildlife sanctuaries, national parks should ever be transferred to private hands, Wicks said. Its just not going to happen ... Its just not on the board for anybody.

Wicks doesnt want to rule out any transfers, because he doesnt like to put things in a big lock box and saying this is how it is. He said any transfers should be analyzed on a site-specific basis and that any transfers of public lands need to ensure that people retain public access.

If it is transferred it has to have a conservation easement on it so Montanans can always access that land forever, he said. So even if they sell a section of ground out in eastern Montana, people can go hunt, hike, do whatever on it.

Same-sex marriage isnt much of an issue for Wicks. He supports it, citing a common Libertarian principle.

You can do what you want as long as youre not hurting anybody else, Wicks said. I dont see where theyre hurting anybody, so its none of my business.

On abortion, Wicks said he doesnt like the issue, and that theres no answer that satisfies everyone.

Im reluctantly pro-choice, he said, before adding that he doesnt like certain kinds of abortions.

Wicks said hes a big supporter of gun rights.

Im probably the most pro-Second Amendment guy that has ever came through running for Congress, Wicks said.

He dismissed any ideas about further background checks for people trying to buy guns, saying theres no way to pass a law that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

Thats why theyre criminals, Wicks said.

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Libertarian Mark Wicks on the issues - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Being Libertarian

The Case for the European Union - The Right Engle - Being ... Being Libertarian France has a new president. In a runoff between a centrist (or center-left) pro-trade, pro-social freedom candidate and a far-right authoritarian nationalist, French ... and more »

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The Case for the European Union - The Right Engle - Being ... - Being Libertarian

Michael J. Mazzarone has stepped down as Director of Being Libertarians Multimedia Department.

Mazzarone commented:

This move will only accelerate the growth of Being Libertarian and our Mulitmedia Department. My tenure as Director of Multimedia was always meant to be temporary. I wanted to do what I could to grow MMD organically so we had a solid foundation in place, and then focus back on my strengths, public relations, all of which I feel has been accomplished. I also am proud to announce the appointment of current Being LiberTV interviewer, Michael Brokamp as the divisions senior publicist. Brokamp has secured heavy hitting interviews such as Ron Paul and James OKeefe and that has not gone without notice. While this appointment wont affect his interviewing capabilities, I wish him luck on this new endeavor. Associate publicists to this division will be named later.

Being Libertarian LLC is shaking up the Multimedia Division, andis also happy to announce the creation of a new Public Relations Section, of which Mazzarone will be the Manager.

Jared Howe will remain MMDs Content Manager, and Mazzarone has endorsed MMD Deputy Director Eric July asthe new Head of Multimedia. July received unanimous approval from the Board of Directors, and will be taking on this new role effective immediately.

July commented:

Weve been working hard to rebuild this department over the last few months, which gave us some time to figure out each others strengths and weaknesses. This is why we are putting individuals in roles that will give them the greatest opportunity to succeed, playing to their strengths. I look forward to spearheading this department, and having leadership as such will make it that much easier.

Mazzarone and July, while coordinating the transfer of leadership, named YouTube firebrands TJ Brown (ThatGuyT) and Seamus Coughlin (Freedomtoons) to leadership roles within MMD.

Brown said:

The brand of liberty has been in a dire state of mediocrity for quite some time absent of any vibrant representation of the philosophy. When I found Being Libertarian, I noticed a unique quality of cultural focus that didnt revolve around bumper sticker slogans or appeal to libertine moralism. It is my prediction that Being Libertarian will soon be one of the leading platforms in the freedom movement. Promotion of individualism, markets, responsibility and property rights is no longer isolated to legacy non-profits or political parties. As the tide of the information age drowns the sinking ship of legacy media, Im glad to be welcomed aboard this innovative juggernaut and look forward to making a cultural impact unlike anyone else in the game.

I am very excited to be joining the leadership team at Being Libertarian, Coughlin added. He continued, saying as Senior Digital Producer I will be ensuring the production of quality content for the organization and its followers. I look forward to providing you with entertaining and thought provoking content, Coughlin added.

Brown, Coughlin and July will lead the strategic business initiatives and day-to-day operations of the Multimedia Division and Being Libertarians developing free streaming content service, Being LiberTV.

Under Mazzarones leadership, the Multimedia Department made great strides with the launch of Being LiberTV in early 2017 and interviews with high profile figures such as Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, John Stossel, and others. His appointment of Eric July as Deputy Director led to quick successes, as they secured partnerships with Liberty Link Media Group, ThatGuyT, FreedomToons, among others. The future of libertarian multimedia looks bright, with Eric July and BackWordz having secured an enduring name in the field of music in an age where political upheaval across the globe continues to increase the appeal of realistic libertarian solutions to real world problems. Were honored to march to the frontlines of liberty, and look forward to playing a role in its ever-needed defense.

Image: Dave Van Englehoven

* Martin van Staden is the Director of Literature & Publications and the Editor in Chief of Being Libertarian.

This post was written by Martin van Staden.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Martin van Staden is the Editor in Chief of Being Libertarian, the Legal Researcher at the Free Market Foundation, a co-founder of the RationalStandard.com, and the Southern African Academic Programs Director at Students For Liberty. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not represent any of the aforementioned organizations.

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Being Libertarian Makes Organizational Changes Within Multimedia Department - Being Libertarian

The Friedman Conference is an event held every year by the Australian Libertarian Society and the Australian Taxpayers Alliance. The event is conducted in order to bring together the biggest and brightest minds in the libertarian sphere, where they give their thoughts regarding the modern sense of entropy faced by so many in the current political climate.

The 2017 gathering managed to attract names such as Ezra Levant, Senator David Leyonhjelm, Senator Malcom Roberts, Professor Michael Munger, Nick Gillespie, Senator Cory Bernardi, former vice presidential candidate Judd Weiss, and Trumps former economic policy advisor Darren Brady Nelson. The amalgamation of academic superstars can be found on the web page to the momentous event. The event is the biggest pro-liberty gathering in the Asia-Pacific region, and I managed to get in to report on the proceedings for Being Libertarian.

Comprehensive lectures were given on a range of topics from modern to classical theories regarding the wacky world of politics, in which some of the older freedom-fighters came face-to-face with the newer generations of the movement.

One of the most energized and exciting panels of the conference was the one which found itself subject to the most controversy though; the accumulation of rising figures in the realm of alternative media. The Age, a heavily left-wing Australian publication, managed to infiltrate and misrepresent the sentiments of the speakers. Whilst The Age may have simply ignored the context of the comments made on the panel, we here at Being Libertarian pride ourselves upon journalistic integrity in research and after having read the article, I decided to reach out to those who found themselves subject to what ultimately amounted to defamation of character.

James Fox Higgins of the Rational Rise redirected me to an Instagram post which he had made earlier with regards to the way in which the fake news had portrayed them. The post read:

Well there you have it. Mainstream media selectively quoting and dishonestly characterizing an event. To be clear: I was quoting@juddweisson making libertarianism sexy, and 3 of us on the panel identify as gender-fluid panhuman, so super disappointing to see The Age assuming our gender. Bigots.

The nature of Ross Camerons speech was also very much directed at Fairfax media, who he cited as being prone to mischaracterize those in the media.

His job is to take a hundred photos of Mark Latham and me to make us look like fuckwits.

He then invited the reporter to come towards the front and snap a picture of himself giving a Nazi salute so that they can leave the event and let the libertarians enjoy themselves. This comment was met to endless cheers of adulation and mass praise of the Australians in the room, as the sentiment of a biased media (best expressed through the controversy of The Age article) rung true to many that felt as if their cause was misrepresented.

The brightest members of academia were also the kindest at Friedman 17. It goes without saying that whilst The Age may view us as being outsiders or not, reflective of the cool culture, I refer you to the great Judd Weiss: We are, we have been, and we should be about being the weird and interesting alternative.

For more of my content, including a realm of alternative viewpoints on modern political discourse, my Facebook page can be found here.

This post was written by David McManus.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

David McManus has an extensive background in youth politics and of advocacy with regards to the libertarian and anarcho-capitalist movements. David draws his values from the works of Stirner, Hoppe and Rothbard. He is currently a student in Australia with a passion for writing, which carries into a healthy zest for liberty-based activism. Despite an aspiring career in politics, he considers himself a writer at heart with a steady niche for freelance work.

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Fear and Loathing at Friedman '17 - Being Libertarian

Despiterecent reports that White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had been sidelined within the administration, it appears he may be winning back the Presidents favor.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Trump defendedBannon, describing him as a very decent guy who feels very strongly about the country and had received a bad rap from the media.

Trump also disputed the medias portrayalof Bannon as an alt-right figure, stating that he sees Bannon as alt-left, on the basis thatBannons more of a libertarian than anything else.

In response to reports of tensions between Bannon and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Trump said,theyre getting along fine.

Trump went on todownplay reports that Bannon would be leavingthe White House, saying: Im very happy with our group. Were doing very well.

Bannon is said to have made an unlikely comeback within the White House, having reportedly beenbehind the Trump administrations recent criticisms of Canadas abuse of NAFTA, according toThe Hill.

Trumps characterization of Bannon as a libertarian is certainly unusual, given Bannons previousdismissalof the Cato Institute and Austrian economics.

However, it is not unheard of, with Bannon himself stating Im a big believer in a lot of libertarianism in a 2014 speechto the Human Dignity Institute. Bannon then went on to criticize the Ayn Rand or the Objectivist School of libertarian capitalism, which he considers a capitalism that really looks to make people commodities, and to objectify people, and to use them almost. This suggests that Bannon, if he is indeed a libertarian, perhaps has more of a paleolibertarian outlook, combining libertarianism with a deep-seated cultural conservatism.

Regardless of Bannons personal ideology, his anti-establishment outlook has made him an ally for libertarians who wish to see Trump adhere to his America First campaign platform, with Bannon reportedly pushingback against attempts by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster to escalate U.S. involvement in Syria and by Kushner to keep the United States in the Paris climate agreement.

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Trump: Bannon's More Of a Libertarian Than Anything Else - The Liberty Conservative

When we leave a tip at a restaurant after a meal, most of us probably assume that money goes directly into the pocket or our waiter or waitress. After all, tips are how so many in the service industryunable to be dependent on wages typically well below the minimum wagesurvive.But with few exceptions, tips are subject to regular taxation just like your salary or hourly wages, and those in the service industry often have to split their tips with their coworkers.

Enter the libertarian tip.

This new idea started with a post on social media, in which a Missouri diner left a generous gift of above 20 percent, but with a major caveat: The persontechnically put a big, fat zeroin the tip spot and the not at all subtleTaxation is theft message on the receipt.

Confused?

Under federal tax laws, small cash gifts are not taxable income. You know, like when your grandma sends you a $20 bill for your birthday.

In this case, the diner indicated that it wasnt a tip and leftbehind cash and a note that read:

This is not a tip. This is a personal gift and not subject to federal or state income taxes.

Thats great for the waiter or waitress, who presumably gets to pocket all that sweet, sweet cash.

But its a bum deal for those who believe in government, as that money is no longer taxable and going to support things like health care, safe roads, or education.

And its unclear if such a practice would actually hold up to a legal challenge should the libertarian tip truly pick up momentum and become a genuine phenomenon. After all, intent counts for a lot in the courtroom, and its pretty obvious this customer was, in fact, tippingeven thougha political point was made out of the whole affair.

The libertarian magazine Reason has a breakdown of how this all works(or doesnt), along with its own attempt to replicate the libertarian tip.

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The 'Libertarian Tip' Is Changing How People Pay For Meals | GOOD - GOOD Magazine

ScotHibb/Reddit

Anytime I see something viral about restaurant tipping, I brace myself. Because for every great story about a waiter being tipped an insane amount by a good samaritan, theres a terrible story about jerks who bully their server by threatening to take away money or leave a bible verse instead of a tip.

Luckily, this customer in a restaurant in Missouri was able to make their political point while still leaving money for the server. So while its odd, its also kind of sweet?

The picture, which surfaced on Reddit, shows that the customer wrote $0 as the tip, writing in that Taxation is theft.

However, they did leave a cash tip of over 20% with a note saying, This is not a tip. This is a personal gift and not subject to federal or state income taxes. Now, the internet is exploding over the message and calling it the Libertarian way to tip.

Libertarians famously dont believe in the government taking taxes. On their partys website they say that in the United States, all political parties other than our own grant government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent. They believe strongly that people should be able to give money to whatever or whomever they want saying, If Americans want to give money to the government for one reason or another, they should be free to do so. If Americans prefer to spend their money on other things, then they should be free to do that also.

Whether or not the server in question also believes that people should be able to (or in any world would) just volunteer to pay for roads and schools, they probably didnt mind the cash tip. Most servers prefer cash specifically so that they dont have to report it and get taxed. So while I cant say I agree with the Libertarian way of thinking generally, Ive been a server. And all of us who have been servers, I guess we have a little Libertarian in us after all.

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This Little Trick Is Being Called The 'Libertarian Way To Tip' - Uproxx - UPROXX

Libertarians have a bad reputation when it comes to foreign policy. In fact, it is one of the chief impediments to many in supporting libertarian thinking, and one of the greatest criticisms of the Libertarian Party (LP). It is typically viewed by non-libertarians that libertarians falter and stumble when it comes to making and supporting foreign policy. However, most typically, when people criticize libertarians for their foreign policy thinking, it has more to do with misunderstanding on the part of the non-libertarian than it has to do with weakness in libertarian philosophy. Understanding various aspects and nuances of libertarian principles and their application is key to understanding why it might appear that libertarians have a difficult time verbalizing consistent foreign policy positions.

The first thing people must understand is a very important distinction libertarianism (with a small l) is a political philosophy that applies to governments of any nation. Often, because Americans are so vocal and get the most coverage of libertarianism, it is assumed that it is a wholly American line of thinking, and people make the mistake of confusing the political philosophy with the American LP, which founds its positions on the political philosophy but only exists in the United States. Small l libertarianism is international in scope. If American libertarians look more broadly, we can find far more friends in other nations than we might think. Often, international libertarians are not familiar with the name but still follow the same or similar philosophies.

Because libertarianism has no nation, it has no foreigners. As such, it is impossible for libertarianism to have a foreign policy. There are no foreigners for which it can form a policy. So, the distinction between political parties and philosophy is exceptionally important in breaking through the confusion others hold on libertarian foreign policy.

In terms of American foreign policy, the LP has a tremendous challenge. By the very nature of libertarian philosophy, its thinkers are independent rugged individualists who do not think party first, but rather think of principle first and how it fits into their personal political views. If you have a political party full of people whose positions are formed in such an individualist manner, it is nearly impossible to form political positions for which every member can rally support, or even a vast majority of members. The very best the LP leadership can do is to use the party principles to develop their positions, and to approximate the general consensus of party members as best they can.

Broadly, members of the LP are anti-war. But almost everyone is anti-war. I dont think anyone truly supports the killing of other people, except when it is an absolute necessity in order to preserve ones own life, liberty, and property. So, how can Libertarians (with a big L) define when war is necessary for these protections? It gets even murkier when alliances become involved. The official platform of the LP states that it prefers trade negotiations to military entanglements. However, it would be naive to think that trade does not necessitate military protections and alliances in order to protect those trade agreements. It is also a bit naive to think that protection of a nation does not also require military alliances that create foreign entanglements.

The LP can attempt to formulate a foreign policy position by spelling it out in terms how its principles apply. However, there will still be vast disagreements even on those grounds. Principles can be easily interpreted differently by different people who are independent thinkers. By the time a policy is written it is usually already obsolete, because the nature and complexity of affairs has already changed.

So, the criticism of both large L and small l libertarians on foreign policy can only be resolved by better communication. Foreign policy positions are not going to suddenly solidify and unite all members of the LP, nor will it change the fact that libertarianism is an international philosophy. It is incumbent upon libertarians to explain the cause of the confusion and the principles which guide our thinking to explain that what appears to be disjointed, is not disjointed at all, but rather the expression of principle rather than fealty.

This post was written by Danny Chabino.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

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Why Foreign Policy Trips Up Libertarians - Being Libertarian - Being Libertarian

Roland Clifford Riemers, 73, was charged Monday, April 24, in Grand Forks District Court with simple assault-domestic violence. He was booked Sunday evening into the Grand Forks County Correctional Center.

Court documents accuse Riemers of striking his wife, Meixiang Lui, in the face and stomping on her foot, causing pain, swelling and bruising. The incident reportedly happened at 2 a.m. Sunday, April 23.

Lui filed a domestic violence protection order against Riemers in January 2016. Aside from a few traffic violations, this is his first charge in North Dakota.

Riemers has been a candidate for several local and statewide offices over the years as a Libertarian. He lost his latest bid for election in November, when he ran against Republican Josh Gallion for state auditor.

He also was unsuccessful in his 2016 campaign for the Grand Forks Public School Board in June.

Riemers was still in custody as of noon Monday and had an initial appearance scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Originally posted here:

Libertarian candidate Riemers charged with domestic assault | The ... - The Dickinson Press

In a time where naked parasitic leftism is running wild, libertarians are faced with a choice. They can either stand and fight against this menace, or wave the white flag of surrender. This seems like it would be an easy choice for any lover of liberty, but if you listen to certain voices within the movement, cowardice is the most noble of options.

The left-wing combatants claim to be anarchists, and yet are furthering the state, commentator Dan Sanchez wrote in a FEE column. The right-wing combatants claim to be for liberty, and yet are putting liberty in danger. If these conflicts continue to escalate, no matter which side wins, liberty will lose.

Sanchezs commentary is indicative of the academic, elitist, ivory tower mindset that plagues the libertarian movement. This mindset fosters passive inaction and stagnation. It has gotten especially pernicious since Ron Paul retired from public life. Isolated in his bubble, Sanchez and others like him have forgotten what the people need right now. They dont need a piddling crybaby making excuses for inaction; they want a brash, decisive leader. Political street fights are where these leaders can arise.

One ascendant libertarian leader has already emerged from these battles. Kyle Chapman a.k.a. Based Stickman is a Ron Paul-loving libertarian. He showed his love for liberty by slamming a stick into the skull of a communist thug amidst a chaotic violent mob, and is now a beloved national icon as a result. He is working closely with Liberty Hangout, with whom he recorded a podcast last month. He has also started a legal guild with Libertarian Party iconoclast Augustus Invictus to protect the rights of patriots against ANTIFA and their allies. Stickman has big things prepared, and he is emboldening people to stand up for their rights when it matters most.

While Stickman makes power moves, other libertarians are more tolerant of stagnation. They are not only intent to sideline themselves, but also want to inspire young minds to join them in their craven inaction. A textbook example of stagnatarianism comes from the Chief Executive Officer of Students For Liberty, Wolf von Laer. At his organizations international conference this year, he repeatedly told the impressionable audience, More Milton, Less Milo. This incredibly dull catchphrase did not even come close to going viral. It is a slogan that gives a glimpse into the entire pathology of the phony Beltway astroturfed libertarian movement.

Although he is still laying low after a nasty media hit job tried to derail his career, Milo Yiannopoulos is relevant, hip, interesting, charismatic, funny and controversial. He has the skill set desperately needed to grow a right-leaning political movement with young people in this day and age. On the other hand, Milton Friedman peaked in relevance over three decades ago, served as a regime economist, supported all kinds of government interventions into the private economy, and there is not a kid on Earth who could give a damn about what his supposed accomplishments are.

Perhaps Wolfs lousy advice was disingenuous blather meant to pigeonhole youthful activists to keep them from becoming too dangerous for his corporate masters. That seems to be the usual modus operandi of Koch-funded organizations, but I digress. Thankfully, a charlatan like von Laer never got the ear of Stickman when he was college-aged. Otherwise, he would have likely wallowed in isolated intellectual bubbleslistening to stuffed shirt bores pontificate endlessly and eventually been swallowed up by the establishment like so many other well-intentioned libertarians have throughout the years.

Having not been properly indoctrinated, Stickman failed to understand that it was improper for him to do anything but sit on your hands in the face of virulent leftism. He didnt realize that the big money donors come first, and fighting for freedom comes second. He simply acted like a man, and heeded the call to stand up for his rights. By inflicting righteous violence onto the skull of a lowly communist, Stickman emboldened many others to stand with him as well. Now, he is branching out with Alt Knight chapters across the nation. He is sparking a revolution in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Its worth noting that Stickman has accomplished more for the cause of liberty through his bold leadership in three weeks than Jeffrey Tucker has for three decades as a booze-addled scribbler. While CATO Institute analysts produce white papers that will sit on shelves and collect dust for eons, Stickman rolls up his sleeves and makes an immediate impact. His in-your-face leadership style exposes the true colors of leftists, who regularly attack women and the elderly while hiding behind masks. Stickmans leadership also exposes weak, cosmopolitan libertarians for what they are. By sitting on the sidelines, they pretend as if they are above the fray; but really, they are just cowards.

Libertarians needs to realize that the public demands strong leadership. They can whine and complain about that reality, or they can work to fill that void. Some libertarians are satisfied with being uninfluential but self-important outsiders accomplishing jack squat in actual terms. Others have had enough of tyranny and are willing to fight back. This is the line in the sand. It is time for libertarians to become more realistic, and realize that Jeffrey Tuckers idea to float away to a beautiful anarchy is the liquor-soaked delusion of a washed up old sophist. To regain lost liberties, we all must get our hands dirty. That may very well mean heading out to the streets and taking on the enemy face-to-face.

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Based Stickman Shows Libertarians That Bold Grassroots Leadership Is Necessary - The Liberty Conservative