Mises Caucus
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The Mises Caucus, officially the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus (LPMC), is a political faction and caucus of the Libertarian Party. It was founded in 2017 by the paleolibertarian faction of the party. It was inspired by the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns of Ron Paul. The Mises Caucus got total control of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) in 2022. This caused a conflict between the LPMC and the Classical Liberal Caucus (CLC).
| Leader | Ron Paul (de facto) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Norristown, Pennsylvania |
| Ideology | Paleolibertarianism Social conservatism White nationalism (allegedly, denied) |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| National affiliation | Libertarian Party |
| Slogan | #TakeHumanAction |
| Website | |
| https://lpmisescaucus.com/ | |
The founder and chairman of the LPMC is Michael Heise of the Mises Institute. He founded the caucus in response to the conflict between classical liberals and paleolibertarians in August 2017 caused by the Unite the Right rally. Since then, many notable people in the Libertarian Party have joined the caucus. Some of these people are Ron Paul,[1] Dave Smith, Tom Woods,[2] and Scott Horton. Angela McArdle, Chairwoman of the LNC, is a member of the LPMC as well.[3]
History
In August 2017, the Unite the Right rally happened in Charlottesville, Virginia to protest the proposed removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Jeff Deist, the President of the Mises Institute, supported the protest.[4] The LNC heavily criticized the Mises Institute as a result, accusing Deist of being a White nationalist.[5] The struggle that followed between self-described classical liberals and self-described paleolibertarians resulted in Michael Heise and the latter founding the Mises Caucus.
In 2022, the Mises Caucus took control of the highest positions of power throughout the LNC. Angela McArdle of the Mises Caucus was elected the new Chairwoman of the Libertarian Party with 69% of the delegates.[3] The former leadership of the party became heavily critical of the new LPMC leadership, forming the Classical Liberal Caucus in reaction. Despite resistance from the CLC, the LPMC used their power in the LNC to bring the Libertarian Party into the anti-war movement. The Libertarian Party began working with the People's Party to organize new anti-war protests. This resulted in Rage Against the War Machine, a major anti-war rally in Washington, D.C. on February 19, 2023.[6] The rally focused primarily on the United States' involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian War and the torture of Julian Assange.[7][8]
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board is a group of 11 individuals who, alongside Chairman Michael Heise, run the Mises Caucus. The members are:[9]
White nationalism allegations
Prior to the foundation of the Mises Caucus, Jeff Deist of the Mises Institute was widely criticized by the Libertarian National Committee and accused of being a White nationalist due to the fact he used the phrase "blood and soil" in an article that was released after the Unite the Right rally.[5] This generated a conflict within the Libertarian Party that led to the foundation of the Mises Caucus. Because of these origins, among other reasons, the Mises Caucus has been widely described as "White nationalist," "alt-right,"[10] "MAGA,"[11] and "hard right."[12] The causus denies these allegations, describing the accusers as "LPMC haters" that work for "corporate media."[13]
Relationship with other parties
Republican Party
| Ideology | Paleoconservatism |
|---|---|
| National affiliation | Republican Party |
| Slogan | It’s Time To Take Responsibility For Our People |
| Website | |
| https://www.misesgop.org/ | |
An offshoot of the Mises Caucus was founded within the Republican Party in 2021, known as the GOP Mises Caucus. The GOP Mises Caucus advocates for economic growth and tax resistance.[14] It is a firm opponent of COVID-19 lockdowns, referring to it as the "Covid Regime."[15]
People's Party
In 2023, the Mises Caucus and the People's Party collaborated to launch an anti-war protest on February 19 known as Rage Against the War Machine.[6][7][8]
Election tickets
Presidential elections
| Year | Candidate | Primary election vote | General election vote | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jacob Hornberger | 27.8% | Failed to qualify | |
LNC Chair elections
| Year | Candidate | Vote | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Joshua Smith | 22% | Lost |
| 2020 | 39% | ||
| 2022 | Angela Mcardle | 69% | Won |
Mises Caucus Media
Founder and chairman Michael Heise at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention
References
- ↑ Ron Paul's Message to the Mises Caucus, retrieved 2023-06-06
- ↑ "Tom Woods, Dave Smith, and Jason Stapleton Join the Libertarian Party". thelibertarianrepublic.com. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Doherty, Brian (2022-05-29). "Mises Caucus Takes Control of Libertarian Party". Reason.com. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ Ryan (2017-07-28). "For a New Libertarian". Mises Institute. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Nicholas Sarwark, Arvin Vohra call out Jeff Deist and the Mises Institute's "blood and soil" politics". Independent Political Report. 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hudson, Matt (2023-01-20). "Rage Against the War Machine". Libertarian Party. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Anti-war rally announced for Washington". RT International. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Former US presidential candidates rally against 'war machine'". RT International. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ "Libertarian Party Mises Caucus - Libertarian Party Mises Caucus". Retrieved 2023-06-11.[dead link]
- ↑ Heer, Jeet (2022-06-06) (in en-US). The Libertarian Party Goes Alt-Right. . https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/libertarian-gop-alt-right/. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ↑ "MAGA "white nationalist branch" is taking over the Libertarian Party and "spreading bigotry"". Salon. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ↑ "Mises Caucus: Could It Sway the Libertarian Party to the Hard Right?". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ↑ Harris, Aaron (2023-02-11). "The Corporate Media vs. the Mises Caucus: What to Expect in 2023 and Beyond - Libertarian Party Mises Caucus". Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ↑ "About Us". GOP Mises Caucus. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ "Causes". GOP Mises Caucus. Retrieved 2023-06-06.