mock the vote
It’s primary day in New Hampshire. In towns all over the state, starry-eyed Free State Project early movers are standing at polling places (and from the looks of the sky, will soon be standing in a thundershower), holding signs, bright smiles plastered firmly to their faces, asking that their fellow New Hampshire residents choose THEM (or one of their friends) to be their elected representatives instead of those other guys who want to be their elected representatives. With very few exceptions, they’re all running as Republicans. Because, as we all know, the Republican Party stands for limited government. 
What’s wrong with this picture?
I’m reminded of the excellent, if controversial, cartoon entitled No More Kings by the talented anarchist comic Dale Everett, creator of Anarchy In Your Head. A play on the popular Tolkien Lord of the Rings series, it shows Ron Paul holding out his hand, stating “Give me the ring, Frodo! With its power, I can lead the forces of liberty to victory.” I believe Everett’s goal was not to put down Ron Paul or his legions of fans; by all indications, if there is an incorruptible human being in American politics today, he’s the one. It was to show that the way to dismantle a corrupt and immoral system is not to attempt to put yourself in charge of it, confident that you will run it ever so much better than your neighbor (who, of course, is thinking the exact same thing).
Meanwhile, many hard-working political activists were shocked (SHOCKED!) when the Manchester Board of Aldermen used legal chicanery to refuse to put the spending cap for which they’d worked so hard gathering petition signatures on the November ballot. See the ridleo here.
Open your eyes. Freedom doesn’t come from an elected official (even if that elected official is your friend). It doesn’t come from a political party. It doesn’t come from any of the options printed on your ballot. It certainly doesn’t come from any piece of paper detailing the specifics of how a group of strangers can dispose of your property without your permission.
Thoreau had it right 150 years ago. “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”
That No More Kings cartoon was a wake up call for me. I can say that it helped to cast off the remaining shackles of the Ron Paul fervor.
Whether or not “true freedom” can come from an elected official, I know for sure that chains and slavery can issue therefrom.
We had several Free-Staters and free-stater friends win elections last night — they will be on the ballot in November. Likely, some will enter the House of Representatives, following the path that Joel Winters blazed.
Others lost. The NHLA “legislator of the year” lost by *1 vote*. Another liberty candidate lost by *3 votes*. They will likely be replaced with people who do not value liberty anywhere near as much as these candidates.
What the hell!?
I registered when I moved here on 4 July (well, I registered the following week, obviously), and I didn’t know anything about this.
Do they not send out information on where to go? I guess things are different here than California.
I’d better be able to vote in November!
xAlpha, yes, things are different here than in California. You won’t get any sample ballots in the mail; you have to seek out info if you want to make an educated vote. FYI, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance posts recommendations on their website. Also, in case you don’t know, you can be registered as an independent but still vote in the primary as either a Dem or a Rep; just go to the polling place and request the ballot you want.
Didn’t they give you a piece of paper with the address of your polling location when you registered? If not, you can look it up on the NH Secretary of State’s website.
They didn’t give me anything, really.
I don’t mind having to do some research, although it’d be a lot easier if their were a website that listed all the candidates and other election info with link to official sites.
Maybe -I- could do that….
To mock the vote
Don’t mock the vote baby
Mock the vote
Don’t tip the vote over
Mock the vote
Don’t mock the vote baby
Mock the vote