Eric Garris | The Libertarian Institute

Paying Respects to Reese Erlich

by Eric Garris | Apr 13, 2021 | Featured Articles

Longtime antiwar activist Reese Erlich passed away on April 6 after a long battle with cancer. He was 73. Reese was most recently a bi-weekly columnist at a number of publications, including Antiwar.com. He wrote his last column two weeks ago saying goodbye to his friends and readers. I met Reese in 1980 when we worked together in the Bay Area Mobilization Against Militarism and the Draft. Reese was arrested in 1969 as part of the “Oakland Seven,” for organizing anti-draft demonstrations. His arrest and trial (resulting in his acquittal) are the subject of a documentary, Movement on Trial:...

RIP Jeff Riggenbach

by Eric Garris | Jan 25, 2021 | Blog

My dear old friend Jeff Riggenbach died today. Jeff was a brilliant writer who penned two pieces on Randolph Bourne, the namesake of Antiwar.com’s parent foundation, The Randolph Bourne Institute. The Brilliance of Randolph Bourne Randolph Bourne Biography As a teenager, I was a news junkie. (That never changed.) I listened regularly to KFWB News radio in Los Angeles. One of their anchormen, Jeff Riggenbach, had a distinctive baritone voice. When I was 19, I was doing a bit of selling marijuana. A friend came to tell me of someone who wanted to buy a pound. I told him to bring his friend by....

By 2-1 Margin, House Republicans and Democrats Vote to Stay in Afghanistan

by Eric Garris | Jul 22, 2020 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

By a vote of 284-129, the House of Representatives soundly defeated an amendment to establish a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. A slight plurality of Democrats supported the measure, with most of the leadership opposing. All Republicans except two voted in to oppose. Libertarian Justin Amash supported the measure. The amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was offered by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). President Trump declared in late May that he wanted to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan before the November election. Since that time, Democratic...

Jon Basil Utley, RIP (A great freedom-fighter and a wonderful friend, I will miss him so much)

by Eric Garris | Mar 23, 2020 | Blog

My good friend Jon Basil Utley died on Friday. Jon had been fighting lymphoma for a few years. I believe he was 87. He was one of the sweetest men I ever met. For the last several years, he served as Publisher of The American Conservative magazine and website. Last year, he wrote a brief history of trying to organize conservative opposition to US interventionism. I met Jon in 1991 when he was organizing the Committee to Avert a Mideast Holocaust, against the first Gulf War. He was very supportive of my efforts in starting Antiwar.com in 1995, and became our first major donor in 1999, and...

FBI Spied on Anti-War Journalists

by Eric Garris | Oct 13, 2019 | Blog

Naomi Karavani of Redacted Tonight (on Russia Today) gives a humorous account of the FBI spying on Antiwar.com and our vindication in the courts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rha_VLuC9hU&feature=youtu.be

Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951-2019)

by Eric Garris | Jun 30, 2019 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, Libertarianism

Reprinted from Antiwar.com. Justin Raimondo, former editorial director and co-founder of Antiwar.com, is dead at 67. He died at his home in Sebastopol, California, with his husband, Yoshinori Abe, by his side. He had been diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer in October 2017. Justin co-founded Antiwar.com with Eric Garris in 1995. Under their leadership, Antiwar.com became a leading force against U.S. wars and foreign intervention, providing daily and often hourly updates and comprehensive news, analysis, and opinion on war and peace. Inspired by Justin’s spirit, vision, and energy,...

David Bergland, RIP: 1984 Libertarian Party Candidate for President

by Eric Garris | Jun 5, 2019 | Blog

I am sorry to announce that David Bergland has died at the age of 83. He had been battling prostate cancer. Bergland was the 1984 presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party. He was also the 1976 candidate for Vice-President. I met David in 1973 and worked closely with him during my time in the Libertarian Party. He was a principled promoter of freedom and peace and was a leader in the anti-interventionist wing of the Libertarian Party during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the author of Libertarianism in One Lesson.

Antiwar Republican Congressman Walter Jones Dies After Long Illness

by Eric Garris | Feb 10, 2019 | Blog

Rep. Walter Jones, one of the most consistently antiwar members of Congress, has died at age 75 after an extended illness. The Republican lawmaker had battled a series of ailments in recent years and was granted a leave of absence from Congress late last year after missing a number of House votes. Jones was originally a strong supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In fact, Jones became well known for leading the effort to have french fries renamed “freedom fries” in House cafeteria menus as a protest against French opposition to the invasion. By 2005, Jones had reversed his position on the...