Tell me about the Free State Project
Answer
The Free State Project (FSP) is an initiative aimed at moving thousands of libertarians to a single state in the United States with the goal of concentrating their political influence to promote individual liberty, reduce government size, and foster a society based on free-market principles. Here’s an overview of the project:
Origins and Goals
- Conception: The Free State Project was conceived by Jason Sorens, who proposed the idea in 2001 while at Yale University. The idea was to have at least 20,000 libertarians move to one state.
- Selection of New Hampshire: After considering several states, New Hampshire was chosen in 2003 due to its relatively small population, existing small-government ethos, and the famous state motto, “Live Free or Die.”
- Objectives:
- To achieve a “critical mass” of libertarians to influence state politics, legislation, and culture.
- To reduce the size and scope of government intervention in people’s lives.
- To promote personal freedom, economic freedom, and civil liberties.
Strategy and Activities
- PorcFest: Since 2004, the FSP has organized the annual Porcupine Freedom Festival (PorcFest), an event that brings together members of the libertarian community for networking, education, and celebration of libertarian values.
- Political Involvement: Members have run for and won various local and state offices, influencing policy in areas like education, taxes, and regulation.
- Community Building: Beyond politics, the project encourages the creation of libertarian-friendly businesses, schools, and social networks within New Hampshire.
Impact and Criticism
- Impact on New Hampshire: There’s been a noticeable influence on state politics with the introduction and passage of laws reflecting libertarian principles, like those expanding gun rights and reducing certain taxes.
- Criticism:
- Political Polarization: Some argue that the influx of libertarians has led to increased political polarization within the state, potentially alienating other residents.
- Practicality: Critics question whether libertarian ideals can be fully realized in practice or if they might lead to unintended social consequences.
- Demographic Changes: There’s debate over how the project might change the demographic and cultural fabric of New Hampshire.
Current Status
- Although the initial goal was to move 20,000 people, the project has not reached this number officially, but it has significantly influenced state politics and culture. The Free State Project continues to attract individuals who are committed to libertarianism, with ongoing efforts to increase their numbers and impact.
The Free State Project stands as an intriguing experiment in political activism, community building, and the application of libertarian philosophy in a practical setting. Its legacy is still being written as participants continue to work towards their vision of a freer society.
Tell me about FSP leadership
The leadership of the Free State Project (FSP) has evolved over time, with various individuals taking on prominent roles to steer the initiative. Here’s an overview of key leadership figures:
Current Leadership (as of 2024):
- Eric Brakey – As of late 2024, Eric Brakey serves as the Executive Director of the Free State Project. Brakey is a former Maine State Senator, known for his libertarian views and activism. His involvement in the FSP was announced through social media posts, highlighting his transition from Maine politics to leading the FSP.
Historical and Notable Leadership:
- Jason Sorens – Jason Sorens is the founder of the Free State Project. He conceptualized the project while a Ph.D. student at Yale University, publishing his idea in “The Libertarian Enterprise” in 2001. Sorens continues to contribute to the broader libertarian movement, including through his academic work in political science.
- Carla Gericke – Known affectionately as “Queen Quill,” Carla Gericke has been a significant figure in the FSP. She served as the executive director and has been involved in organizing events like PorcFest. Gericke, originally from South Africa, has been a vocal advocate for the project’s principles, often serving as its spokesperson.
- Jeremy Kauffman – Jeremy Kauffman was involved with the FSP board but departed in 2023 after a vote by the board. His tenure was noted for extending the project’s social media reach.
- Board of Directors: The FSP is governed by a board, which includes or has included other notable figures like:
Leadership Roles and Influence:
- Executive Director: This role involves strategic leadership, managing operations, and being the public face of the FSP. The executive director works to advance the project’s goals by mobilizing participants, engaging with the community, and influencing state politics.
- Board of Directors: The board oversees the strategic direction of the FSP, ensuring it aligns with its mission. They also manage organizational governance, finances, and major decisions.
- Event Organizers: Figures like Carla Gericke have been instrumental in events like PorcFest, which are critical for community building and recruitment.
- Political Activists: Many in leadership or influential roles also engage in local politics, either running for office or supporting candidates who align with FSP principles, thereby directly impacting policy and legislation.
The leadership of the Free State Project has always been about promoting the ideals of liberty, individual responsibility, and limited government within New Hampshire. Over the years, they’ve navigated the challenges of growing a movement while maintaining its core values, influencing state politics, and fostering a community of like-minded individuals.
List top 5 challenges for FSP movement
Based on various analyses, criticisms, and the experiences of the Free State Project (FSP) members, here are the top five challenges facing the movement:
- Public Perception and Backlash:
- Challenge: The FSP has faced significant backlash from some segments of New Hampshire’s population and media, who view the movement with skepticism or outright opposition. Concerns include the potential for radical changes to the state’s social fabric, fears of libertarian ideologies being imposed, and the political polarization this has caused.
- Examples: Local resistance, like the case of the Concord City Council’s application for an armored vehicle citing “Free Staters” as a security concern, or the public and media portrayal of FSP members as outsiders trying to take over the state.
- Internal Cohesion and Strategy:
- Challenge: With a diverse group of libertarians, anarchists, and others, maintaining unity and agreement on strategies and goals can be difficult. There’s a wide spectrum of what “liberty” means to different members, leading to internal disagreements on tactics, from electoral politics to civil disobedience.
- Examples: Debates over whether to work within the existing political framework or to engage in more confrontational activism; the expulsion of members for advocating violence or holding views not in line with the project’s non-aggression principle.
- Achieving Critical Mass:
- Challenge: Although the FSP hit its initial goal of 20,000 sign-ups in 2016, the actual number of movers has been lower. The challenge lies in turning signatories into residents who actively participate in the project’s objectives.
- Examples: The logistical challenges of moving, job opportunities, housing, and acclimating to New Hampshire life can deter potential movers, resulting in only a fraction of signatories actually relocating.
- Political Influence vs. Practical Impact:
- Challenge: While FSP members have made gains in local and state politics, translating these into broad, lasting changes that reflect the project’s ideals remains complex. There’s tension between immediate political wins and the long-term vision of transforming the state’s governance and culture.
- Examples: Legislation passed by FSP-affiliated politicians sometimes faces pushback or is seen as catering to a narrow segment of the population, leading to mixed community reception.
- Sustainability and Community Building:
- Challenge: Building a cohesive, sustainable community in New Hampshire where FSP ideals are not just political goals but part of daily life is challenging. This involves not only attracting more libertarians but also ensuring they integrate well into existing communities without alienating locals.
- Examples: Efforts to create libertarian-friendly businesses, schools, and social networks have met with varying degrees of success. There’s also the challenge of maintaining enthusiasm and involvement over time as the novelty of the movement wanes.
These challenges highlight the complexities of executing such a unique political and social experiment, where the ideals of liberty must navigate through the realities of community dynamics, political systems, and personal life adjustments.
Describe an ideal libertarian society
Answer
An ideal libertarian society, as envisioned by many proponents of libertarianism, would be characterized by several key principles and practices aimed at maximizing individual freedom, minimizing government intervention, and fostering a society based on voluntary cooperation and free markets. Here’s how such a society might look:
1. Limited Government
- Minimal State: The government’s role would be severely limited, focusing only on essential functions like protecting individual rights, maintaining law and order, and possibly national defense. Some libertarians advocate for even less, envisioning a society with no government at all (anarcho-capitalism).
- No Coercive Taxation: Instead of mandatory taxes, services could be funded through voluntary contributions, user fees, or private insurance.
2. Individual Rights and Freedoms
- Personal Liberty: Individuals would enjoy extensive personal freedoms, including freedom of speech, religion, association, and the right to privacy. Any form of coercion or aggression against individuals or their property would be prohibited.
- Property Rights: Strong protection of property rights would be central, with clear, enforceable ownership rights over both real and intellectual property.
3. Free Market Economy
- Voluntary Exchange: All economic interactions would be based on voluntary trade, free from government regulation beyond basic fraud and contract enforcement. This would foster innovation, competition, and consumer choice.
- No Central Planning: The economy would be driven by market forces rather than government planning, with prices reflecting true supply and demand dynamics.
- Private Solutions for Public Goods: Even services traditionally seen as public goods (like roads, education, healthcare) would potentially be handled by private entities through market mechanisms, philanthropy, or mutual aid societies.
4. Decentralization and Localism
- Local Governance: Governance would be as local as possible, with communities having the autonomy to set their own rules within the framework of respecting individual rights. This could lead to a variety of living arrangements tailored to community preferences.
- Decentralized Law and Order: Law enforcement could be privatized or community-based, with dispute resolution through private arbitration or community courts rather than a centralized legal system.
5. Voluntary Associations and Mutual Aid
- Community and Cooperation: Voluntary associations would be key to providing services, support, and community governance. Mutual aid societies could handle issues like health, welfare, and education.
- Social Networks: Social bonds would be strong, with individuals relying on networks of friends, family, and community rather than state welfare.
6. Peace and Non-Aggression
- Non-Aggression Principle: This principle would be a cornerstone, asserting that no one should initiate force against others or their property. This ethos would extend to international relations, favoring peace and non-interventionism.
7. Education and Culture
- Freedom in Education: Education would be decentralized, with schools run by private entities, co-ops, or families, allowing for diverse educational philosophies and methods.
- Cultural Diversity: With less state control over cultural norms, there would be a rich tapestry of cultural practices, but all would be expected to respect the rights of others.
Challenges and Considerations:
- Balance: Achieving a balance between absolute freedom and the need for some form of order or community standards would be a constant challenge.
- Equity: Critics often point out potential disparities in wealth and power, suggesting mechanisms for equality might be less robust without government intervention.
- External Threats: How such a society would handle threats from external forces or manage collective action problems like environmental issues remains debated.
This vision of an ideal libertarian society emphasizes individual autonomy, voluntary interaction, and a minimal state, aiming to create a society where people are free to live as they choose, as long as they do not infringe upon the freedoms of others. However, the practical implementation of such ideals involves significant challenges and requires innovative solutions to age-old societal problems.
I 
NH! One of the best things about living in the Free State is being able to immerse yourself in pristine Nature at a moment’s notice.
“Forest bathing,” a term coined in Japan in the 80s, has many benefits:
* boosts your immune system
* lowers blood pressure
* helps with depression
* reduces cortisol & adrenaline (stress hormones)
* turns down fight-or-flight responses.
For me, it is a time to be alone with my thoughts (no earphones) while also trying to be present in the now, and sometimes, to practice patience (see photo).
I recently rediscovered the meaning of the word “saunter,” which stems from “a la sainte terre” referring to pilgrims who walked to the Holy Land. Synonyms include “rove” and “wander”.
I like these more than “hike,” which sounds so assertive and purpose-driven, which, of course, has its place, but not on a misty, drizzly morning of woe.
Yes, I get mopey too.
Everyone does.
But I have learned to arrest that feeling before it takes significant hold.
The moment I recognize The Blues setting in, I know it behooves me to Get Outside!
We don’t want to admit that improving our physical and emotional state isn’t nearly as complicated as we’d like to make it.
In fact, it’s so simple, we often refuse to do it, but Ouma was right: “Go play outside!”
Breathe the pure air. Listen to the pine-dampened forest sounds, the birds’ calls, the squirrels’ chatter, the babbling brook. Notice the hawk soaring overhead. Spot the most miniature of mushrooms fighting to rise to meet the sky. Raise your face to the sun, and say, I am here to learn about life, to learn about love, to discover how to love it all, which starts with learning to love myself, flaws and all.
Are YOU taking care of YOU?
“The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.” ~ Epictetus
This one struck me recently regarding an argument about gun grabbers on X.
Life is successfully navigating the time you have by deciding where best to focus your attention because that’s the ONE THING you can control in life: YOUR MIND.
Controlling your mind is superior to having your mind controlled.
If you find yourself doom scrolling or binge watching content or worrying about something dire that may or may not happen in the future, are YOU fully present in this experience, or are external forces “making you feel this way”?
I’ve become hyper-aware of who or what is “stealing” my time, and I’ve learned to guard my attention like it’s precious. (Oh yes I did, ring ring!)
And I’m applying this “sanity code” to federal politics too.
For example: Conversations about who is or isn’t a gun grabber is not material to my life and I simply won’t expend any more energy on it.
If they pass laws to ban guns, who will comply? It’s an artifical, manufactured hysteria point at this stage, with lucrative vested interests on both sides keeping the issue alive.
Here’s my take: If someone is confiscating guns, I know what I’m doing. Beyond that, I have other things to spend my time on.
Control your mind or someone will control it for you.
Out on the trail with 2 dogs when it’s 17F makes me… a Granite Stater! 
The cold hardly bothers me anymore and I love the crunch of snow under my boots. Whenever I hear that sound I think how bizarre it is to be walking on frozen water that fell from the sky! Grrtz, grrtz.
I’m not sure what’s been most instrumental in my acclimatization:
* Proper winter outergear
* Woolen underthings
* Living here 15+ years
* THE ROUTINE COLD SHOWERS I NOW TAKE <— longevity tool
In any event, I’m glad I learned to love winter like some people love the bomb… or bong… or sumthang?!? lol
Light at the end of the tunnel! A cliché, yes, but as we enter winter, always a good mindset to carry against the literal darkness.
Figuring out your winter coping strategies is vital to being a well-adjusted Free Stater.
Here are some of mine, AKA “An African in North-East America” 
:
Proper clothing! The Scandinavians say there’s no such thing as cold weather, only improper clothing. Woolen socks, silk undergarments, good gloves and hats all go a long way to making the cold days more toasty.
Get outside! I take almost daily 45+ minute walks. Yeah, you’re not going to feel like it some days, but go do it anyway. Even just around the block but hopefully farther. One of the best reasons to get a dog… built-in accountability partner! If you don’t have a pet, find someone to walk with you or who will check-in to see if you did.
Happy light! Yes, both the orange ball in the sky that you should be looking at intentionally at sunrise and sunset, but also, get an additional boost with a desktop light therapy lamp. Even 5 minutes a day will improve your mood.
Up or start taking Vitamin D. Just do it.
Meditation! A positive mindset in winter can make a massive difference. I used to get depressed when our Overlords decreed that the time change, resulting in it being dark at 4:20pm, but that was before I understood winter doesn’t get worse and worse, darker and darker, for longer and longer, but rather, instead, it starts getting lighter again before Christmas. Then it’s just the home-stretch to Spring!
If you just need a break… get away! Maybe you can’t afford to travel somewhere sunny and warm, but you can fake a summer-like experience at home. Pick your favorite beach movies, make some of your favorite summer foods, and throw a picnic on a blanket in front of the TV.
Socialize! Or nest! Remember, human contact is important, but also, for me, winter is a wonderful time to recharge my batteries, reflect on what I’ve accomplished, get projects that slipped under fresh eyeballs, catch up, cocoon, and contemplate next steps.
What do you want to accomplish in 2024?
What can you get done over the next 2 months to position yourself for success?
Is there something on the 2023 list you can still bang out? (I’m looking at you basement floor project! lol)
Is there one thing you can do for a friend that will make a remarkable difference in their lives?
Is there one lifestyle tweak you can introduce now, that if practiced routinely for the next 45 days will create a new sustainable lifetime habit? (I’m looking at you, HYDRATION.)
When winter comes, it can seem never-ending, but, as the Stoics and my Ma will say: This too shall pass.
How YOU choose to let Winter pass is, well, up to YOU!
Live mindfully free, use tricks to make life better, and thrive!
[Photo: Louis and Obi on Head Pond Trail last Sunday.]
One of my favorite interviews ever! Michelle and I discuss the Free State Project, which offers the best solution against statism, why NH is awesome and how we can keep it that way, COVID-madness, self-ownership, transformations, my Origin Story, and, unbelievably, more!
Oldie but goodie! Back in 2016, The Economist said “shock-troops” were coming… Don’t know why liberty should be “shocking” unless you are so quelled that you like your life with a hulking side of Big Bad Bro totalitarianism, but thousands of “allies” have indeed moved to the Free State to join thousands of liberty lovers already here because “Liberty Lives in New Hampshire!” #MakeYourMove #LiveFreeAndThrive
Live Free, or Try: NH’s Free State Project Reaches Critical Mass
“AFTER successful careers in engineering, Dan and Carol McGuire could have pursued retirements of highbrow ease—the couple’s interests range from American history to collecting modern art. Instead they moved across the country from Washington state in response to an essay by a young libertarian, Jason Sorens, arguing that if enough believers in limited government moved to a single state (ideally one with a small population and a “live and let live” ethos), they could exert real influence.
That essay spawned the “Free State Project” (FSP), whose early members voted to make New Hampshire their testbed. This was a nod to the state’s modest scale, its culture of Yankee self-reliance and low taxes, and its unusually accessible political system, starting with the state’s House of Representatives, whose 400 members answer to a few thousand constituents each, and are paid $100 a year. The FSP devised a pledge for activists to sign, by which they agreed to move to New Hampshire if 19,999 other libertarians made the same commitment. Once that critical mass was reached, FSP members pledged to make their own trek within five years. The FSP announced on February 3rd that the 20,000 target has been reached.
In the past decade 2,000 pioneers could not wait and moved anyway. A total of about 40 Free Staters have been elected to New Hampshire’s statehouse at various points, among them the McGuires, husband-and-wife Republican legislators who represent overlapping districts. Free Staters have helped to legalise gay marriage and ease rules on everything from home schooling to selling unpasteurised milk.
Some wins were easy. A repeal of all state knife laws passed in 2010: Mr McGuire shows off a now-legal switch-blade that can be opened with one hand, noting that such knives are handy tools for paramedics. Mrs McGuire is proud of a law making it simpler for farmers to slaughter their own chickens and rabbits. The couple credit Free Staters with making New Hampshire juries more aware of their right to throw out cases that seem to offend natural justice, under the centuries-old principle of nullification. Future battles loom over school choice and over using public money to send children to private schools.
Free Staters are yet to overcome national partisan divisions. In 2015 New Hampshire’s Democratic governor vetoed a law making it legal to carry a gun without a licence, backed by conservatives of all stripes, some of them libertarians. Interviewed at her suggestion in a smoke-filled Manchester cigar bar, the FSP’s president, Carla Gericke, stresses that some Free Staters have run for office as Democrats (though they are a small minority). One Democratic Free Stater is currently trying to legalise prostitution. Others are moved by internet privacy and alternative currencies such as bitcoin.
Ms Gericke would like to see New Hampshire become a “mix between Alaska and Amsterdam on personal freedoms, and Hong Kong on economic freedoms”. That is a stretch. As a fine place to live New Hampshire attracts lots of newcomers, many of them more conventional than the FSP’s shock-troops. Still, Ms Gericke hopes that are allies on the way. Pledge-signers have e-mailed to say that their homes are on the market, she says. New Hampshire boasts a property firm founded by a Free Stater (and former member of the state House) to help project members move. It is called Porcupine Real Estate, after a favourite libertarian animal, honoured as a beast which is dangerous only when attacked.”
Source: “Live Free, or Try” at The Economist.
My friend Sarah Chamberlain wrote this essay on Medium, and I wanted to share here too. If you only read one thing today, let it be this.
Please save, screenshot, etc., then boost.
I don’t usually ask for my content to be shared. What I am about to say though is perhaps the most important thing I will ever say in public, and in the present landscape of the internet, there is a very high probability that it is being silenced or erased even now as you read it. So, I am asking you to please, save an offline and/or archived copy of this letter RIGHT NOW.
If, once you’ve read this letter, you feel that it has any value or interest whatsoever, please, as a personal favor, send it on through whichever channels, to whichever people you feel safe doing so.
If you think what I say is absurd, please share my letter with your friends so you can all laugh at me.
If you think that what I say is evil, please share it with your friends so you can all rage at me.
If you think I deserve to be punished for what I say, please send my letter on to the “authorities” or to any person you think might hurt me for writing it. At least then, those people will have a chance to read it.
I am
an American, a New Hampshirewoman, a lover of liberty, and a happily married mother of four beautiful children. I have a wonderful life, a bright future, and could not ask for any greater blessing than those I have already received.
My enemies are
in a word, communists. Modern communists do not usually call themselves such. They do not talk about workers rising up and seizing the Means of Production.
Instead, modern communists adopt a rhetorical stance where they assume that all people and all property are ALREADY COLLECTIVIZED, then calmly discuss what WE should do:
– What WE should ALLOW people to own.
– What WE should ALLOW people to do.
– What WE should ALLOW people to say.
– How WE should ALLOW people to use their property.
– How WE should ALLOW people to conduct their businesses,
– … and WHO should be ALLOWED,
– … and WHERE.
– How WE should ALLOW people to raise their children.
– Who should be GIVEN which roles within society.
– etc.
The issue under discussion is always something sympathetic, something most decent people would like to see fixed: Intergenerational poverty, police brutality, environmental degradation, bigotry, violence.
But the solutions modern communists put forward are rarely passive, and they are never liberating. If a problem can be solved by individual action, voluntary charity, by the free market, or by the passage of time, that is never seen as good enough. In fact, nothing that fails to increase the power and control of governments or certain institutions (or to grow the people’s dependence on them) is ever regarded as a solution at all.
The people who do the work of modern communism, debating and voting on these “issues of the day” are mostly not aware of what they are doing. A majority of them are decent people who want real problems addressed. But their thinking is confined to a multiple choice question presented by prestige media and schools where only oppressive proposals are listed as options.
Even those higher up the food chain, the ones who create the policy proposals or set the bounds of debate around them are not usually conscious of the way they are manipulating the public. They are hobbled by a theory of history (care of the school system) where the past is merely a series of dragons slain by government policy, where everything is “systemic”, and where the free choices and conscientious actions of individuals have no meaningful effect.
This is how the enemy operates.
In order for modern communists to have the latitude to execute their plans, they need every citizen to be as weak and dependent as possible. They especially need the middle tiers of management, professions, and bureaucracy to be filled with minimally competent placeholders who owe their position to political and institutional favor. These sorts of people, since they are only able to achieve their present position through the system, are more pliable to coercion and less likely to see freedom in any aspect of life as promising or beneficial.
As a consequence, modern communists wage eternal war against every wholesome and sustainable aspect of life, society, and culture which gives people or communities strength and independence. They see it as desirable to destroy the natural optimum which people discover through freedom and competition and replace it with fragile, orchid-like solutions which could not thrive without government and/or institutional intervention:
– Those with demonstrable skills must be replaced by those with credentials.
– The self-employed must be reduced to the status of employees.
– Property must become regulated or burdened with tax and debt, and wherever possible, wealth must be rendered intangible as abstracted financial fictions constructed of laws.
– People must come to rely on government programs for security where they previously relied on themselves and each other.
– The traditional family and organic communities it forms, such as churches, must be invaded, defanged, and delegitimized to leave people at the mercy of authorities.
To a modern communist, “freedom” means the opportunity for individuals to choose some fundamentally maladaptive way of life and be protected from consequences, encouraged and subsidized by power.
The weaker you are, the more useful you are to those in power. Those who choose to be weak and dependent where they could be healthy and independent are collaborators.
This is what I see happening.
The American public has come to accept all the components of totalitarian states.
– We have come to accept a militarized police.
– We have come to accept ideological indoctrination in schools.
– We have come to accept mass surveillance.
– We have come to accept speech codes.
– We have come to accept the rewriting of history to serve the interests of the ruling party.
– We have come to accept the tarring of political dissidents as “terrorists”, “extremists”, and “White Supremacists.”
– We have come to accept the State telling us when and where we can meet.
– We have come to accept the State shutting down our places of worship.
– We have come to accept the idea that parents should have no special authority over their children.
– We have come to accept the manipulation of thought through the manipulation of language.
– We have come to accept the radical reordering of society by government in the name of crisis.
In the 2016 election, the full-throated manipulation by the mainstream press, academia, and the political establishment was so intense, and so obvious, that many people (myself included) who did not consider themselves “conservative” voted for Donald Trump just to poke a finger in the eye of Leviathan. So many people did so that his margin of victory exceeded the margin of cheat, and he was actually able to become president.
In the intervening years, the modern communists of both parties (though more so the Democrats) and those same media and academia mandarins have only doubled down on their commitment to subjugating the public and clamping down on our personal freedom and political prerogatives. Somehow, in losing electorally, we are to believe that their mandate for runaway collectivism and authoritarianism was strengthened.
Now, in the 2020 election, the fraud and manipulation became so glaringly obvious that, at the time of writing, at least 47% of all Americans, regardless of party loyalty, understand that the election was stolen and Joe Biden is illegitimate. Somehow though, it is still a long shot that Donald Trump, the person who has done more to expose the mendacity and incompetence of the ruling party and institutions than anyone else, will be seated as President.
Every one of those Americans who understands this must realize that this is it. This is the last moment for the American Republic, the last time we will even have a glimmer of a chance of an honest election result, and the last time any opposition to modern communism will be afforded space in the public square. And yet, neither I nor most of you are going to do anything about this situation that might risk our present status or comfort.
This is why I won’t yet act.
Unfortunately for me, the crisis has come either too late or too early. Our family has four young children, a single income, and a base of assets which could be easily lost but probably never replaced. We are maximally vulnerable to the sorts of attacks which collectivists bring against those who fight back.
Even so, if the fight were on, if the majority of Americans who this past election shows are opposed to creeping collectivism were on the march, I would risk it all to join them. No comfort, no wealth, not even life itself is as important as preserving the possibility of human freedom. The hive-society prison which is being built around us must be demolished at any cost.
But when I look around me, I see many people who are paralyzed as I am. We know that the fight for our republic is unavoidable, and that the time is now, but do not see a nucleus of resistance to which we can pledge our lives, fortunes, and sacred honors without it being tantamount to suicide. We are watching and waiting for someone else to be that nucleus.
Most people who have not committed to the cause of freedom are not conscious supporters of modern communism. Some hold out the futile hope that things will all go back to normal, others have convinced themselves that what is happening is inevitable and cannot be opposed. Both are dead wrong. As open struggle against collectivism, communism, authoritarianism, and globalism rises, both of these positions will weaken, and support for freedom will grow.
If you have the courage to act where I do not,
here is what I WILL do:
– If you speak out against them, I will listen.
– If you act against them, I will not stand in your way.
– If they portray you as uncool, cringey, old-fashioned, unintelligent, or low-class, I will not laugh at you or think less of you.
– If they call you a racist, sexist, xenophobe, homophobe, Nazi, granny killer, etc., I will not believe them, nor will I care.
– If they call you a terrorist or an extremist, I will not assume that you are in the wrong.
– When they ask me questions, I will lie, forget, or evade as I am able.
– When they tell me their version of history, I will smile and nod and know they are liars.
– If they dispossess you, I will share what I can.
– If they martyr you, my children will learn your name as that of a hero.
– If you have the courage to be shameless in opposing them, you will be honored in my house.
This is what I will remember.
1. The universities and the class of “experts” and “professionals” to whom they grant legitimacy have no constitutional role in the American Republic. No amount of schooling grants one authority over others, and no consensus among the educated should have the force of law.
2. The guarantee in the Constitution of “Freedom of the Press” is not a grant of authority to the legacy media or to professional journalists. It is, in fact, a right belonging to the people: WE have the right to publish and disseminate views and information the same as those who work for newspapers or television networks.
3. The Intelligence and Defense establishments of the US exist to secure the rights and liberties of the American people. The US has constructed a vast apparatus to deploy force, subvert or overthrow governments, and disseminate propaganda, but these activities are only legitimate when they are directed OUTWARD. When the geopolitical capabilities of the US government do not act to empower the American people and sustain our Constitution, they are just as criminal as the same actions taken by private citizens.
4. Law enforcement and defense against violence is the responsibility of each and every person. Even though we have become accustomed to having these services provided by professionals, they remain our right and our personal responsibility.
5. Education of the young is the responsibility of parents and natural communities. Even though we have become accustomed to having this service provided by professionals, it remains our right and our personal responsibility.
6. Provision of necessities such as food and shelter is the responsibility of each and every person. Even though we have become accustomed to these goods being delivered by a vast and interconnected economic machinery over which we have little control, it remains our right and our duty to provide for ourselves and those we care about.
7. Though peace, prosperity, happiness, and a long life are all wonderful conditions to experience, they are not what makes a human life worthwhile. Humans have dignity and value insofar as they are free agents struggling and striving to obtain these ends. “Treating someone as a human being” does not mean coddling them and providing for them like you would a child or a pet. It means getting out of their way and leaving them the freedom and latitude to provide for themselves.
8. Whoever relinquishes their freedom to obtain comfort or security is not acting as a human, but as an animal. Because our fates are all intertwined, such a person is betraying all of us, and does not deserve our concern or regard.
— Sarah Chamberlain
Alcohol prohibition ended on December 5, 1933. Now imagine if we ended the prohibition of drugs, as we sensibly did with alcohol.
Imagine if we told people the truth about how harmful each substance is based on science, not peoples’ “feelings” or indoctrinations.
Pot and heroin? Not the same at all. Alcohol? Like, super bad for you even though it’s legal. If you want to improve your health, you should quit using this neurotoxin regularly. I quit alcohol entirely on December 26, 2017. The improvements in my life are remarkable. Try it, you might like it!
We can #LiveFreeAndThrive as long as we are free to make informed decisions about our own bodies. Prohibition doesn’t work, leads to more harm than good, and rewards bad actors. Let’s get the government out of the way, and let the free market reign!
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