On X, formerly Twitter, the national Libertarian Party has its official social media feed, complete with 340,000 followers (not all of whom, of course, are supporters). It makes regular posts advocating its positions. It forwards posts from others, and comments on them.
On October 19, the Governor of California announced travel plans, posting on X:
“I’m on my way to Israel. I’ll be meeting with those impacted by the horrific terrorist attacks and offering California’s support.”
On X, the National Party reposted the announcement, commenting:
Libertarian Party
@LPNational
Even your state Governors show their allegiance is not to those they are elected to represent but instead to the globalist interests of their true masters.
Globalist? True masters? Most commenters on the tweet maintained that the antisemitic message was immediately apparent. A few remarked that, coming from a political party that espouses free trade and open borders, ‘globalist’ was a peculiar criticism.
You got them!!! *SNARK*
Globalist masters, rootless cosmopolitans, and similar terms have been used to describe Jews in the past by Nazis and others. Taken on their own, none of those words is necessarily anti-Semitic. In combination with one another, they have been so used previously.. Given the support the chair has offered for the idea that modern medicine is a Jewish conspiracy and the support that some on the LNC or w/the LPMC have offered for alt-right edgelords, I am not inclined to give the LP any benefit of the doubt.
I think it is safe to say that just about any comment related to the Middle East at this point in time will be called anti-Semitic. Even commenting about comments will be called anti-Semitic.
But there were several good points made here about use of the term globalist. As was pointed out, the context is critical.
I still classify their post on X as classic libertarian party snarking. And I don’t think they meant globalist as anything other than one world order globalism. The current leadership of the LP probably does not even understand what the term free trade means.
I won’t link it with open borders, because that is still a point of contention within the party as far as I know.
That comment was anti-Semitic? Groan. Was it racist, also?
A few remarked that, coming from a political party that espouses free trade and open borders, ‘globalist’ was a peculiar criticism.
Globalist can mean free trade and open borders (libertarian).
But globalist can also mean foreign interventionist meddling and promoting world government (anti-libertarian).
Why do you think a world government is more or less libertarian than a national government? Doesn’t it depend on the behavior of each?
Yes. But depending on how a world government is structured the chances of it being libertarian leaning are between slim and none. (Ans slim just left town!)
If I had written it, I would’ve been more likely to respond by suggesting to him that there are ways to stay in his state and apply to be the backup candidate for president. Ones that do not cost his taxpayers as much money.
My first thought when reading the article IPR was “snarky“. I agree that I do not understand what part of it would be anti-Semitic, but not being of that religion I may not be interpreting what I am reading the way they would.
But snarky is snarky. And the libertarian party has a history of being snarky, although it tends to raise money at times…
Since this moved, I’ll migrate my comment!
Iffy? Probably to likely. (Upgraded from “possibly” at IPR.)
Antisemitic? I don’t see it.
As someone who follows the likes of Mondoweiss and Norman Finkelstein, I also know the difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.
And, I know that a lot of people deliberately trample that difference.