Thinking small, Free State Project hopes for big things

Palm Beach [FL] Press Journal ^ | 22 SPT 2003 | Kenric Ward

[archy]

PorcuPing!

-archy-/-

[Phantom Lord]

I wish they would pick North Carolina. I already live here and wouldn't have to move!

[archy]

I wish they would pick North Carolina. I already live here and wouldn't have to move!

Give it time. If it works in the first state, it'll spread to others. It may come to NC sooner than you expect.

-archy-/-

[RippleFire]

bump

[bc2]

bump-o-rama

Again, New Hampshire and Wyoming. I can get my Dad to move to New Hampshire, but I'm not so sure about Wyoming.

Hell, after reading the FSP State Reports, he made me promise him I'd go with him to visit New Hampshire before the winter sets in!

For Liberty and the Constitution!

[MineralMan]

Think small, act not at all.

That would be a more appropriate headline to this continuing silliness. Even if this "project" could manage to move the whole 20K folks into a state like Wyoming, it would make no difference to the outcome of statewide elections. Not a bit of difference.

On the other hand, Wyoming would have the highest per capita population of LINUX consultants in the USA, I'm sure.

[wildandcrazyrussian]

But just last year, a move of say 200 such people (presuming that they would vote the right way) would have elected another Republican Senator in South Dakota, and would have made Sen. Daschle deeply concerned.

This concept is actually the mirroe image of what the Democrats have actually done: drive out the most prductive peope from the smallest states and get 2 senators for each such miniscule state for not much expense.

[Onelifetogive]

I wish they would pick North Carolina. I already live here and wouldn't have to move!

For those of us who are not in a position to move, a "free district" project would be a nice assistance to their effort. If we could elect many "libertarians" or "constitutionalists" from our states, any efforts that the "free state" made could be assisted by supportive federal votes from our districts.

Notice that I used a little L and a little C in those descriptions above. I do not necessarily mean members of the Libertarian or Constitutional Parties, but people with libertarian or constitutional beliefs.

"Libertarians" have a VERY bad reputations. Perverts and druggies, basically. I consider myself a "libertarian" in the same sense as the Founding Fathers. You leave me alone and I leave you alone! Free association, the government operating on Constitutional mandates and NO others, government doing it's job of defending citizens from enemies, but NOT acting as nannies.

If the Libertarian Party wants to make REAL progress, it will drop it's "pro-abortion" stance (pro-abortion is contrary to the ONLY ligitimate function of government which is the defense of life from emenies foriegn and domestic.)

[society-by-contract]

For a discussion by skeptical soverign individuals/market anarchists:

http://anti-state.com/forum/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=7028

The third post has links to still more threads.

[Taxman]

Keep sending those press releases out, and we'll have 20,000 FRee Staters REAL SOON NOW! I think this concept will come together nicely, sooner rather than later.

[Jack Black]

You need to look closer at Wyoming. An influx could easily take over the reins of government in some counties and small cities. That would be a change. Because it leans libertarian already I think 20,000 activists could make a difference. After all this is how the Socialists get their programs through. Go to slightly left leaning states like NY and Cali and elect far lefters and drag the whole state with them to socialist hell. Why can't it work in reverse for liberty?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Whichever state gets them will have a few more slobbed up yards with junked cars, broken appliances and superannuated trailers laying around in them. They might see a small increase in whining screeds sent to the editor decrying their inability to open burn plastic and rubber trash as well, but thats about all the impact you'll see.

[Jack Black]

You need to look closer at Wyoming. An influx could easily take over the reins of government in some counties and small cities. That would be a change. Because it leans libertarian already I think 20,000 activists could make a difference. After all this is how the Socialists get their programs through. Go to slightly left leaning states like NY and Cali and elect far lefters and drag the whole state with them to socialist hell. Why can't it work in reverse for liberty?

[MineralMan]

"You need to look closer at Wyoming. An influx could easily take over the reins of government in some counties and small cities. That would be a change. Because it leans libertarian already I think 20,000 activists could make a difference. After all this is how the Socialists get their programs through. Go to slightly left leaning states like NY and Cali and elect far lefters and drag the whole state with them to socialist hell. Why can't it work in reverse for liberty?
"

I did look closely at Wyoming during a past thread. While an influx could alter local (city and county) elections and possibly even a few state legislative positions, it's clear that 20K voters would not alter any statewide election results nor affect any elections for that state's congressional or senate elections.

Locally or county-wide offices could be affected in any area by 20K persons. It happens all the time in cities with major universities, when students register and vote en masse.

You can go have a look at Wyoming election returns and you'll see that what I am saying is correct. Google "Wyoming election returns" to find the link.

[Jack Black]

I like your use of the word "superannuated" in your posting.

Since you think this is obviously a bad idea what are your suggestions for turning the tide of creeping Hillaryism? Just curious.

I'm not a Libertarian party member, and I probably consider myself more of a conservative than libertarian in terms of political philosophy but it seems a worthwhile attempt to create positive change.

Working to elect Republicans in Oregon certainly hasn't been a good use of time. The R's just caved and increased the income tax here. Bush, well I'm glad he's in there and not the other guy, but he's not exactly Barry Goldwater II, now is he?

So if we, the citizen frogs, are not to be gradually boiled in the hot water of creeping socialism SOMETHING different has to happen. If this is a bad idea, or a useless one, what's a good one?

[MineralMan]

"So if we, the citizen frogs, are not to be gradually boiled in the hot water of creeping socialism SOMETHING different has to happen. If this is a bad idea, or a useless one, what's a good one?"

That's a very good question, and one that doesn't seem to have a good answer at the moment. This Free State thing is simply not going to work, though. There just aren't enough people involved to make it work. It's doubtful if they will ever reach their goal of 20K, and that's not nearly enough.

It took a long time to get where we are, and it will probably take a long time to get somewhere else.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Try being more cheerful, less gloomy, less prickly, less sensitive for starters.

[meenie]

Wyoming is the place. More conservative and libertarian than any place in the Union. The only mistake they ever made was woman voting. They have tried to live it down ever since by voting conservative.

[DC native]

I vote for Delaware. Flat, undeveloped, conservative (in the rural parts), only three counties to memorize, beauuuutiful beaches, mild winters (ok, stinkin' hot summers), and chickens! What more could a person ask for? Seriously, though, I think it's the best kept secret on the East Coast.