Jewish Libertarians at PorcFest 2022

Its been awhile since the last blog post, and awhile since the last PorcFest post. Between being too busy and too lazy, I didnt get around to it the past few years, but Ive been determined to get something out again, so here we are. And what a PorcFest it was. From our humble beginnings TEN(!) years ago as a Facebook page and a WordPress-domained blog, Jewish Libertarians has grown to host a Shabbat get together at this annual gathering of libertarians in the White Mountains. And what started as a small potluck service is now in its second year as a Kosher Kookout. On top of that, this is the first year that had several Jewish events!

Shabbat Service

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A Website, FINALLY

New Logo and Mascot, a hedgehog

I founded Jewish Libertarians as a Facebook page in September 2012 or so, but have long wanted an actual domain. Well, I finally got it together and imported the old blog to here. That site will no longer be updated. Instead, all new posts will be here. Over the next days and weeks, I will be customizing and upgrading the website to look like the old blog, and also improve it a bit. Things have come a long way over the past near decade.

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If We Are Removing Statues of “Evil” Men, Why Not Lenin?

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Robert E Lee Memorial, New Orleans

After the 2015 shooting of several members of a black church in South Carolina, there have been calls to completely purge the United States of anything Confederate. From the flag atop the South Carolina statehouse to statues across southern cities, there has been mostly success. Unfortunately for supporters, cities these days are dominated by minorities and liberal whites, who want nothing to do with the Confederacy. In a sense, why should there be any memorials to failed secessionists? Do other countries have any of this? The answers are probably mixed. Ireland and Scotland still have their defeated heroes remembered, but England tends to mock Catholic pretenders like Bonnie Prince Charles. On the other hand, the Sov…I mean Russians still maintain some Soviet memorabilia despite its complete rejection. In fairness, Stalin does maintain a popularity in the country that Jefferson Davis does not.

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Cop Blocking a Checkpoint in New Hampshire

P1030453Last night I attended my first cop block event here in New Hampshire, where libertarians from across the country are migrating to help one of the most liberty-minded states become more so. Several times a year, police in Manchester set up a DUI (and every other driving offense, such as broken headlight) checkpoint. For years, libertarian activists, many of whom moved from other states like me, have been holding signs and shouting warnings at the entry to the checkpoint when drivers have one last chance to turn away. They have also filed lawsuits to make the police give clearer notice about these checkpoints, which have not been proven to reduce any harmful behavior, and mostly seem to net police departments fine money.

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Four (and a half) Months in the Free State

fspWhile things are still a bit rocky as we advance into winter, I think I can just about say that I have settled into New Hampshire. I had a rough start, struggling a bit to find a job when my transfer plan failed, mainly because my experience is slim, and I dont have a car. It is usually easy to get a job here, especially at entry level, and I had offers the first week, but I fumbled when it came to whether I had reliable transport. After six weeks of searching and interviewing, and becoming frustrated and questioning myself, I was hired. Retail again, but a job is a job. And that job was miserable at first, but it has gotten better. It still pays crap, but with roommates, I am now living comfortably enough.

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The Importance of Alternative Currencies

751px-American_CashThere has been a growing movement among the powers that be to get us ready for a cashless society. It has started off with opinion pieces, like one by apostate and Keynesian sociopath Ken Rogoff. They want to see all cash eliminated or hampered with fees. It infuriates them so much that they cant monitor cash transactions and cant steal our money to pay for their failed stimulus programs, bailouts, and inflationing. They also say it would be easy to impose taxes to pay for whatever programs if the government could simply have direct access to your account. How this obviously communist proposal can get mainstream coverage is astounding. The banks are already effectively part of the government, now they want to basically hand over complete control. Why not outright nationalize the entire banking industry and make it a government monopoly? Thats effectively what these terrorists and tyrants are advocating. Now, the Financial Times has come out with a piece arguing for banning the “barbarous relic”, as Keynes referred to gold.

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Jewish Libertarians at PorcFest XII

Jewish Libertarians booth

Jewish Libertarians booth

The Porcupine Freedom Festival is now over, and it took a day to recover from the sleepless nights, the cold, the dirt, and the general depletion of energy. Along with attending events, hanging out, and selling snacks, I tabled for and represented Jewish Libertarians. Despite an almost complete lack of preparation, throwing things together at the last minute, I managed to make a mark.

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Tax Collectors vs PorcFest

Bostonians tarring and feathering a tax collector.

Bostonians tarring and feathering a tax collector.

Earlier today, the director of the New Hampshire Department of Revenue and an associate came to PorcFest to check whether food vendors were collecting the meals tax. New Hampshire has no sales tax, but does have a tax on meals and lodging. Ian Freeman of Free Keene, who is well known for filming police and government agents, quickly arrived on the scene to film and interrogate the two suits. He was joined by an effective militia of attendees armed with regular cameras and cell phone cameras.

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