New Jersey Libertarian Party Condemns U.S. Bombing of Iran

It feels like 2003 all over again. The U.S. is once again entering into a Mideast war that is none of its business. Libertarians are once again protesting -- and, I'm sure, contentiously dividing into pro and antiwar camps.

Some good news: the New Jersey Libertarian Party issued the following press release. (The bad news, Libertarian Parties are probably even less influential than they were 20 years ago.)

 

June 21, 2025

New Jersey Libertarian Party Condemns US Bombing of Iran

On June 21, 2025 President Trump announced that the United States bombed three nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. This escalation of U.S. involvement in this conflict was neither necessary nor beneficial. It will lead to further U.S. involvement, further casualties and domestic hardships.

The New Jersey Libertarian Party condemns this act and our Commander-in-Chief for authorizing it. Instead of prioritizing peace, liberty, and the welfare of the American people, President Trump has thrust us into another bloody, costly, and pointless war.

During the 2024 election cycle we were promised peace. We were told that this new regime would be guided by a policy of non-intervention and domestic enrichment. Yet, 6 months later we are presented with military destabilization and global warfare. Millions of Americans voted in support of a peaceful future. One wherein the United States focused on preserving the liberties of its people. Instead, President Trump chose to fire the opening salvo in another pointless conflict. 

U.S. foreign policy has become dangerous, not only to peace abroad, but to the safety and security of the American people. President Trump, like his predecessors, has used the imagined threat of “weapons of mass destruction” to scare us into compliance. To lead us like the Pied Piper into economic quagmires and mass graves. We cannot continue to impoverish ourselves to turn countries into craters. We cannot continue to send young men and women to fight for the glory and enrichment of the elite, while their loved ones struggle to afford ballooning grocery bills. We cannot continue to champion ourselves as the leader of the free world while innocent civilians lose everything to modern American imperialism.

We call for an immediate end to all acts of aggression against the Iranian people. The United States does not belong in the Middle East and we ought not involve ourselves in any foreign war. We call on the United States congress to reclaim their war declaration authority from executive overreach. Finally, we call on the American people to join us in condemning state violence in all of its forms. 

In Liberty,

The New Jersey Libertarian Party

Bruno Pereira
Chair, New Jersey Libertarian Party

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Military Might Does Not Make a Nation Great

Neocons such as Eli David are once again promoting the idea that America is great because we can bomb the crap out of foreign nations. I recall the same nonsense from when George W. Bush was president. It's his post-9/11 war fever all over again.

 

America has serious domestic problems. Violent street crime. Domestic turmoil. Public schools that graduate illiterates ... creating an ever greater reliance on foreign workers and foreign imports ... making our supply chains ever more vulnerable ... making it harder for young people to find jobs that pay a living wage ... making it harder for them to marry and raise families ... plus our rising national debt, inflation, a looming depression ... laced with our cultural and moral decay as our social fabric comes apart, and, well, one could go on.

 

But we can still bomb the crap out of whoever we want. (Or whoever Israel wants us to bomb.)

 

And really, isn't that what makes America Great?

 

(Okay, I didn't think so either.)

 

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Greenland Rejects Trump's Neocon Bullying

Trump campaigned on America First, a term coined in 1940 and which meant that the U.S. should not aid foreign countries or enter into foreign wars. America should mind its own business. America First never meant that we should be the world's bully, taking whatever was in our "national interest."

If "national interest" were the measure of morality, then the actions of any foreign conqueror could be justified as serving that nation's "national interest." Hitler thought it was in Germany's "national interest" to annex Poland and much of the east. Stalin thought it was in Russia's "national interest" to annex Poland, the Baltic states and Finland. Mao thought it was in China's "national interest" to annex Tibet.

And perhaps it was. But it was not moral.

The Neocon expansionists, with their vaunted "moral compass," might respond, "America's better than that -- so we have a right to behave the very same way."

Well, maybe not in such blatant words. But that's their argument. We're "good" because we don't behave like bad nations, so we have a right to behave like bad nations.

Silly, isn't it?

Trump's "America First" foreign policy is hardcore Neoconservatism. In addition to blanket support for Israel, Trump has called for the annexation of the Panama Canal, Gaza, Canada, and Greenland. I doubt he expects to annex Canada, but of all those territories, he seems most determined to take Greenland.

Yet the people of Greenland bravely responded "No" in their recent elections. Jakob Wiezman of Politico reports (March 12, 2025):

 

"Greenland had a message for Donald Trump as islanders went to the polls this week: thanks, but no thanks.

"The U.S. president’s repeated noises about acquiring the vast Arctic island — not ruling out military force or economic coercion — were rejected at the ballot box, as a party that denounced Trump’s ambitions came out on top.

"The opposition center-right Democrats party grabbed the most votes in a surprising national election result that saw the country’s governing coalition parties (the left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit and center-left Siumut) edged out into third and fourth place, on a total of 28,620 votes cast (70 percent turnout).

But like the Godfather, Neocon Trump is determined to make Greenland an offer they can't refuse. Following the election, on March 13, Emily Goodin of the Daily Mail reports:

"President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated the United States 'needs' Greenland for national security purposes and indicated he's willing to send in American troops to take control of the island.

'I think it'll happen,' the president said of annexing the island during his Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

'We really needed for national security. I think that is why NATO might have to get involved anyway,' he added."

Ayn Rand famously said: "A need is not a claim."

I've met conservatives, libertarians, and Objectivists who love to cite Rand whenever an impoverished person seeks a handout. But when America (or Israel) demands or takes something because some leader says the nation "needs" it for their "national interest," these same Rand fans go silent.

I wish the people of Greenland well in their quest for independence -- from both Denmark and the United States. We demanded independence from Britain. Greenlanders are entitled to the same.

And I wish Trump would focus on putting America First (no foreign aid) but without the Neoconservatism (foreign conquests).

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Trump Joins AIPAC in Trying to Oust Thomas Massie

Thomas Massie, a Republican Congressman from Kentucky, is one of the few elected Republicans who oppose all foreign aid -- even to Israel.

AIPAC tried to punish Massie by funding his opponent in the last election. AIPAC failed. The voters once again choose Massie.

Of Massie, The Nation 's John Nichols wrote (May 28, 2024):

[O]n matters of war and peace, he often sides with progressives, positioning himself as a libertarian-leaning Republican who opposes US military interventionism and military aid packages for foreign countries, including Israel. That stance has drawn sharp criticism from neoconservatives in general, who worry about the return of the sort of old-school Republican isolationism that reflexively opposed military interventions and foreign aid packages, and in particular from AIPAC, which has objected to his many votes against aid to Israel, as well as his rejection of resolutions backing Netanyahu’s government.

Now, Andrew Solender reports for Axios that Donald Trump has vowed to "lead the charge" to unseat Massie in the next election.

Trump makes no mention of Massie's opposition to funding Israel, but that doesn't mean it's not Trump's real motive. AIPAC likes to keep a low profile. When it funds ads opposing "anti-Israel" candidates, the ads generally make no mention of Israel. 

Reporting for Common Dreams, Eli Clifton writes (August 9, 2022):

Curiously though, the ads paid for by UDP [United Democracy Project], affiliated with the largest pro-Israel group in the country [AIPAC], don't mention the groups' central issue: Israel.

Like Ron Paul, Thomas Massie has a strong record on many libertarian issues, including foreign affairs. And that, for the Israel First lobby, is the problem.

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LNC Chair Steven Nekhaila Endorses Tulsi Gabbard as DNI Chair

Back in 2019, I praised Tulsi Gabbard as the best among the Democrats for her strong antiwar statements.

Today LNC Chair Steven Nekhaila "tweeted" his approval of Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. Nekhaila said:

“I’m optimistic about Tulsi Gabbard stepping in as Director of National Intelligence. While no government position is perfect, her history of challenging the establishment and opposing endless wars gives me hope for a more restrained, accountable intelligence community. If she upholds transparency and resists the surveillance state, this could be a step toward restoring civil liberties. Time will tell, but at the very least, it’s a shake-up the deep state won’t like.”

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LNC Chair Steven Nekhaila Condemns Trump's Proposal to Seize Gaza

Libertarian National Committee Chair, Steven Nekhaila, has joined the New York LP in condemning Donald Trump's proposal for America to "own" Gaza. In a recent "tweet" on X, Nekhailia said:

"As Chairman of the Libertarian National Committee, I unequivocally condemn President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and forcibly relocate its Palestinian residents to neighboring countries. This plan not only violates international law -- which prohibits forced displacement and the acquisition of territory by force -- but also disregards the fundamental rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.

"For decades, the Israeli lobby has exerted undue influence over American politics and foreign policy, steering decisions that often conflict with  the principles of liberty and non-interventionism that we, as Libertarians, hold dear. This influence has led to unwavering U.S. support for Israeli policies, even when they contravene international  norms and human rights standards.

"The costs of these misguided foreign entanglements have been catastrophic. The U.S. has spent trillions of dollars on wars and interventions that  have resulted in nothing but destruction and instability. The financial burden pales in comparison to the human toll: thousands of American service members have been killed or wounded, countless more suffer from  lifelong physical and psychological trauma, and millions of innocent civilians -- particularly in the Middle East -- have borne the brunt of these  reckless policies. The people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and now Gaza have suffered immensely, not just at the hands of authoritarian regimes and terrorist organizations, but also as direct or  indirect victims of U.S. interventionism.

"The Libertarian Party stands firmly against using American taxpayer dollars to fund war and occupation. It is time to stop sending money and weapons overseas to fuel conflicts that do not serve our interests and that undermine our nation’s foundational principles of non-interventionism and self-determination.

"Furthermore, we strongly oppose any form of collective punishment against the  Palestinian population in Gaza, whether executed by the U.S. or the Israel Defense Forces. Such actions are not only morally reprehensible  but also counterproductive, as they exacerbate tensions and hinder the  prospects for a peaceful resolution.

"The Libertarian Party advocates for a foreign policy rooted in non-interventionism, respect for sovereignty, and the protection of  individual rights. We call upon the U.S. government to withdraw from entanglements that compromise these principles and to pursue diplomatic  avenues that uphold justice and liberty for all peoples."

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Libertarian Party of New York Condemns Trump's Plan to Seize Gaza

Trump promised an America First foreign policy. Yet he seems to have gone full Neocon and is ushering in George W. Bush's third term.

Meanwhile the LPNY has issued the following "tweet" on X:

"The Libertarian Party of New York strongly condemns President Donald Trump’s reported plans for the United States to take control over the Gaza Strip. Such an intervention would be an unconstitutional, reckless, and unjustifiable expansion of American military and political power in a region where decades of intervention have only fueled instability and suffering.

"The United States government has no rightful authority to seize or govern foreign territory, nor should American taxpayers be forced to fund yet another endless entanglement in the Middle East. Any attempt to impose U.S. control over Gaza would be a blatant violation of national sovereignty, an invitation for further conflict, and a direct threat to the lives of both American service members and civilians in the region.

"The Libertarian Party of New York unequivocally opposes foreign interventionism, and President Trump’s reported plans to take over Gaza are a dangerous step toward yet another disastrous occupation. The United States should be pursuing peace and disengagement, not more imperial overreach.”

"We call on the American people and their representatives in Congress to reject any attempt to expand U.S. military presence in Gaza or any other foreign land. The path to peace lies in diplomacy, trade, and non-intervention—not in military control and nation-building."

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