#libertarian national convention

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

We recently talked to political activist and Libertarian funny man, Spike Cohen about Julian Assange's recent release and the chilling effect his plea deal means for the future of journalism.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guest-spike-cohen-why-assange-is-free-trumps-5-d-chess/id1439014279?i=1000660801816

Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guest-spike-cohen-why-assange-is-free-trumps-5-d-chess/id1439014279?i=1000660801816

[truthdogg]

An interesting aspect of this, to me, is that much of libertarianism pushes for limited government specifically so that corporations and business can have more power. I joke that libertarians are simply “conservatives who smoke pot,” but it’s not exactly how I see them. Perhaps I’m mistaken on this (and I assume someone will tell me if so), but I think of libertarianism foremost as working toward capitalism as a ruling system, not just an economic one, and limiting the rules on capital (and oddball individuals) in order to achieve it.

And pursuing capitalism as a ruling system is why Trump is heavily supported by tech bros and billionaires like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk & others. The goal is to reorganize power into a Putinesque mold: the wealthiest industry leaders pick the national leader, the national leader then allows industry leaders free rein in their fields. It’s a basic oligarchy but it’s also capitalism as a ruling philosophy: those with the most capital rule.

But the libertarians at the convention aren’t buying that. Perhaps that means they really do value individual liberties as much as they say they do. But what I find more likely is that they see the above scenario and recognize that it’s designed to destroy small businesses—their own businesses. (Rule by capital will always eventually do that, and Republicanism has essentially already embraced that end.) Perhaps they prefer a sort of rule-less anarchy with no one truly in power; this would track with their actions, but its naïveté is painful to even imagine.

Trump is the herald of a corrupt oligarchy and dramatic shift toward authoritarianism (and away from democracy) to make rule by capital—and by those with the most of it—happen. This makes him the perfect modern Republican, especially since he’s fully willing to support whatever personal limits on liberty the rubes in the base ask for.

Libertarianism may also rely on shifting away from democracy toward a business-focused system, but is in denial about where that ends up. There is no way available to protect small business without a government of by and for the people. Democracy, and the power of the poor and the downtrodden to have an equal vote to the wealthy, is the only guarantee we have that upstarts and challengers can continue to exist.

Maybe the libertarians actually get that. They’re certainly anti-authoritarian in rhetoric, if not always in practice. Maybe their ideology is more nuanced than I’ve given them credit for, or maybe it’s simply more diverse.

Former Republican presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was booed more than once at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C. on Friday, first just for even mentioning Donald Trump, who is speaking at the event on Saturday.

Ramaswamy, who has long claimed to be libertarian if not part of the Libertarian Party, has become even more of a Trump supporter since losing in the Republican primary than he was during it – a primary in which he and presumptive nominee Trump largely avoided criticizing one another.

When speaking to the convention crowd on Friday evening, Ramaswamy brought up Trump as he was asking whether the gathered attendees would rather be happy with getting a very small percent of the vote than having any influence on a Trump administration — and the booing began just at the mention of Trump’s name.

[zvaigzdelasas]

???????? [25 May 24]

[thewarfox]

There's what I think happened.

This is my theory of things. After the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the Democrats and their machine completely gave up on any idea of winning the election. They recognized in that moment that their puppet broke, and they didn't have time to build up a new one. You can see this in the frank way all of the news organizations were acting after Joe Biden self destructed live on TV for millions to see. There was no hiding his condition anymore. You couldn't spin what we saw as him being sick. There were some attempts, but they all fell away before the debate even ended.

If the election had been that night, it would have been a more convincing victory than the 5th was.

Unburdened by the notion of even worrying about winning, the Democrat party decided to run an experiment. At first there was some notion of seeing whether or not they could keep pushing Joe Biden to the finish line, but with defeat virtually assured, they didn't want to tarnish the legacy of Joe Biden more than was necessary. He's a very old and storied member of his party, however they felt about him, and he will have some kind of lineage or legacy that might continue on in politics after him.

Kamala Harris is one of the most uniquely unlikeable people in politics. Her ability to say a lot of words and provide zero meaning is maybe the most impressive in all of politics, and that's the only strength she has. She was the perfect candidate for being a test subject. If they could get someone like her even CLOSE to the White House, it would allow the Democrat Party and its media allies to really stress test just what was possible if they pushed all the levers to the maximum.

NOTHING WAS SPARED as far as tactics thrown at Donald Trump. Every possible way to spin every story against him was performed. Every possible mention of Hitler was made. They did not hold back except for about two days after they almost got him shot(which they would not have been unhappy about at all). It is very possible, though we'll probably never know, that Biden's CIA orchestrated the assassination attempts.

The gamble was that if Harris lost, she would take all the blame for the failures of the Democrat party. If she won, she would be wielded as a puppet as was her predecessor. This is a no lose scenario for Democrats after Joe Biden's brains leaked out of his ears on national television.

This is the end of Kamala Harris' political career. And honestly, I have no reason to think she's unhappy about this. I'm sure she would like to have left in less disgrace, but I saw no reason to think she actually wanted to be the president. She was the natural replacement. The legal troubles that would have ensued if they picked anyone else over the millions of dollars raised in Biden's name would have been insane if they didn't pick his running mate. And a contested convention was straight up not an option. It would have been a bloodbath. Possibly literally.

Trump won this election months ago. He defeated a second Democrat this election cycle last night. He ended two political careers last night. No matter how you feel about that, it is undeniable that Donald Trump won in spite of all effort to stop him, and it was a convincing and thorough win. What would his victory have looked like without years of propaganda and legal pressures? What would it have looked like if he had not been pushed harder than literally any political candidate in US history?

The coalition of allies that Donald Trump gathered is HISTORIC. Disaffected Democrats, a Libertarian, and Trumpian Republicans joining a 1990s New York Democrat turned Republican. The Republican party is transformed. It is not what it was in the year 2000 anymore. It has subsumed much of what the Democrat party used to be, and the Democrat party now is the party of Middle Managers, Corporations, Elitists, and Aristocrats.

The Democrat party is in ruins. It is an unstable coalition of groups that will now fall into civil war. There will be no maintaining any grip on the Muslim community as long as the LGBT is part of the party. There is no maintaining of progressives as long as the party supports Israel and ignores Palestine. There is no maintaining the unions after Joe Biden cracked down on the railroad worker's strike. Communists drove out the Cuban and former Soviet immigrant voters. Abortion has proven itself a losing issue. It's over. Whatever form the Democrat party takes in 2028 will be unrecognizable to the party of today.

Donald Trump's victory is complete and total. His opponents have nothing left they could possibly throw at him. Republicans had better fall in line, because the people that voted for this man will not tolerate anyone getting in the way of his agenda, and they will maintain a long memory after he is gone from politics.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

The author of this poll does not wish to influence anyone's votes, but would like to remind you of the following facts

Vermin Supreme came in 3rd place at the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, two heartbeats away from being a nationally recognized candidate who would have then come in third place behind Joe Biden and Donald Trump (Steve Kornacki would have had to talk about him in front of a map on TV with a straight face)

Lord Buckethead came in 7th place behind former Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May in her district (as pictured here in 2017; he's the one with the black bucket for a head, she's the one in the red suit), and later came in 6th behind Boris Johnson. He is an immortal space wizard, so he's technically a citizen of every country on every planet in every timeline, in case you were worrying about his eligibility.

Santa Claus is the only candidate to have been elected to any office (the city council of North Pole, Alaska), and is a monk, reverend, and democratic socialist.

I was going to include Jeb Bush as a fourth candidate, but I was afraid everyone would pick him as a joke and the last thing we need is another Republican in office. He singlehandedly appointed his brother president in 2000, and endorsed Ted Cruz in 2016; even in a stupid tumblr poll for fun, I would never vote for him or anything he stands for.

[mariacallous]

RFK Jr. just spoke at the Libertarian National Convention today. Trump is also supposed to speak to them this weekend. They're both fighting for the same pool of voters. If Kennedy officially registers as the Libertarian candidate, it's going to be Code Red for the GOP lol.

[prolifeproliberty]

So the Libertarian National Convention is going on right now, and I am REALLY hoping they pick Joshua Smith for their candidate.

He’s the best example of a pro-life libertarian that I have seen at a national level, and he’s also calling to End the Fed, protect 2A rights, end federal income tax, stop sending money overseas, end the policies that incentivize states to separate families, end corporate welfare, and so on.

Basically he’s everything I would want in a candidate.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Zack Beauchamp at Vox:

Throughout the entire Republican National Convention, I struggled with one big question: What is the Republican Party for? That it was for former President Donald Trump went almost without saying. Look at the way that solidarity ear bandages became the RNC’s must-have fashion accessory, or how long the audience managed to put up big cheers during his historically long and rambling acceptance speech on Thursday night. Beyond Trump worship, the RNC has been billed as proof that the populist takeover of the Republican Party is complete. On issues like trade, immigration, and foreign alliances, this analysis is surely correct; the Trumpian insurgency has gone head-to-head with the party old guard and defeated them. Yet elements of the old Republican Party remain thoroughly in place.

Unlike Europe’s far-right populist parties, the GOP remains unyieldingly opposed to the welfare state and progressive taxation. It remains committed to banning abortion, an issue where its actions at the state level speak for themselves. It remains deeply hostile to unions; vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, allegedly the avatar of the party’s pro-worker populism, has a 0 percent score from the AFL-CIO. On foreign policy, it is by no means strictly isolationist: it seeks to ramp up military spending and aggressively confront China even as it tears down both military alliances and the American-led global trade regime. Ideologically, the GOP is a mess, a political party constructed less out of one cogent worldview than an assemblage of different parts, a zombie given life by the lightning of Donald John Trump. It is Frankenstein’s party. And while Trump and his loyalists are clearly our Shelleyian monster’s head, they do not (yet) have full control over all its limbs.

The Trump coalition is so new that it has yet to produce an equilibrium, a stable set of policy commitments that will endure as long as it aligns. It basically works by Trump getting his way on issues he really cares about — like democracy, trade, and immigration — while others claim what they can when they can claim it. The monied class is still calling the shots on taxes and regulation; the social conservatives are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to issues like abortion and LGBT rights.

You can see this at work in documents like the RNC platform and Project 2025, which together help us understand the GOP’s ambitions going forward. Some of the most notable policies in them, like Project 2025’s proposal to end the Justice Department’s independence or the platform’s call for “the largest Deportation Program in history,” is pure Trump (right down to the random capitalization). But in issue areas where other elements of the right prevail, things sound a bit more old Republican. Project 2025’s chapter on the EPA is about as old-school business friendly as it gets; the GOP platform promises to “slash Regulations” and “pursue additional Tax Cuts.” Project 2025 calls on the next president to “rescind regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics.” When there’s tension between Trump’s instincts and the old Republican agenda, the result is not always clear.

[...] Post-World War II American conservatism was a “three-legged stool” formed of three groups: free market libertarians, social conservatives, and foreign policy hawks. These groups often disagreed with each other on matters of both principle and policy. Hence an ideology contradiction: a “small government” conservatism that aimed to build the world’s largest army and police consenting adults in their homes. There was nothing natural about this alliance, no reflecting of an enduring and transhistorical American tradition. “Movement conservatism,” as it was called, was a movement — one built, like any other political faction, by people molded by a specific time and place (Cold War America) in response to its particular challenges.

Vox takes a look at how the GOP has changed to a Trumpian right-wing populist party in several key policy areas such as trade, foreign policy to some extent, the role of democracy, and immigration. There are still areas in policy, however, in where the pre-Trump GOP positions still remain: taxation, regulatory powers, unions, Israel, and abortion.

Read the full story at Vox.

[militantinremission]

Donald Trump: Potential Felon- In Chief?

Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 Felony Counts of falsifying Business Records in his attempt to hide his [past] infidelity during the 2016 Presidential Election. I'm not a Lawyer, so I don't understand what This Trial accomplished. Trump received a 'Scarlet Letter', but he's STILL the likely GOP Nominee for POTUS. Republican Leaders continue to Pledge their Allegiance, & Trump's MAGA Minions will likely double down on their efforts to put him back in Office. Just as Vladimir Putin survived 16,000 Sanctions, I see Donald Trump surviving this Conviction. In fact, he has reportedly raised $35M in the first 24hrs following his Conviction; he's currently up to $39M.

What was The Point of this Trial? What does finding Trump Guilty on 34 Counts actually accomplish? In essence, Nothing has changed; The MAGA Bus rolls onward. Donald Trump faces Sentencing on July 11th (3 Days before the Republican National Convention), & even then, it's not likely that he will face any Jail Time for a 'Low Level Felony'. Even if he's Sentenced, Trump vows to continue Campaigning. Dems run the risk of Donald Trump being likened to Nelson Mandela. New York State Attorney General Letitia James & Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg were aiming for a Knock Out Punch, but at best, they only gave Trump a Black Eye... I don't see their End Game; unless it's a Win that Attorney General James & D.A. Bragg are planning to ride into the Governor's Mansion & Gracie Mansion respectively.

Despite his position of being a Former President, Donald Trump IS a flawed Candidate. His greatest strength, is his Cult of Personality. I credit him for being a Master Marketer, who has created a formidable Base among Working Class Republicans. This demographic is the traditional Republican Base, so it's not a big surprise to see Republican Leadership following their Key Voting Block into MAGALand. I said before that Politicians underestimated Donald Trump's Media Savvy. He has a knack for staying relevant in a Society conditioned to 30 second Sound Bites & a Short Attention Span.

TD Hip Hop did a great analysis of Trump's Guilty Verdict; looking at the Jury Instructions in particular. The Mainstream Media pointed out Judge Juan Merchan's instructions regarding sole use of Michael Cohen's testimony as grounds for Conviction; Jurors have to consider additional elements in order to Convict. Tony pointed out how the Judge also permitted Jurors to find Trump Guilty on Each Count w/ as few as 4 Jurors out of the 12; This is a precedent. It also raises a huge question mark regarding Trump's Guilty Verdict on ALL 34 [Felony] Charges. How many Counts were actually unanimous votes? Why was conformity among All 12 Jurors bypassed in this particular Trial? What does it mean for future Trials in Manhattan Courts, NYC, & N.Y. State?

The Mainstream Media is running w/ Trump's Conviction; Political Correspondents are quick to point out how 20% of Donald Trump's Supporters say they will 'reconsider' their stance if he's Convicted. But then again, are they only fanning the flames of Trump Supporters? Many in the MAGA Camp believed all along that he is being politically persecuted & pledged to support him regardless. I wonder how this Verdict will affect Libertarians that were on The Fence- will they cry foul & lend their support to Donald Trump? What about Black Voters? Some can see Trump getting the 'Black Treatment' from the Justice System, and may identify w/ that. Then there are those who point to Judge Merchan's daughter, Loren; who through her Firm- Authentic Campaigns, made $10M from information related to this Trial. Attorney Kash Patel pointed out that this is a Violation of N.Y. State Law & the F.E.C.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is in Scramble Mode. His disregard for Black Specific Issues are coming Home to Roost. His Campaign & the Democratic Shills associated w/ it are trying to push his accomplishments for Black Americans, but NOTHING is Black Specific. Joe Biden is basically citing a laundry list of 'Rising Tide' Measures that benefitted EVERYONE... It harkens back to Kamala Harris stating that she wasn't going to do anything 'Just for Blackfolk', & Joe Biden telling the CBC that 'Latinx is The Future, so they have to get behind them'. TD Hip Hop pointed out how his 'Blacks for Biden' Rally in Philadelphia was a DISMAL FAILURE. The video clips show a Crowd, but wide angle views show a nearly empty gymnasium. Cornell West had a better Turnout in Harlem, & THAT was embarrassing! The fact that Joe Biden is NOT running away in the Polls, says more about Biden than Trump... Stephen Gardner went deeper into Legal Precedent in his interview w/ Kash Patel.

Patel, is a former Federal Public Defender & Prosecutor w/ 60 Criminal Prosecution Trials under his belt. In his interview, he says that he attended proceedings & saw things in the Trump Trial that he never saw before. He gave examples of Legal Precedent in a Court Case, including 'Reversible Error' illegalities during Jury Instructions (citing Richardson vs United States). Both he & Stephen Gardner cite a Double Standard in the Justice System; from a Black Perspective, this is Pure Comedy! They cite a Miscarriage of Justice that Black Americans have suffered through since Emancipation. The question is: How can Black America use this to Our advantage?

Donald Trump has a history of Anti-Black Discrimination Practices in his Business Dealings, while immersing himself into Black American Culture. Black Anti- Trumpers are quick to remind Black Trump Supporters of Donald Trump's Crusade against the 'Central Park 5' & his refusal to apologize for his actions. I think they're justified in doing so. At the same time, The Mantra of Politics is: 'Nothing Personal, just Politics'. The height of Political Maturity is being able to put personal feelings aside for The Greater Good. Black America sits in 'The Catbird Seat'. Dems NEED Black Votes to retain Power; at the same time, We can play on Donald Trump's 'Black Treatment' as: The Enemy of My Enemy...

This is NOT an endorsement of Donald Trump. In fact, I don't support Trump or Biden. I refer to BOTH as:

Anti- Black Racist 'A' &

Anti-Black Racist 'B'

That said, a little political savvy will go a long way to help Our Cause. Joe Biden has proven himself to be a 21st Century Dixiecrat. I personally think that his Policies over the Decades have done more damage to Black Americans than Donald Trump's Discriminatory Business Practices. NEITHER Candidate gets a Pardon from Me, but if we're 'Playing Politics', We have to remember that LBJ was also an Anti- Black Racist, that We could do business with. The Black Vote is OFFICIALLY FOR SALE, & The Price is a Black Agenda for ALL Black & Afrikan Americans, PLUS a 'Lineage Based' Multigenerational Federal Reparations Program to indemnify American Descendants Of Chattel Slavery. We're past Exploratory Committees & Commissions; Illegal Immigrants are literally getting a Blank Check for Crossing the Border.

The question Now is: How Bad does each Candidate want to Win?

-Just My Opinion.

[brightlotusmoon]

I watched. It was great. The Crazy Extremist Uncle party hates him too. Anyone who tried to defend Trump was shouted down. They don't gatekeep in that party, but they'll absolutely throw a guy out for being a dick. Sometimes I like them.

[sjerzgirl]

What the hell makes them think that Republicans can take over the Libertarian convention and then get all butthurt when the Libertarians tell them no? IT'S NOT THEIR CONVENTION!!!! I don't even know why Trump is there since it's not a Republican convention. MAGA had no business or right taking over!! They got what they deserved!!

[tomorrowusa]

Donald Trump spoke at the Libertarian Party convention. That was made possible by some pro-MAGA elements gaining control of the Libertarian leadership. That didn't stop Trump from getting a lot of boos.

If Donald Trump came to the Libertarian National Convention to make peace on Saturday, it could hardly have gone worse. Within minutes of beginning speaking — and after enduring sustained jeering and boos — the former president turned on the third party, mocking its poor electoral record in presidential elections even as he appealed to them for their endorsement. “What’s the purpose of the Libertarian Party of getting 3 percent?” Trump asked the crowd, which proceeded to pelt him with jeers. “You should nominate Trump for president only if you want to win.” The libertarians in attendance didn’t want to hear it, as hecklers chucked insults at Trump all night. “Liar,” they called him. “Panderer,” they shouted. “You crushed our rights,” they belted.

Why would a political grouping committed to personal liberty welcome somebody who bragged about his appointees to the US Supreme Court killing the federal right to abortion?

In his own words...

Somebody who wants to tell people what they can do with their bodies is not exactly dedicated to personal freedom.

[head-post]

Trump pardons Silk Road founder Ulbricht jailed for online drug dealing

US President Donald Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace using bitcoins, according to Reuters.

The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me.

Trump fulfilled another campaign promise by releasing Ulbricht, who was arrested in 2013. In 2015, the drug dealer was sentenced by a federal jury in Manhattan on charges including distributing drugs over the Internet and conspiracy to hack computers and launder money.

Ulbricht is serving his sentence in a federal prison in Arizona. Clemency attorney Brandon Sample hopes for his quick release.

After enduring over a decade of incarceration, this decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society.

Trump announced plans to commute Ulbricht’s sentence at the Libertarian National Convention in May. The Libertarian Party, which advocates for drug legalisation, had pushed for Ulbricht’s release, calling the case an example of abuse of power.

The Trump administration is expected to significantly reverse course on the regulatory crackdown on the cryptocurrency sector. However, Ulbricht’s arrest puts an end to what prosecutors called a global black market that was used to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illicit services totalling $214 million over a two-year period dating back to 2011.

The Silk Road website used the Tor network to communicate anonymously and accepted bitcoins as payment, which prosecutors said allowed users to hide their identity and location. Ulbricht later admitted that he created Silk Road as a “freewheeling, free market site.”

I wanted to empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity.

Read more HERE

[nodynasty4us]

In my opinion this says more about the Libertarian Party than it does about Trump. They are setting aside their former strong opposition to big government.

[bighermie]

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" - Trump Brings Down the House at Libertarian Convention Promising to Save America from the "Evil Doctrine" of Marxism (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft