Special to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Porcfest got lots of free publicity, courtesy of Hew Hampshire Democrat Party Chairman Raymond Buckley’s hamfisted attempt to discourage Democrat presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. from speaking at this year’s event. The crazy left having captured the Democrat Party, are they now driving sane democrats (not an oxymoron) out and into the hands of libertarians? Former Democrat presidential candidate and partyarch Tulsi Gabbard is a speaker at this year’s Porfest. I expect the two will compare notes.

From Heather MacDonald via Spiked: The cancellation of classical music I am a long-time fan of classical music, and know and enjoy the music of many of the composers mentioned in this article.

“Ewell’s position means that tonal music is itself racist. Every composer writing in a tonal idiom, including composers of colour, would be engaged in a racist enterprise.” This brought to mind Gustav Mahler, a composer and conductor early in the 20th Century. He felt himself doubly a minority: a Jew in Czechoslovakia, and a Czech within the Austro-Hungarian empire. Yet he went on to compose and conduct in Vienna, capital of that empire.

In 1906, Mahler conducted Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde”. A young man in the audience was so entranced by the performance that he determined to study painting and conducting opera. Alas, his career plans did not work out. We know the young man as Adolf Hitler.

Thanks to MacDonald’s article, I now find out that some of the composers I have enjoyed are black. So what? Good music is good music, regardless of the race or political affiliations of the composer (or other musicians). I can enjoy Mahler regardless of his Jewishness, Strauss in spite of his involvement with the Nazis, and Wagner regardless of the fact that he was Hitler’s favorite composer.

Last week I mentioned an article about the Southern Poverty Law Center calling Moms for Liberty (MfL) terrorists or right wingers or a hate group, or otherwise not fit for human company. Anyway, I recently attended a meeting at which several MfL members were present, including a chapter leader. They were aware of the designation, and laughed at it. They’re also taking it seriously: government agencies like the FBI and TSA (the no-fly list folks) use SPLC’s designations in their own.

In This Issue

This week all of our letters to the editor are from Albert Perez. You guys are letting him carry the whole load of writing letters to the editor. Surely you have something to say!

In a very personal essay, L. Neil Smith takes on how government is destroying science, and therefore medicine, and therefor our lives. I have recently made the point that, while we have abolished chattel slavery, we have not abolished tax or regulatory slavery. L. Neil is twenty years ahead of me.

Sarah A. Hoyt gives us a lesson on how the statists work, and how absurd it really is.

Sean Gangol on that ever-reliable intimidation tactic, “for the children”. And try debating an educrat. Anyone who opposes expanding the government school system must be a pedophile!

Events

On August 16 – 19, 2023 Liberty International will host the 37th edition of the annual Liberty International World Conference in Madrid, Spain. This year’s main theme is “Prosperity and Longevity Through Liberty” and will encompass discussions on the past, present, and future challenges faced by the freedom movement and its evolution over time.

This year’s conference will reunite 200+ attendees and 10+ pro-liberty organizations from all around the world in the heart of Madrid at Ateneo de Madrid. The conference´s agenda will include keynote sessions, panel discussions, debates, film screenings and other entertaining activities. In addition, we will have two days of cultural tours around Madrid!

Your event here? Let your editor know!

Links! Have we got Links!

FBI: FISA Section 702 ‘absolutely critical’ to spy on, err, protect Americans

ESG Dystopia: Why Corporations Are Doubling Down On Woke Even As They Lose Billions

New ‘0% Handgun’ Shows Biden’s ATF Losing Control Over Regulating 2nd Amendment

Viral Video Asks, “What Are We Doing to White People?” A viral video pushes back on the “systemic racism” claptrap.

Doug Casey on the Rising Number of Fake Holidays Add to that the trend of celebrating “July 4th” rather than Independence Day.

Middle School Students Stage Rebellion Against LGBTQ Indoctrination

US public opinion hardens on trans issue More people think changing one’s gender is immoral.

Anatomy of a lynching: McMaster’s Imaginary Sex Ring A detailed examination of claims of a sex ring at a major university, and how those claims fell apart. And the article’s author on how it might have been prevented. Lessons from an Academic Social Panic

The United States now ranks 25th in the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, putting it toward the bottom of the “mostly free” category. Pathetic. Although economic freedom isn’t the only freedom. Top ranking Singapore has constraints on other aspects of civil liberties.

Biden Baffles US Audience, Closing Speech With ‘God Save The Queen’ But that’s not the most disconcerting thing about the speech. Apparently, according to Mr. Biden, adding a brace to a pistol makes it a higher caliber. Say what! Either that sort of ignorance is common throughout the White House staff, or it isn’t. I leave it to the reader to decide which is more appalling. Mencken was right: “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”