Free State Observer

tank of gas to Lancaster, New Hampshire - $34.88
camping fee for two nights at Roger’s Campground - $46.00
ticket to the Liberty Ladies’ first annual Cook-off - $7.00
chance to spend the weekend networking and partying with the finest bunch of libertarian political activists in the U.S…. priceless

I got back from PorcFest two days ago, exhausted and drained.  Like the protagonist of Robert Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”, I got home, went straight to bed, curled up in the fetal position, and tried to grok the experience.  It’s taken me two days to make sense of it all. 

On a surface level, it was a wonderful party.  I got to see most of my new friends in New Hampshire, as well as some from back in California and other parts of the U.S. whom I hadn’t seen since last PorcFest.  I made some new friends. The weather was beautiful (again), everyone was friendly as can be (again), and I heard some really inspirational and informative speeches from some individuals on the front lines of New Hampshire politics.

But I came away on Sunday feeling melancholy and confused.  Attendance at this year’s ‘fest was clearly lower than last year’s.  Michael Badnarik cancelled (wasn’t worth his while financially, apparently; phtphtff! Isn’t he supposed to be a participant of the Free State Project?).  The rock band that played last year didn’t come back (their asking price was too steep).  Maybe it was because I live here now, and know most of the conference speakers personally (hell, two of them were carrying my furniture up the stairs a week ago!), but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the whole thing was, well…. small-town.  Insular.  Members of the libertarian community who aren’t already FSP participants didn’t seem interested enough to get themselves to Lancaster to hear about the latest goings-on in the Free State.  I didn’t observe any members of the press in attendance.  Had the project peaked?  Was this as good as it was going to get?  Had I made a horrible mistake in moving here?!

Then it hit me (lying in the fetal position, at about 4:30AM this morning).  Yes, PorcFest *was* small-town.  Lancaster is small-town (it’s probably got more moose than people).  New Hampshire is small-town (at least from the perspective of a former San Francisco Bay Arean). THAT’S THE POINT.  The political inroads that have already been made by Free State Project early movers are rather mind-boggling when you line them up together.  In the course of just one day, festival attendees heard from a speaker who is the state chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus and a member of the state Republican Party’s platform committee (he’s been in the state less than a year)… a man who came within 50 votes of getting onto the City Council of one of the largest cities in the state… a 20-something woman who has already served as a Selectman in her small town… a homeschooling mother of two who wrote a bill which was passed by the House and Senate, signed by the Governor, and is now state law…. a 20-something man who spearheaded a statewide effort to defy federal National ID legislation, and has essentially succeeded, the best efforts of Washington D.C. to the contrary… Perhaps most amazing of all, over a dozen early movers are running for the State House this year… and several of them are expected to win!  Just think about that.  In just a few short months, the state of New Hampshire will have a bonafide libertarian caucus, every member of whom is a young (or young-at-heart), energetic go-getter on a mission to cut the size and scope of state government.  To my knowledge, such a situation hasn’t occurred anywhere in this country in the past 50 years.  Things are about to get very, very interesting around here.  This could never work back in California.  It could only work in small-town New Hampshire.  Keep an eye on it.

While I’m sharing this epiphany with you, allow me to share another.  Jack Daniels and Jaegermeister: just say no, kids.  Mein Gott in Heimel.

 

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I have been blogging for the better part of a year now about the Free State Project.  Now I’d like to tell you why I myself joined.  My hope is that I will convince at least one reader to make the same decision I did: to join the FSP and to be one of the First 1000 to move to New Hampshire.

I have always loved books and movies, primarily for the escapism they provide.  My favorite genres are science fiction, fantasy and action/adventure.  Although I’m aware intellectually that I’m incredibly “blessed”, or “lucky”, or whatever you want to call it, to have been born into this time and place, it often doesn’t feel that way.  I get caught up in the daily grind and it all seems so tedious and boring.  Books and movies provide a short-term path to a radically different time, place, and persona.

Philosophically I’m a libertarian.  “Philosophical” is the appropriate term to use, because it requires a certain viewpoint of the world and humanity in order to embrace the concept of limited government.  People don’t need to be told what to do.  People can, should, and must (whether they like it or not) tell themselves what to do, and bear the consequences of their choices and actions.  I have known many people in my life who, for whatever reason, fundamentally disagree with me on these points.  It therefore makes perfect sense that they are *not* libertarians.  If you don’t trust people to make their own decisions, and enjoy or suffer the consequences, then the alternative is to assign someone else, someone smarter, wiser, more trustworthy, to make the decisions for the people.

From the first moment I was exposed to the Free State Project, my mind was totally blown.  This was like the setup for a great novel or movie… only this was REAL!  What would happen if 20,000 libertarians all moved to the same small state and started flexing their live-and-let-live muscles politically, socially, economically…  I wanted to be a part of it.  It was very much an emotional response.  I’m aware that some people think I’m a complete lunatic for trusting a bunch of total strangers to keep their word and join me in an admittedly risky venture that impacts almost every aspect of your life. If enough other libertarians don’t move to New Hampshire, then my moving here won’t have meant much of anything.  It’s a gamble, and it requires a certain amount of optimism (or fatalism!).  It’s strange, really, because ordinarily I am neither a gambler nor an optimist.  Then again, what’s the alternative?  The daily grind… and using books and movies for escapism. 

Some people love the idea of the Free State Project but, for whatever reason, haven’t yet screwed up the courage to bite the bullet and make the move.  I won’t kid you, there’s some pain involved.  It’s analagous to yanking off a bandage; you know it’s going to hurt, but you also know that long-term you’re better off not having that silly piece of adhesive clinging to your skin.  It costs money to relocate and move into a new house or apartment.  You may have to quit a secure job and trust in your own abilities to find a new one.  You will leave some friends, and possibly family, behind.  You may have to adjust to a radically different climate than that to which you’re accustomed.

Is the risk worth it?  I can’t answer that for you; each of us who is a libertarian and dreams of living in a world where we are free of government coercion, free to pursue our economic, educational and social lives as we see fit, must answer that for ourselves.  In my case, the answer is unequivocally yes.  Now it’s your turn to answer the question.  And quit kidding yourself that your stalling is anything other than an answer to remain where you are, under the thumb of an increasingly restrictive, offensive and murderous government, essentially a slave paying out more than half of everything you earn for the privilege of living.  You can choose to be a part of one of the greatest social experiments of the 21st century.  If you have the courage of your convictions, hope for a brighter future, and/or the devil-may-care attitude to throw in your lot with several hundred freedom-loving strangers, join us.  Sign the First 1000 pledge, and start making your plans to move to New Hampshire.  It’s going to be glorious!  Trust me. ;-) 

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