Free State Movement and Grafton (Keene: middle-class, movers, house)

[legalbeetle]

Okay we're considering moving to Grafton area. I've been reading the posts about this Free State Movement and I'm completely confused.

Are they a left leaning group or a right leaning group?

Are they a "free to be" group that doesn't care what anyone else does or are they a "free to be just like me or else" group that actively recruits or attempts to change the opinions of others?

If the town of Grafton has very little or no zoning laws, what is to stop someone from putting up something completely disgusting on their property and bringing down the value of the neighbors' homes?

Are they for small government or getting rid of all government?

Do they openly resent people who have worked or work for the government? My husband has been an active duty military member for over 32 years. and I have spent a career in law enforcement. Will this pose a problem for us living in Grafton?

Also I read they support or encourage "homesteading". What exactly is that? Isn't that just having a small farm or ranch and being a little bit more self sufficient than your average Joe? Am I wrong?


Thanks for your input.

[Mac_Muz]

I have no answers as I am not sure, but there is a current topic here on this.
Is FREE STATE PROJECT dead or alive??

[CarawayDJ]

The Free Staters are a libertarian group. I think it's hard to box in a libertarian as being left or right. They are for a small government, and basically believe that you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you aren't harming anyone else. For example, they support the legalization of all drugs, prostitution, etc. They really wouldn't worry me much. What would worry me is all of the anarchists who have latched onto the group. Anarchists believe in no government. I'll give you an analogy. Let's say I started a vegan movement for purely health reasons. It would be inevitable that others would latch onto my movement who advocate the vegan lifestyle for reasons other than pure health. For example, PETA. Ditto for the Free State movement. They have anarchists that have joined them, but that is not the core of the group.

The Free Keene movement is a whole other story. They are pure anarchists. Much of their antics have been attributed to the Free Staters, but I'm not sure that is accurate. I have no problem with libertarians, but would like to send anarchists to a remote island in the Pacific and let them live out their chaotic lives in...well chaos. I don't agree with much of the libertarian movement, but I don't worry about them. One of my favorite news personalities is a libertarian; John Stossel. I love his shows, even those I don't fully agree with.

[GotBackHome]

another example might be the TEA Party: originally designed as a party wanting fiscal responsibility and smaller gov't - but some loonies latched and on and got all the media attention, and now it's morphed into something else! The original concept was fine.

[Aptor hours]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

The Free Staters are a libertarian group. I think it's hard to box in a libertarian as being left or right. They are for a small government, and basically believe that you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you aren't harming anyone else. For example, they support the legalization of all drugs, prostitution, etc. They really wouldn't worry me much. What would worry me is all of the anarchists who have latched onto the group. Anarchists believe in no government. I'll give you an analogy. Let's say I started a vegan movement for purely health reasons. It would be inevitable that others would latch onto my movement who advocate the vegan lifestyle for reasons other than pure health. For example, PETA. Ditto for the Free State movement. They have anarchists that have joined them, but that is not the core of the group.

The Free Keene movement is a whole other story. They are pure anarchists. Much of their antics have been attributed to the Free Staters, but I'm not sure that is accurate. I have no problem with libertarians, but would like to send anarchists to a remote island in the Pacific and let them live out their chaotic lives in...well chaos. I don't agree with much of the libertarian movement, but I don't worry about them. One of my favorite news personalities is a libertarian; John Stossel. I love his shows, even those I don't fully agree with.

I think that is a nice description.

[unit731]

Originally Posted by WannaComeHome

another example might be the TEA Party: originally designed as a party wanting fiscal responsibility and smaller gov't - but some loonies latched and on and got all the media attention, and now it's morphed into something else! The original concept was fine.

"The Tea Party Movement gained national attention in the summer of 2009 when organized protests occurred at Congressional "town hall" meetings that discussed healthcare reform.
While promoted as a spontaneous "grassroots" movement, many of the activities of Tea Party groups were organized by corporate lobbying groups.
In an article in the August 30, 2010 issue of The New Yorker magazine, author Jane Mayer links the billionaire brothers David Kochand Charles Koch, owners of Koch Industriesto tea party movement funding."

"The Free State Project (FSP) is a political movement, founded in 2001, to recruit at least 20,000 libertarian-leaning people to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire, selected in 2003) in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas.[1] The project seeks to overcome the historical ineffectiveness of limited-government activism by the small, diffuse population of activists across the 50 United States and around the world.
Those who participate in the Free State Project do so by signing a statement of intent declaring their impulsion to move to New Hampshire within five years of the drive reaching 20,000 participants, or other self-selected triggers. As of June 2011[update], more than 1000 FSP participants have become "early movers" to NH, in that they have made their move prior to the 20,000-participant trigger.[2] Over 11,750 people have signed this statement of intent.[3] In 2010, at least 12 "Free Staters" (project early movers) were elected to the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives.[4]
The Free State Project is a social movement generally based upon decentralized decision making. While there is a control group that performs various activities, most of the Free State Project's activities depend upon volunteers to promote the Free State Project in their own way, and no formal plan dictates to participants or movers what their actions should be once arriving in New Hampshire."
LINK

Sadly, too many loonies attach themselves to such movements.
Facts and accurate data are usually absent from the pronouncements of such movements.

[legalbeetle]

Thanks Mac I did read that forum you mentioned which generated more questerions and serious concerns rather than answers.

Unit I would have to disagree with the (left leaning) New Yorker magazine's characterization of the Tea Party as a grass roots organization. It may have started out that way but I think the mid term election results show they are a political force to be taken seriously which apparently the FS movement is also if they have gotten members into the House of Reps. As such I'm sure the FSP is also getting funding from somewhere or someone also.

Caraway yes I did read about some of the FS activities in Keene. Found some of the statements on the forum very distrubing so we will just cross Keene off our list of potential towns right now. Never been there going to assume it's as beautiful as the rest of the state. Pretty sure I don't want to live in a state that has legalized drug use and prostitution. After a career in law enforcement, I've seen up close and personal how both activities destroy lives and don't see how legalizing either activity would change that. But that's a different subject. And yes I do like John Stossel even if I don't agree with him all or most of the time either...because he's just so dang easy on the eyes

[waterboy7375]

If you dont agree with John Stossel on anything why are you considering moving to the most libertarian state in the nation?

[legalbeetle]

Because you don't have to be a libertarian to like lower taxes. Because my pathetic pension won't be taxed at a state level.

[massnative71]

Because the Free State Movement has been hijacked by a bunch of tin-foil-hat wearing wackos (and their hidden corporate sponsors), I believe they will slowly wither away into insignificance. Then new authentic libertarian groups will form, and we will see the same cycle occur again.

But like said, at current they are much less about freedom than about destroying the few decent middle-class jobs remaining in this country.