Daily Archives: May 26, 2017

Despite being cited for misdemeanor assault on a reporter yesterday (which leaves him open to a possible six months in jail), Republican Greg Gianforte won handily in Montana's special House election today over Democrat Rob Quist.

As of posting time, Gianforte has a 50-44 lead.

Mark Wicks Facebook

As FiveThirtyEight pointed out, despite this apparent huge win for the Republicans, in comparison with the weighted average win for the GOP in the last two presidential elections which would lead one to predict a 21 percent win, and with former Rep. Ryan Zinke's last victory of 16 percent, this 6 percent win isn't the best news Republicans could hope for looking forward to 2018 and first national election in the age of Trump.

Gianforte also has a $5 million lead in outside spending against Quist. The 53 percent turnout today was very close to this decade's general pattern for non-presidential elections for Montana.

Libertarian Mark Wicks, a rancher, came in with 6 percent, his raw vote total (21,332 as of time of posting) nearly beating the spread between them.

Since the Republican won, Wicks will likely not be accused of "spoiling" the race for the loser. Wicks' total, says Libertarian National Committee chair Nicholas Sarwark via email tonight, means "that there's a solid block of Libertarian voters who control the balance of power in elections."

Wicks beat the result for the L.P.'s 2016 presidential candidate Gary Johnson in the state in percentage terms (though not in raw votes, given smaller turnout). Wicks spent less than a dollar per vote, Sarwark says. (Wicks' campaign got a rare $5,000 donation from the LNC.)

In the last three Montana House elections, no Libertarian got more than 4.2 percent. In 2012, Libertarian Dan Cox in Montana's federal Senate race got over 6 percent, far wider than the spread between winning Democrat Jon Tester and losing Republican Danny Rehberg.

Wicks had the rare distinction for an L.P. candidate of appearing in a televised debate with his major party opponents.

In it, he seemed to be trying to appeal more as a change agent for those dissatisfied with major party sclerosis in general rather than a hardcore freedom guy, though he tipped his hat to the Constitution. He was solid on gun rights, but made sure the viewer knew that though he supported marijuana legalization he did not feel the same about harder drugs.

He said he believed in a border wall in certain places, and spoke out twice against sanctuary cities and expressed a fear that unmanaged immigration could lead to another 9/11. His solution for medical drug price inflation was suggesting a law forbidding American drug makers from selling their drugs overseas for any less than they sold them here (rather than, say, allowing Americans to buy them at cheaper overseas prices and import them).

As the Libertarian he was of course asked if a vote for him was "wasted." Wicks replied that "we've been doing the same thing over and over and getting the same results," that "the people in Washington are not doing what they are supposed to" and are "beholden to special interests and taking lobbyist money and not doing what's best for Montana" while criticizing the media for ignoring him.

He called on Montana's historical distinction as the first state to send a woman, Jeanette Rankin, as a representative to Washington in 1916 and asked them to do the same for the first Libertarian.

That didn't happen. But Wicks said on his Facebook page this evening, "Next go around we'll be ready to go further."

See original here:

Republican Gianforte Wins Montana House Race Despite Assault Charge; Libertarian Mark Wicks Pulls 6 Percent - Reason (blog)

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By Jordan LaPorta

Forty years ago, pop culture was changed forever by a film most people thought would be nothing more than an ephemeral summer flick. The movies mastermind had minimal acclaim prior to its release, and his biggest hit before 1977 was American Graffiti. But in 2017, Star Wars is now a household name. Its characters have become as recognizable as any in cinema, and its lines of dialogue are co-opted and spoofed on a daily basis.

Almost everyone loves Star Wars, and anyone who does not share that opinion is generally seen as a cultural outlier. Every franchise made since has tried to mimic the success of the space opera saga, but few, if any, have been able to capture the same magic.

Star Wars appeals to people for varying reasons, as the movies tell exciting tales of adventure, romance, and friendship that cut across all ages, races, and backgrounds. At the center of the beloved galaxy far, far away is an idea also similar to that which has also made America great: the idea of liberty.

When people go to the movies, politics is generally not their primary concern. Average, everyday people go the theater to be entertained and escape the drama and perils of real life. What makes movies like the Star Wars saga so successful is their ability to connect with people on a basic human level. Whether hardcore or casual American fans realize it or not, Star Wars taps into key political elements of the American identity that have been present since the Nations founding.

Anyone who has made it farther than grade school knows about the story of the American Revolution. The story was about a land, ravaged by taxes which were being imposed by a distant empire that excluded their voices and oppressed their people utilizing a large police state. The colonists, growing tired, rose up against the British Crown, eventually declaring independence in 1776.

The story is told over and over again in schools, tv shows, and movies. The revolutions heroes are represented on national monuments, the names of cities, and even on our currency. It is a story that Americans cannot escape, and it is a critical part of who we are as a society.

The rebels in the Star Wars universe are hardly different from the men Americans grew up learning about in history books. Like their American counterparts, the Galactic Rebellion opposed a harsh, militaristic, distant Empire, whose harsh tactics were fleshed out in the recent smash hit Rogue One. The Galactic Empire, headed by the tyrannical Sheev Palpatine, used fear to keep the local systems in line.

Palpatines Nazi-like regime employed the iconic storm troopers to maintain its rule, headed by none other than the ruthless Darth Vader. In its short thirty-year reign, the Empire wiped out an entire religious group, established work camps for political dissenters, and oppressed lesser alien species.

The Emperor came to power by consolidating his authority over the original Galactic Republic through emergency war powers. He then mobilized the government against an external threat he concocted, and persuaded the Senate to abdicate its role and reorganize as a centralized empire for a safe and secure society.

Throughout the original six movies (plus Rogue One), the government is the villain, and the heroes take armed action to actively overthrow it. Whether liberals like it or not, the rebellion is a gun-carrying group of ruffians opposed to the evils of an oppressive, overbearing state.

Consider the original cast of characters. Luke Skywalker was a simple farm boy looking for a better life and higher sense of meaning. Han Solo was a shoot-first space pirate who actively ignored the governments rules on intergalactic shipping. Princess Leia was a diplomat who helped organize the rebellion against imperial rule. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a relic of a religious group systematically wiped out by a government looking to avoid conflict. These people despised the Empire, and they dedicated their lives to seeing its violent end.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that the progressive opposition to Donald Trump has dubbed itself The Resistance the same name of the group that succeeds the rebels in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. While Donald Trump is certainly no libertarian, the members of the so-called Resistance are not exactly classical liberals, either. In fact, they prefer centralization, forced conformity, and big government more than almost anyone else just not when the person at the helm is Donald J. Trump. These tactics favored by todays progressive left formed the bedrock of the Empires galactic tyranny.

Americans may not always favor libertarian solutions in practice, but they still look to libertarianism as an ideal to strive toward. No matter how statist a politicians plans actually are, voters always gravitate towards the rhetoric of limited government, personal responsibility, and liberty. It was clear in the words of The Declaration of Independence, and it is still clear today in our love for Star Wars.

May the force be with you.

EmpireGovernmentgunslibertarianismphilosophyrebellionstar wars

The rest is here:

Star Wars Highlights America's Libertarian Spirit - The Libertarian Republic

Student also had her LinkedIn profile posted, called racist

Jessica Murphy, a 20-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, recently published a column that represented the culmination of months worth of work and research, including a dozen public records act requests to the University of Wisconsin system.

Her target? Biased classes offered through the public university system that indoctrinate rather than teach, and degrade capitalism, praise Marxism and encourage a social justice warrior ideology, she wrote in her piece, headlined Top Five Wasteful Classes in the UW System.

Published Monday by the MacIver Institute, a Wisconsin-based think tank that promotes free markets, individual freedom, personal responsibility and limited government, the piece quickly spread through Wisconsinite social media circles.

But it was after Murphys piece, which she wrote as an intern for the institute, landed before a professor whose class was targeted that sparks really started to fly.

On Tuesday, Associate Professor of Philosophy Sarah LaChance Adams posted the article on her Facebook page with the comment: Check it out comrades. LaChance Adams course, Teaching for Social Justice, earned the No. 5 spot on the list.

Murphy, who obtained a copy of the syllabus through one of her public records act requests, noted in her piece that the course hasstudents reflect on their privilege and marginalization. Students also review how meritocracy and the American Dream is a myth. Why work hard to achieve your dreams if you can blame sex/race/class/sexuality for your lack of success?

Murphy added:

A portion of the participation grade is based on whether or not students were inclusive and supported other students expressing their thoughts. This is college, not charm school and these students (and taxpayers!) are essentially paying hundreds of dollars for a course on how to be nice to people.

One of the required readings, Chad Kautzers Radical Philosophy: An Introduction, reviews Marxism, feminism, queer theory, and more. Students are asked to call upon this book for the group presentation, which makes up 15 percent of the total grade.

The course instructor, professor Sarah LaChance Adams, is UW-Superiors Womens and Gender Issues Coordinator. She specializes in feminist philosophy and her current research project is titled An Epistemology of Erotic Errors.

The other four classes on the list are: the History and Politics of Hip Hop at UW-Platteville; Exploring White Privilege at UW-La Crosse; Culture of Third Wave Feminism at UW-Eau Claire; and Class, State, and Ideology: An Introduction to Social Science in the Marxist Tradition at UW-Madison.

Visceral reaction on Facebook

Facebook friends of LaChance Adams did not respond kindly to the article. In the comments, many accused it of being poorly written. Others found it disturbing, suggesting LaChance Adams had been targeted and may need to watch her back. Others accused Murphy of being brainwashed by capitalism.

Some wrote they thought the five classes sounded super interesting. Several poked fun of the entire situation, such as teasing LaChance Adams for only coming in at the No. 5 spot. Said another satirically: Im so disappointed the health class I was required to take as a freshman didnt even get an honorable mention. I literally paid hundreds of dollars to reiterate what I learned for free in my high school health class. Smoking is bad, wear your seatbelt, use a condom.

But some comments got, as Murphy calls it, absurd. Someone posted her LinkedIn profile to the thread with the comment: Shes South African. Keeping up old traditions?

Added another: More than likely with her background, I would not be surprised to learn that she targeted Sarah purposely. Im sure [Professor] Meghan Krausch will be on her list eventually, with all her talk of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia.

A third person chimed in: I could punch her in the face for you. I can be an academic and respect my upbringing from the barrio.

Professor LaChance Adams liked all the comments.

I am not concerned for my life, but why would you resort to violence when I am just trying to be open with my ideas, Murphy told The College Fix in a telephone interview Wednesday. A lot of these comments are very visceral responses, but that is very typical of the left.

Why attack me?

Murphy said she came across the comments after searching the Internet, curious of the reaction her column was getting.

The personal attacks are unfounded in my opinion, she said. I am a 20-year-old college intern, why attack me? Have an honest discussion about the articles content.

She said someone posting her LinkedIn profile felt a bit stalkerish, and the comments suggesting she is racist for being from South Africa are off base. She moved to America when she was a toddler.

Suggesting she might go after a professor because they espouse sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia is mistaken, Murphy said, describing herself as socially liberal.

She added she supports their right to say and do whatever they wish as an active member of student liberty groups she has even lobbied for free speech rights but added it would be nice if the actual findings in the article were discussed as opposed to personal attacks against its author.

This is a public intereststory

The project aimed to expose one-sided, biased courses, Murphy said.

Starting in February, she and fellow interns scoured class catalogs from all 26 campuses in the system to narrow down their list. Then they used public records act requests to obtain the syllabuses of 12 classes that caught their eye, finally settling on the top five.

The piece was written in a BuzzFeed tone, complete with memes, to attract a wide and unique audience and engage new readers, she said.

She said she acknowledges feedback on the article includes the argument that these five classes offer something of value to students and society.

Thats fine, differences of opinion, Murphy said.This piece is to inform the taxpayers of where their money is going. These classes present a one-sided view.

Murphy called comments that the storyshows she is close-minded ridiculous.

This is a public intereststory, she said.

Her piece ends by pointing out that offering courses that ignore the prosperity created by capitalism and cover absurd topics such as lumbersexuality is not only a disservice to the students paying thousands of dollars to attend a university, but is also a slap in the face to the hardworking Wisconsin taxpayers whose money goes to waste on courses that do not have a direct, positive impact on society.

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'I could punch her in the face': Libertarian student draws ire for exposing biased UWisc classes - The College Fix

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By Zach Foster

Cuban Libertarian Party Jos Mart spokesman Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand disappeared on the night of May 22 under very suspicious circumstances. We in the Cuban LP and LP Nevada believe Nelson was kidnapped on his way home by State Security! The party leaders have searched all the police stations and jailhouses but magically, hes nowhere in the records.

Obviously the police have been contacted, but No crime has been committed; not coming home isnt a crime, and he hasnt been gone long enough yet to be considered a missing person.

We know that, 1) State Security was seen tailing him. 2) He left his sons home after 10pm. 3) Hes disappeared. 4) None of the ERs/hospitals have him and the police deny having him. A Mises Cuba co-founder who was previously incarcerated at Combinado del Este prison says this pattern is common with State Security action.

No, there were no witnesses, but there is ample circumstantial evidence and reasonably compelling motive. There are witnesses to the group being followed throughout the day by men in civilian clothes. None of the hospitals or emergency rooms have him. The secret police most likely do. Invisible arrests in the middle of the night are common in Cuba.

The Cuban LP believes Nelson was kidnapped by State Security. Based on recent patterns of State Securitys behavior to libertarians in recent months, they believe the police will either hold him for ransom over time, or will convict him in a kangaroo court and send him to a labor prison.]

The Cuban LPs leaders and I discussed this very possibility, and we knew this kind of thing would happen, that people would disappear without a trace. And we agreed that WHEN that happened, not if but when, wed light a fire under our own ass and get busy spreading the word writing / making videos about it, contacting blogs and media, bugging/shaming the Cuban government, and finding people to donate to Mises Cuba on PayPal.

Whats the motivation for kidnapping an activist? Theres A LOT of American tourism in Cuba now. Theyve increased repression across the board, across the island, since this January. They have to get rid of the problem children, and they have to do it quietly.

Nelson is definitely a problem child. Hes been peppering the hell out of Havana every night with hundreds of posters demanding the regime release the libertarian political prisoners Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea, who were also very active problem children in the eyes of the regime..

Reporting it to the media, any and all media outlets, is highly recommended.

Another option to keep the traction going is for as many of us as possible to make a video for Facebook. Facebook videos get higher feed traffic than regular posts or YouTube links, and live videos are even better! That in itself is a marketing asset. Anyone with a mobile phone or webcam can make 1-2 minute video where they:

1) Talk about the alleged, though plausible and extremely likely, undocumented police kidnapping of Nelson and the main reasons why;

2) Ask people to contact both Cubas Ministry of Foreign Relations (@CubaMINREX on Facebook AND Twitter), AND Amnesty International (report@aiusa.org) and Human Rights Watch (hrwpress@hrw.org) plus other human rights watch groups; and

3) Remind people that LP Cuba NEEDS money for effective activism. They just opened up a new Libertarian Library in Camaguey province. Also, print shops are pricy in Cuba and theyve put up HUNDREDS of posters and flyers, plus bus tickets to other provinces. Money also helps the Cuban LP boost newsworthy posts as if they were ads, and through specific targeting, find new donors. We the People become the media and we become our own financiers! People can donate at https://paypal.me/institutomisescuba

4) Also, they can ask libertarian friends to do the same. Every single candle is a light in the dark, and their glow intensifies as they increase in numbers until the darkness is fully lit. Every voice counts, yours too.

A joint press release published last night by the Cuban Libertarian Party and the Libertarian Party of Nevada says:

This situation is intolerable and must be protested with every medium available, no matter how stacked against Nelson and the Cuban Libertarians the odds may be. The odds were stacked against the revolutionary statesmen and the revolutionary troops fighting for U.S. independence in 1775. The odds were stacked against Jos Mart when he led troops into battle in for independence in 1895. The odds were stacked against Fidel Castro when only 17 July-26 guerrillas survived the year 1956. This struggle is another chapter in a longer story, and its one thats about our generation.

amnesty internationalCuba's Ministry of Foreign RelationsCuban Libertarian Party Jos MartHuman Rights WatchManuel Velazquez ViseaNelson Rodriguez ChartrandUbaldo Herrera Hernandez

See the rest here:

Cuban Libertarian Party Spokesman Disappears Under Suspicious ... - The Libertarian Republic