Libertarian activists Starchild of San Francisco and Justin Tucker of Chicago will offer provocative arguments on the best political arrangement for preserving liberty. Starchild will argue in favor of anarchism, while Tucker will argue in favor of statism.
Each participant will make their case by answering a series of questions:
• Describe your ideal society, and how you think (anarchism or statism) would be conducive to getting
there?
• What do you see as the primary objections to and dangers inherent in your vision, and how would
you address those objections and dangers?
• Are you open to some people within your ideal society having smaller areas or groupings which
are (anarchist or statist)?
• When do you think it is acceptable for an individual or institution to initiate force or fraud against others
without their individual consent, and why?
• What current or past real-world historical examples, institutions, or practices come closest to your
vision?
After the College of Complexes is over, we will meet at Portillo's (3343 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60618) for dessert, drinks, and to continue the conversation.
Statement of Principles https://lp.org/platform-page/
We, the members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual.
We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose. Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than our own grant to government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent.
We, on the contrary, deny the right of any government to do these things, and hold that where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, (1) the right to life — accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others; (2) the right to liberty of speech and action — accordingly we oppose all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form; and (3) the right to property — accordingly we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation.
Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights, we oppose all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders; and the resultant economic system, the only one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free market.
Libertarian Party National US https://lp.org/
Libertarian Party of San Francisco https://www.lpsf.org/
Libertarian Party Illinois https://lpillinois.org/
Libertarian Party Chicago https://lpchicago.org/
Libertarian Party Chicago on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoLP/
2026 marks 250 years of the Declaration of Independence. This document was a milestone in the history of the liberation of mankind. It was a major instance of Enlightenment political theory becoming praxis.
2026 also marks 52 years since the 1974 Libertarian National Convention in Dallas, Texas, when the pragmatic and radical factions within the LP agreed to take a neutral stance on the existence of the state. This was reflected in the passing of the LP's Statement of Principles. This became known as the Dallas Accord.
August 1
Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS)
advances World Federation - a unified system of governance that promotes international cooperation
Meeting # 3,865 - Matt McDonough, Executive Committee Member
For more than 75 years, Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) has
worked to build the global governance structures needed to address
the greatest challenges facing humanity such as war, climate change,
the erosion of human rights.
Our Vision
A peaceful, just and sustainable world community democratically
governed through a united federation of nations.
Our Mission
To advance global solutions to governance challenges that transcend
national borders, and to build toward a democratic federation of nations
empowered to:
Create just and universally enforceable world law
Abolish war and armed conflict and eliminate nuclear weapons
Advance peaceful means of resolving disputes between states
Uphold human rights and freedoms, prevent atrocities, and ensure accountability for violations of world law
Protect and sustain our planetary home
Our Values
Organizational values provide the core principles by which an organization operates; including how the stakeholders of the organization relate to and treat each other. What ethical principles must be adhered to in order that the organization is respected and listened to by its stakeholders and the outside world.
Speaker Bio
Matt McDonough
At-Large Executive Committee Member
Matt McDonough is a green energy consultant who has been committed to the cause of world federalism for more than four decades. Following two tours as an Air Force rescuer in Vietnam, he joined the World Federalist Association in 1974 and became president of the Amherst, Massachusetts, chapter. He has since served on regional and national CGS boards.
He “continues to believe that the salvation of the planet is reliant on the establishment of a democratic federation of nations and will continue to spread the word to anyone who willing to listen!”
More Information https://globalsolutions.org/
Membership
August 15
Walking Chicago's Coasts:
A 63-Mile Journey to the Indiana Dunes
Meeting # 3,866 - author Michael McColly
"Part memoir, part travel narrative, part environmental reportage, McColly sews together this metropolis as he walks, reflecting on the city's layers of history and its troubling divides as well as muses on his years living in this grand polyglot mecca of the Midwest. In the end, McColly's walk is a form of advocacy in that he asks us to witness where we live from the ground, so that we can cherish and revere the multiple histories—human and nonhuman--that shape our cities, our lives, and our planetary future."
"McColly's improbable pilgrimage along Chicago's coast testifies to walking's transformative powers. This is a work of great wisdom, tenderness, and defiance destined to be a classic of urban literature." - Rob Nixon, author of Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor
'McColly shows us the glories and flaws of a great city, its economic and racial divisions, and its devastated outskirts. He also shows us people working to mend communities and restore degraded lands." - Scott Russell Sanders, author of The Way of Imagination
"Michael McColly, in his beautiful new book, adds something new to the walking/thinking/essaying gesture: genuine feeling. Walking Chicago's Coast is a rhapsody of grief and appreciation." - David Shields, author of Reality Hunger
He has been a lecturer in Creative Nonfiction in Northwestern University’s Master’s Program in Creative Writing and at Columbia College.
Book Information: https://www.michaelmccolly.net/
August 29
Debate: Statism vs Anarchism -
What is the Best Political Arrangement for Preserving Liberty?
Meetings # 3,867 - Starchild, Chair of the Libertarian Party of San Francisco; Justin Tucker, College regular and Chicago First Ward Libertarian Committeeperson
