Ron Paul speaking at Libertarian Convention

Libertarian rockstar Dr. Ron Paul will give the keynote address at the Libertarian National Convention this weekend in Washington DC.

May 22, 2024 - The U.S. Libertarian Party's presidential nominating convention begins this Friday. I have to give LP National Chair Angela McCardle and the convention organizers due credit: rather than the obscure little gathering I was expecting, they've managed to put their convention at the center of political attention, due to an unorthodox selection of speakers. 

Presumptive Republican POTUS nominee Donald Trump will be addressing the Convention. So will independent POTUS candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. So will former POTUS candidate (and possible Trump running mate) Vivek Ramaswamy. Even Afroman will be there, performing his new hit single, "Hunter Got High." 

Yes, there will be libertarians speaking, too, of course.  Libertarian conventions are always chock-full of speakers on all things political. As well, both the Libertarian POTUS candidates and VPOTUS candidates (who are voted on separately) will be debating. And  in breaking news, the party announced just  yesterday that the convention's keynote speaker will be the biggest name in libertarianism still standing – Dr. Ron Paul. X has the story: 

Dr. Ron Paul to Close Out Libertarian Convention with Keynote Speech Sunday, May 26th | X: 

May 21st, 2024 — "The Libertarian National Convention will close out its 2024 event by hosting Dr. Ron Paul, a man that many in the liberty movement credit with bringing them into the fold and inspiring a freedom-centric generation.... Dr. Paul will provide the keynote address on Sunday afternoon....

"Paul served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 14th congressional district and has run for President of the United States three times. He pursued the presidency as a Libertarian in 1988 and as a Republican in 2008 and 2012. Additionally, he is the father of Senator Rand Paul.... Tickets still available, but running low!"

https://x.com/LPNational/status/1793000472288305528

This is major news; "Yuge!" as Trump would put it. For years Libertarians have been begging to have Ron Paul speak at a national Convention; making it happen is a coup for McCardle and her administration. They are giving the party a weekend full of activity, energy, and excitement.

Whether the activity, energy, and excitement will pay off in terms of Libertarian candidates and votes this fall is less certain, but one has to say they have planned an event certain to whip up maximum enthusiasm. One can only wish them the best of luck. 

Floyd protests ignore the real issue of statism

Op-Ed: Virtue Signaling and Fundraising Solve Nothing | Loudwire - Eric July:

“For example, when a cop shoots a black man you focus on the racism… ignoring all the statism / Holding signs, rioting is not about to save him ‘cause you must’ve forgot that that’s the power that you gave them”
                                  – “Self Ownership” by BackWordz in 2016. Words by: Eric July.

June 8, 2020 - "Imagine spending the last five years building a band from the ground up and releasing the first album right in the middle of an election cycle ... that has the theme of addressing the political and social landscape while being in opposition to a criminal institution known as the State.... Because the band’s philosophy threatens the institution that is used to fund or enforce the general politics and ideals of people within the scene, the scene defends the State against the band and its members....

"And ... a man that is the same color as the frontman is slowly killed by the same institution you spoke against. But the same people that were defending the State and supported people that wanted to expand its reach, are now concerned with the 'injustices' faced by people that are of the same race of the frontman....

"This conversation went straight to white vs. black or blue vs. black when it should be the State vs. You. At this point, I don’t even care to have these discussions about whether or not the law enforcement disproportionately kills when you account for population, crime rates etc. This issue is not going to be resolved if we can get everybody to be killed at the same rate.... But the national narrative is centered around racism and that alone, so now we have many different people trying to prove that they’re one of the good guys pertaining to how they view black people....

"Putting it bluntly: This is just a show for the most part and none of these actions are actually conducive to resolving the issue of State aggression.... For purposes of this write-up, understand that the State is a territorial monopoly on use of force, violence and ultimate decision making. The law enforcement, from the local level up to the federal level, are the teeth of the State. It’s not going to be Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, or your local representative that enforces the laws; it’s the law enforcers. Because this monopoly exists, they do not play by the same rules as the other people.

"Look no further than George Floyd to see this play out. Three men, with one on his neck, slowly killed him as onlookers pleaded with the cops. They didn’t step in to physically stop the cop. They just pleaded.... So why didn’t the onlookers assist George Floyd and opt to record it instead?... They could be shot. They could face charges in assaulting a police officer ... and ending up also dead or in prison isn’t worth it. Once they see the uniform and the badge, they understand that the State agents are rewarded with a set of protection that simply isn’t offered to the rest of the citizens....

"The cultural issue that nobody wants to really discuss is how people look to the State and their law enforcers as Gods even if they claim to hate them. Just a week ago some of the same people that were marching were lecturing people about how the State must impose a lockdown on the entire country because they were scared of a virus. They had no problem snitching on their neighbors and this economic illiteracy put 40 million or so people out of work, stripping them of their livelihoods much like what happens when businesses are destroyed.

"Who enforced these lockdowns? The same cops that they’re calling bastards. Because the game is rigged, they were able to go-back on everything that they previously lectured us about.... This isn’t unlike the other contradictory positions they have. Many of them support big government welfare statists and advocate for 'free' things such as college and healthcare. All of this is funded by theft and coercion of property through taxation. In the event any individual does not want to pay for said welfare statism who is going to confiscate property forcefully? Local and/or federal law enforcers.... If you advocate for things such as welfare statism or further taxation to pay for the things, what you advocate implies usage of cops in some capacity....

"I’m all for community-based security and privatized, voluntary forms of protection. I do not want something that is only defunded in name or replaced with State law enforcement under a different moniker. But ultimately we are our own first responders. Gun ownership is something that I feel as now necessary more than ever and people, especially black people, are looking to get armed. This has been my recent focus in activism in getting my family and friends trained on how to use guns....

"We can discuss the racist history of gun control in America, but I’d rather focus on the now. These are truly enemies of people and a large part of why I’d never be caught marching alongside these types. Prior to a week ago they wanted me dead, disarmed, taxed to death or ruled over. They are enemies of liberty, and I see these types as merely a rival gang of the cops. Neither are my friends, and I’m not forced to choose a side. In fact, the latter is statistically more likely to kill me than the cops. But every man and woman has the right to defend themselves against all aggressors, including state agents."

Read more: https://loudwire.com/op-ed-eric-july-virtue-signaling-fundraising-solve-nothing/

Five rap beats for liberty

Five Hip Hop Beats For Reppin Liberty in Your Hood - Caleb Shumate, Libertarian Republic:

August 20, 2019 - Are you an OG libertarian who loves rap music and hates government overreach? If so, here are five tunes with a message that anyone who reps liberty can enjoy.

1. "The Ancap Rap Part 1" by Eric July. This freestyle rap over the beat to 'You Should Know' by the frontman of the libertarian rap/metal band BackWordz hits all the main issues libertarians care about in four-and-a-half minutes. From the out-of-control national debt to government extortion through taxation, July ... hits on how both major parties are warmongers that exploit their constituents through pandering to gain power and then turn their backs on the same people who put them in office.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGuj-Z3PNg8

2. "F[*]ck the Police" by N.W.A. This classic protest anthem against police brutality speaks on everything from abuse of power by the police department to racial profiling..... The song resulted in N.W.A. being put on the FBI watch list and their album 'Straight Outta Compton' being banned from airplay by some radio stations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5fts7bj-so

3. "Changes" by 2Pac. This tune is a deep one, covering a wide range of issues which are important to those of us who care about personal liberty – from the broken communities created by the Welfare State to the federal government’s war on drugs. He speaks on America’s terrible foreign policy while the black community hurts. He also speaks on the need for prison reform and how “We the People” need to learn to practice a little more love and understanding when dealing with each other.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvBjCO19QY

4. "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West ... talks about people struggling day to day in the ghetto, trying to survive their own hell from personal struggles to the problems facing the community at large created by bad economic policy.... Mr. West talks about how Jesus loves everyone no matter who they are and where they come from. He even takes a stab at media censorship, talking about how his record won’t get played in the mainstream for mentioning Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmHp3ZTAbH4

5. "Good Cop, Bad Cop" by Ice Cube. Much like 'F[*]ck the Police' by N.W.A., this bagging beat shines a spotlight on police brutality and the wrongful incarceration of citizens by corrupted law enforcement. Ice Cube explained in an interview with Bill Maher that his song was not anti-police, but instead was an appeal to ... turn in the bad cops who are causing his community to hate the police....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSKRLZSzCXA

"All these jams address problems that lovers of liberty care about in a raw and uncensored way that only hip hop can. This alone should command the attention of anyone who wants freedom to reign in their hood."

Read more: https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/five-hip-hop-beats-for-libertarians/
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Hip-hop star Cardi B gives libertarians a shoutout

Cardi B....for president? How the Hip-Hop artist became a Libertarian Icon - Zoe Zorka, The Source:

April 3 - "As the hype for Cardi B‘s upcoming album, Invasion of Privacy, builds up, the mega-hit rapper has gained a large following with the nation’s fastest-growing political group, the Libertarian Party, as members cheer on her socially liberal, fiscally conservative, voice of reason and independence.

"Cardi piqued the interest of Reason, a major Libertarian publication, with an Instagram post in which she noted that she is 'paying a 40 percent tax rate and not getting much for it. She asks for accountability, noting that "when you donate to a kid from a foreign country, they give you updates of what they doing with your donation." By contrast, B has no idea what Uncle Sam is doing with her "fucking tax money."' This drew the applause of numerous Libertarians ... in an hours-long Twitter storm.

"From there, it didn’t take long for newfound Libertarian fans to praise her existing and upcoming work and point out how it aligns with their ideals.

"According to their official platform, in addition to limiting wasteful government spending, Libertarians 'want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner.' Sounds pretty much like 'making money moves.'

Party members also 'advocate individual privacy and government transparency' and 'are committed to ending government’s practice of spying on everyone.' With an album that is literally titled Invasion of Privacy, Cardi might as well be Ayn Rand reincarnated.

"As the Washington Examiner points out  ... 'Cardi B might not get into the weeds about liberty or how we need to protect our privacy from big government on her album. But the themes are there, and her millions of fans will begin to recognize these important issues sooner rather than later.'”

Read more: http://thesource.com/2018/04/03/cardi-b-for-president-how-the-hip-hop-artist-became-a-libertarian-icon/

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Life after Rush: libertarian metal is alive and well

Libertarianism and Heavy Metal: Two Peas in a Pod? - 71 Republic - Mason Mohon:

December 12, 2017 - "Anybody who knows me, even just a little bit, knows that I am a big fan of metal....

"The genre itself seems to appeal in a few ways to the anti-government crowd. Lyrics of many major bands in the metal scene reflect very anti-government anti-authoritarian themes. The most notable of these will probably be familiar to those in libertarian circles: Backwordz. Their songs reflect various aspects of anarcho-capitalist philosophy, from the economic foundations made clear in 'Praxeology' to the basic idea of control over one’s life in 'Self Ownership'. Their merch often sports 'taxation is theft' and other libertarian friendly slogans, and on stage lead singer Eric July is always ready to speak of freedom to the crowd.

"Backwordz is very libertarian, but the genre as a whole also seems to be very reflecting of the ideas, although not explicitly. Libertarianism and heavy metal have a parallel in their stance against the established way of things and refusal to conform to the norm. Libertarians are ... characterized by their opposition to coercive power, and will not settle for the way things are.... Similarly, metal tends to stand against the conventional order of music and genre....  It is loud and seen by many as scary, but the metalheads do not care.... An article from the Scientific American outlines that people of other genres tend to be conformists, while metalheads stick to their guns....

"Many would assume that metalheads tend to be angry aggressive scalawags that wander the streets late at night, hoping to mug an unsuspecting soul....  Metalheads are generalized as people who would cause harm.... The fact of the matter is, though, that this stereotype of metalheads is wrong.

"A Humboldt State University study reveals that those who listen to metal and entrench themselves into the genre’s subculture receive an array of benefits (mostly psychological)  throughout life. When metalheads were labeled the same way I did in the previous paragraph, this study, which was done over 30 years on nearly 400 people, revealed that metal listeners 'were significantly happier in their youth and better adjusted currently than either middle-aged or current college-age youth comparison groups'....

"The metal community and libertarian community seem to parallel in many ways. The groups often share a common anti-authoritarian message, and they both have an anti-status quo theme. They are always working against what is popular and refuse to give in to the masses. They also both promote a lifestyle of non-aggression and voluntary action. The two seem to mesh well together, which is why we only hope to see more heavy metal with a libertarian theme."

Read more: https://71republic.com/2017/12/11/libertarianism-and-heavy-metal-two-peas-in-a-pod/
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BackWordz #2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart (video)

BackWordz Makes Billboard Charts: #2 New Artist (Heatseekers) and #5 Hard Rock - Being Libertarian - Nicholas Amato:

April 10, 2017 - "With ... Tuesday’s release of the new Billboard charts, BackWordz ... hit the Billboard charts with its album Veracity, racking up impressive numbers in their first week.

"The band, led by Being Libertarian’s own Eric July hit #2 on the Heatseakers Album chart, a chart dedicated to new and upcoming bands. They also snagged the #1 spot for Alternative New Artist, the #5 spot on the Hard Rock chart, the #11 spot on Rock chart, and the #14 spot for a band on an Independent label.

"In the Top 200 chart – the main current chart that ranks the top 200 albums in the US – BackWordz hit #68, an impressive feat for a band with a libertarian and anarcho-capitalist message....

"The album has a clear libertarian message and doesn’t back down; with track titles like 'Praxeology,' 'Statism,' 'Self-Ownership,' and 'Democracy Sucks,' as well as lyrics that discuss all facets of libertarianism and constantly critiques a society based on statism, Veracity doesn’t shy away from trying to convey libertarian and anarcho-capitalist themes."

Read more: https://beinglibertarian.com/backwordz-makes-billboard-charts-2-new-artist-heatseekers-5-hard-rock/
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Rapper Fauconier running for Virgina senate

Libertarian rapper's anthem for Virginia Senate run: 'You can't win it if you don't get in it' - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Local News - Graham Moomaw:

December 26, 2016 - "On his latest hip-hop track, Corey Fauconier asks listeners to 'embrace things that are a little different' and jumps right to the hook.

"'You can’t win it if you don’t get in it. So it’s Fauconier for Virginia state Senate. Lyrics are sick like I’m straight out the clinic. MSB produced so you know that WE GET IT!'

"A 45-year-old Libertarian activist from Highland Springs, Fauconier, who goes by 'Sage' when he performs, is a firm believer in music’s power to rally people behind a cause.

With just a few weeks to run an independent campaign against longtime Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, in a Jan. 10 special election in the heavily Democratic 9th Senate District, he’ll need a surprise smash hit.

"A New York native who moved to the Richmond area after Sept. 11, Fauconier has had a variety of sales and customer service jobs and currently works as a manager at a company that transports railroad workers.

"In his forays into politics, hip-hop is front and center. 'Delegate on Twitter talking hella spit. The Libertarian Party’s not having it. I got a right to bear arms, empty this lyrical clip. It’s a open carry state I’m not concealing it,' Fauconier raps in the song 'Get In It,' which he released last week along with a lyrics sheet bearing his campaign logo.

"In an interview, Fauconier, who supported Libertarian Gary Johnson in the presidential election, said he brings a fresh perspective and will work to appeal to the full range of political thought in the district.... 'There are tea party folks. There are Republicans. There are independents,' he said. 'You have to across the board address everybody'....

"Fauconier said he was inspired by Libertarian Robert Sarvis, who ran for Virginia governor in 2013 and U.S. Senate in 2014. He found the message intriguing, but at Libertarian gatherings, he was often the only African-American in the room. That, he said, was baffling.

"'Because all African-Americans have ever said since the earliest time is we want freedom and we want liberty,' Fauconier said."

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/local/article_572bea37-c0c6-5468-ae15-92185add2c94.html
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Libertarian rapper Eric July has fans in Fox News

Dallas' Viral Libertarian Rapper Eric July Has Fans in Fox News and Glenn Beck | Dallas Observer - Jeff Gage:

September 15, 2015 - "Eric July's life changed forever when his friend was murdered in front of him.... One night at a club called JeRenee, someone opened fire with an AK-47 — and after the terror had ended, July's friend, 15-year-old Juanita Payne, lay dying on the ground....

"Now 25, July has long since come to see the light and taken to the pulpit for the Libertarian gospel. He posts regular web videos in which he rants about the economy, racism and police violence, many of which have gone viral. One recent video in which he accused Bernie Sanders of being an 'economic illiterate' earned him an appearance on Fox News, and Glenn Beck is such a big fan that July has been invited to speak on Beck's The Blaze on multiple occasions....

"'I've never been a guy to set out to convert people to being Libertarian,' he insists. 'I'm trying to get people thinking more critically about things, get your mind going and be able to see right through all of it.' And now, after moving back to Dallas from South Texas earlier this year, he's focused his efforts on spreading the same message through music with his rap-metal hybrid BackWordz."

His conversion to Libertarianism had everything to do with his desire to see the lives of his fellow African Americans get better. He suddenly found that he couldn't place his faith in the government, much less expect it to cure his problems or those of his community. 'As I learned more about [African American] history, I could see the connection with our oppression because the government and extensions of our government had facilitated it from day one,' he says."

Read more: http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/libertarian-rapper-and-metal-singer-eric-july-has-the-attention-of-fox-news-7588399
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2Chainz makes libertarian case for legal pot

2Chainz Scores Libertarian Points in Legal Pot Debate with Nancy Grace - Hit & Run : Reason.com:

January 14, 2015 - "Rapper 2Chainz debated the subjects of marijuana legalization and drug culture with Nancy Grace on her show last night. He dressed his argument for legal pot in the language of personal responsibility, leading The Atlantic's David Graham to semi-jokingly hail him as a 'conservative icon.' But conservatives should back off; it's the libertarians who have a claim on this provocative hip hop artist.

2Chainz's performances are indeed laden with drug imagery, and he appears to smoke pot in his music videos. To Grace's slight credit, she didn't accuse 2Chainz of being personally irresponsible with drugs or putting his own children in danger. Rather, her argument was that his promotion of drug culture would lead other people to abuse drugs and hurt themselves and their families.

But right off the bad, 2Chainz tossed that argument out in awesome libertarian fashion:

I don't think you could put an umbrella on the whole community [of drug users]... I just feel like everybody should basically take care of their own... so it's about governing your own household, it's about taking care of your own property, it's about having some kind of structure.

"Like a true libertarian, he also went after the drug war, criticizing marijuana prohibition as a costly failure with many ill social effects.... 2Chainz also fretted that drug investigations were a waste of taxpayer dollars—something he knows from personal experience."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/14/2chainz-slaughters-nancy-grace-in-epic-d
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Massachusetts teen jailed for Facebook post freed

Massachusetts teen accused of Facebook terror post freed - Yahoo! Finance - Richard Valdmanis, Reuters:

June 7, 2013 - A Massachusetts teenager jailed a month ago for a Facebook (FB.O) post ... was released, a court official said on Friday, after a grand jury refused to indict him.

"Cameron D'Ambrosio was arrested on May 1 and accused of 'communicating a terrorist threat'.... The case sparked a viral online effort by rights activists to have him freed, and demonstrated the growing tension between law enforcement and free speech proponents after a spate of terror and school-violence incidents across the country.

"Lawrence District Court Judge Lynn Rooney issued an order on Thursday to release D'Ambrosio after a grand jury chose not to indict, the court clerk's office said. An official at the county prosecutor's office was not available to comment.

"'While today is a major victory for Cam, the chilling effect that this case has already had on free speech cannot be undone,' said Evan Greer, of Boston's Center for Rights and Fight For The Future, which organized an online petition supporting D'Ambrosio that gathered 90,000 signatures."

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/massachusetts-teen-accused-facebook-terror-165802834.html
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Teen jailed 3 weeks awaiting trial over Facebook posts

Student jailed for three weeks awaiting trial over Facebook posts — RT USA:

May 23, 2013 - "A Boston-area teenager remains in custody on $1 million bond nearly one month after being arrested over what he said on the Internet.

"Eighteen-year-old Cameron B. D’Ambrosio of Methuen, Massachusetts was arrested on May 1 after police were alerted to 'disturbing verbiage' on his personal Facebook page discovered by a fellow student at Methuen High School. D’Ambrosio allegedly posted original rap lyrics that prompted authorities to charge him with terrorism, and now he faces a potential 20 years in prison....

"'A kid is in prison. Away from his family. All for something he posted on Facebook' reads a support page for the high school student established this week by the Center for Rights and Fight for the Future. In 48 hours, the website received more than 500,000 views, and on Thursday the administrators said 1.2 million people had visited the page."

Read more:
http://rt.com/usa/methuen-expletive-facebook-dambrosio-706/
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Confirmed: Big Boi really is libertarian

Confirmed: Big Boi really is libertarian, you know · Hammer of Truth:

January 14, 2013 - "Last month Antwan Andre Patton, aka Big Boi of the Outkast crew, left radio hosts shocked and speechless after telling them he voted for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson during a segment on racism. Now, in an interview with the Huffington Post (LIVE!), Patton not only confirmed that “hey ya” he’s a libertarian voter… but went even further and stood up as an ardent supporter of libertarian views....

"MINKOVSKI: Did you vote for Gary Johnson?

"PATTON: Yes, I’m a Libertarian. I’m liberty, justice for all, liberty for all. I’m really pro-people, pro-freedom, and, you know, this is all about positivity. Like, you know, I have nothing against the president at all, you know, he’s a nice guy, but, it’s just, you know, the things that they’re standing on right now just didn’t agree with me. Anything that benefits the public and not just big banking, that’s what I’m with."


Read more:http://hammeroftruth.com/2013/confirmed-big-boi-really-is-libertarian-you-know/
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Rapper Big Boi trashing Obama, praising Gary Johnson

Rapper Big Boi: Trashing Obama, praising Gary Johnson · Hammer of Truth:

December 14, 2012 - "Atlanta rapper Big Boi (of Outkast fame) was interviewed by Pitchfork, and he’s mighty unimpressed by Obama:

"'BB: I’m not pro-government at all, I’m pro-people. Our freedoms are getting taken away every day with things that people aren’t aware of, like the [National Defense Authorization Act]. I don’t care who the president is– it ain’t just all about who’s black or who’s white or who’s Republican or Democrat, it’s about who is for the betterment of people, period.'

"And last month, he was on Hot 97 in NYC where he claims it was racist of some people to assume he (or other black people) voted for Obama, when in fact he says he voted for Gary Johnson:





Read more: http://hammeroftruth.com/2012/rapper-big-boi-trashing-obama-praising-gary-johnson/
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