Archive for the ‘Libertarian’ Category

Mr. Libertarian goes to Washington – Rare.us

Writing in the March/April issue of Politico Magazine, Tim Albertas headline posesa question that has been all too popular nowadays. Namely, does the age of Trump signal the end of the libertarian dream?

From the piece:

After generations of being relegated to the periphery of American politics, they are seeing some of their most precious ideals accepted and advocated for at the highest levels of government. But in many policy areas, there has never been a president who poses a greater threat to what they hold dearone who is poised, potentially, to reorient the GOP electorate toward a strong, active, centralized and protectionist federal government.

RELATED:Rand Paul can save health care reform

Indeed, so far the Trump administration has beenpretty schizophrenic when it comes to liberty. On one hand, the confirmation of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is thegreatest political victory school choicecommunity has experiencedon the federal level. Similarly, President Trumps two-for-one deregulatory special, while questionable on its implementation, signals a serious effort to dismantle the regulatory state.

On the other hand, Trump is so far removed from libertarian ideals on other issues, itboggles the mind. He wants to spend $1 trillion on big government infrastructure projects. He wants to build up the military and once threatened to bomb the shit out of ISIS. His protectionist agenda threatens less immigration, travel, and trade across Americas borders.

This split in policy has similarly split libertarians politically and professionally.As a young professional in Washington, Ive seen many close friends and acquaintances in the libertarian network get tapped by the administration for a potential job. Some say yes, reasoning that its better to have a seat at the table than be on the menu. Others say no,reckoning that theres no need to abandon their ideals if theyre already satisfied at a job where they can keep them.

Of course, theres no right or wrong answer. A well-functioning administration should ideally have both practical libertarians on the insidedoing the hardwork implementingpro-libertychange as well as idealist libertarians on the outsideholding them to their most cherished values. This dual dynamicseems to only avail itself during Republican administrations, presenting libertarians with a rare opportunity in the age of Trump to actually achieve some policy victories.

In short, anyone bemoaning the end of the libertarian moment in the age of Trump isnt looking close enough. Certainly, libertariansmay have seemed stronger when we were a united opposition front to the Obama administration. After all, its much sexier to be a critic than thanan actual agent of change. Nevertheless, Trumps ascent to the presidencyis itself a vindication of libertarian policy on certain issues (education, regulation) and an invitation on othersto join the team and fight for liberty (taxes, spending).

RELATED:Who are we? | The liberty movement in the Trump era

The movement is sure seem silent or even fractured in the next few years, but looks may be deceiving. Behind the stillness are hundreds of libertarians infiltrating the administrative state, influencing federal bureaucracies that havent been subject to internal restraint for years. Behind the split are libertarian think tanks and advocacy groups who have the ear of the ruling Republican party and can successfully pressure them to make pro-liberty policy victories.

In short, Mr. Libertarian has gone to Washington, and the opportunities are endless.

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Mr. Libertarian goes to Washington - Rare.us

Seriously: Libertarian Party to give up paying taxes for Lent – Rocky Mountain Collegian

Editors Note: Seriously is a satire column, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. The vies expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Collegians editorial board.

Claiming that Libertarians everywhere want to resist the temptation of government and grow closer to God, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party Wes Benedict announced that the Libertarian Party is giving up paying taxes for Lent.

We as Libertarians want to refocus this time of year on our most Heavenly duty: to not do a goddamn thing for anyone else, Benedict said, noting that while Libertarians would be participating in the Catholic tradition of Lent, its not like theyre religious or anything. Our country was founded by people who wanted to be free from religious persecution and we hope the statists respect our religious rights to not give a fucking dime to benefit anyone other than ourselves.

When questioned by critics, Benedict defended the move as living as God intended, probably, free from the shackles of shared social responsibility and having to actually cooperate with other human beings.

I dont know the Bible, like, super well, Benedict said, but the devil is totally a statist. I mean, forcing people to give up their souls and suffer for eternity? Hes like the IRS!

When asked by reporters why the party didnt simply give up government for Lent, Benedict said that the idea hadnt been discussed.

Damn, thats a good idea! Why didnt we think of that?

At press time, Benedict could be overheard loudly debating the merits of the Sixteenth Amendment with tax collectors, arguing that the constitutional right of the government to collect taxes was freaking bogus.

Disclaimer: Seriously is a satire blog, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All articles from Seriously are creations of fiction, and presumably fake publications. Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are fictitious events based on real people. Photos used do not have any connection to the story and are used within the rights of free reuse, as well as cited to the best of our ability. Seriously is intended for a mature, sophisticated, and discerning audience.

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Seriously: Libertarian Party to give up paying taxes for Lent - Rocky Mountain Collegian

‘Logan’ proves Wolverine is the most libertarian superhero ever – Red Alert Politics

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From its inception,X-Menrelied heavily on political undertones and took on sensitive subjects including racism, segregation, AIDS, and war. The latest (and best)film in the franchise isLogan no exception and while being more character-driven than previous films, it shows why Wolverine is the most libertarian superhero of all time.

The film takes place in the year 2029 and the character of Wolverine has aged significantly, is living off the grid with Professor X, and is making a living bydrivinga limo using a car sharing app whats more libertarian than Uber?His superhero days are long behind him and the only time he acts violently is when hes provoked.

Throughout the film, Wolverine constantly fantasizes about living on a boat with Professor X and being free of dealing with anyone a poor mans version of Peter Thiels dream of seasteading.

His fantasies are interrupted when a new character named Laura emerges, she has the same super powers and has suffered at the hands of military scientists who conducted experimentations on Logan and gave both of them adamantium claws.

(**SPOILER ALERT **)

Logan wasnever been a believer in mutant brotherhood and the identity politics that surrounds the X-Men comics. Hes a loner, a recluse, and a libertarian, he doesnt want to be part of any institutions and questions other mutants for their needing to belong.When Professor X demands they protect Laura he at first rejects the idea insisting its not my problem but has a change of heart when he learns shes his cloned-daughter who raised in a military lab.

His decision to protect Laura and Professor dont come out of any identity-based philosophy, but only for the fact that he choose to treat them like family.

The last X-Men decides he has to get his daughter to safety in a community 0f mutants, away from the long reach of the military-industrial complex that destroyed his life.

Over the course of the 9 X-Men movies featuring Wolverine, the character is a constant struggle to live independently of the government intrusion, the police state that tries to document and imprison mutants, and the identity politics that forces mutants to live their entire life based upon the features they were born with.

Its inLoganthat Wolverine finally is able to achieve those libertarian dreams for his daughter.

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'Logan' proves Wolverine is the most libertarian superhero ever - Red Alert Politics

What a US Relationship with Russia Should Look Like – Being Libertarian

Sparks have been flying ever since President Trump, in an interview with FOX News anchor Bill OReilly, came to the defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin after OReilly called Putin a killer. The media was sent into a feeding frenzy when Trump replied, There are a lot of killers. Weve got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our countrys so innocent?

Some decried the president for defending a dictator who kills critics. Others stood by Trump for being open to de-escalating tensions with the only other power in the world. Still others took offense to Trumps insinuation that Russia is morally superior to our country. But in all of the hubbub over the interview- and Trumps response- a crucial question was left mostly unasked: What should our relationship with Russia look like? Are they our number one geopolitical foe as Mitt Romney claimed? Or is President Trump right that cooperation and partnership with them will yield benefits? The answer lies somewhere in between.

An important thing to note when talking about Russia is that its military capability, and the impressions that Vladimir Putin project, are two different things. Russia is not the global superpower they once were as the Soviet Union. To the contrary, they have diminished to a more regional power than a global one. As the world stands today, the only country able to project military power across multiple theatres in the world is the United States. The Russian Federation only has nine military bases outside its own borders, and most of them are in Eastern Europe, with some in the Middle East used for deployment against ISIS. Their nuclear capability has also been diminished, as evidenced by the slowed production of the Sarmat missile, a MIRV-equipped thermonuclear ICBM that was slated to replace the antiquated Soviet-era SS-18 Satan missiles. That being said, they still have considerable influence over some nations that used to be Soviet-states, such as when they derailed the chances of Ukraine joining NATO in 2010. Russia is a regional power, but a major one, and they deserve to be respected as such.

Ideally, the relationship between us should be recognized as more of a friendly rivalry, rather than a heated adversary or best-friend type of relationship. Russia, despite its regimes dubious past, remains the second most pre-eminent military power in the world. War with them could prove to be potentially catastrophic for both parties, and we have more to gain by working together than alone. This doesnt mean that we should let them run roughshod across Eastern Europe and the Middle East; it simply means that we have to be willing to push back when its in our interests, and also be willing to help out, again, when its in our interests.

Russias steadfast opposition to ISIS is an area where there is a chance to build bridges between Washington, D.C. and Moscow. Russia has a definite interest in keeping embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power, who is currently opposing the Islamic State in his own nations civil war; Assad is one of the few Arab leaders still friendly to the Kremlin. Trump has already said he would take action against ISIS, promising to bomb the hell out of [them], and has reportedly contacted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan about potential avenues of cooperation. Our own feelings on Assads regime aside, another instance of regime change in the Middle East, like similar instances before it, would prove disastrous for the region, and potentially drag us into another military excursion into the Middle East.

Another avenue of cooperation is in the energy sector, where we have already signed agreements to explore advancements in nuclear energy, including technology, fundamental and applied science, energy, the environment, and most importantly, nonproliferation. Russia has since waved off this due to sanctions placed on them for annexing Crimea, but I personally believe it could be a boon if we dumped some of the more excessive sanctions in exchange for the continuation of those agreements. These agreements, if followed through, could lead to massive advancements in the energy sector, and could also lead to potential growth for the alternative energy market.

This doesnt mean that we should bow to their every whim. The Russian annexation of the Ukrainian province of Crimea is still in violation of international law. The referendum that was given only as a result of the Russian takeover of the Crimean Supreme Council Building was not recognized by the Ukrainian government, and the United States also did not accept its legitimacy. Because of the annexation, sanctions were rightfully levied against the Russian Federation, including a UN Security Council resolution that was shot down after a Chinese abstention and a Russian veto. Some of these sanctions, like a U.S. ban on business transactions being extended from key government officials to two major Russian energy companies, Rosneft and Novatek, as well as two banks were a bit excessive, but the un-amended executive order was serviceable enough. Putin also ramped up military build-up on the Turkish border in an attempt to bully them into joining their sphere of influence, and some precautions should be taken to encourage Russia to de-escalate tensions.

Like it or not, Vladimir Putins regime has brought Russia back to relevancy. The countrys increased presence on the world stage has stoked the ire of many foreign policy observers. But opportunities remain to work with them and build alliances. It just revolves around putting Americas interests first.

* Steven Barhorst is a high school student from the southwest suburbs of Chicago. He is a news anchor at his high schools TV station, and hosts a political talk show.

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What a US Relationship with Russia Should Look Like - Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian, Liberty Link Media Group Announce Strategic Media Partnership – Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian LLC is proud to announce that it will, through its media division, Being LibertTV, be entering into a comprehensive, strategic, long-term relationship with Liberty Link Media Group, the popular venture started by Nicholas Veser and his wife, Dr. Dawn Sheehan

Being Libertarians Director of Media, Michael J. Mazzarone, described the terms of the partnership in a statement:

I cant begin to say how excited I am about this partnership. Nicholas is a talent all of his own and honestly, hes more than a talent, hes a businessman. This is why we clicked instantly in our initial discussions. Our shared vision was immediately apparent and I believe that the Being Libertarian and Being LiberTV brand mixed with the unparalleled production quality of Liberty Link Media Group will translate into a superior multimedia platform for libertarians everywhere.

Mazzarone continued:

I would also like to acknowledge that once finalized, all Liberty Link Media Group libertarian video content will be branded and distributed through Being Libertarians vast media network. This includes Your Daily Headline, which will be coming to Being LiberTV. In doing so, Nicholas Veser and his team have joined the Being Libertarian team as content producers for the brand.

Being Libertarian has a mission that all freedom lovers can get behind, and we at Liberty Link Media Group are proud to enter into this partnership with such a prolific and dedicated organization. This joint venture will help to push liberty to the forefront of American politics, said Veser.

Being LiberTVs Assistant Director and co-founder for Being Libertarian, Eric July, echoed these sentiments.

I am absolutely stoked to be partnering up with Nicholas and Liberty Link Media. They bring a level of expertise that is much needed for our brand, and vice versa. This will grow into a very special and productive squadron in the upcoming years.

This post was written by Mike Mazzarone.

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

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Being Libertarian, Liberty Link Media Group Announce Strategic Media Partnership - Being Libertarian