James Peron
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James (Jim) Peron is a activist and author, who became involved with the Libertarian Party at its inception, is the founder of the Moorfield Storey Institute, and has been involved with many other libertarian organizations both in the United States and in other countries.
Publications
Author of numerous books including:
- Zimbabwe: The Death of a Dream (Lessons for South Africa)
- The Liberal Tide
- Within Reason: Essays on Ayn Rand, Objectivism & Christianity
- Die the Beloved Country?
- Liberty Reclaimed (co-author with LP Vice Presidential candidate Jim Lewis)
- Exploding Population Myths
- Affirmative Action, Apartheid and Capitalism
- City Limits (a novel)
Written hundreds of articles for publications such as:
- Wall Street Journal (Europe)
- Reason
- Libertarian Review
- Inquiry
- The Johannesburg Star
- Auckland Herald
- Huffington Post
Started Libertarian Periodicals and organizations in South Africa and New Zealand.
Libertarian Party
Chairman of the San Francisco Libertarian Party.
Editor of the LP newsletters for Illinois and Connecticut.
Candidate for public office:
- 1980 - Illinois, State Representative District 13 (Chicago area) - 5.36%
- 1984 - Connecticut, US Representative District 5 - 0.22%
- 1986 - California, Bay Area Rapid Transit Board District 8 (San Francisco) - 4.06%
In 1989 led successful passing of Proposition O the “Clean Needle Initiative” in San Francisco. The first time – in any community – that a Libertarian sponsored initiative has won. One year later this was followed by another proposition, also Prop O stating that the people of the city and country of San Francisco declare their “community standards” to be total and complete freedom of speech. It gained widespread support and passed easily.
He was involved in several presidential campaigns since Ed Clark’s 1980 bid, co-authored the campaign book of 1984 Vice Presidential candidate Jim Lewis, and was one of the early backers of Gary Johnson.
He withdrew from involvement with the LP because in his view it had become, as he characterized it in a 2022 Facebook post, an "Alt-Right" party. (See responses to interview questions below.)
Other Organizations
President of the Moorfield Storey Institute
Worked with the Pacific Research Institute, the Free Market Foundation of Southern Africa, and the Institute for Free Enterprise in Berlin, former board member Freedom of Expression Foundation, South Africa.
Past president of Laissez Faire Books and runs Fr33minds.com a libertarian bookstore.
Founding editor of Esteem, a LGBT publication in South Africa under apartheid.
Good friends with Objectivist luminaries Barbara and Nathaniel Branden.
Conversed with the likes of Milton Friedman, Karl Hess and Roy Childs. He knew both Murry Rothbard and Ron Paul although would rather not be associated with either.
Responses to Interview Questions
As part of a program of interviews of prominent past activists, Peron was approached by Patrick Nicholson of the LP of California Historical Preservation Committee. He declined an oral interview, but agreed to respond to written questions posed by Nicholson.
- Why did I join "the liberty movement."
- Thinkers you admire and why?
- What is your theory of liberty?
- How has the party changed?
- Do libertarians and Objectivists have common ground?
- Since you first became active has collectivism grown?
- What can libertarians do to revive liberty?
- Who benefits from the Regulatory state?
- Is laissez-faire possible?
- What things should concern libertarians?
- What would you recommend to young Libertarian Party members?
He provided the responses in the form of two posts on the Facebook page of the Moorfield Storey Institute.