Free Town Project - My Thoughts

[Rochelle]

Keene is a hub of throwing water balloons at federal buildings.

LOL  Nice wording on the post

I also agree...we need to be active politically all over the state in order to reach our long term goals of a free state--one without income taxes, eccessively funded public schools, and a small government.
A free town would basically short cut all that to getting freedom on a local level. It would be good for the 10 minutes it lasted until the state itself jacked up taxes, but in the long run the effect would be nothing.
We need to make the free state a success--politically, civil disobenienc--ey(?), however we can that way we can take it to the next level--which I personally think would be regionally, into other New England states.
We can then use the dissatisfied Vermonters to rally them into rolling back their government and making it smaller, using the New Hampshire success as an example.

But one step at a time...and New Hampshire as a whole comes first.

[Russell Kanning]

How about joining us in Keene Max? We are revved up and are hitting them on multiple fronts. I think I know 3 guys running for mayor now.

Will you vote for any of them?  I'm involved in Manchester at the moment, because it has become a major hub of political activism.  Keene is a hub of throwing water balloons at federal buildings.
They DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK.

No
I thought you were bummed about where you were living. I thought you were looking at Belize or back in WA or another place.
Water balloons are fun.
I think you are right. Rotten government thugs do not care very much about what we think. But have you seen one shake? Have you seen them fumble for words and answer, "I am just doing my job."? Maybe someday you will see it happen. It is fun.

[Russell Kanning]

Keene is a hub of throwing water balloons at federal buildings.
They DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK.

Max is right. While Rome burns, Keene is fiddling.

Instead of fiddling would you recommend running for the Senate while Rome burns?
If Washington was burning .... I would be learning the fiddle.

[Russell Kanning]

I also agree...we need to be active politically all over the state in order to reach our long term goals of a free state...
A free town would basically short cut all that to getting freedom on a local level. It would be good for the 10 minutes it lasted until the state itself jacked up taxes, but in the long run the effect would be nothing.

But one step at a time...and New Hampshire as a whole comes first.

Why would a free town get crushed by a state, but a free state wouldn't be beaten by a Nation?
I don't see anything wrong with working towards a free town and then working way up to getting rid of the whole government.

[David]

I didn't think the water ballon thing was very productive, although I agree in principle that the barrier of 'awe' needs to be broken down.

I don't question your intentions, or your effort, but to the political types, what is the overall strategy to win politically?
If you say we will help elect freedom minded folks to office, then my concern is this:  People don't like what we have to sell.  Many are afraid it won't work, and are afraid of becoming a failed state with the resulting violence.  Many don't trust us.  Many think to legalize something is the same as state sponsered acceptance, think drugs.  To a large number, particularly the active party political people, what we have to sell is in direct oposition to their desires, and agenda. 
As important as reason and logic is, it will not sell liberty. 

Only emotion will. 

Those in power will not just give it up.  There has never been a time when those in power just gave it up, never consistanly.  We were close once, but that was after a bloody gurrilla war.  And all we really achieved was to replace one gov't with a slightly weaker gov't.  But guess what... Realitive liberty brings prosperity, and since this weak gov't had some taxing power, our prosperity equalled more taxes.  High tax revenos, result in big, powerful gov'ts. 

Unless we directly confront those in power, we will never win. 

[Russell Kanning]

I didn't think the water ballon thing was very productive, although I agree in principle that the barrier of 'awe' needs to be broken down.

Ask Caleb. He figures that he owns the fed building on Saturdays now.

[PinoX7]

Those in power will not just give it up.  There has never been a time when those in power just gave it up, never consistanly. 

before we can make anyone give up power, we need a majority of support, there is probibly people all across New Hampshire with the same type of ideals as us, however, they are sort of disconnected from society. My mom delivers mail and she always tells me stories about how theres a guy people call the 'crazy preist' or something in keene, and when my mom acctually started talking to him he wasnt so crazy, just had differnt ideas of what was happening, but he knew something was happening.

[Rochelle]

Why would a free town get crushed by a state, but a free state wouldn't be beaten by a Nation?

Because the Federal government has already crushed the state government, while the state government has yet to crush the town government. It's the whole "give a weed an inch and it will take a foot" rational: the federal government has already taken its foot, now the state government in New Hampshire is sizing up a few inches....

We, as free staters, need to stop that. If we all just concentrated in one city or town, we might be able to get the regulations there down to Ideal Libertarian Level, but the rest of the state would continue heading towards implementing broadbased tax systems. We're more effective when we can run for office in mutiple areas and spread our ideas instead of isolating ourselves among our own kind.

[Russell Kanning]

But some could say a free state project is isolated.
To me .... I want to strike the root .... and the biggest root.
But if others get excited about a town or state .... I don't want to get in their way.

[Rochelle]

But some could say a free state project is isolated.

True, and there are a lot of people who haven't signed up for the Free State Project because of it. But the idea behind it is to hit a happy medium, not too big, not too small. Something that will be effective, get noticed and make a difference. It's more of a balancing act than anything else, I guess.

To me .... I want to strike the root .... and the biggest root.

Then guess you'd better go after the Feds...they're the biggest root...and the hardest to chop...okay, I tried to find a smiley that would convey frustration. But since none of them seemed to match the exact facial expression I would associate with that, I'll just go *frustrated*.

But if others get excited about a town or state .... I don't want to get in their way.

Agreed. No one should stop them, but there ain't nothin' wrong with advising against it.

[Quantrill]

Since the number of FSP members already in NH is relatively small (compared to the goal of 20K) then a town would probably be the ideal plan at this point.  A couple hundred people concentrated in one town can do a lot (though if you try to do too much too fast you will upset the locals and have a negative effect) as opposed to a couple hundred spread throughout the state. 

I must admit, I am very encouraged by what seems to be happening already.  I do have a question - Has anyone had any negative encounters with people upset that the FSP is there?  Maybe that question belongs in a thread of its own.  Just curious...

[maxxoccupancy]

Since the number of FSP members already in NH is relatively small (compared to the goal of 20K) then a town would probably be the ideal plan at this point.  A couple hundred people concentrated in one town can do a lot (though if you try to do too much too fast you will upset the locals and have a negative effect) as opposed to a couple hundred spread throughout the state. 

I must admit, I am very encouraged by what seems to be happening already.  I do have a question - Has anyone had any negative encounters with people upset that the FSP is there?  Maybe that question belongs in a thread of its own.  Just curious...

There are unofficial town projects in each region, right now.  By defualt, a lot of freestaters are concentrating in Dover (Seacoast region), Manchester (Merrimack Valley), Keene (west), Grafton (northern).  I think that this is a good thing, since a few activists can also change things on their school boards and boards of selectmen.

The free towns effort is nothing organized, but there are a lot of members migrating to these areas.

--Max

[Russell Kanning]

If your goal is freedom, I don't think you can do too much too fast.

[Dreepa]

  I do have a question - Has anyone had any negative encounters with people upset that the FSP is there?  Maybe that question belongs in a thread of its own.  Just curious...

I have had two people thank me.. and one is leery of me.

[dawn]

  I do have a question - Has anyone had any negative encounters with people upset that the FSP is there?  Maybe that question belongs in a thread of its own.  Just curious...

I have had two people thank me.. and one is leery of me.

Some people in Winchester have made a huge stink over the FSP. Personally, I think it makes them very foolish and hysterical. What are they afraid of - more freedom? Nah, probably afraid of any disruption in the "way they've always done things" in the very active good old boy's club.