Free State Project

Make your vote count

jsthepreacher — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:27:52 GMT

Please! VOTE in this election. Remember – the only wasted vote is the one not cast.

Here are a few tips to help clear away the mind-numbing barrage of the meaningless drivel from advertising & the media.

First of all, remember that there are no degrees of bad. There is no such thing as: “the lesser of two evils”, a “good bad” or a “better bad”. Every politician out there is a bad politician and every one of them is bad for our country and bad for our lives. So, how do we get rid of them?

1) do not vote for an incumbent
2) do not vote for a lawyer
3) do not vote on the Republican Party or the Democratic Party line. Do vote for the candidate of your choice – just vote for them on some other line (such as the Conservative Party line or the Independence Party line).

Cross-posted to: [Bad username: _gopchristians_], [Bad username: christianity], [Bad username: conservacorner], [Bad username: conservatism], [Bad username: freestate], [Bad username: ljchristians], [Bad username: nehemiah_group], [Bad username: ontd_con], [Bad username: radicals]

Free State Project hits 10,000 pledged-to-move

ijtihad_alkitab — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:49:21 GMT

Anyone who has debated politics for very long has had some flag worshiping authoritarian resort to that classic cop out that killed Socrates, "If you don't like it you can get out!" Indeed, few oppressed people in history have found freedom in their lifetime without picking up their life and seeking a better destiny elsewhere. This week a political project known as the Free State Project officially reached 10,000 participants dedicated to just such a proposition, and I am proud to be in that number.

Read More

my new facebook group

writerspleasure — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:20:32 GMT

"The 'Coffee Party' Is Astroturfy"

We seek a good, honest brew.

A lot of sincere people want something better in U.S. politics, but Annabel Park's "Coffee Party" isn't the place to go. This Facebook group is for those who want more factual scrutiny into the establishment roots of this "Grass Roots" movement.

- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=359936598963

join up, and tell people who want an honest cup of coffee to join too!

[ x-posted, for importance ]

Liberty Forum is in 1 week

libertyscribe — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:35:41 GMT

The New Hampshire Liberty Forum is 1 week away!

Tickets are SOLD OUT to the Friday night Fundraising dinner. But tickets for the rest of the event are still available. You can buy them online at http://www.nhlibertyforum.com .

See speakers such as Judge Andrew Napolitano, Angela Keaton, Representative Dan Itse, William Grigg, Ernest Hancock, Stewart Rhodes, Jacob Hornberger, David Friedman and MANY MORE. See http://www.nhlibertyforum.com for schedule and more speakers.

Online sales end on Sunday night so buy today. You can buy day passes to the event at the event but not the meals....

So don't miss out and buy your tickets online NOW!

Use discount code 2010LPNH for 10% off!

so ...

writerspleasure — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:32:25 GMT

how's it going, folks? mighty quiet in here ...

Swine Flu Scare will be used as precedent for more big gov

lucy_chronicles — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:00:39 GMT

Cross posted to the natural living site as well. Rest of the article HERE: http://www.prisonplanet.com/ron-paul-warns-swine-flu-scare-will-be-used-as-precedent-for-more-big-government.html
along w/ the original 70's gov promo video encouraging people to take the vaccine - which ultimately paralyzed several hundred people.
-----------

“Step back and think for a minute before rushing and panicking” is the message coming from Texas Congressman Ron Paul who has warned that the swine flu scare will once again be used as a precedent for big government intrusion.

“It makes me think back to 1976, the first year I served in the Congress,” Paul has said in a video update. “We had a vote on the swine flu. Back then there was panic, they said it was going to sweep the nation and they rapidly came up with some flu shots and the government was going to inoculate everybody and save the world from this disaster.”

“It turned out that our instincts were correct.” the Congressman, also a medical physician, commented. “Not only did we think that the government should be involved in making medical decisions… but the flu came, the flu went and one person died, except for those individuals that died from getting the flu vaccine.”

Earlier this week we reported on the events of 1976, highlighting the fact that this last significant outbreak of swine flu in the U.S. originated at the army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

President Gerald Ford and then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (a man who has long standing intimate ties with the big pharma companies that have and will reap millions in profits from these scares) instituted a mass nationwide vaccination program. More than 40 million people were vaccinated. However, the program was stopped short after over 500 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe paralyzing nerve disease, were reported. Officially 30 people died as a direct result of the vaccinations, though the real figure is generally thought to have been much higher.

At the time Congressman Ron Paul was one of only two representatives to vote down the vaccination program. His comments were recorded in the book Swine Flu Expose, by Eleanora I. McBean, Ph.D., N.D.

Paul described the move as “a shocking misuse of funds …and an evil political maneuver”, “blatant advertising efforts to panic the people into taking Swine Flu shots will fail.” Paul said.

Other - since I'm up late calling Asia job hunting, I listen to George Noory on Coast to Coast AM. Last Night he had all the Swine Flu experts - biologists to alternative media. They succinctly think this is bioengineering to rid us of Hispanic folks and a tactic to divert attention from what's really going on. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but given history repeating itself, will be it is a diversion ploy and will NOT be taking anything other than more vitamins - EVEN when traveling via plane to Asia in 2 1/2 weeks.

|-P

Motorhome Diaries

delectolibertas — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:24:36 GMT

FSP member Leah Beah tattooing Jason Talley from MotorhomeDiaries.com and Fr33Agents.com at Skin Illustrations in Cookstown, NJ

Federal libertarians, state republicrats

fine_clarity — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:51:27 GMT

There is a way in which libertarians' and republicrats' goals can overlap, which can be applied to the benefit of both. That can be done via the following method:

Libertarian candidates for federal legislative offices can agree to not override the legislative actions of the individual states, but only reduce interference on private entities by the federal government. This would ultimately be beneficial to both of the republicratic parties on the state level, because the federal government imposes particular left-wing and right-wing policies that apply to people in both left-wing and right-wing states alike. Thus, with decreased federal laws, taxes, and spending, individual states would be free to become more left-wing or right-wing if they so desire, and individual states would likewise be free to become more libertarian.

Libertarian Hotties

ravens_hearth — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:59:09 GMT

Libertarian Hotties - Facebook Community
Libertarian Hotties Main Site (Under Construction)
Libertarian Hotties - Myspace Community

The purpose of Libertarian Hotties is to:

• Connect with politically attentive, liberty-loving women.

• Use themed pictorials of attractive libertarian women to draw attention and educate the public.

• Network [potential] models and photographers, and anyone else who wants to help spread a pro-liberty message.

• Dispel the libertarian stereotype of "white male with bad haircut."

Political pin-up projects tend to support specific candidates. We'd like to encourage something similar, that focuses on individual issues -- foreign policy, market crisis, drug laws, sex laws, health care, taxes, gun control, censorship, etc.

It doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is. If you identify with the movement to minimize government, maximize personal freedom, and encourage a more sustainable economy, you’re probably one of us.

huge and long and x-posted all over the place ...

writerspleasure — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:28:37 GMT

because it is that important. read it, and repost it all over. this needs to be known. an important voice has emerged.

Mr. Obama,

Given the uproar about the simple question asked you by Joe the plumber, and the persecution that has been heaped on him because he dared to question you, I find myself motivated to say a few things to you myself. While Joe aspires to start a business someday, I already have started not one, but 4 businesses. But first, let me introduce myself. You can call me "Cory the well driller". I am a 54 year old high school graduate. I didn't go to college like you, I was too ready to go "conquer the world" when I finished high school. 25 years ago at age 29, I started my own water well drilling business at a time when the economy here in East Texas was in a tailspin from the crash of the early 80's oil boom. I didn't get any help from the government, nor did I look for any. I borrowed what I could from my sister, my uncle, and even the pawn shop and managed to scrape together a homemade drill rig and a few tools to do my first job. My businesses did not start as a result of privilege. They are the result of my personal drive, personal ambition, self discipline, self reliance, and a determination to treat my customers fairly. From the very start my business provided one other (than myself) East Texan a full time job. I couldn't afford a backhoe the first few years (something every well drilling business had), so I and my helper had to dig the mud pits that are necessary for each and every job with hand shovels. I had to use my 10 year old, 1/2 ton pickup truck for my water tank truck (normally a job for at least a 2 ton truck).

I spent the next 10 years developing the reputation for being the most competent and most honest water well driller in East Texas. 2 years along the way, I hired another full time employee for the drilling business so that we could provide full time water well pump service as well as the well drilling. Also, 3 years along the path, I bought a water well screen service machine from a friend, starting business # 2. 5 years later I made a business loan for $100,000.00 to build a new, higher production, computer controlled screen service machine. I had designed the machine myself, and it didn't work out for 3 years so I had to make the loan payments without the benefit of any added income from the new machine. No government program was there to help me with the payments, or to help me sleep at night as I lay awake wondering how I would solve my machine problems or pay my bills. Finally, after 3 years, I got the screen machine working properly, and that provided another full time job for an East Texan in the screen service business.

2 years after that, I made another business loan, this time for $250,000.00, to buy another used drilling rig and all the support equipment needed to run another, larger, drill rig. This provided another 2 full time jobs for East Texans. Again, I spent a couple of years not knowing if I had made a smart move, or a move that would bankrupt me. For the third time in 13 years, I had placed everything I owned on the line, risking everything, in order to build a business.

A couple of years into this, I came up with a bright idea for a new kind of mud pump, a fundamentally necessary pump used on water well drill rigs. I spent my entire life savings to date (just $30,000.00), building a prototype of the pump and took it to the national water well convention to show it off. Customers immediately started coming out of the woodworks to buy the pumps, but there was a problem. I had depleted my assets making the prototype, and nobody would make me a business loan to start production of the new pumps. With several deposits for pump orders in hand, and nowhere to go, I finally started applying for as many credit card as I could find and took cash withdrawals on these cards to the tune of over $150,000.00 (including modest loans from my dear sister and brother), to get this 3rd business going.

Yes, once again, I had everything hanging over the line in an effort to start another business. I had never manufactured anything, and I had to design and bring into production a complex hydraulic machine from an untested prototype to a reliable production model (in six months). How many nights I lay awake wondering if I had just made the paramount mistake of my life I cannot tell you, but there were plenty. I managed to get the pumps into production, which immediately created another 2 full time jobs in East Texas. Some of the models in the first year suffered from quality issues due to the poor workmanship of one of my key suppliers, so I and an employee (another East Texan employed) had to drive across the country to repair customers' pumps, practically from coast to coast. I stood behind the product, and made payments to all the credit cards that had financed me (and my brother and sister). I spent the next 5 years improving and refining the product, building a reputation for the pump and the company, working to get the pump into drill rig manufacturers' product lines, and paying back credit cards. During all this time I continued to manage a growing water well business that was now operating 3 drill rig crews, and 2 well service crews. Also, the screen service business continued to grow. No government programs were there to help me, Mr. Obama, but that's ok, I didn't expect any, nor did I want any. I was too busy fighting to make success happen to sit around waiting for the government to help me.

Now, we have been manufacturing the mud pumps for 7 years, my combined businesses employ 32 full time employees, and distribute $5,000,000.00 annually through the local economy. Now, just 4 months ago I borrowed $1,254,000.00, purchasing computer controlled machining equipment to start my 4th business, a production machine shop. The machine shop will serve the mud pump company so that we can better manufacture our pumps that are being shipped worldwide. Of course, the machine shop will also do work for outside companies as well. This has already produced 2 more full time jobs, and 2 more should develop out of it in the next few months. This should work out, but if it doesn't it will be because you, and the other professional politicians like yourself, will have destroyed our countrys' (and the world) economy with your meddling with mortgage loan programs through your liberal manipulation and intimidation of loaning institutions to make sure that unqualified borrowers could get mortgages. You see, at the very time when I couldn't get a business loan to get my mud pumps into production, you were working with Acorn and the Community Reinvestment Act programs to make sure that unqualified borrowers could buy homes with no down payment, and even no credit or worse yet, bad credit. Even the infamous, liberal, Ninja loans (No Income, No Job or Assets). While these unqualified borrowers were enjoying unrealistically low interest rates, I was paying 22% to 24% interest on the credit cards that I had used to provide me the funds for the mud pump business that has created jobs for more East Texans. It's funny, because after 25 years of turning almost every dime of extra money back into my businesses to grow them, it has been only in the last two years that I have finally made enough money to be able to put a little away for retirement, and now the value of that has dropped 40% because of the policies you and your ilk have perpetrated on our country.

You see, Mr. Obama, I'm the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I'm the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I'm the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn't want to take a risk, and would not demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I'm the guy you characterize as "the Americans who can afford it the most" that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution "to spread the wealth" to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything. You want to characterize me as someone who has enjoyed a life of privilege and who needs to pay a higher percentage of my income than those who have bought into your entitlement culture. I resent you, Mr. Obama, as I resent all who want to use class warfare as a tool to advance their political career. What's worse, each year more Americans buy into your liberal entitlement culture, and turn to the government for their hope of a better life instead of themselves. Liberals are succeeding through more than 40 years of collaborative effort between the predominant liberal media, and liberal indoctrination programs in the public school systems across our land.

What is so terribly sad about this is this. America was made great by people who embraced the one-time American culture of self reliance, self motivation, self determination, self discipline, personal betterment, hard work, risk taking. A culture built around the concept that success was in reach of every able bodied American who would strive for it. Each year that less Americans embrace that culture, we all descend together. We descend down the socialist path that has brought country after country ultimately to bitter and unremarkable states. If you and your liberal comrades in the media and school systems would spend half as much effort cultivating a culture of can-do across America as you do cultivating your entitlement culture, we could see Americans at large embracing the conviction that they can elevate themselves through personal betterment, personal achievement, and self reliance. You see, when people embrace such ideals, they act on them. When people act on such ideals, they succeed. All of America could find herself elevating instead of deteriorating. But that would eliminate the need for liberal politicians, wouldn't it, Mr. Obama? The country would not need you if the country was convinced that problem solving was best left with individuals instead of the government. You and all your liberal comrades have got a vested interested in creating a dependent class in our country. It is the very business of liberals to create an ever expanding dependence on government. What's remarkable is that you, who have never produced a job in your life, are going to tax me to take more of my money and give it to people who wouldn't need my money if they would get off their entitlement mentality asses and apply themselves at work, demand more from themselves, and quit looking to liberal politicians to raise their station in life.

You see, I know because I've had them work for me before. Hundreds of them over these 25 years. People who simply will not show up to work on time. People who just will not work 5 days in a week, much less, 6 days. People always looking for a way to put less effort out. People who actually tell me that they would do more if I just would first pay them more. People who take off work to sit in government offices to apply to get free government handouts (gee, I wonder how things would have turned out for them if they had spent that time earning money and pleasing their employer?). You see, all of this comes from your entitlement mentality culture.

Oh, I know you will say I am uncompassionate. Sorry, Mr. Obama, wrong again. You see, I've seen what the average percentage of your income has been given to charities over the years of 2000 to 2004 (ignoring the years you started running for office - can you pronounce "politically motivated"), you averaged less than 1% annually. And your running mate, Joe Biden, averaged less than 1/4 of 1% of his annual income in charitable contributions over the last 10 years. Like so many liberals, the two of you want to give to the needy, just as long as it is someone else's money you are giving to them. I won't say what I have given to charities over the last 25 years, but the percentage is several times more than you and Joe Biden. combined (don't you just hate google?). Tell me again how you feel my pain.

In short, Mr. Obama, your political philosophies represent everything that is wrong with our country. You represent the culture of government dependence instead of self reliance; Entitlement mentality instead of personal achievement; Penalization of the successful to reward the unmotivated; Political correctness instead of open mindedness and open debate. If you are successful, you may preside over the final transformation of America from being the greatest and most self-reliant culture on earth, to just another country of whiners and wimps, who sit around looking to the government to solve their problems. Like all of western Europe. All countries on the decline. All countries that, because of liberal socialistic mentalities, have a little less to offer mankind every year.
God help us...
Cory Miller
just a ordinary, extraordinary American, the way a lot of Americans used to be.
P.S. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am a real American... http://www.cmillerdrilling.com

- http://community.livejournal.com/conservatism/3069303.html

PorcFest to feature live local bands

libertyscribe — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:03:16 GMT

"Marijuana Compound May Fight Lung Cancer"

sumra — Sat, 31 May 2008 01:30:24 GMT

http://www.forbes.com/health/feeds/hscout/2007/04/17/hscout603764.html

Letter I'm about to send off to the papers, please feel free to pass this on:

Dear Editor,

According to a Forbes.com article on April 17th, 2007, "Harvard University researchers have found that, in both laboratory and mouse studies, delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cuts tumor growth in half in common lung cancer while impeding the cancer's ability to spread."
Also, "When injected into 15 mice with prostate cancer, this "smart bomb" therapy eliminated all signs of cancer -- effectively curing the rodents. Researchers at Columbia University, in New York City, said the therapy also worked in animals with breast cancer and melanomas."

Given this research, the fact that it is impossible to overdose on marijuana, the 10,000 year plus history people have with cannabis, and the effectiveness of grass as medicine for hiv, glaucoma, cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis and a host of other ailments, we must legalize it NOW.

Is the fact that cannabis is more effective and cheaper competition for a host of multi-billion dollar pharmacutical drugs one reason why this medicine has been suppressed for so long? Is the fact that it can be made out of high quality paper with less chemicals and more efficiently than cutting down forests also a stumbling block due to its competition with the lumber and chemical processing industries? The seed of this plant is a high protein health food for crying out loud, containing all essential amino acids to the human body.

In the words of the popular politicians, "It is time for Change."

-Daniel McGuire

(x-posted) How many GOP presidential candidates does it take to beat Ron Paul?

benkilpatrick — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:20:04 GMT

In Louisiana...all of them.

Louisiana has a two-part caucus to select GOP national convention delegates; (the primary is basically a beauty pageant). See explanations of how it all works here and here. Various pro-Paul groups around the state were able to amass enough qualified individuals to submit a full slate of delegates - more than any other candidate; one third of all delegates submitted were Paul delegates. In anticipation, supporters of Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain and Romney banded together to submit a slate of uncommitted delegates labeled "Pro-Life/Pro-Family;" this hybrid slate beat the Ron Paul slate in all 7 districts. It is currently unknown as to how many supporters of each candidate were on the hybrid slate.

Here's the Pro-Life/Pro-Family ballot:

Unofficial results are in, and the final results (when ready) will be here.

McCain is in first so far, followed by Ron Paul then Mitt Romney. Five-hundred provisional ballots remain to be counted. However, the Paul campaign is contesting the results and requesting that the LA GOP count all of the ballots and even check the credentials of some of the delegates.

::Update:: The original deadline for submitting delegates was January 10th. After the huge slate of Ron Paul delegates was submitted, the LA GOP extended the deadline to January 12th to allow other candidates to submit more delegates.

Additionally, quite a few Democrats and Independents switched parties in order to participate in the GOP caucus. The deadline to register as a Republican to be eligible to participate was November 30th. However, the LA GOP used a voter list from November 1st at the caucus locations to check eligibility. Voters who had registered after November 1st (but before the deadline) were forced to use provisional ballots, 500 of which have not yet been counted - though the results of the race are already being trumpeted.

In a few cases, even state-certified, pre-approved Ron Paul delegates were forced to use provisional ballots.

Spread this far and wide - tell your friends what happened in Louisiana, and don't let them get away with politics as usual.

http://www.thinkmoderate.com/2008/01/how-many-gop-presidential-candidates.html

The mother of all polls

remjte — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:03:54 GMT

http://darthbeckman.livejournal.com/833287.html

It's straightforward. Pick your pony. Seriously. I'm as interested in finding the results as the author is.

Manus haec inimica tyrannis!

ravens_hearth — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:56:05 GMT

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" --Patrick Henry

It is distressing, if not altogether suprising, to note that the state whose proud maxim is "Live Free or Die" has neglected to opt for the former, but rather has found a third choice in happily clinging to their shackles.

This hand to tyrants ever sworn the foe,
For freedom only deals the deadly blow,
Then sheathes in calm repose the vengeful blade,
For gentle place in freedom's hallowed shade

--Algernon Sidney

sumra — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:39:56 GMT

This is my youtube debut. My friend wrote an original Ron Paul song and this is a video we made to go along with it. Feel free to pass this on to anyone who may be interested!

Hit & Run > Libertarians With Guns (AKA "Libertarians")

nealaus — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:09:35 GMT

http://digg.com/politics/Hit_Run_Libertarians_With_Guns_AKA_Libertarians

"MANCHESTER, NH - Oh, the joys of not being in Iowa right now. With no candidates turfing this state today, I got to spend the morning with about 20 members and friends of the Free State Project ..."

Excerpts from "Cato's Letters"

ravens_hearth — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:49:24 GMT

"All men are born free; Liberty is a gift which they receive from God himself; nor can they alienate the same by consent, though possibly they may forfeit it by crimes. . . . The right of the magistrate arises only from the right of private men to defend themselves, to repel injuries, and to punish those who commit them: that right being conveyed by the society to their public representative, he can execute the same no further than the benefit and security of that society requires he should. When he exceeds his commission, his acts are as extrajudicial as are those of any private officer usurping an unlawful authority; that is, they are void; and every man is answerable for the wrong which he does. A power to do good can never become a warrant for doing evil."

"Indeed, liberty is the divine source of all human happiness. To possess, in security, the effects of our industry, is the most powerful and reasonable incitement to be industrious: And to be able to provide for our children, and to leave them all that we have, is the best motive to beget them. But where property is precarious, labour will languish. The privileges of thinking, saying, and doing what we please, and of growing as rich as we can, without any other restriction, than that by all this we hurt not the public, nor one another, are the glorious privileges of liberty; and its effects, to live in freedom, plenty, and safety."

"It is a mistaken notion in government, that the interest of the majority is only to be consulted, since in society every man has a right to everyman's assistance in the enjoyment and defense of his private property; otherwise the greater number may sell the lesser, and divide their estates amongst themselves; and so, instead of a society, where all peaceable men are protected, become a conspiracy of the many against a minority. With as much equity may one man wantonly dispose of all, and violence may be sanctified by mere Power."

"Only the checks put upon magistrates make nations free; and only the want of such makes them slaves. They are free, where their magistrates are confined within certain bounds set them by the people. . . . And they are slaves, where the magistrates choose their own rules, and follow their lust and humours; than which a more dreadful curse can befall no people. . . and therefore most nations in the world are undone, and those nations only who bridle their governors do not wear chains."

"We know, by infinite examples and experience, that men possessed of Power, rather than part with it, will do any thing, even the worst and the blackest to keep it; and scarce ever any man upon earth went out of it as long as he could carry everything his own way in it. . . . This seems certain, that the good of the world, or of their people, was not one of their motives either for continuing in Power, or for quitting it. It is the nature of Power to be ever encroaching, and converting every extraordinary power, granted at particular times, and upon particular occasions, into an ordinary power, to be used at all times, and when there is no occasion; nor does it ever part willingly with any advantage."

“Tyrants . . . reduce mankind to the condition of brutes, and make that Reason, which God gave them, useless to them: They deprive them even of the blessings of nature, starve them in the midst of plenty, and frustrate the natural bounty of the earth to men; so that Nature smiles in vain where tyranny frowns: The very hands of men, given them by Nature for their support, are turned by tyrants into the instruments of their misery, by being employed in vile drudgeries or destructive wars, to gratify the lust and vanity of their execrable lords. . . .
Tyrants . . . are supported by general ruin’ they live by the destruction of mankind; and as fraud and villainy, and every species or violence and cruelty, are the props of their throne; so they measure their own happiness, and security, and strength, by the misery and weakness of their people. . . . That wealth, which dispersed amongst their subjects, and circulated in trade and commerce, would employ, increase, and enrich them . . . is barbarously robbed from the people, and engrossed by these their oppressors. . . .
Alas! Power encroaches daily upon Liberty, with a success too evident; and the balance between hem is almost lost. Tyranny has engrossed almost the whole earth, and striking at mankind root and branch, makes the world a slaughterhouse; and will certainly go on to destroy, till it is either destroyed itself, or, which is most likely, has left nothing else to destroy.”

“There has always such a constant and certain fund of corruption and malignity in human nature, that is has been rare to find that man, whose views and happiness did not center in the gratification of his appetites, and worse appetites, his luxury, his pride, his avarice, and lust of power, and who considered any public trust reposed in him, with any other view, than as the means to satiate such unruly and dangerous desires! And this has been most eminently true of Great Men, and those who aspired to dominion. They were first made great for the sake of the public, and afterwards at its expense. And if they had been content to have been moderate traitors, mankind would have been still moderately happy; but their ambition and treason observing no degrees, there was no degree of vileness and misery which the poor people did not feel.
The appetites therefore of men, especially of Great Men, are carefully to be observed and stayed, or else they will never stat themselves. The experience of every age convinces us, that we must not judge of men by what they ought to do, but by what they will do; and all history affords but few instances of men trusted with great power without abusing it, when with security they could.”

“It is foolish to say, that this doctrine can be mischievous to society, at least in any proportion to the wild ruin and fatal calamities which must befall, and do befall the world, when the contrary doctrine is maintained: For, all bodies of men subsisting upon their own substance, or upon the profits of their trade and industry, find their account so much in ease and peace, and have justly such terrible apprehensions of civil disorders, which destroy everything that they enjoy; that they always bear a thousand injuries before they return one, and stand under the burdens as long as they can bear them. . . .
What with the force of education, and the reverence which people are taught, and have been always used to pay to princes; what with the perpetual harangues of flatterers, the gaudy pageantry and outside of Power, and its gilded ensigns, always glittering in their eyes; what with the execution of the laws in the sole power of the prince; what with all the regular magistrates, pompous guards and standing troops, with the fortified towns, the artillery, and all the magazines of war, at his disposal; besides large revenues, and multitudes of followers and dependents, to support and abet all that he does: Obedience to authority is so well secured, that it is wild to imagine, that any number of men, formidable enough to disturb a settled State, can unite together and hope to overturn it, till the public grievances are so enormous, the oppression so great, and the disaffection so universal, that there can be no question remaining, whether their calamities to be real or imaginary, and whether the magistrate has protected or endeavoured to destroy his people.”

--John Trenchard & Thomas Gordon, written 1720 - 1723

Any FSP'ers on linkedin.com?

3_legdcat — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:51:28 GMT

If any of you are on linkedin.com I have created a Free State Project group there as I would like to network with other FSP'ers especially those who have already relocated to New Hampshire.

Link: http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&groupFilter=47686

Ron Paul to Speak at NH Liberty Forum

libertyscribe — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:00:30 GMT

Congressman Ron Paul to Speak at NH Liberty Forum

Nashua, NH -- The Free State Project is pleased to announce that Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul will be the keynote speaker at the closing ceremonies of the upcoming New Hampshire Liberty Forum in Nashua, NH.

Congressman Paul will cap a full weekend of noteworthy speakers including Senator John Sununu and Liberty Dollar founder Bernard von NotHaus. Ron Paul will speak on Sunday afternoon, January 6th.

The recent surge in membership and movers and the ability to attract first rate speakers shows the continuing impact of the Free State Project. Irena Goddard, FSP president noted that "the presidential primary is the main reason for the surge in interest in the FSP. We are very pleased to have a pro-liberty candidate with rapidly increasing popularity as one of our featured speakers. We think it shows how serious our members are about politics and making better communities, a better state and a better country."

Other presidential campaigns have expressed interest in appearing at the forum, though no speaking times have been confirmed as yet.

The Liberty Forum is a 3-day convention focusing on successful political and social action in New Hampshire. Members and friends of the Free State Project will socialize and get a firsthand New Hampshire experience. Locals will learn about the FSP, meet its participants, and get to understand their goals and how they can work together.

There will be multiple program "tracks" covering many interests. Panel Discussions include Media, Jobs, Education choice, 2nd Amendment, Drug Policy, Making the Move, Working with Political Parties and Taxpayer
Activism.

The Liberty Forum runs January 3-6, 2008 at The Crowne Plaza, Nashua, NH
http://www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum

Register with code 2008RP for a 10% discount!

Welcome to Irena Goddard

varrin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:03:15 GMT

I realize I haven't posted here much during my term as President, but I thought it'd be good for me to post now and let everyone know we have a new President. Irena Goddard has graciously agreed to take the reigns from me. I'm not vanishing but I have work commitments and another substantial project I'm starting to work on that are eating up a lot of my time.

Irena did a bang up job with the first ever New Hampshire Liberty Forum. I'm confident she'll be a good leader for the FSP as a whole.

Also, it looks like I'll probably make it to Liberty Forum 08. If any of you make it (you all should, it's gonna be great), hunt me down and say hi :)

V-

NH says no to Real ID

madfilkentist — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:46:45 GMT

Governor Lynch signed legislation prohibiting New Hampshire from participating in Real ID. Way to go!!

The recently killed immigration bill would have punished New Hampshire from this by prohibiting all of us from working for a living.

To hell with George Bush.

To anyone who may be interested.

margotpolo — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:11:15 GMT

I figured some of you fine fellows might be interested in this.

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Republican debates?

blueadept — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:24:27 GMT

Is anyone going to the Republican debate to cheer on Ron Paul on June 5th? Unfortunately I'm still in VA and not going to be able to get off work for that, but I'd love to see more people cheering for his well thought out libertarian responses than for Giuliani's soundbites.

The debate will be in Manchester, on the campus of Saint Anselm College.

PorcFest question

madfilkentist — Sat, 19 May 2007 17:28:33 GMT

I've signed up for PorcFest 2007, but can't make it during the final weekend due to another commitment. It appears from the schedule that very little is happening before Friday. On the other hand, I live in Nashua, so it's not very far. Is it worth going if I'll have to leave before Friday?