Former six term democratic congresswomen and Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney openly outed herself as an anarchist at the 2018 Anarchapulco conference held annually in Acapulco, Mexico. From a radio interview, McKinney credited an ongoing dialogue with [current LP presidential declared candidate]Adam Kokesh as well as an ideological re-evaluation facilitated by her current stint as Assistant Professor of Political Science at North South University, Bangladesh.
Quoting Dr. McKinney:
From teaching political science…it became important for me to speak the truth to my students as I saw it….I couldn’t tell them that the form of government we have, a republic[representational democracy], is the best of form of government. It became unfathomable to me that people would give away their individual sovereignty to someone else and then have to go a beg that person to do for them…that this was actually an advanced political system.
Andy,
Probably has to do with her tweets ranting about “Zionists” and using the prefix “zio-”
https://twitter.com/cynthiamckinney/status/970435942841442304
https://twitter.com/cynthiamckinney/status/963259496784068608
And I had high hopes (I had expressed approval for her over people like Barr and Root over in the Feb open thread).
Have no idea about Holocaust denial, so can’t say whether that’s true or not.
“Rodney
February 24, 2018 at 18:12
She’s also a Holocaust denier and anti-Semite, as was her father. I guess that’s a minor detail to you all.”
What are the chances that “Rodney” is a troll posting under a fake name and an IP anonymizer? Pretty high.
Yeah, Ms. McKinney is so full of hate that she’s been hanging out with Adam Kokesh, who, although he is a non-practicing half Jew (his father is not Jewish, and he was raised partially Jewish and partially Presbyterian, although he dropped out of organized religion a long time ago), he was born of a Jewish mother, which makes him Jewish under Rabbinical Law.
Nice try at a smear.
DJ – I consider myself revolutionary – or r3VOLutionary – and I encourage libertarians to embrace the term. The word doesn’t include only those who seek violent radical change, it also includes those who seek non-violent radical change, and the instruments of that change. The opposable thumb, the steam engine, and the concept of non-binary gender were all revolutionary, and the Libertarian Party too can be a peaceful instrument of revolutionary change. To the extent that organizations like ours are allowed to be peacefully revolutionary, violent revolution won’t be necessary. Revolution is not catastrophic by definition, but it certainly can be. Fortunately, the tree of liberty has very deep roots and tended carefully I think it can go a long time without being watered by the blood of tyrants and patriots.
She’s also a Holocaust denier and anti-Semite, as was her father. I guess that’s a minor detail to you all.
Same here.
I’m not sure how that follows. I oppose the US regime, and I oppose its meddling overseas, but that doesn’t lead me to support foreign kleptocrats. On the other hand I don’t know if she is still a fan of Chavez or if she is in what context.
Current or former support?
Beck is? As far as I know he is the latest version of what Neal Boortz used to be – calls himself a libertarian a lot, sometimes expresses verbal support for the LP, but goes back to Republicans (or whatever Beck ended up doing…he changed his endorsement so many times I have no idea where he ended up) when it comes time to election.
Granted, this is (at least) the second party switch for McKinney, but she has no record as far as I know of going back and forth between two parties multiple times or of switching her endorsement multiple times in the same election cycle. When she was a Democrat she stuck with them for a long time, and when she became a Green she stuck with them for a long time relatively speaking. Unlike some past congressional crossovers to alt parties she did not run right back to her establishment party of choice within 2 or 4 years, or for that matter at any point thus far.
Beck is a far less proven crossover from that standpoint. What are the chances that he will support the LP on November election day 2020? You can predict the weather that day with more reliability as of right now.
I have met Cynthia McKinney on three occasions. She seemed like a nice lady. She took some bold stands in the past, and she was viciously attacked for it. Having said this, I do advocate thoroughly vetting her if she joins the LP, particularly if she seeks to be nominated to run for a political office, or if she runs for an internal party office. Does she favor abolishing all taxes and all government welfare? Does she favor eliminating Affirmative Action? Does she favor repealing anti-discrimination laws (applying to private individuals or entities, I don’t think that while government exists, that it should discriminate against American citizens)?
I saw Glenn Beck in person at a book store where he was doing a book signing. I did not know it was happening beforehand, but I happened to be there. He was surrounded by bodyguards, so the only way to talk to him was to wait in line to get a book signed, and I did not really care that much about talking to him.
Glenn Beck has a history of lying and smearing people who question the government, and I recall hearing that Beck had former CIA and FBI on his staff. Beck has also been caught fake crying. I’m leery of him, and if he comes into the LP, it would not surprise me if it is yet another attempt of the establishment to send in another shill operator into the party to continue the subversion of the Libertarian Party.
“Daniel Hayes
February 22, 2018 at 09:52
How about a panel discussion with Cynthia McKinney and Glenn Beck on why they are choosing the LP over the two old parties?”
I’d be more distrustful/skeptical of Glenn Beck than Cynthia McKinney.
How about a panel discussion with Cynthia McKinney and Glenn Beck on why they are choosing the LP over the two old parties?
From https://mises.org/system/tdf/Left%20and%20Right_3_3_1.pdf?file=1&type=document
Aren’t true revolutionaries the ones who rise above those blows, those setbacks, and are not discouraged?
Aren’t we revolutionaries precisely the ones who proclaim the value of moral principles,
*****the value of example? ****
Aren’t we revolutionaries the ones who believe in the durability of man’s works, of man’s principles?
Aren’t we revolutionaries the first to recognize how ephemeral the physical life of man and
*****how durable and lasting man’s ideas, conduct and example are, when it has been man’s example that has guided the people throughout history?*****
……………….
I don’t consider myself “revolutionary”. Do the rest of you?
Leading by example is the best teaacher. Maybe our elected officials aren’t as ignorant as we think, or ? They’re perfectly capable of, and have access to, the same History (examples of Imperialist failure) we do- that means they, by default at preventing, want a repeat.
Revolution is, by definition, a catastrophe. In the arena of humanity that means blood shed, usually in a manner befitting savagery. In self defense blood shed is desired- but, to ‘change minds’, never mind hearts, it is short lived.
People forget Rothbard had a thing for Che Guevara
https://mises.org/system/tdf/Left%20and%20Right_3_3_1.pdf?file=1&type=document
I’m not an apologist for the Venezuelan regime, but the Latin American “socialist” countries like Ecuador and Venezuela are in a distinct minority of countries who don’t kowtow to the US whip, and if you are a true enemy of the state(United States), they are one of the few countries that someone like a Snowden or an Assange can run to.
A healthy dose of skepticism would be in order (with emphasis on her support of Hugo Chavez) but people can change and if she’s willing to pay for time at the convention, why no hear her out?
I hope she speaks at the convention. Honestly, I almost never attend the break out sessions, but if she does a break-out then presumably she would also be at the convention mingling at the hospitality suites.
This thread is an example of what makes Independent Political Report a valuable web page.
http://knappster.blogspot.ca/2018/02/interesting.html
If I had been voting in government elections in 2008 and if McKinney was on my state ballot I would have also seriously considered voting for her, although she kind of talked me out of it when I asked her personally to appeal to LP members who were dissatisfied with the Barr/Root ticket.
Why am I not surprised by that statement from Mattson…
You misunderstood me. Lip service in this instance simply meant talking it up or about it. Just because someone becomes skeptical about government power to the extent that they no longer view it as legitimate doesn’t mean that someone is going to necessarily embrace the LP. However, in this instance, it appears–given what I’m seeing on the LNC mailing list– I could be wrong.
Maybe 3 republicans…none have claimed the label of anarchist. Indeed, I’m not familiar with anyone elected to the US House or Senate ever claiming that label. In 230 years. Ron Paul perhaps is the closest. He winks at it but has never claimed it.
Sam Goldstein to LNC list:
Alicia Mattson:
Daniel Hayes:
Angela Fisher:
Me:
Angela Fisher:
Angela Fisher again:
Me again:
Angela Fisher again:
Daniel Hayes:
Why lip service? Maybe she is completely sincere in her conversion. I don’t see any reason to presume otherwise. At this point the best information I have received is that she is now or soon will be a dues paying LP member and candidate for office and considers herself a free market anarchist.
Per email conversation she also plans to (or already has) join the LP and run as an LP candidate for office and has requested to have a breakout session at the upcoming LP national convention.
dl: Well, the headline reads “now identifies as an anarchist,” not “reaffirms the Green Party platform.”
Me: True. How many Republicans claim libertarian or Libertarian beliefs? Or Democrats for that matter, then, once elected revert/defer to the Party?
Like I said; “IF and when “I” change my mind by being convinced of more than lip service I’ll be more than glad to eat crow,or apologize to any and all who “I told you so”. ”
Until that time, it’s just “the headline reads”, imo, to garner favorable attention from the ‘disenfranchised'(?)
She’s “just” a politician, career btw, whose entire career was in the Democrat Party whose belief in the non libertarian big/more gov’t solutions to issues gov’t creates that it has no business butting into is an issue, to me. In my world, my opinion is what counts for me. Your’s may be different and that’s fine, and I will take it into consideration in fact finding. But, and this is a big but- not learning from History means doomed to repeat it.<<<<<<<>>>> Headlines are historically meant to garner attention with the substance of the story lacking.
“IF and when “I” change my mind by being convinced of more than lip service (head lines in an obviously contrary to libertarian beliefs web site,<<<<<<Fact) I’ll be more than glad to eat crow,or apologize to any and all who “I told you so”.
Well, the headline reads “now identifies as an anarchist,” not “reaffirms the Green Party platform.”
We are grassroots activists, environmentalists, advocates for social justice, nonviolent resisters and regular citizens who’ve had enough of corporate-dominated politics. Government must be part of the solution, but when it’s controlled by the 1%, it’s part of the problem. The longer we wait for change, the harder it gets. Don’t stay home on election day. Vote Green.
http://www.gp.org/
………………..
advocates for social justice
Government must be part of the solution,
…………………
Sorry, (well not really) neither of those “issues” strikes me as very “anarchist”.
I’ll allow she’s had a very “storied” “career” in politics- but, she strikes me as a narcissist career politician (6 terms= 12 years) and not very bright. Couple that with The Green Party agenda and I’ll pass.
……………..
dl: (she was never a blue dog or yellow dog democrat).
Me: You’re right. She’s been a Black Democrat and historically they vote for more/bigger gov’t. Racist? Believe what you want. It won’t change the fact.
IF and when “I” change my mind by being convinced of more than lip service I’ll be more than glad to eat crow,or apologize to any and all who “I told you so”. And no, I don’t have to be open minded to career politicians, that’s what’s led us to where we are. Being open minded requires a trust I’m not willing to give.
Well, if people gave Bob Barr and William Weld the benefit of the doubt, I don’t see why she wouldn’t get it, particularly when her civil libertarian record has always been pretty good(she was never a blue dog or yellow dog democrat). That being said, I don’t know if one should now expect LP or anarcho-capitalist lip service from her.
I think highly of Cynthia McKinney, and I actually think she could sincerely have become an anarchist. After all, she spent years in government trying to make changes without a whole lot of success. I’d like to meet her at some event in the future. Maybe I’ll save my money and try to make it to Anarcopulco next year.
If Cynthia McKinney has become a free market oriented anarchist as a result in part of conversations with Adam Kokesh, that’s pretty awesome!
Healthy skepticism is always in order of course, especially with high level politicians (or former pols), but let’s keep our minds open and be ready to welcome her to the freedom movement if this is for real.
She issued a press release back in 2012 touting her son’s law school graduation and legal thesis,
“An Anarchist Theory of Criminal Justice.”
http://theblacklistconcerns.blogspot.com/2012/05/from-cynthia-mckinney-celebrating-coy.html
This is not completely out of the blue for anyone remotely familiar with McKinney. Perhaps the mildly surprising thing is that it’s apparently liberal(market) anarchism over social anarchism that she has adopted.
Really? Will and Grace?
I don’t think that a presidential candidate can run a more libertarian decentralist campaign than Adam Kokesh. If she wants to pursue the nomination of a party other than the Libertarian party I would certainly support such an effort.
She’s a great speaker and a former congressperson. I’m sure she’d take right to libertarian decentralism. And make a great 2020 Prez candidate. With the VP of her choice.
DJ, I admit that I am skeptical as well but hey, some people do change over time. If I was going to bet on a person that was more likely that most to inspire somebody to change Adam Kokesh would be my bet.
Take a look at the following links for additional commentary and the segment where this news appears to originate from.
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2018/02/interesting.html
https://www.freetalklive.com/podcast/2018-02-18
If McKinney has been inspired to become an anarchist I am happy to hear the news. Bangladesh could certainly use a dose of anarchy.
Her bio from “North South University” in Bangladesh includes this laugh line:
“In 2015, Cynthia completed her dissertation on the transformational leadership of Hugo Chavez ”
Considering his leadership brought about near-anarchy amongst the populace of Venezuela, perhaps she’s on to something.
LOL, why do I not believe her?