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Free State Project 93% Towards Goal (freestateproject.org)
Okian Warrior writes: Long term readers may recall the Free State Project, a plan to gather 20,000 liberty-minded participants and move to a low-populated state, as covered here on Slashdot. The project reached 90% of its 20,000 member goal last year with accelerated growth in recent months, and is on track to trigger the move to New Hampshire before year's end.
Should be entertaining.
I wish them luck. If nothing else, this could be very entertaining. They might even accomplish something.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
So.. 1.5% of the population... that's a powerful voting block?
Are we sure that this isn't just the New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce trying to get wealth individuals? At least in Wyoming, you'd be over 3%...
This is really a lot of hype.
Let them spend a full winter in NH and we'll see just how many stick around.
I've been following their progress from the beginning, and they're already having an effect on local politics.
A number of free staters are already a member of the NH house. They managed to get the law banning switchblades repealed. This made sense, because virtually no one gets injured by switchblades, and there's lots of situations where being able to open a knife one-handed is really useful (such as EMS and rock climbing).
They were just shy of legalizing marijuana in the last round (2 votes short of an override of the Governor's veto), they made it legal to inform juries of their right to nullification, and they've reduced the budget.
(On jury nullification: at least one person was acquitted on cannibus charges by unanimous jury vote.)
All in all, they're really having an effect. I can't wait to see what happens when the entire 20,000 get here.
"Liberty Minded" is US code word for "white male who own guns".
members who sign up should document everything about their experience related to project and especially difficulties they encounter, and their motivations.
then make them publicly available. that way when members fall off, and this probably fails, future planners of this sort of thing can learn.
btw there are have been similar successful 'projects' in past; some of european colonization, cossack settlement in russia, some 19th century nationalist(actually pretty racist germen settlements in south america) etc etc
I think this is a fascinating idea - but I haven't heard how they are going to address the #1 hurdle to moving to a new state: getting a job.
Do all 20k (or 0.93*20k) people have a job lined up for at least one person in their household?
Lets wait and see how many back out when the move gets triggered. There is a huge difference between signing a non-binding pledge and leaving jobs and home to move to NH.
Pick some pacific island paradise high enough MSL to avoid global warming .if you're a skeptic, consider it an insurance policy just in case you're wrong, because no true libertarian makes absolute declarations otherwise they wouldn't believe in the need for free speech, yes? Buy it outright or take it and be prepared to defend it. My nom nom nominations:
http://whenonearth.net/15-unin...
http://mentalfloss.com/article...
http://webecoist.momtastic.com...
http://www.touropia.com/uninha...
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.u...
http://gregology.net/2010/04/i...
May I suggest Dumblandia?
Apparently "liberty-minded" means "interested in co-opting" someone else's constituency,
Quite apart from the question of whether this is feasible, I think am important question is whether this is morally right? People who have lived in a cplace for generations generally get up in arms if a large group - say, muslims - suddenly stream in and want to change things; the same will apply with any other large group. They are simply newcomers, who want to impose their views on people. And, of course, isn't there something contradictory in trying to impose "Freedom" on anybody?
Why New Hampshire? What's different about it?
Moving to another state with a real likelihood of no equivalent employment just for an ideological cause, by definition is self-selecting for the upper reaches of the UMC or even higher. Now this crowd will instantly pipe up: "I code from home so no problem". How much _real_ broadband is available in New Hampshire? Where it is available is probably not too cheap, cost of living-wise (see first point).
Libertarian: one with the enough luxuries of time and money to take a bold political stance.
Is to build a fence around New Hampshire and basically turn it into a big jail.
I checked out their website and saw them asking for donations.
That's enough to know they're full of crap.
You can't claim self reliance while asking for donations.
If they got something so basic wrong, what else are they lying about?
Grammer Nazis - I mod you "troll" unless you actually add something on-topic. Yes, I know I have mispellings in my sig.
There are many advantages, there are disadvantages too.
Disadvantages go first:
1. Many people do no like cold, period. You cannot change that, unless you are hell bent on warming the planet so much to increase the temperature of the state bordering with Canada.
2. Not central. Meaning too far and too aside. If one does move here transportation expenses would increase. If, however, New Hampshire would become the richest state, I am sure more and cheaper flights would be made available.
3. Property taxes are really high. Stated needs to finance somehow and property tax is the catch. Has anyone seen free staters' intentions to reduce them? On the other hand, if compared to New Jersey, for example, other states have property AND state income tax. In some ways NH is a low income tax state, though.
I could not think of any other disadvantages
1. Too far and too aside and too cold. That also means one thing: only very dedicated people will go there and is a selection mechanism.
2. Lowest taxes. If not the lowest taxes, then probably within top 3 lowest taxation states. If anyone is thinking of opening the business, this is a good place to consider.
3. Does not require automobile insurance. That being said, state has the lowest car insurance rates and, because the rates are low, most of the people are insured voluntarily.
4. Seat Belts are optional.
5. All in all, this is probably one of the states with the statistical highest living standard and lower costs. The concept "Statistical" is meaningless, but in the long term you will probably be better and you will have more savings.
Conclusion:
If you are starting your own business or you found a job, by all means, move there. I can predict that soon pot will be fully legalized, so this is additional bonus for those who are into it.
Say that everything they are seeking for actually happens.
Then what. They live there, they have children. Who is to say the children will want the same things. Each generation has to choose for itself. It is likely that after 1 generation, the starry eyed idealists will be replaced with their realist children who don't understand the core reasons their parents moved. Generations forget.
I was on jury duty last year.
First they show you a propaganda film which states that the oath you take will indeed have to be based "strictly on the law." The actual oath you take, you simply swear to "uphold the Constitution of the United States and of New Jersey."
Ultimately the case was settled before it went to trial.
As a NH resident, thanks for the warning.
If these people pull off their scheme and succeed in flooding our state legislature with anarchists (whatever label they choose to apply, they're basically anarchists), it's going to be time to move somewhere else where folks still see the value in paving the roads.
Let me tell ya something. Southern California used to be more like Texas. So was Florida. Than all ya New Yorkers and Connecticats moved to those states. Ran most of them into the ground. So now you're fleeing those states....to where?
Colorado, Idaho, etc. It's you liberal big state, stupid !@#$% who do most of the migrating and screwing up the local constituency. So apologies, if a handful of us who want you to leave us alone and quit chasing us, decided to pick one itsy bitsy tiny little place that most held our beliefs and concentrate there.
The truth is, you liberals are more akin to ISIS. Wanting to mandate your laws and morality on everyone else. And sure you deride Libertarians. But it's just how you guys deride Israel, a tiny state surrounded by tons of Arab states. Exclaim the immoral actions of Israel, ignoring the fact that it's neighboring Arab regimes kill 100x more. And also forgetting that they were chased out of pretty much every other part of the world (except the U.S.).
So you deride said Libertarians, but you're the ones that have far more in common with the pan-Islamic state that ISIS is pushing. Versus the Libertarians who simply want to be left alone, and leave alone... .hmmm...
New Hampshire, has always been a strongly libertarian leaning state for the northeast, especially New England area. Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire along with Oregon were often referred to as the left libertarian states. As in it tended to be "socially liberal" and "libertarian".
So basically New Hampshire, seemed to be one of those locations where it'd be most easy to say "I support your right to gay marriage, guns, and ganja". It's also a very beautiful rustic state.
Heck, when ALL their license plates exclaim "LIVE FREE OR DIE", of course it's going to be one of the top choice of people who want to live freely.
http://www.plateshack.com/y2k/...
I feel sorry for New Hampshire if these right wing nuts move there in mass.
Base principle of effective government right there.
Complexity is the enemy of reliability, and when laws are most numerous, the state is most corrupt (with sincere apologies to Alan Robertson, Tacitus, and Sun Tzu).
The Georgists who moved to Arden, Delaware with the same basic idea as the Free Staters (that is, to go to a small state where their ideas would have more impact on society) had a long-term positive effect on the area, reaching even beyond Delaware's borders. People who are willing to pull up roots and work in order to achieve their ideas - people who are willing to strive towards their goals - sometimes build vibrant, dynamic and productive communities... although not always, as the ruins of Salubria and Icaria attest.
"..if you don't support liberty for ... muslims...". I don't think it is at all unreasonable to deny (for example) Freedom of Religion to some persons or group if they don't support Freedom of Religion for others. In the case of muslims, this kind of hypocrisy is clearly documented in their book. None of the other demographics you mentioned do that sort of thing.
Someone hasn't thought their statements through to their logical conclusion: by denying "(for example) Freedom of Religion to some persons or group if they don't support Freedom of Religion for others", you must necessarily also deny Freedom of Religion to yourself and everyone like you, because you are a person or group that doesn't support Freedom of Religion for others!
Didn't we see what happened the last time someone tried to build Galt's Gulch?
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2...
Fully licensed blockchain psychiatrist
One small anecdote should drive the point home. Note that I have had many experiences when I lived there that also might illustrate the issue nicely, but it takes a while to write this all down, so just the one anecdote will have to suffice to prime the palette if you will.
While at the beach I went to "The Cows Ass" leather shop and I was duly impressed with my "freedom" to purchase things such as Nunchaku, Throwing Stars, and various other cool martial arts "toys". A particular cane caught my eye. The lady behind the counter proceeded to demonstrate this it was actually a Sword Cane. I didn't want the sword part, but decided I would buy the thing and use an oxyacetylene torch to cut the sword part off, and then it would actually be able to store things as an added benefit. I was gleeful as I went to the bar, got drunk, and then proceeded to walk home. On the way back home I stopped and sat on a bench where I fell asleep / passed out.
:-( Luckily, or so I thought, a police cruiser was coming down the road so I waved the cop over. When I told him my stuff was stolen he claimed to know nothing about the glasses, but that he confiscated my cane because it was illegal ! I couldn't believe it since I purchased it at a store on the main part of Hampton Beach. Still I told the officer that it was no problem that he confiscated it as I had no intention of owning an illegal item. I asked that he provide me with some documentation that he took the cane so I could return to The Cows Ass and get a refund for my hard earned money. The Cop refused to do so.
When I awoke my glasses and Sword Cane were gone!!!
After a bit of "recovery time" I returned home and proceeded to call the Hampton Police department and asked to speak with whomever is in charge. I was actually told that "nobody is in charge". When I persisted I was told that an officer would be out to speak with me about the incident. When I opened the door the cop immediately arrested me!
Months later, The Cows Ass was still selling the illegal canes of course, though the department was well aware of their practice of selling them.
Do you want to guess who had the money and the power? Both the store and the law had even more money as The Cows Ass got the money for the cane, and the piglice / courts fined me plenty, of course. You can bet their attitude was You ain't rich, and you ain't connected to anyone in power. Die Motherfuckka!. Indeed, though they never expressed those words literally, their attitude, affect, words, and body language were very clear that they would be fine with it if I did die, and actually would prefer it.
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Good riddance if they can pull this off peacefully. If we're lucky they'll build a wall completely around themselves.
Porc barrelling.
Re: previous comments: no, we're not all white or male. In fact, our biggest legislative stars are state reps Amanda Bouldin, Jenn Coffey, and Elizabeth Edwards. (Two of them are Democrats, BTW).
We've cut the state taxes, passed a school choice scholarship plan, legalized microbreweries, and legalized microbreweries. We have three marijuana-legalization bills in the statehouse this year (it's been passed six times, Democrat governors keep blocking it).
I've been in NH since 2008. It's a great place to live: no crime, good economy, beautiful for kayaking and hiking. Head over to nhliberty.org and check out our efforts to "Live Free or Die" ;)
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20140115/OPINION02/140119643
My earlier comment mentioned our star legislators Jenn Coffey, Elizabeth Edwards, and Amanda Bouldin (one R and two Democrats, respectively). I forgot about Jody Underwood, who has singlehandedly brought town-level school choice to NH. Here's one of my op-eds about it (I've been in NH since 2008): http://www.concordmonitor.com/...
The number of FSPers who have moved to New Hampshire pales in comparison to the number of moderately conservative white middle class suburban folks emigrating from Massachusetts. That voting bloc -- and yes, they do vote -- tend to lean law and order and are anti broad social spending, but are definitely not anti-government or libertarian. They're not after some government philosophy; they just want lower taxes for their single family home and 2 SUVs.
Support a few technologists in Washington.