by Nathan Hohensee, LPNC Communications Intern

The government response to Hurricane Helene has been absurdly deficient. The failure to help people are as similar at the state and federal level as they are devastating to those in dire need. If only we had a similar situation from recent history that could've predicted how badly this would go.

Recovery efforts remain frustratingly slow for the residents of Western North Carolina who saw their homes, towns, families, livelihoods, and more destroyed by Hurricane Helene barely two months ago. As snowfall marks the onset of winter in the Carolina mountains, people who remain without shelter, power, heat, running water, and more are struggling for their very survival while our state and federal government devolve into another round of finger pointing, blaming, and political posturing to cover up egregious failure and ineptitude.

While recovery efforts of this scale are naturally a long process, at this point it seems like we should expect basic response measures - like shelter with heat and potable water, medical supplies, and funding set aside for this exact situation - to have been distributed to those in need as expeditiously as possible. Unfortunately, too many of the victims of Helene remain without stable shelter, basic resources, answers, or any idea of how much the government will prolong their suffering. If previous North Carolina storm relief efforts are any indicator, those waiting for assistance should expect neither the state nor federal government to provide any meaningful relief in the near future.

Helene is the third major storm to affect North Carolina in recent years, following the widespread destruction of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence on the eastern side of the state, and history as an indicator of future actions does not bode well for recovery efforts in the mountains. Rebuild NC, a program founded from Governor Roy Cooper’s installation of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) in the wake of Hurricane Florence, is sitting on a $221 million deficit with several victims of that storm still seeking the help they were promised. 

The program and restoration effort was spearheaded by Laura Hogshead, who was removed this week as director of the program, a position which she had held since 2018, following disastrous testimony (pun intended) revealing her grossly incompetent “oversight” of the recovery program. Hogshead took responsibility for the deficit, stating (the painfully obvious) that she had not been "watching the money closely enough." The North Carolina General Assembly was allegedly not notified of the fact that extra funds were needed for eastern NC until October of this year.

The current worst-case scenario is that Rebuild NC needs another $264 million to finish building homes in eastern NC - from the last hurricane six years ago. Not only is there no more money to build future houses, there are currently 57 contractors who have completed jobs for Rebuild NC and have not received any compensation or pay for the work they have already completed. Altogether, there were about 10,000 people who applied for help from Rebuild NC during an application window that was left open for several years. Of those applications, roughly 4,420 applications were withdrawn and around 1,600 were found ineligible. The number of those who have not been helped still exceeds the number of homes that have been built by Rebuilt NC and, again, it has been six years since Hurricane Florence landed in North Carolina.

So far, this program has been its own disaster on a scale greater than those for which it is supposed to provide relief. In fact, $150 million is needed to keep NC Rebuild afloat for ongoing projects. Meanwhile, reports are that the houses that have been built are subpar and often fall into disrepair as soon as families move in. Complaints ranging from doors falling off of their hinges to broken windows and floors caving in are the hallmarks of a program that continues to spend around $2.1 million a month for displaced eastern NC families. In fact, the program has spent around $76.5 million on temporary housing which might have gone towards giving 270-280 families new homes, except it is taking Rebuild NC between 600 and 800 days to build a modular home. Normally, a typical modular home takes anywhere from 60 to 120 days to fully construct. NC Rebuild is working at about 10 percent of expected speed, which is actually surprisingly good for a government entity built on a pattern of abject failure. 

The NC government has been consistently ineffective when it comes to helping its people bounce back from these horrendous storms and the devastation they have caused. Pryor Gibson, who previously served in the NC House - District 69, has been tapped as interim director of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency. In his joint testimony with Hogshead, he stated that bureaucratic issues can make it difficult for people to bounce back from a storm. While finger pointing and the political blame game is the prominent narrative in the news cycle, people continue to suffer serious consequences from the inability of the government to help its citizens. Even Hogshead acknowledged that efforts are different in western NC depending on where governments “allow” building, and the news that continues to find its way through the smokescreens is increasingly horrifying. 

FEMA apparently had an unofficial policy to not help people with Trump signs, but what they do have is a backlog of trailers that has been sitting for weeks because FEMA will not place them where they are needed, based on an arbitrary “floodplain” designation. Instead of providing people with the shelter and protection they are supposed to receive in return for dutifully complying with the theft we call “taxes,” FEMA is offering buyouts to the residents who have lost everything and are facing utter desperation, which would provide immediate relief but often result in substantial loss against the overall value of their property and possessions. 

There is a lot happening here in NC following these hurricanes that just does not add up - or maybe it does when taking the inherent inefficiencies of government into account. The great Thomas Sowell said, “You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.” Rebuild NC has seven or eight accountants among the many employees who make upwards of above $100,000 a year, and yet they still could not keep up with all of their budget problems. Leave it to government officials to somehow profit during a crisis while NC residents, who have paid their taxes believing that would ensure the government would be there when they were in need, are learning a hard truth. 

The government is, on its best day, grievously inadequate at most everything except spying on us and creating bureaucratic nightmares. If people are paying into a system expecting responsiveness when they are at their greatest need, and that expectation is proven to be false hope time and again, it begs the question of why do we keep paying into the system. This is not a political game to win elections. People’s lives are in the balance. 

If you want to help with disaster recovery efforts, a number of people and organizations are providing real help to those in need in WNC, including Samaritan's Purse.

If you want to let your local representative know what you think of the disaster recovery efforts and demand better, instructions are here. 

This article was derived from reporting by Cassie Clark, NC historian, culture preservationist, and founder and steward of the Where the Dogwood Blooms blog and podcast. 

by: Phil Jacobson

Recently (October 5, 2024), I attended a protest rally at Moore Square in Raleigh NC, held in recognition of the fact that one year had passed since the events which initiated the current state of conflict between the State of Israel and Hamas, which quickly thereafter engulfed the entire civilian population of Gaza.  Attendance at the protest was estimated at around 4,800 persons. 

The main themes of the rally were a call for a ceasefire and an end to the unrestricted military aid from US taxpayers to Israel.  While not endorsing the initiating actions of Hamas, the protesters strongly condemned the highly disproportionate responses against civilian targets by the Israeli military.  Sympathy was with the plight of Palestinian civilians and against the blanket support given to the current Israeli regime by the current regime of the USA.  Sponsors of this protest included a wide variety of groups, from Palestinians and other Arab-Americans to Muslim, Jewish, Christian and secular Americans, as well as adherents of a variety of political persuasions.  The most advertised political grouping being left leaning, from the Green Party to open advocates of socialism.  Many of the attendees there, especially those with a direct connection to Palestine, were not affiliated to specific political parties.  However, in general, Arab and Muslim Americans have natural leanings towards libertarian philosophy, especially regarding the ideas of free enterprise and non-violence in global affairs (be it proxy wars or otherwise).

As a Libertarian, I was a rare attendee.  In addition to my personal desire to show support for the human rights of all concerned, I distributed copies of the Position Paper on this subject which was issued this year by the LPNC.  (https://www.lpnc.org/position_paper_funding_foreign_wars_and_the_situation_in_israel_and_palestine)  I was also able to convey verbally that the same sentiment has been expressed by our candidate for US President, Chase Oliver. Few of the attendees seemed aware of the Libertarian position on this topic.  But I had to balance my efforts between my personal sentiments and the policies of the LP. 

The LP likes to be seen as opposing conscription in all its forms.  We praise the adoption of voluntary cooperation as a means of addressing community concerns. We question the value of relying on conscripted funds used by professional government bureaucrats. This virtue is often seen at its best when communities react to natural disasters.  Governments with large budgets can provide critical aid, to be sure. But the voluntary contributions of individuals are often more effective, more essential - especially as a first response - than the work of professional government bureaucrats.  

The topic can be a little tricky, however, regarding the topic of armed self-defense, especially with regard to foreign affairs.   The people of Gaza have been living in a concentration camp created in 1967.  They are not at war with the State of Israel.  Their land, in which they have lived for centuries, has been occupied by force by the State of Israel.  As such, any resistance to occupation is not a declaration of war against the occupier, but a legitimate right of any oppressed people.  Israel cannot claim that their response to this resistance is a matter of self-defense - not morally, nor according to international law.

 (as noted by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur here: https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/francesca-albanese-says-israels-right-to-selfdefence-non-existent-and-is-committing-war-crimes/news-story/99514e7f7928ec92fd68e9a470a5cf27.

And in a more formal and detailed document by Anna Qiang, of Columbia University:
https://www.culawreview.org/journal/the-self-defense-principle-re-examined-the-israel-palestine-conflict-in-international-law

While there were not armed forces patrolling Gaza, as was the case in the West Bank, Israeli military forces patrolled and controlled all access in and out of Gaza, land, sea, and air, which is just another form of occupation.

The LP explicitly, passionately, and unconditionally opposes the use by our government of conscripted soldiers or conscripted dollars to take sides in conflicts between foreign belligerents.  But many individual Libertarians would and do gladly volunteer their own private resources to aid foreign peoples whose lands have been invaded.  Sometimes the most important private resource a Libertarian might give is vocal moral support.  And yet, as a Libertarian, one would not want to mistakenly argue, while expressing sympathy for an oppressed foreign community, that one’s own government should actively join the conflict.  

I felt that I did not cross that delicate line at this event.  But I wish to remind my fellow libertarians that we do believe in the right of self defense - to include armed resistance to initiated force, as do many of the those who attended the rally.  While all pacifists are, by definition following the libertarian doctrine of refusing to initiate force, libertarianism as a philosophy also recognizes the right to retaliate.  Thus, when considering this issue, as a libertarian and as an individual, I heartily endorse one of the most important slogans which was repeated many times at this rally:  

“Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”  

Each situation must be judged by each individual on its own merits. But as for myself, as a libertarian but not as a Libertarian, I have to say at this time, on this issue, as I did at the rally, I do take a side.  I stand with the people of Palestine. 

by: Matthew Kordon, Libertarian Candidate for NC House - District 11

A humbling misstep running for office came in September when, in my naivety, I planned to divert time to a side goal. I wanted to convince voters to choose the smaller-government option for an upcoming Cary housing bond. I announced my decision no sooner than my treasurer discussed with me the logistics. Concerned, I pivoted to research whether this would be difficult or discordant with the law, and it was both.

Upon reflection, I realized a candidate committee is entrusted to focus on the advocacy of that candidate; the people of my district are stakeholders. I owe it to them to stay focused. Embarrassed, I swiftly announced that the project was canceled.

Then one week later, my incumbent rival Allison Dahle permanently stretched the purpose of her candidate committee: On September 26^th, she announced that she took all remaining funds and redistributed them to other Democrats running for offices including Kamala/ Walz.

By opaquely redirecting thousands entrusted to her, what she did was unethical, maybe illegal. There should be a price for such malfeasance! What we know about her behavior is disgraceful; when I requested to know more about her decision, she only repeated her announcement and claimed what she did was not illegal. She even spun the situation as no different than if she had spent the money!

By redirecting those funds, she betrayed the donors who distinctively choose not to give that money to others. Maybe for them, the issues at the State-level matter most. Maybe they only donated because they know her enough to judge her character in contrast to the out-of-state Kamala Harris. Their choice was to a specific cause, in hundreds of dollars by some, but that action was overridden entirely.

My conversation with her was brief but exhibited astonishing contrast! I was courteous and transparent in my desire to know more. Her written response was blunt. She asserted that redistribution was not for “other causes.” In response, I then addressed the fact that Rep. Dahle had just told everyone a lie and pleaded with her one final time to share details. Instead, she went silent, not even accepting an offer to speak in private. Much like when my Republican opponent was accused of bigotry in April, my inquiry to get to the truth was stonewalled.

These days I uphold the Golden Rule; I believe people are foremost individuals with the birthrights Enlightenment figures spoke of, thus I refer to her as “Representative” or “Rep. Dahle” and not “Allison” because I grant her and hers humanizing respect. I believe there are no shortcuts: either you aspire to be just and it reflects in your actions, or not. That the Representative behaves unjustly reveals her true character, which flows downstream to the authoring of bills and voting.

If the Representative broke financial law, it was not the first time! In July, Dahle’s treasurer recorded funds redirected to her Party as an operational expense, seven thousand dollars. Dahle then waited a month before the election to offload most remaining money and her final financial report will not be public until it is too late to affect her reelection. If what she did was as “above board” as she claims, why hide? Should not politicians be an open book? The Republicans are already pursuing greater secrecy in finances and disclosure requests so it is disheartening to see a Democrat display the same corruption.

Lastly, Representative Dahle broke an unspoken promise with her donors. One PAC donated more than the size of my biweekly paycheck. Many individuals gave contributions in the hundreds of dollars! I, by contrast, take my fiduciary responsibility seriously for each person who gives me anything; I not only backed away from my bond project, I wrote a newsletter to my donors to get their feedback after.

Campaign season is a trial period to discover a candidate’s professionalism, thus Allison Dahle demonstrated that she cannot be trusted with money she promises to spend. But that should not surprise anyone who knows her record: only 1/6th of bills she attaches her name to as a major or minor contributor have gotten a vote by the Republican majority, and even fewer of those bills pass or have a dollar amount. Allison has almost-always failed to keep her money promises!

Over 150 people reacted positively to the announcement on Facebook, but what is seemingly popular is not always moral. Engagement on social media is lethargic —not the same as 150 people in a crowd cheering. I ask you, if 150 people smiled at a painting of Satan, would that suddenly make him any less evil?

I align with her agenda 40% of the time, and I will try a new approach at coalition building across aisles with a focus on consensus to yield results for overlapping agenda items the Representative halfheartedly pursues. In light of her sordid character, would not voting for me be better?

Yesterday I went to Canton, NC, with Cassie Clark of Where the Dogwood Blooms fame, to drop off some supplies and try to help victims of Hurricane Helene. I got a first-hand look at what is going on, at least in the area just beyond Asheville, and I wanted to share that.

Things are both better and worse than everyone thinks. In Canton, some people were hurting, and there was damage, but they had running water and power. Once you got past Canton, people didn’t have water or power yet, but they did have roads to travel to aid sites.

The good news is, people, including local officials and cops, were all working together to get needed food, water, and other supplies to those in need. The supply center where we brought our contribution was humming, with people coming in to drop things off and pick up what was needed, and it was well staffed and well stocked.

The bad news is that there are still a ton of people who are out of reach with no communication. Roads completely washed out – and you could see some of them and just how utterly impossible transportation is in some areas – and the people on the other side of those roads are trapped, sometimes without power, water, medical supplies, and other things they need to live.

As far as the government helping, I saw no evidence. I asked several people, and only one had seen FEMA anywhere. Apparently, there was a station set up where bottled water was distributed, but only for people in cars, meaning if you couldn’t get gas or your car was flooded out, you couldn’t get water.

I did hear rumors of FEMA and other officials preventing people from carrying out rescue and support operation, but nothing I could substantiate as true or false. The people in Western NC are angry – and understandably – which, to be fair, creates a fertile environment for rumors to spread.

One thing that seemed to really irk people was Biden surveying the damage, as all rescue flights were grounded while he was in the air (and he then forgot that he had taken the flight a few hours later).

The LPNC is working to help provide some aid as well, if you would like to donate, please give here: Libertarian Mutual Aid.

Marky Mark is a Funky Chump

As we near the gubernatorial election in November, I think it bears importance to highlight some of the candidates' positions. For the first entry, I’m going to be looking at Lt. Governor Mark Robinson.

Robinson recently unveiled part of his "public safety" plan at a news conference in Statesville. Robinson claims to stand behind law enforcement and law and order in the state, but my question is what is his opinion on the unconstitutional arrest of Joshua Rohrer and the brutal assault of his VA service dog Sunshine? I'm guessing that he would see it as police "taking care of business" and "handling the dregs of society," based on statements he’s made previously showing his unquestioning support for law enforcement.

Also, let's take a look at another statement he made at the Statesville conference, claiming he would “reinstate the death penalty for those that kill police and corrections officers. Firstly, the death penalty wasn’t banned in NC, it was simply placed on a moratorium due to legal challenges. Secondly, the fact that an African-American man has the audacity to advocate for the death penalty when so many African-Americans were unjustly and unconstitutionally executed by the government in the years prior is mind boggling, and should clearly tell you that Mark Robinson isn’t standing up for the civil rights of anyone except the elite who he rubs shoulders with.

For my final point, let’s look at his statement to work with the General Assembly to enact a measure to require law enforcement to hold jail inmates thought to be in the country illegally and cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Let me make this plain and clear. The current system of holding aliens suspected of entering unlawfully for indeterminate periods of time is a violation of the due process of law guaranteed by the US Constitution, and extended to aliens, including illegal ones, by the Supreme Court. Any cooperation by state and local authorities should be viewed as a direct violation of their oaths to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, and North Carolina.

In summary, while Mark Robinson hides his sadistic, authoritarian opinions behind a mask of "law and order" and models himself as "one of the people" it is clear to those who read between the lines that he is no better than Cooper, or Stein, or Harris, or Trump, and is just another power-hungry elite frothing at the mouth to crush the people of this great state beneath the boot of D.C. and Raleigh. I urge every North Carolina to vote for the only candidate that will push back against the tyrants in Raleigh and D.C.: Mike Ross!

#FiretheUniparty

by: Dan Johnson, LPNC

Much of politics is about predicting the future.

Choosing what issues to focus on, choosing who to reach out to, and choosing when to run for office have a bigger impact on your success as a candidate than all the hard work you can put in, and that gets worse the higher of an office you run for.

If you had correctly guessed that the mood of the country in 2016 would be righteous anger, a special hatred towards DC and its politicians, then you would have come out on top running a campaign that tapped into that anger. 

Likewise, if you had correctly guessed that the mood of the country in 2020 would be a disgust with chaos, a desire for a return to normalcy, and that the level of stress that the average American felt that was worse than the beneficial economic policies of the Don, your campaign would have gotten a major boost.

Most everyone, except rabid partisans, can see it when it is happening. Kamala Harris is rising, not because of her policies, positions, or a good debate performance, but because the country is so thrilled to not have a contest between two old men with dementia. Predicting it, however, gives you a chance to prepare your campaign to take advantage of it.

With that said, here are some Macro-Political trends Libertarians should be aware of.

There’s a cease-fire in American rhetoric, not a peace deal.

The Biden campaign in 2020 and the Harris campaign now have brought with them a seeming return to normalcy in politics. Both campaigns avoided touting radical progressive agendas and focused more on heartland issues. However, the normalcy is a mirage.

The issues underlying the Charlottesville, January 6th, and Black Lives matter protests and riots haven’t been resolved. The issues underlying the shooting of several at a Republican Congressional baseball game, including Rep. Steve Scalise, have not been resolved. The recent shooting of Donald Trump proves that.

You cannot resolve political violence without resolving the issues that caused it in the first place. Inflation is making American consumers pay 20-30% more just to live the life they lived 10 years ago. Online censorship is still rampant. Technology is still advancing fast. Once the hope fades and the underlying economics takes their toll, people will be angry again. And this time, they will burn even hotter, as revenge for the false hope that is being granted to them now.

Political tribalism is going to get worse, not better. 

Humans are naturally social creatures - to the extent that we find it difficult to work with others who don't share many similar values. The old bonds that held us together - nation, freedom, opportunity - they are no longer working. Less young people go to church, where they once got their values, than ever before. We are less tied into our neighbors and have less in common with them when we do talk.

Historically, we have gotten our social identity from two very large tribes, church and nation. With these two no longer being sufficient, a lot of people will default to their core political identity in other areas of their lives.

You already see this happening with for profit companies dedicated to one ideology (Ultra Right Beer, Angel Films), nonprofits (Mutual Aid Societies, LGBT-exclusionary adoption agencies) and you will see it more as the people someone is most comfortable with are those who share their political identity. 

You also see this with trends of where people choose to live. More than the economic opportunity, more than the natural beauty or the weather, politics is becoming how we decide where we live. As it becomes more a part of our core identity, it becomes more a part of making us, us.

Political identity is not going away, despite the rise of independent voters. Political identity is just transcending party.

We are transitioning from a Big/Small government divide to a Good/Bad government divide. 

This shift has been evident in the data for a while now. The National Citizenship Survey has asked people what it means to be a good citizen for decades. For the first few years of its life, it was clear that there was a strict divide in America between those who believed in big and those who believed in small government. I.e. Liberals and Conservatives.

However, millennials and other generations don’t see the government as inherently evil, or inherently good. We see the government as having a place, and being good at some things and being bad at others.

This means the old rhetoric of “government bad” appeals to a smaller, and smaller group of people.

We must instead recognize what government is bad *at* and present ways that those things can be addressed without using the force of the state. 

A perfect example is the Cajun Navy.

The Cajun Navy started as a ragtag band of Louisanans who were sick of FEMA leaving their people to die during floods. They took their shallow bottom boats and saved them, lots of them. When they helped their neighbors in Houston during Hurricane Harvey, they rescued over 3,000 people for 1/100th the price of the U.S. Coast Guard.

We need policies and practices that allow more Cajun Navies and less Hurricane Katrinas.

If you’d ask me, that's what Libertarians should be advocating for.

Dan Johnson was the Communications Director for the Lars Mapstead campaign, and is an active Libertarian in North Carolina, where he lives with his Fiance’ and two children, Alex and Leo (+1 on the way).

Mises Club of the Carolinas - Sugar Mountain 2024

by: Joshua D Glawson, LPNC Strategic Communications Adviser

August 9 through August 11, 2024, the Mises Club of the Carolinas met at Sugar Mountain Resort in Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. The discussions focused on sound money, education, and entrepreneurship in North Carolina, the United States, and the world.

The event, led by Kent Misegades, had a variety of speakers including some prominent libertarians, classical liberals, conservatarians, and conservatives. Those in attendance included Ulli Misegades, Paul Cwik (pictured below), Andrew Jochl, Franklin Sanders, Justin Sanders, Trey Carson, Jared Wall, Kerubo Wall, Winston Brady, Doug Newell, Mark Brody, Pierre Lawson, Ken Silva, Joshua D Glawson, Jim Brunner & The Walker Family (family of Bena Bien Greaves), and others.

Many others attended including an appearance by Bob Luddy, Robert Napolitano, Matthew Bianco, Vann Walters, Cheryl Nester, and more.

The family-friendly event was a success because it met all expectations and exceeded them by educating more people outside of the liberty sphere about the key topics of sound money (i.e. gold and cryptocurrency), education, and entrepreneurship. This Mises Club of the Carolinas conference had around 60 people in attendance - an audience filled with smiling faces and inquisitive minds.

For most people, they ae not necessarily intrigued by ideas of individual liberty, limited government, personal responsibility, and sound money. However, the Mises Club of the Carolinas does an excellent job of getting people of various backgrounds and interests together, starting a much-needed public dialogue, and sparking ideas of liberty in the minds of witnesses.

There may be political events that occur throughout the state that claim the name of “liberty,” but so far only the Mises Club fits the bill aside from the Libertarian Party of North Carolina.

In this article, I will tell you about three parts of the event that enjoyed. You can see the presentation slides here.

Starting off the event was yours truly, Joshua D Glawson (Strategic Communications Adviser of the LPNC), representing Money Metals Exchange and the Sound Money Defense League. These two organizations embody the philosophy of Mises and put his philosophy into human action. In this opening presentation, I discussed what sound money is, the failures of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, and the success stories of the Sound Money Defense League in 2023 and 2024.

(From Left to Right: Franklin Sanders, Justin Sanders, Andrew Jochl, Joshua D Glawson, Trey Carson, Mark Brody)

I was also a part of the sound money panel discussion that was led by the liberty martyr and legend Franklin Sanders. This is a giant of a man who bravely stood up to government tyranny in the name of sound money and suffered through jail time because he refused to bow to the government’s tyrannical overreach and unconstitutional actions. One of the assistant US attorneys called Franklin Sanders, “The most dangerous man in the mid-south,” yet he was kind, intelligent, peaceful, and principled.

Another presentation I enjoyed was that of Ken Silva, an award-winning investigative reporter for Headline USA. Silva discussed a few of his findings over the years, including how the FBI starts various fringe groups (e.g. white supremacists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and various “hate groups”) to incite social instability, chaos, and violence all to entrap unsuspecting targets and build government power.

A third presentation that I enjoyed was that of Jared Wall of the Monroe, NC, area (pictured with his son, Ron Paul). Jared has been heavily involved in the Liberty Movement since the days of Ron Paul where he worked on Dr. Paul’s campaign and helped to edit works by Libertarian Institute’s Scott Horton. Jared’s wife, Kerubo, is a children’s book author, who also promotes ideas of liberty in her work. Together, they promote international entrepreneurship - in the U.S. and Kenya. The Walls’ presentation highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, and the liberty gained through these efforts.

The Mises Club Carolinas Meetup #10 - Sugar Mountain, NC - August 9-11, 2024, was a fantastic time and a great break from the summer heat. If you are interested in learning more about liberty in North Carolina, networking with liberty-minded professionals, and getting involved in the North Carolina liberty movement, I highly recommend attending a Mises Club of the Carolinas event. For more information visit the Mises Institute.

OpEd: The Mystery Surrounding Mark Robinson's Master Bait-and-Switch

- Rob Yates, Communications Director 

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mr. Robinson

When we look back at the 2024 election season, I think the thing we'll remember the most is how we elevated our political discourse, as a country... just a bunch of engaged, well informed citizens having erudite and productive conversations about difficult issues in good faith. 

For example, late last week CNN reported that Mark Robinson, GOP candidate for NC governor - shout out to North Carolina, keepin' it real - at one time in his life was practicing to write graphic erotica, and drafted some material on that great keeper of information, the internet. 

As far as extraordinary political stories go, this one had it all. Robinson allegedly posted on the message board section of a porn site, Nude Africa, for a period of roughly five years starting in 2008. The story provides screen shots where the user, "minisoldr," which CNN claims is Robinson, called himself a black nazi, hated on jews, romanticized about trans porn, detailed a brief-but-specific history of peeping on women in the locker room shower, and wrote a lot of graphic descriptions of things he implies he was doing involving his wife's sister, her friend, and lots of body fluids, including a fair bit of golden showers because of course, we go hard in '24.

Fair warning, they are legitimately graphic. Read them or don't, it has exactly nothing to do with any policy positions. I read them (and, full disclosure, I couldn't stop laughing). If this must be the rhetorical battlefield on which we engage, so be it, I'd rather be armed.

From Slippery Slope to "Dookey Chute"

Writing something like this, I try to present the absurdity of it all without being biased to one "side" as perceived by people who still think there's a difference. I usually feel like this requires that I share my perspective on the actual situation to try and minimize any accusations of bias by opening myself up to scrutiny. I'm not taking sides, because y'all are the same to me, but I still have an opinion on the matter. In this case, I can say that I am 99.9+ percent confident that those screen shots were authentic Robinson. 

Much more importantly, I also don't care. The screen shots are almost 20 years old, ostensibly written by someone who was not harming anyone else, under a reasonable expectation of privacy (pour one out for 2000s internet). It's absurd to act like they somehow have relevance today. This is coming from someone who thinks Robinson is a terrible candidate and would make a terrible governor. (Seriously, y'all could've had Mike Ross, Dale Folwell, and Mike Morgan. You chose this.)

Robinson runs on a pretty hard right moralistic platform, so I realize that, if legit, this appears immensely hypocritical on Robinson's part. I think it's true that he's a hypocrite, for example when his entire political career was sparked by a speech defending the Second Amendment, and yet he's failed to defend constitutional carry as his party has cowered away from the issue. Libertarians showed up to push for HB 189, not Republicans and definitely not Robinson. We're used to it.

But messages on a porn site from decades ago? …roughly as relevant to my life as the type of milkshake a politician orders at Cook Out. So no, I don't care about the posts. This was barely even newsworthy, and certainly not worth the dramatic Thursday-afternoon buildup to the announcement. I strongly believe that, had Robinson completely ignored this, it would have been relegated to discussion by the Angry Online People, and nothing more, by today or tomorrow. 

Ruh Roh, Mark, Urine Trouble

What happened next, though, was that brilliant twist at which the writers of America: The Reality Show have been adept the last few years. Robinson’s response to all this was to go on CNN and deny the story, then release a video calling them all liars, and then double down on the "this is fake" response. Faster than you can say "they're eating the pets," the NC GOP put out a press release defending him and much of the electorate has joined in. 

I have seen some intense back and forth as to the authenticity of the screen shots. In fact, this might end up being good for Robinson's campaign, which is losing to Stein worse than Tammika Brents did to Fallon Fox. His base of supporters has rallied, and there were even some reports that his fundraising spiked over the weekend, though I haven't found any evidence to confirm that.

Think about that... Americans distrust the legacy media so much that it is immediately more plausible to them that the media made up this story than it is that Robinson, about whom we've recently also learned likes adults-only shops and abortions when he's the one they benefit, was writing bawdy stuff on a porn site decades ago. In a vacuum, the evidence seems to point one way. When the story comes from CNN, though, it creates an ad hominem strong enough for a big chunk of people to instantly find "it was fake" the higher likelihood. And, to be fair, I get it.

Seriously, is there anyone reading this who would be surprised to find out it was made up? CNN has been a constant source of misinformation, disinformation, fabrication, misdirection, hyperbole, panic-pimping, prevarication, slander, propaganda, and outright lies for as long as Mark Robinson has been an aspiring adult-themes author. Further, CNN’s "it's complicated" relationship status with the truth has been decidedly one-sided, and it isn't the side Robinson is on.

Don't Piss on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining

I mean, it would be oddly specific if it was fraudulent, for sure. The part that would impress me the most is that whoever made the hoax found a writer who combines the Marquis de Sade's focus on celebrating love with the poignant empathy for the plight of humanity typically associated with Rudolf Jung, all built on top of a powerful narrative voice, eloquent in a unique simplicity wistfully reminiscent of Wesley Willis. 

And impressive for the creative team behind this great illusion to find his virtual alter ego and use that on the forged screen shots which it was then able to retroactively drop into a message board. And then planting his email address in the old Ashley Madison dump - absolute stroke of genius. Personally, I would love to have some of this digital time travel equipment.

Mark Robinson is not a lifelong politician, so when he had his not-so-wild sex parties, he didn't have the power of the federal government behind him to help hide it. His failure was not what he did (or didn't do...), it was taking too long to sell his soul to the machine. I can't blame him for that. 

A Steady Stream of News

Since the original disclosure by CNN and Robinson's tacit denial, the story has not gotten less weird. Almost his entire campaign staff quit. Then a convicted felon – for telecommunications-based voter fraud (read the story, it’s as awful as you’re thinking) – claimed to be his new campaign manager, a claim Robinson's campaign denied. The Republican Governor’s Association has stopped funding ads for Robinson in North Carolina, and several high-profile Republicans have withdrawn their support or distanced themselves from him.

For those keeping score, he also apparently asked internet sleuths not to investigate the claims on his behalf, although internet sleuths did turn up some further information that is potentially damaging to his position of being the victim of a Clarence-Thomas-style "cyber lynching." Now, Robinson has hired a law firm to investigate the claims made by CNN and defend him against them. And, most recently (as of finishing writing this Wednesday evening – I have redrafted it like 11 times as new developments come to light), much of his Lieutenant Governor staff has dipped out as well.

There are some who will see him hiring a law firm as proof that the story is, in fact, a fabrication. I think it’s a guarantee that we will know nothing new until after the election, at which point this will go away regardless. But that’s really the point, isn’t it? It’s all about the distraction.

A former president and current candidate was the subject of back-to-back assassination attempts, one of which made it unnervingly close to succeeding, but we don't talk about that. We do talk about Haitians eating pets, and that feels like we chose the serious topic. In fact, it's right up there with Kamala's brat, and Taylor Swift's endorsement, and the Olympic opening ceremony, and what song the Foo Fighters licensed (p.s. Dave, congrats?), and what candidate pretended to be in the military, and now what Mark Robinson wrote in a porn blog 15 years ago, or any of the other absurd things we're told are life or death, none of which have any bearing on how these people will operate in office. 

As far as the screen shots go, I find it hard to assign any meaningful importance to them in regards to the actual governor's race. However, if they were fabricated to influence the race, that is a big enough deal to put you in jail in the People’s Republic of California under Gavin Newsome.

Kidding aside, the accusation that this was fabricated is major. If CNN either went to great lengths to fake this oddly specific story that doesn’t take much of a leap of faith to believe, or even just failed to perform any due diligence before reporting something totally false, we should expect it to be the final curtain call for a network that is roughly as popular as inflation, I would be the first to admit I was wrong on all counts, and Josh Stein better be the loudest voice calling for heads to roll.

But, if Robinson is lying – and make no mistake, if those are his screen shots, then what he is doing is straight-up looking you in the eye and brazenly lying – then he belongs on the scrap heap of discarded North Carolina scumbag politicians, right next to John "don't worry, she'll be gone soon" Edwards, and I would expect Republicans to be at vanguard of putting him out to pasture while admitting they put party over principle and were ultimately wrong.

I look forward to a series of escalations and screeching from both sides over this issue before never getting resolution.

The Ridiculous Saga of Naked Corruption Continues

by Rob Yates
LPNC Communications Director

Over the past few months, three new parties - the Constitution Party, the Justice For All (JFA) party, and the We The People (WTP) party - collected the required number of signatures to gain recognition and ballot access in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) approved the Constitution Party - ostensibly a right-leaning party, and also the WTP party - which is the party for RFK Jr in North Carolina, while rejecting the JFA party - the party under which Cornell West is running for president.

The NCSBE comprises three Democrats and two Republicans. Under the current rules, the Governor's party gets to pick three of the members. Cooper is, of course, a Democrat. No unaffiliated members are on the NCSBE, despite unaffiliated voters making up the largest block in NC, nor are there any Libertarians or Greens on the NCSBE, the other two parties recognized in NC at the beginning of this year. Our government is loathe to actually resemble the people of North Carolina. 

In fact, just last year, Cooper used the courts to fight an attempt by Republicans to increase the number of members to eight, with four members from each major party. He then fought a lawsuit brought by five unaffiliated voters seeking representation on the board. The "party of democracy" seems to have serious concerns with a government that represents anything but its interests. 

Using the Elections Board and the courts to hoard power is a go-to in the playbook for the North Carolina Democrats. In 2022, the NCSBE tried to keep the Green Party and Senate candidate Matthew Hoh off the ballot, despite their petition having the required number of approved and confirmed signatures. The Green Party candidate was viewed as potentially taking votes from the Democrats, and several people reported receiving harassing phone calls asking them to remove their signatures from the petition.

Publicly, the NCSBE claimed that they were concerned about fraudulent signatures. The courts disagreed, and Matthew Hoh gained ballot access while the NC Dems received a strong rebuke for their meritless legal wrangling. The North Carolina Democrats were even further embarrassed this year, when courts awarded the Green Party damages for the Dems' "frivolous" efforts. 

History repeats itself, and the NCSBE this year delayed the votes on recognizing parties that might hurt Democrat candidates, this time the JFA and WTP parties. While reports once again surfaced of harassing phone calls targeting people who signed the petition, the board cited fears of fraudulent signatures and alleged that the two parties were circumventing rules surrounding independent candidates on the ballot (the signature threshold is nearly six times higher for an independent candidate than for a new party to be recognized) as the reasons for delaying the vote and eventually denying the JFA party. 

Both this year and in 2022, Democrat super lawyer Marc Elias, known for filing suits all around the country to help Democrats hoard power so aggressively that he was fired by the Biden campaign, and the Elias Law Group were the face and the finance driving the push to prevent competition. This year, Clear Choice Action superPAC brought some out-of-state money to the fight as well. Together, they sent at least five letters to the NCSBE encouraging them to reject the JFA and WTP applications under nearly the exact same imaginary concerns as two years ago. 

After delaying the vote, the NCSBE eventually would approve the Constitution Party and the WTP party, while rejecting the petition from the JFA party. But this saga is far from over.

After the NCSBE rejected their petition, the JFA party filed a federal lawsuit against the board alleging violation of their constitutional rights and seeking ballot access. In a twist straight out of 2022, however, the North Carolina Democrat Party has also filed a lawsuit against the board and against the WTP party, seeking to have RFK removed from the ballot. The actions of the board and the NC Dems have drawn scrutiny and review from the NC General Assembly and from federal lawmakers. The board did not take action on the lawsuits in its most recent meeting.

The first hearing on the JFA's lawsuit was Tuesday. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) has been engaged in this from the beginning, including a letter from our State Chair, Ryan Brown, signed by 22 leaders from six other parties, calling on the NCSBE to recognize all three parties in the name of fairness and representative government. When they rejected the other two parties, we called for the resignation of the three Democrats on the board. That letter and our related press releases are linked below. We will keep you updated as we have more information or further involvement. 

• LPNC Expresses Strong Disagreement with the NCSBE Decision - Press Release on the June 26 Meeting
• Application to Recognize Three New Parties in North Carolina - Letter from LPNC State Chair Ryan Brown, signed by more than twenty leaders from six different NC parties
  
• LPNC Expresses Strong Disagreement with the NCSBE Decision, Redux, Calls for Resignations - Press Release on the July 9 Meeting
  

LPNC State Chair Ryan Brown discusses the NCSBE decision on the Pete Kaliner show

by Dr. Mike Munger
Duke Professor of Political Science, former LPNC Governor Candidate, and current LPNC Candidate

Read the full article on the American Institute for Economic Research

We seem to be moving towards a wealth tax. At least, there is a growing consensus on one side of the political spectrum that a wealth tax is "needed" — politician-speak for "bad idea that I want to do anyway."

Interestingly, the need for a wealth tax is not primarily the need for revenue, a way to reduce the exploding deficit. That would at least have some tenuous connection to reality, though it would still be a bad idea. The argument for a wealth tax is fairness; as far back as 2008, candidate Barack Obama famously said the quiet part out loud, and strongly advocated for increased taxes on capital gains, even if it explicitly meant that tax revenues declined.

I have written before about some of the reasons that wealth taxes are a problem. The notion of "social justice," and the unique position of the state as controller of coercion, are somehow supposed to justify theft of accumulated savings, even after the owner of the wealth paid his or her taxes on the income. The logic is eternal: "You have something left over? Give us some! And next year, too, until you have nothing."

The difference between an income tax, or consumption/transactions tax, and a wealth tax, is important. The first two are taxes on what economists call flows, activities that are defined over a time period. Income, or consumption spending, is a movement of value, and taxing those movements (flows) is a way of collecting revenue from the working of the system.

Wealth is different, because wealth is the accumulation of income I already paid taxes on...

Article continues on the AIER website.

Mike Munger is a Professor of Political Science, and Director of the PPE Certificate Program, at Duke University. Munger's most recent book, The Sharing Economy, was published in 2021 by the Institute for Economic Affairs.