NH "Free State Project" turns 5, lists successes (promo vid)

[dachickenman]

Too bad Romney got more votes in this state than Ron Paul.

[joeglimmix]

seatbelts are evil. good job nutsos

[Hampshirian]

One word to anyone thinking of moving up here to NH: TOLERANCE. If you like Sarah Palin...FIND ANOTHER STATE.

[kungfuwookie]

Free staters in NH have also threatened politicians and judges with death.

[kungfuwookie]

We don't want you jackasses up here.

signed, NH

[lisamarie4sanmarcos]

sure are allot of WHITE people, where are the people of color.

[downlowfunk]

And at the end of day NH is still a police state.

[solpudge]

I'm confused to what exactly this Free Staters thing is. Someone explain please.

[stratvic]

Check out the first link in the sidebar.

[annuity100]

@solpudge I'm no expert on the subject but it appears to be a group of people simply taking action to get their lives back to living under the constitution of America which is what made America the prosperous country it once was. Nothing radical just a very good idea. If the government won't do it themselves then we will. Consecutive governments going against the constitution is what has caused America to go backwards for the man on the street while the elites get ever richer.

[btwall60]

is it true, that ammo is the new currency?

[SpotterOz]

I am a writer guy, retiring from the Fed Gov in September, that wouldn't mind moving to a State that still upholds Traditional Values and personal responsibility.

That Porcupine mascot is one of the best messages any organization could have picked. "Hey, I'm a peaceful sort, but you won't like it if you step on me." Pretty subtle and damn effective message in my humble opinion.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

I can tell you that the "free State Project" will fail in no time at all. The effectiveness of their tactics is highly questionable. If you really want to change society, why isolate yourself from society by joining a "liberty town" commune up in Northern NH? If you think taxes are too high in your home state, then fix your home state! Don't come up to NH and start demanding that all of us native NH'ers have to go along with your paultard policies!

[OnGuard4Liberty]

Julias, you really don't know what's going on with the FSP. There are no "liberty towns" of Free Staters. Free Staters aren't isolated. They work and live and play in the same neighborhoods you do. Most Free Staters are not in Northern New Hampshire, but we do have people all over this great state. More are on the way.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

I just think it's funny how you people have achieved less than 4% of your initial goal in terms of how many people you've moved to NH now. I remember how people tried the same tactic during the primary when they wanted Ron Paul to win, and Paul got less than 8% of the vote here.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

I'm glad you did a bit of research this time so you weren't making up silly things like "isolated Free Stater communities in the mountains." You're right, the Project is in its early stages. And with 4 of our members elected to the NH legislature and about 20 to local offices, I think it's safe to say that, even at this early stage, we're seeing much success.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

So what is the free staters' goal for NH? Are they trying to turn it into some sort of anarcho-capitalist government where all taxes are abolished but all services and resources are privately owned? That's what I'm getting at.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

First, most Free Staters aren't anarchists. Free Staters are people who want freedom and to be left alone. New Hampshire is the closest to that ideal which is why it was chosen. The goal is liberty; the least amount of government intrusion as possible. If you look on the website, to sign up, you will see people sign a statement that the "maximum role of government is the protection of life, liberty, and property."

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

Then, as I've said, why not just fix the problems in their home states? Why move to NH and fuck everything up for the people who've been there for decades (such as my parents and high school friends)? Obviously, the goal is to change laws and make NH a Ron Paul wet dream, not just "seek refuge".

[OnGuard4Liberty]

"why not just fix the problems in their home states?" --

Because the problems aren't fixable unless people who love liberty unite and concentrate their strength in one place. Ron Paul showed that a scattered liberty movement cannot win. A drastic move is needed in order to return to the vision of the Founders and that's what the FSP is about.

Liberty doesn't "ruin" anything. It allows people to do what they want without interference, provided they don't hurt anyone else.

What's your concern?

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

What would happen under the type of government the free staters are proposing is, every single resource would be privatized, meaning that if my parents' house caught on fire they would have to pay a private firefighting company to put it out. Face it, capitalism has FAILED. The only reason why the "no taxes" thing works in NH is because hardly anyone lives there (it ranks 46 out of 50 in terms of state population). If NH had a pop. the size of Mass we'd have the highest poverty in the USA.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

So you've now re-invented what you (wrongly) THINK the Free State Project is!

You are right on one thing though. The New Hampshire government will shrink, back to what the Constitution of New Hampshire demands. If you want something done, no longer will you be able to force people who disagree to pay.  You will have to convince others with persuasion, not government force.

I'm sorry if the responsibility required by liberty is threatening to you. If you like Mass better, it's still there.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

The issue I have is that a group of "foreigners" are coming into my home state SPECIFICALLY to change the entire political climate in the name of their bullshit philosophy, which will fuck everything up for my parents, friends, etc., who will then have to leave just so the paultards can have their way. You can go on about "liberty" and "freedom" and "the constitution" all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that their state is being stolen.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

People move for jobs, family, etc. I think moving for liberty is a great thing to do too. Didn't you say your parents *moved* to NH 20 or so years ago? We're doing the same thing. It's still a free(ish) country so we are still free to move to a state that reflects more of our political ideals.

In any case, it's happening. Sorry if you were planning on living off of the work of others because the Classic New Hampshire Way is receiving a shot in the arm.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

My parents moved because my father's job got moved to the Boston Area, not because we were hell-bent on turning NH into a political experiment doomed to fail.

Like I said, the only reason why NH works the way it does is because the population is so small. There's no way in hell the NH "way of life" could be exported to Texas or California and work. Learn something about comparative politics and you'll see.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

So your parents moved here just like the Free Staters are moving here. Good. 

Yes, I'm sure this project wouldn't work in California or Texas. That's why it's in New Hampshire. Many of our movers are from those two states.

[BigFuckingWade]

You're obviously a statist. If you believe there are such things as "citizens" and "states" then provide verifiable evidence.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

Capitalists and Paulies are the real statists. Capitalism can't exist without the state. That's a known fact. What the "free staters" (haha, "state" is in their name!) want to do is keep the state but make sure it doesn't provide any services other than to keep them rich, all while they privatize resources such as schools, health care, etc. Remember how state intervention in capitalism is just to save capitalism from itself.

[annuity100]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 What are you going on about? Why will you and your family & friends have to leave a state that allows you the freedom to become everything you want to be and not tax you to hilt while doing it? You are on strange bastard and are sounding like a government paid shill with every word you write.

[Crazymagus13]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 I am against this group too. What they are doing is wrong. Protest them, when they go out and protest, protest them back. What they are doing is no better than what we did to the native Americans.

Let them know they are not welcome on your land. use your freedom against them. They will be hypocrites about it though, they always are. It is about freedom, until they can't get there way. Than they will use oppression. than of course its a terrorist act on their part.

[annuity100]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 I find it strange that you would equate living in a free state where life liberty and freedom is upheld to "fucking things up". So you want and welcome government intrusion into your life do you? You welcome tyranny with open arms? Honestly theres no pleasing some people. New Hampshire sounds like an ideal place to live in an ever more tyranical world. Well done to everyone involved in the Free State idea.

[dachickenman]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 Why didn't the Jews in Germany just fix their own governments? (The idea is only different in terms of degrees of oppression.) I'm not sure what the problem is: if states are the means by which majorities, well-organized minorities, or whomever force their ideas on others, what is wrong with the free state project? The only way this criticism could be consistent is if one preferred even less intrusion into their lives than a government instituted by the project would entail

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

@dachickenman Last time I checked, no one was putting libertarians into death camps. Your analogy fails miserably.

[dachickenman]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 So at what point is one justified in emigrating due to oppression?

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

@dachickenman When they respect the natives and aren't part of a scheme to take over the area they're moving to.

I know enough Palestinians to understand what happens.

[dachickenman]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 What recourse do these people have? No option for living the way they want to live is left for them within the U.S. and every piece of land on Earth has been claimed by some country. It seems that they'll have to change the policies somewhere.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

@dachickenman Libertarians are hardly a disadvantaged minority. If that were the case, then you wouldn't see these million-dollar libertarian think tanks (i.e. CATO, Mercatus, IHS, Mises Institute, Americans for Prosperity) dishing out their propaganda at every turn.

[dachickenman]

@juliaisafilmbuff123 That doesn't really answer my question, nor do I see it having any relevance. What recourse do they have?

[OnGuard4Liberty]

Something you might not understand is that Free Staters are not all the same. It's not a commune or people who agree on everything. It is a group of peaceful ordinary people who don't agree on everything, but all want more freedom. Once they move, they go about their lives the same way you do, except that they take time to expand the liberty of themselves and their neighbors. There are a few extremists and, of course, they make the news. The normal ones don't.

[juliaisafilmbuff123]

I'm from NH. Where in NH are they moving to so i know how to avoid them?

[bleedingcry]

I'm a Camera Guy and if you got a TV station or jobs along that with tha freedom movement hit me up= Workin in food warehouse for now cause of the economic turn but willin to get back into it....I'm goin to get out there some how or another= We do this thing together :)

[clthinkingman]

Hurrrray Freestate project:-)!!!!!!! We need more like this.... this is the answer to ALL our problems.

[NapaSales150]

Dave, is not America, America's most daring libertarian project?

[Pazrayna]

It was at one time.

[unodepoalli]

Yeah, and I wish I lived in that era

[RidleyReport]

you say nut like it'a a bad thing

[baristacoffee]

Looks like a bunch of gun nuts to me.

[gabeh73]

my kids are 5,3 and 3 months...I should be moving up in about 15 years....maybe before then.

[bradwatson7324]

I've not signed the agreement to move, but I'm keeping a close eye on the FSP. I like the basic idea of it and think about its growing necessity often. But you know, our true burden comes much more from the federal gvmt. than from the state gvmt. How good should I feel about blocking a smoking ban while medicine becomes ever more socialized? Peaceful secession is probably what is needed, not of a large land area, but of some very small coastal area.

[gabeh73]

I'm in MA and had some of the origanl concerns that you stated Brad. However, I've become mroe sold on their movement than anything else I've seen. Look at what one good congressman like Ron Paul can do...if they had another 1000 close nit liberty minded activist in NH then they could have two senators, a governor and a few congressmen. One good liberty minded state could oppose the FEDs on many issues.

[SpotterOz]

Virginian here, and I firmly believe in that personal responsibility needs to be hammered into every American Citizen, whether they be immigrant or naturalized, everyone needs to start accepting the blame for their own actions and quit looking to the Fed for bailouts, handouts and any other crutch they can think of.

Almost everybody needs a 'leg up' to get them going in the right direction, but not a free ride. So give back to those that help you.

[RonPaul2008dotcomluv]

Despite all this, why did New Hampshire pick McCain instead of Paul?

[RidleyReport]

well that's what all the states did, they picked someone over paul. but in New Hampshire he got a bigger percentage of the vote than in any other early primary...and that was when there were still 9 major candidates running against him.

There were *caucuses* were paul did better, but caucuses are a totally different thing from primaries and skew toward paul more than primaries.

[halsose]

that is a GOOD THING

[mport1]

Excellent video Dave!

[ElCapitan1985]

Happy B-Day, Free State Project! I can't wait to meet all of you!

[voteforpeace08]

LIVE FREE or ...

VOTE FOR PEACE or ...

[BagOfEyebrows]

very, very nice job, Mr. Ridley! :)  Happy Birthday, FSP!

[AwakenedByTyranny]

Which town or geographical location does the Rockefeller family own so much land/property in the state? Is it Meridith?

That could come back to bite you guys later. I understand that it is a great deal of land.

Perhaps it's not easily traceable as I'm sure it's in a trust.

Happy Birthday Free State Project. You are this old lady's heroes. We are watching. We are hoping.

[FolkTheory]

Hey Dave, i was curious about what are the two restaurants built by free staters and what town are they in?

[margomaps]

"Murphy's Taproom" in Manchester

and

"Ivy's Spice of Life" in Bristol

[ImaginationFailure]

its colder in Montana

[wyomingliberty]

That's mostly true. However, MT isn't even as free as NH, anyway. AK may be as free as NH or perhaps freer but it (expect the very southern portions) is mucher colder than most of NH.

[freebob3]

Excellent report Dave...

[Josiah531]

Yes, but why New Hampshire. Boy it is too cold there. Brrrrrrr.

[txballoonman]

Because, in Texas, for example, instead of just a few thousand people needed to make the project a success, we'd need about 500,000. Houston would need about 60,000; Dallas about 45,000; Austin would need about 50,000 since it is the capital; San Antonio would need about 20,000 because the population is similar to NH. But, few of the state reps are approachable.

Liberty lovers warm my heart. I'm moving in January... from Taxes, where Texas used to be.

[OnGuard4Liberty]

"Yes, but why New Hampshire. Boy it is too cold there. Brrrrrrr." --

It was cold at Valley Forge too. Liberty is worth it

[Josiah531]

Oh come on I was joking on this and I get a thumbs down? LOL

Fight on for liberty!! Fight on!!

[CurtHowland]

Don't be disappointed that the FSP is so few people, and so few have actually moved.

Moving deliberately is very hard for those of us with families. 10 years ago I would have been there easily, not now. Not yet, anyway.

But what the FSP is doing right now is setting the stage. Creating a context of freedom-loving people helping others.

[txballoonman]

I believe the first 2 parts of what you say is true; but, I think it will not take more than 5000 of us to free NH. The early movers are getting a lot done already. The stage is getting set; true. But, the show is on! Since my responsibilities are light, I'll be there in January. Come on up when you can!

[CurtHowland]

A journey of a thousand miles...

1) Begins with a single step

2) Sometimes ends very badly

:^)

Yes indeed. 5,000 will likely not be "needed", but more will surely help. I'll be there when I can, bringing with me a computer networking and Linux consultancy.

[LumpyRevolution]

We are coming to help the freedom movement grow like mad SOON! WE just have to make sure that family members are cared for properly before we land in heaven! ... and oh yes ... it IS heaven!

Thank you for the wonderful video!

[LumpyRevolution]

Happy Birthday FSP!

We're defecting soon!!!

[freekrolik]

from bottom up .. gj

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Lesson From a Crisis: When Trust Vanishes, Worry By DAVID LEONHARDT.

Published: October 1, 2008

The basic mechanics of how the economy might fall into a severe recession look quite similar to those that caused the Depression. G

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