The Cost of Cannibalism in the Liberty Movement
When we eat our own, our movement starves and the enemies of liberty sleep soundly with full bellies.
An Epidemic of Big Fish
Every movement has its leaders, its followers, its faces, and its organizers. Each has its part to play, but the perceived importance of each is often counterintuitive. The leaders of political movements are often held high in the esteem of their followers when the reality is that it’s the grunts, doers, and street activists that matter the most to a success of a movement. Those who collect the petitions, knock on doors, and make and wave signs are the heart of any movement, and those agitators who inspire them to action merely its voice. But like any kitchen, a Chef can arrange a masterpiece, and without the line cooks and servers, it will never be enjoyed.
Too many in the Liberty Movement, the loose collection of political organizations activists, and communities that promote libertarian values in this country, aspire to be chefs, leaders, and figureheads of the movement. Yet many of these aspiring celebrity chefs have never put their time on the line in the kitchen. That’s to say, they haven’t taken their turn at the grunt work. We’re left with a class of leadership that doesn’t know what it means to follow, the uninspired trying to invoke passion in others, and the unprepared trying to give direction to the unwilling.
This has led to a culture of accepting failure while embracing merely the effort. Where a bare minimum of having tried is considered to be the same as having made an impact. Where paper candidates are lauded for their commitment, and people chase titles and accolades as opposed to petitions and votes. This pandemic of attention-seeking behavior has been rewarded with minor niche internet micro-celebrity status, and influential standing in the small pond of libertarian politics while remaining utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of governance and policy. The loudest often become the biggest fish in the small pond.
The problem with big fish in a small pond is that they grow accustomed to their position of influence, and when challenged will fight like a sturgeon hooked on fresh bait. And while a big fish might be threatened by the introduction of another big fish to their small pond, they are equally threatened by the potential that the pond could flood, and grow beyond their ability to control. The infighting and drama within the liberty movement are a combination of both.
While the rise of internal competition in the Libertarian Party from the Mises Caucus dates back at least 5 years to its inception, the real swing in power was accompanied by the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the reactions to government-enforced lockdowns, tracking and contact tracing programs, economic bailouts, and attempts at forced vaccination. A large group of people, previously apathetic at best, were awakened to the nature of the state, and its potential to oppress by its actions in the years of the Pandemic. This upswell in support for the politics of limited government and individual liberty presented an astounding opportunity for the Libertarian Party to capture that support base, and grow the size of its pond. The Mises Caucus didn’t have to try too hard to be the landing pad for this group of people, as the old guard of the Libertarian Pragmatist Caucus that held control over the Party’s National Committee in 2020, were largely silent on the issues of the day, when not busy pandering to woke culture war trends, and encouraging compliance with state lockdowns and masking requirements.
So the pond got bigger, and the big fish started to struggle as entire schools of new medium-sized fish swarmed their feeding grounds. And as these new fish started to take over the pond, and run it according to their needs, the big fish resorted to treachery, lies, slander, theft, and corruption to try and hold power, and defend their seats at the top of the pecking order.
New Hampshire and Nicholas Sarwark
While there were many players in this story, the ones I want to focus on, are those in New Hampshire, a small pond that is the center of libertarian activism in The United States, and at the same time a hyperbolic caricature of the liberty movement as a whole. The home of The Free State Project, New Hampshire has become the Mecca for libertarian activism, as true believers have uprooted their families, lives, and businesses and moved from all over the country and the world, to join a movement of like-minded individuals fighting for Liberty in our Lifetimes. But, like any counter-culture movement, we attract not just those seeking to opt out of mainstream culture and politics, but also those rejected by it themselves.
In the late summer of 2019, following a visit to the Free State Project’s annual PorcFest, the self-described “least important person in the libertarian party,” LNC Chair Nicholas Sarwark moved to New Hampshire with his family. The FSP posted a celebratory welcome blog, Libertarian Party activists celebrated the new addition to their ranks, and party leadership sighed in relief at the introduction of experience, knowledge, and competence to the state’s organization, and our local community in Manchester was just happy to welcome yet another new mover.
Yet, when the pandemic reared its head in the spring of 2020, the winds of the Liberty movement began to change. Battle lines were drawn and the new wave of activism was singularly focused on the pressing and immediate issue at hand of government lockdowns. After all, what do trans rights matter when the whole world is shut down? Do black lives matter if they aren’t allowed to work and provide for themselves? Did talking about marginal tax rates make a difference when the government was printing $6 billion for corporate bailouts? When the Libertarian Party and the Jo Jorgensen campaign failed to say anything about the immediate issues of lockdowns and COVID Tyranny, many libertarians felt betrayed. Betrayed, but motivated. This groundswell of activity led to new heights of involvement for the Mises Caucus.
Nick Sarwark and those in his camp became so defensive over the rise of the mises caucus, that they resorted to slander, accusations of racism, and alt-right infiltration to try and derail and discourage the growth of the caucus and the involvement of its new supporters. This conduct and behavior led to Sarwark being ostracized from his local community, as he had declared them his enemies because of what political issues they chose to prioritize in their fight for liberty. January 6th, 2021 was the straw that broke the camel’s back, when Nick insisted on following the rhetoric of the mainstream media in calling for punishment for insurrectionists that “threatened democracy.” He went on to levy accusations of supporting terrorists and being unlibertarian at anyone, who disagreed with his views on the matter.
Shortly thereafter, at the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire’s annual convention, Nick Sarwark lost a race for party treasurer to perennial Libertarian Candidate None of The Above. The vote threshold far exceeded the number of new delegates affiliated with the mises caucus, an indication that long-time party members were opposed to his continued leadership as well. But that didn’t mean he was going away.
In the following year and a half, Nick’s relationship with the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire would become embroiled in controversy. From the continuing unsubstantiated accusations of his involvement in the attempted coup and theft of party resources from its elected leaders to his active attempts to sabotage the party’s ballot access because he didn’t like the candidates. Nick Sarwark’s history and past with the Libertarian Party did not come to a graceful close and instead colors his current and future actions, and the community assumptions of those who work with him.
Kauffman, Kahn, and Controversy
Jeremy Kauffman. I won’t say he isn’t controversial. I won’t say he’s a perfect communicator of Libertarian ideas. I won’t say he’s the best representation of Libertarianism. I won’t say he is even necessarily the best candidate. But, he is the candidate for US Senate nominated in convention by the delegates of The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire for 2022.
I will say that he is a personal friend, someone I value as a neighbor, and a well-respected member of my local community. For all our differences and disagreements, He’s someone whose campaign I’m happy to work with in promoting Libertarianism to New Hampshire Voters. He’s a respected blockchain tech entrepreneur, founder of LBRY and Odysee, and a father of 3 (soon to be 4). He is also a board member of The Free State Project and is very active and well-liked within its community. He is a principled libertarian, even if sometimes his shit-posting on Twitter distracts from that, and he’s been willing to make a commitment to his principled first and foremost in his businesses.
I was initially asked to join his campaign team when it was still a draft committee, as their ballot access coordinator. Honestly, it was a position I anticipated taking regardless of who the LPNH candidate ended up being, as there was so very little experience and institutional knowledge left with the party after the summer of corruption, fraud, and failed coup attempts. I’m happy to now serve as his campaign manager, for a statewide campaign that I think is New Hampshire’s best chance to attain ballot access in the 2022 general election.
In all my time involved in Libertarian Politics, I’ve never been a part of a campaign that was able to recruit a fraction of the volunteers, a tither of the financial support, or anything resembling the local excitement and community support we’ve seen for Jeremy’s campaign. I write this as we’re wrapping up a summer-long statewide petition drive to earn a spot on the November general election ballot, and we’ve done so at a significantly reduced cost and with a greater margin for error than ever before. It was stressful, difficult, and onerous, but it was designed to be that way and wasn’t nearly as bad as the effort in 2020 to achieve my own ballot access.
Yet, I also understand why some may not want to support him or aid him in his campaign. His social media presence is controversial, to say the least. He operates with an intent to seek confrontation and be provocative, falling naturally into the role of the troll. After all, it was his management of the LPNH Twitter account that precipitated the previous summer’s controversy that led to the resignation of LNC Chair Joe Bishop-Henchman.
So following the LPNH Convention where Jeremy Kauffman and Karlyn Borysenko were nominated to run for Senate and Governor respectively, Nick Sarwark announced he would recruit and run a slate of candidates in opposition to the party, in line with his idea of how Libertarian principled should be represented. Off the bat, he joined forces with Kelly Halldorson, a long-time Free Stater, who had no record of involvement with the Libertarian Party prior to signing up to assist in a failed coup attempt to steal it from its members. We mostly ignored them, and pursued our own efforts, while waiting for the other shoe to drop and Sarwark to name the rest of his candidate slate.
Enter Kevin Kahn.
Who is Kevin Kahn? When the name Kevin Kahn appeared in the Secretary of State’s filings as a Libertarian running for US Senate in New Hampshire, a lot of LPNH activists and volunteers on the Kauffman campaign were confused. We knew Sarwark and Halldorson, and knew they were trying to run a slate opposing ours, but who was this candidate none of us had ever even heard of?
When I reached out to Kevin personally, he was gracious enough to give me time for an interview for a series I’ve been planning on the motivations of liberty (more on that later), and we were able to have a great conversation about his past, his motivations and what he hopes to accomplish for the cause of Liberty.
Kevin, still in the process of moving to New Hampshire from Ohio when we talked, had all the exuberance of a fresh face to the liberty movement when talking about fighting for the values that mattered to him. A business owner with a family, prior to the COVID Lockdowns Kevin was largely apolitical and traveled extensively back and forth from the states to his wife’s native Mongolia with their daughter. His focus wasn’t on politics, but on being a good father, husband and businessman like so many Americans strive to be.
Yet when returning from Mongolia with his family, and having a run-in with an ICE Duty officer who questioned the validity of his wife and daughter’s passports, a situation where their freedom and ability to enter their own country were jeopardized by the prejudices and systemic flaws with federal law enforcement, Kevin became activated. He sought out the Libertarian Party in Ohio, got involved, and ran for congress.
After the 2020 campaign season came to a close, Kevin took on the role of political director for the Libertarian Party in Ohio. After Ohio, like several other state parties, lost their ballot access and major party status following the 2020 elections, he had a tough job ahead of him to rebuild the brand and the bench of candidates and activists that could earn back what was lost. He aimed a focus on non-partisan races that had an actual impact, like mayoral races in Cincinnati, building coalitions and endorsements with outsider candidates who promoted libertarian values in a meaningful way.
But then mainstream media outlets in Ohio, such as the Cincinnati Enquirer began to run coverage of some of the previously mentioned controversy surrounding the Libertarian party in New Hampshire and its Twitter profile. Kevin’s candidates backed out, coalitions fell apart, and allies began distancing themselves from his organization and his movement. And when the Mises Institute published commentary from Lew Rockwell suggesting that states should have the right to ban interracial marriage, this motivated libertarian felt ostracized from the movement he had so recently dedicated himself to.
In March of 2022, having decided he and his family were making the move to New Hampshire like so many libertarians before them, and feeling disheartened by what he perceived as a turn away from his values by the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, Kevin asked Nick Sarwark how he could get involved and help in the state, and at Nick’s suggestion, agreed to run for US Senate as part of Nick’s counter-ticket. Seeing himself as fiercely independent, and not represented by the state party and its candidates, Kevin agreed to be part of the effort to petition a competing slate onto the ballot, since there was no recourse to a primary challenge absent state recognition.
Kevin is a prime example of the kind of libertarian the Mises Caucus should have been trying to recruit. He is an example of a candidate willing to drop everything to put his best foot forward. Motivated by direct state oppression, and with a personal stake in the fight for liberty, Kevin isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the necessary work himself. In another timeline, had Kevin moved merely a few months or a year earlier, there’s a possibility he himself would have been the candidate chosen by the party. His colleagues in Ohio, both pragmatist and Mises Caucus universally speak highly of him, his principles, and his work ethic, and there’s no reason that New Hampshire should have expected differently. He is a prime example of the kind of libertarian that the Free State Project aims to recruit to our communities and candidate slates.
Yet when he landed in New Hampshire and announced his campaign, Kevin wasn’t greeted with enthusiasm and welcome. He was regarded with suspicion, hostility, distrust, and anger. He didn’t receive a welcome wagon or an introduction and integration into the community, he was left to be guided only by those who already knew him. And it was his actions and affiliation with Nick Sarwark that led to those that should have welcomed him distrusting him from the start.
Kevin fell into a trap he didn’t even know existed and became a victim of Libertarian Cannibalization before he even knew there was a meal being served.
Building Bridges
I once said, at the height of the drama, and in the heat of a personal feud with Nick Sarwark “Let the bridges that I burn light the way.”
As personal friendships fell apart and collapsed, I chose a path of moving forward, and letting fall behind those who would work against me. Some bridges need to be burned. The personality conflicts inherent to those who care more about being in charge than joining others to win the fight are detrimental to the cause. But we must be careful to not allow our personality prejudices to color us against allies preemptively.
Kevin Kahn is an asset to the liberty movement, and I hope he becomes a major player in Libertarian Politics in his Granite State Future. After interviewing him, I’ve maintained an amicable and professional channel of communication with him. I’ve offered advice and sought feedback. He’s someone who has valuable insight we can use to hone our message and strategy, but only if we work with him, instead of pushing him away.
After our discussions, and getting input from his own campaign manager and consultants, Kevin has decided to suspend his campaign for US Senate, and refocus his activism on other outlets here in The Free State. I do believe this is a net positive, not only because it will allow clearer focus for the Kauffman campaign to strive for ballot access thresholds without worrying about a competing Libertarian in the race, but more importantly because it gives us the opportunity to build a bridge between Kevin and other members of the party moving forward. Because the fight for Liberty isn’t about this election cycle, it’s about everything we do in the next 10, 20, and 30 years. And if we’re ever going to win, we need people like Kevin on our side, not working against us.
Subversive #77: “The Cost of Cannibalism”
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Summary:
The only thing libertarians hate more than government roads is other libertarians. But the infighting has reached a point where it’s become outwardly destructive to the liberty movement and the Libertarian Party. Personality clashes have manifested into electoral duels, threatening the ballot access of state affiliates, and the professional image and future of the Libertarian Party. All because we can’t resist eating our own.
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Once again we see how COVID divides people, almost as if it were engineered for it.