Misplaced Pages

Justin Raimondo: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 19:53, 13 September 2014 editBender235 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers, Template editors471,627 editsm clean up; http->https or pr-URI, per VPP using AWB← Previous edit Latest revision as of 19:51, 24 September 2024 edit undoJJMC89 bot III (talk | contribs)Bots, Administrators3,665,857 editsm Moving Category:American LGBT journalists to Category:American LGBTQ journalists per Misplaced Pages:Categories for discussion/Log/2024 September 11#LGBT nominations which were opposed at CFDS 
(233 intermediate revisions by 90 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American journalist (1951–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person {{Infobox person
| name = Justin Raimondo | name = Justin Raimondo
| image = Justin Raimondo.jpg|thumb|225px|Justin Raimondo | image = Justin Raimondo.jpg
| caption = Justin Raimondo | caption = Justin Raimondo
| birth_name = Dennis Raimondo | birth_name = Dennis Raimondo
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|11|18}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|11|18}}
| birth_place = ], New York, U.S. | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = | death_date = {{death date and age |2019|6|27|1951|11|18}}
| death_place = | death_place = {{nowrap|], U.S.}}
| residence = United States
| occupation = Journalist, author, writer | occupation = Journalist, author, writer
| spouse = Yoshinori Abe<ref name="husband">{{cite web|url=https://original.antiwar.com/Antiwar_Staff/2019/06/27/justin-raimondo-rip-1951-2019/|title=Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)|work=Antiwar.com|date=June 27, 2019 }}</ref>
}} }}
{{Libertarianism sidebar}} {{Libertarianism sidebar}}
'''Justin Raimondo''' (born '''Dennis Raimondo''';<ref>http://www.biographicon.com/view/jgmdu/Justin_Raimondo – 0.00kb</ref> November 18, 1951)<ref name="joincalifornia">http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2787</ref> is an American author and the editorial director of ]. He describes himself as a "]-]."<ref>Justin Raimondo, , ], March 22, 2003.</ref><ref> '''Justin Raimondo''' (born '''Dennis Raimondo'''; November 18, 1951 – June 27, 2019)<ref name="joincalifornia">{{cite web|url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2787|title=JoinCalifornia – Justin Raimondo|work=joincalifornia.com}}</ref><ref name="dies">{{cite web|url=https://original.antiwar.com/Antiwar_Staff/2019/06/27/justin-raimondo-rip-1951-2019/|title=Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)
|work=Antiwar.com|date=June 27, 2019
{{cite web
}}</ref> was an American author and the editorial director of ]. He described himself as a "]-]."<ref>Justin Raimondo, , ], March 22, 2003.</ref><ref name=warmachine>
|author1=Jeff Deist
{{cite web
|title=Justin Raimondo: Against the War Machine
|author1=Jeff Deist|author2=Justin Raimondo
|url=https://mises.org/media/8596/Justin-Raimondo-Against-the-War-Machine
|title=Justin Raimondo: Against the War Machine
|publisher=]
|url=http://mises.org/media/8596/Justin-Raimondo-Against-the-War-Machine|website=mises.org
|accessdate=19 July 2014
|publisher=]
|ref=weekend
|access-date=February 18, 2015
|format=]
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711043413/http://mises.org/media/8596/Justin-Raimondo-Against-the-War-Machine
|date=3 July 2014
|archive-date=July 11, 2014 |format=]
|date=July 3, 2014
}}</ref> }}</ref>


==Early life and education== ==Early life==
Born in ], New York, Raimondo's family moved to Yorktown Heights, New York, when he was very young, and he grew up there. Raimondo describes himself as a "bad kid"; to deter him from this path he spent one year at a Jesuit-run school in upstate New York. Around this time, he took an interest in ].<ref>Justin Raimondo: "One of Them", ''Chronicles. A Magazine of American Culture,'' June 2012.</ref> Later, he joined ]. In the 1970s, he became active in the ]. He "joined the party in 1974, and was active in the ] for President ], the LP's second White House bid."<ref>Raimondo, Justin (2000-06-14) , '']''</ref> With ], he organized the ], which brought them to the attention of the libertarian theorist ]. In 1983, after a schism in the Libertarian Party, Raimondo left and attempted to organize a libertarian faction in the ] known as the Libertarian Republican Organizing Committee. After 1989, Raimondo again began working with Rothbard in the ], ] ]. Born in ], Raimondo moved with his family to Yorktown Heights, New York when he was very young. Raimondo described himself as a "bad kid"; to deter himself from this path he spent one year at a Jesuit-run school in upstate New York.
Around this time he took an interest in ]'s philosophy of ].<ref>Justin Raimondo: "One of Them", ''Chronicles. A Magazine of American Culture,'' June 2012.</ref> Later he joined ]. In the 1970s, he became active in the ]. He "joined the party in 1974, and was active in ]'s ], the LP's second White House bid."<ref>Raimondo, Justin (June 14, 2000) , '']''</ref> He came to the defense of the ], which followed manslaughter conviction of ]<ref name="Ho">{{cite news|last=Ho|first=Catherine|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Justin-Raimondo-longtime-Bay-Area-antiwar-14061759.php|title=Justin Raimondo, longtime Bay Area antiwar activist and writer, dies|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 30, 2019|access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> (for the deaths of San Francisco supervisor ] and Mayor ]).
In 1983, after a schism in the Libertarian Party, Raimondo left the party and attempted to organize a libertarian faction in the ] known as the Libertarian Republican Organizing Committee. After 1989, Raimondo again began working with Rothbard in the ], ] ], part of the Rockford Institute.


==Career== ==Career==
===Early activism===
In 1980, Raimondo ran for public office for the first time. Running as a Libertarian candidate for the 16th district seat in the ]. Raimondo received 4,730 votes<ref name="joincalifornia" /> for 7.7% of the vote.<ref>http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1980-11-04</ref> In 1982, Raimondo ran for California's 5th district seat in the ] as a Libertarian, against ] incumbent ] and ] challenger ]. He received 14.2% of the vote.<ref>http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1982-11-02</ref> In the ], Raimondo ran as a Republican candidate in California's 8th district against ]. While he championed conservative and libertarian causes in general, the main emphasis of his campaign was his opposition to the deployment of U.S. troops in the ] and, in particular, Pelosi's vote to that effect.<ref></ref> Raimondo received 25,739 votes <ref>http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1996/96Stat.htm#5</ref> for 12.39 percent of the vote while Pelosi got 84.34 percent.<ref></ref>
In 1980, Raimondo ran for public office for the first time. Running as a Libertarian candidate for the 16th district seat in the ], Raimondo received 4,730 votes<ref name="joincalifornia" /> or 7.7% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1980-11-04|title=JoinCalifornia – 11-04-1980 Election|work=joincalifornia.com}}</ref> In 1982, Raimondo ran for California's 5th district seat in the ] as a Libertarian, against ] incumbent ] and ] challenger ]. He received 14.2% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1982-11-02|title=JoinCalifornia – 11-02-1982 Election|work=joincalifornia.com}}</ref>


In the ], Raimondo ran as a Republican candidate in California's 8th district against ]. While he championed conservative and libertarian causes in general, the main emphasis of his campaign was his opposition to the deployment of U.S. troops in the ] and, in particular, Pelosi's vote to that effect.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiwar.com/raimondo/news1.html|title=Raimondo for Congress|work=Antiwar.com}}</ref> Raimondo received 25,739 votes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1996/96Stat.htm#5|title=96 Presidential and Congressional Election Statistics |work=house.gov}}</ref> for 12.4 percent of the vote while Pelosi got 84.3 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cgi.cnn.com/ELECTION/CA08house.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010518224639/http://cgi.cnn.com/ELECTION/CA08house.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2001|title=AllPolitics – California House 08 Election Results|work=cnn.com}}</ref>
During the ], ], and ], Raimondo supported the campaigns of ], both as a Republican and in the ]. As he is ] gay,<ref name="sfweekly">{{citation |title=Intrepid Antiwarriors of the Libertarian Right Stake Their Rightful Claim to Power |first=Lessley |last=Anderson |date=December 10, 2003 |accessdate=October 16, 2007 |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2003-12-10/news/intrepid-antiwarriors-of-the-libertarian-right-stake-their-rightful-claim-to-power/full |periodical=]}}</ref> his support of the ] Buchanan attracted considerable attention.<ref></ref>


During the ], ], and ], Raimondo supported the campaigns of ], both as a Republican and in the ]. As he was an ] gay man,<ref name="sfweekly">{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=Lessley|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2003-12-10/news/intrepid-antiwarriors-of-the-libertarian-right-stake-their-rightful-claim-to-power/full|title=Intrepid Antiwarriors of the Libertarian Right Stake Their Rightful Claim to Power|work=]|date=December 10, 2003|access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref> his support of the ] Buchanan attracted considerable attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.29.96/public-eyem-9609.html|title=Metro Features – Public Eye|work=metroactive.com}}</ref> The idea he "wants to round us all up and send us to concentration camps is just a bunch of crap. It's a lie and a smear. He welcomes gay workers in his campaign. He does not think that homosexuality is all that great a thing. But I don't need his approval. Why does any gay person need anyone's benediction?"<ref>{{cite news|last=Herron|first=Jim Zamora|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Gay-Buchanan-backer-defends-his-candidate-3158371.php|title=Gay Buchanan backer defends his candidate|work=SF Gate|publisher=]|date=February 23, 1996|access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref>
In 1994, Raimondo was the San Francisco coordinator for the "Save our State" ], which would have barred taxpayer funding of non-emergency services to ] in California.<ref>Rothbard, Murray. "." November 1994.</ref> The measure was passed by California voters, but later suspended from going into effect by a federal court.


In 1994, Raimondo was the San Francisco coordinator for the "Save our State" ], which would have barred taxpayer funding of non-emergency services to ] in California.<ref>Rothbard, Murray. "." November 1994.</ref> The measure was passed by California voters, but was later stayed by a federal court.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
At the end of 1995 Raimondo and Garris launched Antiwar.com.<ref>http://www.antiwar.com/faq.php</ref> In 1999, with the ]'s military intervention in the ], the site became a full-time effort, providing a platform for their opposition to foreign intervention. Raimondo has been a vocal critic of the ] and the ongoing ].


===Antiwar.com and later activities===
In ], he supported ] for President, and explained his reason for this in an article published in '']''.<ref></ref>
Raimondo and ] launched ] in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gay-rights-antiwar-activist-justin-raimondo-dies-67-64050668|title=Gay rights, anti-war activist Justin Raimondo dies at 67|work=ABC News|agency=Associated Press|date=June 30, 2019|access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> In 1999, during the ]'s military intervention in the ], the site became a full-time effort, providing a platform for the pair's opposition to foreign intervention. Raimondo was a vocal critic of the ] in 2003 and the ].


In the ], he wrote approvingly of candidate ] in an article published in '']''. "Nader’s distrust of bigness, either corporate or governmental, his fear of centralized power, his sharp critique of the managerial-bureaucratic mentality, all recall the distinctively American tradition of individualist populism", he wrote.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raimondo|first=Justin|url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/old-right-nader/|title=Old Right Nader|work=The American Conservative|date=November 8, 2004|access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref>
In ], he frequently wrote admiringly of ]'s ], and has also expressed support for ].<ref>Raimondo, Justin (2010-09-27) </ref> He has also been critical of ]'s Cabinet choices as President,<ref>Ditz, Jason (2008-11-20) , '']''</ref> along with the President himself. However, when Obama nominated former Nebraska U.S. Senator ] for ] to succeed ], Raimondo came out in support for Hagel.


Raimondo wrote positively about ], but expressed support for ].<ref>Raimondo, Justin (September 27, 2010) </ref> Unlike ] and his son, ], however, Raimondo supported abortion: "The libertarian position is unequivocal: the mother has the absolute right to abortion, period."<ref>{{cite news|last=Weigel|first=David|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/07/30/why-arent-libertarians-rejecting-rand-pauls-fight-against-planned-parenthood|title=Why aren't libertarians rejecting Rand Paul's fight against Planned Parenthood?|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 30, 2015|access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref> He was critical of ]'s Cabinet choices as President<ref>Ditz, Jason (November 20, 2008) , '']''</ref> along with the President himself. However, when Obama nominated former Nebraska U.S. Senator ] for ] to succeed ], Raimondo came out in support for Hagel.

In ], he voted for ] on the basis of his foreign policy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/12/29/do-you-have-trump-derangement-syndrome/|title=Do You Have 'Trump Derangement Syndrome?'|work=Fox News|date=December 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231075826/http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/12/29/do-you-have-trump-derangement-syndrome/ |archive-date=December 31, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Opinions==
{{listen |filename=Justin Raimondo Against the War Machine.ogg |title=Justin Raimondo: Against the War Machine |description=Jeff Deist and Justin Raimondo discuss the early history of the modern libertarian movement, Justin's time working with ] on libertarian strategy, and the chances for developing a broad new anti-war coalition.}}
===Major ideas and recurring themes=== ===Major ideas and recurring themes===
Raimondo argued in a 2003 Antiwar.com column that Israel exerts a dominant force in the formulation of American foreign policy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j100603.html|title=Israel Is the Problem, by Justin Raimondo|work=antiwar.com}}</ref> Raimondo also believed that the United States was led into ] through lies by President ] and that the U.S. deliberately provoked a war with Japan through economic sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=3076|title=Yasukuni Brouhaha |work=Antiwar.com Original|date=August 17, 2001 }}</ref> Raimondo's views were compared by ] to those of ],<ref>]. , '']'' (May 2006)</ref> whom Raimondo once described as an "American hero sprung from the heartland."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=7908|title=Smearing Fitzgerald – Antiwar.com Original|work=Antiwar.com Original|date=November 4, 2005 }}</ref> Raimondo also wrote that Israeli intelligence operating in the U.S. had advance knowledge of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j032202.html|title=The Truth, At Last|work=antiwar.com}}</ref>
Several themes recur regularly in Raimondo's writing, mostly derived from his ] ideological roots. He strongly opposes the ]i occupation of ]. He believes that initiatory war is wrong, immoral, and counterproductive, that a small group of ] in both major American political parties have been responsible for "lying us into war" repeatedly, and that the ideals of the ] conservative movement have been consistently sold out since around the time of the ], when neoconservatives united with ] to pursue an expansive foreign policy, often in support of Israel.


Raimondo believed that the government should refrain from adopting laws that would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals. "I think gays should have the right to discriminate against straight people if they want", he said in 2003.<ref name="sfweekly"/> He also opposed the legal recognition of ] and instead favored ].<ref>Raimondo, Justin (April 4, 2011) , '']''</ref> Raimondo debated the issue of same-sex marriage with journalist ], who supports it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libertylawsite.org/2013/05/02/why-not-gay-marriage/|title=Why Not Gay Marriage? – Law & Liberty|date=May 2, 2013|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> He also argued that after years of persecution by the state, ] activists sought to "use the battering ram of government power" to actively intervene on behalf of homosexuals.<ref>Justin Raimondo, </ref>
Raimondo argued in a 2003 Antiwar.com column that Israel exerts a dominant force in the formulation of American foreign policy.<ref></ref> Raimondo also believes the United States was led into ] through lies by President ] and that the US provoked a war with Japan deliberately through economic sanctions.<ref></ref> Raimondo's views have been compared by ] to those of ],<ref>]. , '']'' (May 2006)</ref> whom Raimondo describes as an "American hero sprung from the heartland."<ref></ref> Raimondo has also written that Israeli intelligence operating in the U.S. had advance knowledge of the ].<ref></ref>


===Religious views===
Raimondo believes the government should refrain from adopting laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays.<ref name="sfweekly"/> He also is against ] and instead favors ],<ref>Raimondo, Justin (2011-04-04) , '']''</ref> both mocking the idea that gays should adopt a heterosexual model of sexual and emotional relationships, and noting that as a libertarian he opposes "State incursion into such private matters."<ref>Justin Raimondo, , Taki's Magazine, July 2, 2008.</ref> He also has written that after years of persecution by the state, ] activists want to "use the battering ram of government power" to actively intervene on behalf of homosexuals.<ref>Justin Raimondo, </ref>
Though raised a Catholic, Raimondo described himself as "not a believer."<ref> December 29, 2003</ref> Raimondo further described his early interactions with the ] and a local ] ] in Yorktown Heights as being influential in his development, despite rejecting the notion of God.<ref name=warmachine/> He described being "taken with their engagement with ideas" and discussions of philosophy, which he was lacking in traditional schools or from classmates at the time.<ref name=warmachine/>


==Personal life== ==Death==
Raimondo died of stage IV lung cancer on June 27, 2019, in ].<ref name="survived">{{cite web|url=https://original.antiwar.com/Antiwar_Staff/2019/06/27/justin-raimondo-rip-1951-2019/|title=Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)|work=Antiwar.com|date=June 27, 2019 }}</ref> He was survived by his husband, Yoshinori Abe, and two sisters.<ref name="Ho"/>
Though raised a Roman Catholic, Raimondo describes himself as "not a believer."<ref> December 29, 2003</ref>

==See also==
* ]


==Bibliography== ==Bibliography==
'''Articles'''
In addition to his thrice-weekly column for antiwar.com, Raimondo is a regular contributor to '']'' and '']''. He formerly wrote two columns a month for ], but ceased in 2009.


In addition to his thrice-weekly column for Antiwar.com, Raimondo was a regular contributor to '']'' and '']''. He formerly wrote twice-monthly columns for '']'', but ceased in 2009.
He is the author of several books:

* ''Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement'' (], 1993), reissued in 2008 with new introduction by George W. Carey, by ] ISBN 978-1-933859-60-6.
'''Books'''
* ''Into the Bosnian Quagmire: The Case Against U.S. Intervention in the Balkans'' (AFPAC, 1996).
* ''Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement''. ], 1993. Reissued by ] in 2008 with new introduction by ]. {{ISBN|978-1933859606}}.
* ''Colin Powell and the Power Elite'' (America First Books, 1996).
* ''''. Burlingame, CA: America First Books-America First Political Action Committee, 1996. {{ISBN|978-1883959012}}.
* ''An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard'', Prometheus Books, July 2000, ISBN 1-57392-809-7.
* Burlingame, CA: America First Books-America First Political Action Committee, 1996. {{ISBN|1883959039}}.
* ''The Terror Enigma: 9/11 and the Israeli Connection'', iUniverse, November 2003, ISBN 0-595-29682-3.
* ''An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard''. Amherst, NY: ], 2000. {{ISBN|978-1615922390}}.
* ''The Terror Enigma: 9/11 and the Israeli Connection''. iUniverse, November 2003. {{ISBN|0595296823}}.

'''Book contributions'''
* , edited by Helen Cothran. San Diego: ], 2003, pp.&nbsp;100–103. {{ISBN|978-0737711820}}.
* Detroit: ], 2008, pp.&nbsp;185–192. {{ISBN|978-0737737455}}.
* Detroit: ], 2014, pp.&nbsp;135–141. {{ISBN|978-0737769715}}.


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* *
*
*
* {{Twitter|JustinRaimondo}} * {{C-SPAN|45659}}
* {{Twitter}}
* Jeff Deist, President ] interviews Raimondo


{{Authority control|VIAF=18737770}} {{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Raimondo, Justin
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American activist
| DATE OF BIRTH = November 18, 1951
| PLACE OF BIRTH = United States
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raimondo, Justin}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Raimondo, Justin}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 19:51, 24 September 2024

American journalist (1951–2019)

Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo
BornDennis Raimondo
(1951-11-18)November 18, 1951
White Plains, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 27, 2019(2019-06-27) (aged 67)
Sebastopol, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Journalist, author, writer
SpouseYoshinori Abe
Part of a series on
Libertarianism
Concepts
Issues
Philosophers
Politicians
National variants
Historical background
Related topics

Justin Raimondo (born Dennis Raimondo; November 18, 1951 – June 27, 2019) was an American author and the editorial director of Antiwar.com. He described himself as a "conservative-paleo-libertarian."

Early life

Born in White Plains, New York, Raimondo moved with his family to Yorktown Heights, New York when he was very young. Raimondo described himself as a "bad kid"; to deter himself from this path he spent one year at a Jesuit-run school in upstate New York.

Around this time he took an interest in Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. Later he joined Young Americans for Freedom. In the 1970s, he became active in the Libertarian Party. He "joined the party in 1974, and was active in Roger MacBride's 1976 presidential campaign, the LP's second White House bid." He came to the defense of the White Night riots, which followed manslaughter conviction of Dan White (for the deaths of San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone).

In 1983, after a schism in the Libertarian Party, Raimondo left the party and attempted to organize a libertarian faction in the Republican Party known as the Libertarian Republican Organizing Committee. After 1989, Raimondo again began working with Rothbard in the anti-war, paleoconservative John Randolph Club, part of the Rockford Institute.

Career

Early activism

In 1980, Raimondo ran for public office for the first time. Running as a Libertarian candidate for the 16th district seat in the California State Assembly, Raimondo received 4,730 votes or 7.7% of the vote. In 1982, Raimondo ran for California's 5th district seat in the United States House of Representatives as a Libertarian, against Democratic incumbent Phillip Burton and Republican challenger Milton Marks. He received 14.2% of the vote.

In the 1996 U.S. congressional elections, Raimondo ran as a Republican candidate in California's 8th district against Nancy Pelosi. While he championed conservative and libertarian causes in general, the main emphasis of his campaign was his opposition to the deployment of U.S. troops in the Balkans and, in particular, Pelosi's vote to that effect. Raimondo received 25,739 votes for 12.4 percent of the vote while Pelosi got 84.3 percent.

During the 1992, 1996, and 2000 presidential elections, Raimondo supported the campaigns of Pat Buchanan, both as a Republican and in the Reform Party. As he was an out gay man, his support of the social conservative Buchanan attracted considerable attention. The idea he "wants to round us all up and send us to concentration camps is just a bunch of crap. It's a lie and a smear. He welcomes gay workers in his campaign. He does not think that homosexuality is all that great a thing. But I don't need his approval. Why does any gay person need anyone's benediction?"

In 1994, Raimondo was the San Francisco coordinator for the "Save our State" Proposition 187, which would have barred taxpayer funding of non-emergency services to illegal aliens in California. The measure was passed by California voters, but was later stayed by a federal court.

Antiwar.com and later activities

Raimondo and Eric Garris launched Antiwar.com in 1995. In 1999, during the Clinton administration's military intervention in the Kosovo war, the site became a full-time effort, providing a platform for the pair's opposition to foreign intervention. Raimondo was a vocal critic of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the ongoing occupation.

In the 2004 presidential election, he wrote approvingly of candidate Ralph Nader in an article published in The American Conservative. "Nader’s distrust of bigness, either corporate or governmental, his fear of centralized power, his sharp critique of the managerial-bureaucratic mentality, all recall the distinctively American tradition of individualist populism", he wrote.

Raimondo wrote positively about Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign, but expressed support for Dennis Kucinich. Unlike Ron Paul and his son, Rand, however, Raimondo supported abortion: "The libertarian position is unequivocal: the mother has the absolute right to abortion, period." He was critical of Barack Obama's Cabinet choices as President along with the President himself. However, when Obama nominated former Nebraska U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel for U.S. Secretary of Defense to succeed Leon Panetta, Raimondo came out in support for Hagel.

In 2016, he voted for Donald Trump on the basis of his foreign policy.

Opinions

Justin Raimondo: Against the War Machine Jeff Deist and Justin Raimondo discuss the early history of the modern libertarian movement, Justin's time working with Murray Rothbard on libertarian strategy, and the chances for developing a broad new anti-war coalition.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Major ideas and recurring themes

Raimondo argued in a 2003 Antiwar.com column that Israel exerts a dominant force in the formulation of American foreign policy. Raimondo also believed that the United States was led into World War II through lies by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and that the U.S. deliberately provoked a war with Japan through economic sanctions. Raimondo's views were compared by Christopher Hitchens to those of Charles Lindbergh, whom Raimondo once described as an "American hero sprung from the heartland." Raimondo also wrote that Israeli intelligence operating in the U.S. had advance knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Raimondo believed that the government should refrain from adopting laws that would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals. "I think gays should have the right to discriminate against straight people if they want", he said in 2003. He also opposed the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and instead favored marriage privatization. Raimondo debated the issue of same-sex marriage with journalist Jonathan Rauch, who supports it. He also argued that after years of persecution by the state, LGBT rights activists sought to "use the battering ram of government power" to actively intervene on behalf of homosexuals.

Religious views

Though raised a Catholic, Raimondo described himself as "not a believer." Raimondo further described his early interactions with the Catholic Church and a local Jesuit seminary in Yorktown Heights as being influential in his development, despite rejecting the notion of God. He described being "taken with their engagement with ideas" and discussions of philosophy, which he was lacking in traditional schools or from classmates at the time.

Death

Raimondo died of stage IV lung cancer on June 27, 2019, in Sebastopol, California. He was survived by his husband, Yoshinori Abe, and two sisters.

See also

Bibliography

Articles

In addition to his thrice-weekly column for Antiwar.com, Raimondo was a regular contributor to The American Conservative and Chronicles magazine. He formerly wrote twice-monthly columns for Taki's Top Drawer, but ceased in 2009.

Books

Book contributions

References

  1. "Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)". Antiwar.com. June 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "JoinCalifornia – Justin Raimondo". joincalifornia.com.
  3. "Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)". Antiwar.com. June 27, 2019.
  4. Justin Raimondo, Commissar Frum: Former Presidential speechwriter smears antiwar conservatives, Antiwar.com, March 22, 2003.
  5. ^ Jeff Deist; Justin Raimondo (July 3, 2014). "Justin Raimondo: Against the War Machine". mises.org. Ludwig von Mises Institute. Archived from the original (MP3) on July 11, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  6. Justin Raimondo: "One of Them", Chronicles. A Magazine of American Culture, June 2012.
  7. Raimondo, Justin (June 14, 2000) Wild About Harry: Why I Am Not Voting Libertarian This Year, Antiwar.com
  8. ^ Ho, Catherine (June 30, 2019). "Justin Raimondo, longtime Bay Area antiwar activist and writer, dies". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  9. "JoinCalifornia – 11-04-1980 Election". joincalifornia.com.
  10. "JoinCalifornia – 11-02-1982 Election". joincalifornia.com.
  11. "Raimondo for Congress". Antiwar.com.
  12. "96 Presidential and Congressional Election Statistics". house.gov.
  13. "AllPolitics – California House 08 Election Results". cnn.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2001.
  14. ^ Anderson, Lessley (December 10, 2003). "Intrepid Antiwarriors of the Libertarian Right Stake Their Rightful Claim to Power". SF Weekly. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  15. "Metro Features – Public Eye". metroactive.com.
  16. Herron, Jim Zamora (February 23, 1996). "Gay Buchanan backer defends his candidate". SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  17. Rothbard, Murray. "Big Government Libertarians." November 1994.
  18. "Gay rights, anti-war activist Justin Raimondo dies at 67". ABC News. Associated Press. June 30, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  19. Raimondo, Justin (November 8, 2004). "Old Right Nader". The American Conservative. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  20. Raimondo, Justin (September 27, 2010) Make Noise!
  21. Weigel, David (July 30, 2015). "Why aren't libertarians rejecting Rand Paul's fight against Planned Parenthood?". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  22. Ditz, Jason (November 20, 2008) Antiwar Groups Fear Hawkish Cabinet, Antiwar.com
  23. "Do You Have 'Trump Derangement Syndrome?'". Fox News. December 29, 2016. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016.
  24. "Israel Is the Problem, by Justin Raimondo". antiwar.com.
  25. "Yasukuni Brouhaha". Antiwar.com Original. August 17, 2001.
  26. Hitchens, Christopher. Blood for No Oil!, The Atlantic (May 2006)
  27. "Smearing Fitzgerald – Antiwar.com Original". Antiwar.com Original. November 4, 2005.
  28. "The Truth, At Last". antiwar.com.
  29. Raimondo, Justin (April 4, 2011) The Libertarian Case Against Gay Marriage, The American Conservative
  30. "Why Not Gay Marriage? – Law & Liberty". May 2, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  31. Justin Raimondo, Gay Victimology and the Liberal Kulturkampf
  32. Pope John Paul II: Man of the Year December 29, 2003
  33. "Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951–2019)". Antiwar.com. June 27, 2019.

External links

Categories: