"Libertopia"
WaveCameCrashin
Posts: 2,929
SOLD !!!!! 
http://libertopiafilm.com/
Why New Hampshire, and why Libertopia?
December 6th, 2010 |
A guest blog by Matt Simon
When I left my teaching job in rural Appalachia and moved to New Hampshire in 2006, I didn’t explain to very many people that my primary motivation was to become more involved in politics. That’s one reason I was happy to let Christina Heller use me as a subject in her film, Libertopia, which is scheduled for release in early 2011. Some of the campaigns I’ve been involved with in the last few years have been a bit controversial, but looking back, I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to share those efforts with a larger audience.
I don’t care about winning converts to support my various crusades nearly as much as I care about having my ideas be understood, and I’m confident that the film will do at least that: increase people’s understanding. Beyond that, I cannot predict the film’s impact, but I truly admire Christina for the sacrifices she made in order to tell these particular stories. As for me, although I haven’t seen the film yet, I am glad I said “yes” and took the Libertopia plunge.
Fortunately, much of the work of making my ideas seem less radical has already been done by others. More than any other single factor, the Ron Paul for President campaign in 2007 and 2008 brought the ideas of freedom and limited government into the average American’s living room. It didn’t happen overnight, but today, “libertarian” critiques of our bloated, intrusive, over-reaching government have become a regular part of mainstream political discourse. This wasn’t the case at all five years ago. The tide has truly turned.
Most thinking people, whether they identify as Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, moderates, independents, or none of the above, have begun to reach consensus on the following conclusions affecting America’s future:
(1) Our nation’s economic policies are unsustainable. We simply can’t afford to continue borrowing 43 cents out of every dollar that’s spent, and yes, deficits do matter.
(2) U.S. foreign policy is also unsustainably expensive, and foreign wars, occupations, and rebuilding efforts have helped bring us to the brink of bankruptcy.
(3) Congress, regardless of which party holds the majority, has been doing an astonishingly bad job of representing the interests of “average” Americans. Washington, D.C., has developed its own unique culture of top-down, bureaucratic governance, a culture which has successfully co-opted all previous waves of newly-elected legislators sent to “take back Washington.”
I’ll stop well short of saying these shifts in mainstream American thought represent a full-blown revolution of libertarian ideas, but I will say this: they are definitely a healthy start! As Ron Paul frequently observed during his campaign, the philosophy of freedom and limited government has become dramatically more popular in recent years. And each time yet another failure of big government becomes apparent (the tragic non-response to Hurricane Katrina, the bursting of the housing bubble, “Mission Accomplished,” etc.), a new batch of converts is attracted to libertarian ideas.
I suppose I have always wanted to be involved with changing the world for the better, and of course I have always known this would be much easier said than done. All my life, I’d heard people say that in America, if you don’t agree with a particular law or policy, then you can work through our system of representative government to change it. But was it really true? Could a grassroots movement fundamentally change America’s future for the better?
I wanted it to be true, but I’d never seen it in action. Governments in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi (the three states I inhabited prior to New Hampshire) had always seemed inaccessible and dominated by “Good Old Boy” networks. The federal government seemed even more distant, its processes even more inscrutable to most Americans. So I began doing some comparison-shopping between various states, and in 2004 that research led me to the Free State Project’s website. In particular, it led me to a thought-provoking document titled “101 Reasons to Move to New Hampshire.”
A few months later, I made my first visit to the “Live Free or Die” state. A year and a half later, I became a full-time resident. The rest, as they say, is history, and some of that history is captured in Libertopia for the world to see.
New Hampshire is not a libertarian utopia, and I do not expect it will ever become a libertarian utopia. (In fact, if you ask any ten “libertarians” to describe their own personal vision of utopia, you are likely to get ten rather different answers.) It is, however, a state which already exemplifies freedom in sharp contrast with some other states. The native New Hampshire culture is deeply suspicious of bureaucracies and the idea of unlimited government power. This isn’t enough to make New Hampshire perfect, but it was more than enough reason for me to begin calling New Hampshire “home.”
And now that at least 12 Free State Project participants have been elected to serve in the state legislature in 2011-2012, New Hampshire is also a place where beneficial change seems not only possible but now likely to occur in the not-too-distant future.
I hope you are all looking forward to seeing this film as much as I am!
Matt Sim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6Y9Hm8 ... 16C33233B3
http://libertopiafilm.com/
Why New Hampshire, and why Libertopia?
December 6th, 2010 |
A guest blog by Matt Simon
When I left my teaching job in rural Appalachia and moved to New Hampshire in 2006, I didn’t explain to very many people that my primary motivation was to become more involved in politics. That’s one reason I was happy to let Christina Heller use me as a subject in her film, Libertopia, which is scheduled for release in early 2011. Some of the campaigns I’ve been involved with in the last few years have been a bit controversial, but looking back, I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to share those efforts with a larger audience.
I don’t care about winning converts to support my various crusades nearly as much as I care about having my ideas be understood, and I’m confident that the film will do at least that: increase people’s understanding. Beyond that, I cannot predict the film’s impact, but I truly admire Christina for the sacrifices she made in order to tell these particular stories. As for me, although I haven’t seen the film yet, I am glad I said “yes” and took the Libertopia plunge.
Fortunately, much of the work of making my ideas seem less radical has already been done by others. More than any other single factor, the Ron Paul for President campaign in 2007 and 2008 brought the ideas of freedom and limited government into the average American’s living room. It didn’t happen overnight, but today, “libertarian” critiques of our bloated, intrusive, over-reaching government have become a regular part of mainstream political discourse. This wasn’t the case at all five years ago. The tide has truly turned.
Most thinking people, whether they identify as Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, moderates, independents, or none of the above, have begun to reach consensus on the following conclusions affecting America’s future:
(1) Our nation’s economic policies are unsustainable. We simply can’t afford to continue borrowing 43 cents out of every dollar that’s spent, and yes, deficits do matter.
(2) U.S. foreign policy is also unsustainably expensive, and foreign wars, occupations, and rebuilding efforts have helped bring us to the brink of bankruptcy.
(3) Congress, regardless of which party holds the majority, has been doing an astonishingly bad job of representing the interests of “average” Americans. Washington, D.C., has developed its own unique culture of top-down, bureaucratic governance, a culture which has successfully co-opted all previous waves of newly-elected legislators sent to “take back Washington.”
I’ll stop well short of saying these shifts in mainstream American thought represent a full-blown revolution of libertarian ideas, but I will say this: they are definitely a healthy start! As Ron Paul frequently observed during his campaign, the philosophy of freedom and limited government has become dramatically more popular in recent years. And each time yet another failure of big government becomes apparent (the tragic non-response to Hurricane Katrina, the bursting of the housing bubble, “Mission Accomplished,” etc.), a new batch of converts is attracted to libertarian ideas.
I suppose I have always wanted to be involved with changing the world for the better, and of course I have always known this would be much easier said than done. All my life, I’d heard people say that in America, if you don’t agree with a particular law or policy, then you can work through our system of representative government to change it. But was it really true? Could a grassroots movement fundamentally change America’s future for the better?
I wanted it to be true, but I’d never seen it in action. Governments in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi (the three states I inhabited prior to New Hampshire) had always seemed inaccessible and dominated by “Good Old Boy” networks. The federal government seemed even more distant, its processes even more inscrutable to most Americans. So I began doing some comparison-shopping between various states, and in 2004 that research led me to the Free State Project’s website. In particular, it led me to a thought-provoking document titled “101 Reasons to Move to New Hampshire.”
A few months later, I made my first visit to the “Live Free or Die” state. A year and a half later, I became a full-time resident. The rest, as they say, is history, and some of that history is captured in Libertopia for the world to see.
New Hampshire is not a libertarian utopia, and I do not expect it will ever become a libertarian utopia. (In fact, if you ask any ten “libertarians” to describe their own personal vision of utopia, you are likely to get ten rather different answers.) It is, however, a state which already exemplifies freedom in sharp contrast with some other states. The native New Hampshire culture is deeply suspicious of bureaucracies and the idea of unlimited government power. This isn’t enough to make New Hampshire perfect, but it was more than enough reason for me to begin calling New Hampshire “home.”
And now that at least 12 Free State Project participants have been elected to serve in the state legislature in 2011-2012, New Hampshire is also a place where beneficial change seems not only possible but now likely to occur in the not-too-distant future.
I hope you are all looking forward to seeing this film as much as I am!
Matt Sim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6Y9Hm8 ... 16C33233B3
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
Matt says: "Ron Paul for President campaign in 2007 and 2008 brought the ideas of freedom and limited government into the average American’s living room." It may have in New Hampshire, but not the average American. Right now he has name recognition to about 3/4 of Republicans, what do you think that number is when you include all the people who aren't paying attention?
Interesting that you responded with "I'm sold", since most people pushing a fear agenda have something to sell.
Why?
it seems to me that it has only become a problem because the darker complected dude has the credit card now....or at least SINCE he got the credit card....
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I think you missed what I was saying. When Reagan was doing it, everything was just jim dandy amongst Republicans. He's even held up as some sort of hero. It's a sad form of revisionist history.---
Here we go.. :roll: If you dissagree with Obama it must be bcos he black" :roll: Jesus man when are you and others going to stop playing the race card.? Do you realize that calling someone a racist is one of the worst things you can call someone? So why do you and others do it ? Its bcos you don't have anything left but to.
Could it be that Obama or not one Democrat (that I know of) cannot credibly claim that he or she is a champion of smaller government. Or can credibly claim that he or she represents a movement to balance the budget, cut the deficit, control federal spending or reduce taxes on Americans and American businesses.
Ron Paul is not selling a fear agenda ? Facts are Facts if we dont stop spending future generations wont be able to enjoy the country the last generation gave to us. Its being pissed away and has been for the past 80 years by politicians who don't give a shit about you or me. All they care about is power and getting re-elcted. Whether it's defense,entitlements,or domestic spending it's got to stop or were all screwd.
I'll agree with you to a certain point that a lot of Americans weren' paying attention until Obama got into Office. And if it's bcos of race then shame on them. And theres alot that just weren't paying attention period and have not been for a long time. But what diffrence does it make now ? Theres nothing we can do about it . The Important thing is that people are now waking up and paying attention. So to sit there and say where where you when___ is pointless and doesn't solve anything.
Im sold on the idea of moving to New Hampshire. Im sick of living in the south. The town I live in is becoming to crowded for me. I realize that progressives do not like the idea of smaller government. You guys are all about central planning and letting some faceless beuracrat control your life. Not Me
http://freestateproject.org/101Reasons
101 Reasons to Move to New Hampshire
What are the prospects for achieving greater liberty where you currently live? If you are like many, the outlook is not good. The Free State Project offers a solution: join thousands of other liberty-lovers who are moving to New Hampshire, America's freest state, and working together there to achieve true liberty in our lifetime. Liberty is on the march in New Hampshire thanks to Free State Project participants and a great freedom-oriented political culture. If you care about liberty, we want you to be a part of bringing the ideas of liberty into practice.
The Free State Project seeks 20,000 pro-liberty activists to move to New Hampshire. We are looking for neighborly, productive, tolerant folks from all walks of life, of all ages, creeds, and colors who agree to the political philosophy that the maximum role of government is the protection life, liberty, and property. It exists at most to protect people’s rights, and should neither provide for people nor punish them for activities that interfere with no one else.
The purpose of this page is to highlight reasons why New Hampshire was chosen as the destination of the Free State Project and give you a sense of what you’ll be gaining by moving there. Topics covered are New Hampshire's government, politics, economy, geography, and quality of life.
Of course, there’s no substitute for experiencing New Hampshire and its pro-liberty activist community. If you are interested in visiting New Hampshire, talking with current participants and movers, or getting additional information about the Free State Project, please email us, call us at 888-377-2515, or post on our forum.
Government
# Reason Source
1 New Hampshire has no general sales tax. NH Department of Revenue Administration
2 New Hampshire has no general personal income tax. Dividends and interest are taxed at only 5%. Bankrate
3 New Hampshire state law prohibits the use of eminent domain for private use or private development. USA Today
4 New Hampshire offers some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation: no permit is required to open carry and a concealed carry permit is available on a shall issue basis. Pro-Gun New Hampshire
5 New Hampshire is the only state that does not have a mandatory seatbelt law for adults. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
6 New Hampshire is one of only three states that places no helmet restrictions on motorcyclists. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
7 New Hampshire is one of only three states that does not mandate automobile liability insurance. Insure.com
8 New Hampshire has no capital gains tax. Area Development Online
9 New Hampshire legislators are paid only $100 per year, helping ensure the existence of a citizen legislature committed to public service. National Conference of State Legislatures
10 New Hampshire has one of the smallest state bureaucracies. The Cato Institute
11 New Hampshire's constitution is one of only four state constitutions that expressly protect citizens' right to revolution (Section 1, Article 10). State of New Hampshire
12 New Hampshire offers the best representation of any state in the nation with a 400-member House of Representatives for a population of 1.3 million people. Wikipedia - Government of New Hampshire
13 New Hampshire's unique Executive Council provides an additional check on the power of the Governor. Support of the independently elected five member council is required for state contracts over $5,000, high-level agency appointments, and pardons. Wikipedia - Executive Council of New Hampshire
14 New Hampshire has no inventory tax. Area Development Online
15 New Hampshire has no tax on machinery or equipment. Area Development Online
16 Reflecting New Hampshire's relationship and openness to the public, the state capitol building has no metal detectors (and at 190 years old, is the oldest state house in continual use). The Ridley Report
17 New Hampshire is ranked 3rd for receiving the least federal spending as a percentage of federal taxes paid. The Tax Foundation
18 New Hampshire's constitution does not specifically prohibit secession.
19 New Hampshire is one of the few states that does not regulate raw milk sales. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
20 New Hampshire is ranked 3rd for fewest Federal Public Corruption Convictions (14) from 1997-2006. U.S. Department of Justice
21 New Hampshire officials, from town clerks to the state governor, are accessible to the public and generally have a walk-right-in office policy.
Politics
# Reason Source
22 The Free State Project has been endorsed by many in the pro-liberty community, including Ron Paul and Walter Williams. The Free State Project
23 New Hampshire culture still reflects its famous motto, Live Free or Die. State of New Hampshire
24 Four Free State Project participants have already been elected to the NH House of Representatives (as of 2008). The Ridley Report
25 New Hampshire has many liberty-minded members in its state government unaffiliated with the Free State Project. New Hampshire Liberty Alliance
26 New Hampshire offers small, easy to canvass voting districts. Each member of the House of Representatives represents about 3,000 people. NationMaster.com
27 Dozens of successful, pro-liberty organizations have been created and reinforced, addressing education, taxes, guns, homeschooling, drugs, currency, and many other issues. Whatever your interest, you will likely find an existing group you can help or people willing to join you in the creation of a new one.
28 New Hampshire has several gun rights organizations (Gun Owners of New Hampshire, Second Amendment Sisters, and Pro-Gun New Hampshire to name a few) that successfully work to expand gun freedoms in NH and protect the state's shall-issue concealed carry permit process and free open-carry laws. Free State Project
29 New Hampshire is awash with pro-liberty media. On the radio, there is Free Talk Live, based in Keene and heard nationwide, The Liberty Conspiracy, and the Katherine Albrecht Show. The RidleyReport and several independent videographers are very popular on YouTube. Local TV stations broadcast Free Minds TV and Capitol Access. NH-based liberty forums and blogs, along with Anarchy In Your Head cartoon series, help spread the message of liberty worldwide.
30 The NH Underground is an active, peaceful civil disobedience network. This group has organized activities ranging from conducting an open-carry litter pickup after curfew, to filming police encounters, to throwing snow balls at federal buildings, to producing radio, television, and internet broadcasts. New Hampshire Underground
31 The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance (NHLA) is a non-partisan coalition working to increase personal freedom through education and political action. They actively lobby for and against legislation, rate legislators based on their pro- or anti-freedom voting records, and recruit and train liberty candidates. New Hampshire Liberty Alliance
32 New Hampshire has a large, politically active, and rapidly growing homeschooling population. New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition
33 New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary provides significant leverage in the national debate. Wikipedia - New Hampshire Primary
34 Communication with the NH liberty community is a phone call away. Through Porcupine 411, reports of speed traps and check points, political events, and news as-it-happens are recorded and broadcast via email as audio file attachments. Porcupine-411
35 New Hampshire allows for fusion candidates whereby an individual can be the listed on the ballot as the candidate for more than one party. Several Libertarians have been elected to office running as fusion Libertarians and Democrats or Republicans. Wikipedia - Electoral Fusion
36 Independent voters comprise 44% of the New Hampshire electorate, attesting to the citizens' spirit of independence and a dissatisfaction with major parties. Globe Newspaper
37 New Hampshire has a long tradition of local control through town meetings, where town citizens vote on their budgets line-by-line, in the form of warrants. Wikipedia - Town Meeting
38 New Hampshire has an active jury nullification movement, which has had jury nullification bills passed by the House twice. NH Public Radio
39 In 2003, then-New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson signed up as a friend of the Free State Project and has publicly voiced his support for the Free State Project on numerous occasions. The Free State Project
40 Statewide officers in both the legislative and executive branches are elected every two years, giving voters the opportunity to clean house more often than in other states. Wikipedia - Elections in New Hampshire
41 New Hampshire local elections are mostly nonpartisan.
42 Mainstream newspapers and television stations have been receptive of and fair to the Free State Project. The Free State Project
43 New Hampshire has a large, active Libertarian Party which has won many state and local elections. Libertarian Party of New Hampshire
44 New Hampshire was the first state to adopt same-sex union legislation without a challenge to existing law. Marriage between two adults, regardless of gender, is now legal in New Hampshire. Union Leader
45 New Hampshire rejected the Real ID (national identification card) program. Free State Project participants were crucial in securing this outcome. Reuters
Economy
# Reason Source
46 New Hampshire offers the 2nd lowest tax burden as a percentage of gross income in the nation. CNNMoney.com
47 New Hampshire is friendly to small businesses and entrepreneurs. New Hampshire is frequently in top 10 nationwide listings for offering a business-friendly environment.
48 New Hampshire's median household income of $63,942 is the 3rd highest in the country. Kaiser Family Foundation
49 Early FSP movers have taken advantage of the tremendous business climate in NH by starting a number of successful businesses, including bars/restaurants, a microbrewery, construction companies, HVAC contractor/reseller, real estate practice, freedom-oriented bookstore, computer consulting, web hosting, radio/TV shows, and non-profit organizations.
50 The Free State Project community is Liberty Dollar and gold/silver currency-friendly. Many individuals and businesses accept them and a Shire Silver alternate currency is in the works by some participants. Shire Silver System
51 New Hampshire has a diverse economy, making it hospitable to movers from many lines of work. NashuaTelegraph
52 New Hampshire's current unemployment rate (6.3%) is over 2 percentage points lower than the national average (8.9%) - April 2009. NH Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau
53 New Hampshire is ranked 8th best in the Tax Foundation's 2009 State Business Tax Climate Index. The Tax Foundation
54 New Hampshire was ranked 3rd in economic competitiveness. The Beacon Hill Institute
55 New Hampshire is ranked 2nd nationally in the Work Environment Index. Political Economy Research Institute
56 New Hampshire is ranked 6th in the nation for percentage of patents filed per 100,000 workers. Kauffman Foundation
57 New Hampshire has the lowest percentage of residents and children living in poverty in the nation. The Eagle Tribune
58 New Hampshire offers 5 Free Trade Zones, including those at Manchester Airport and the Port of NH. NH Division of Ports & Harbors
59 New Hampshire's overall per capita tax collection is a low $1,673. U.S. Census Bureau
60 For states with populations under 1.5 million, New Hampshire is ranked 4th for the number of new jobs forecast, 2004-2014. New Hampshire Department of Employment Security
61 Retail businesses benefit from proximity to Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Canada as residents shop in New Hampshire to benefit from the lack of sales tax.
62 New Hampshire is ranked 47th out of the 50 states in the amount of farm subsidies it receives. Environmental Working Group
63 New Hampshire is ranked 10th in the nation for offering the highest percentage of "knowledge jobs." The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
64 Portsmouth has the 19th lowest unemployment rate out of 369 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and thus is among the "30 Best Markets to Find a Job." CareerBuilder.com
65 New Hampshire is ranked 7th in the nation for venture capital invested as a percentage of Gross State Product. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
66 New Hampshire is ranked 8th in the nation for percentage of high-tech jobs. American Electronics Association
67 New Hampshire has a $0.196/gallon tax on gasoline; $1.33/pack of cigarettes; $0.30/gallon of beer; and zero tax on spirits. These are among the lowest in the region. The Tax Foundation
68 New Hampshire is ranked 9th in the Milken Institute's Technology and Science State Ranking. The Milken Institute
69 New Hampshire has an active and diverse agricultural sector that ranges from livestock to dairy products to apples to flowers. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food
Geography & Environment
# Reason Source
70 New Hampshire's relatively small geographic size facilitates activism statewide and makes frequent collaboration and meetings among FSP members possible.
71 New Hampshire offers abundant water resources. The potential for water shortages in NH is insignificant. New Hampshire/Vermont Water Science Center
72 New Hampshire offers easy access to beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains, and forests.
73 New Hampshire offers outdoor activities throughout the year, including biking, bird watching, boating, camping, climbing, fishing, golfing, going to the beach, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, skate boarding, skiing, and snowmobiling. NH Outdoors
74 NH is a great place for hikers, boasting 48 mountains with peaks higher than 4,000 feet, access to the Appalachian Trail, and numerous trails of various distances and difficulties throughout the state. NH Outdoors
75 With its deep-water port on the Atlantic Ocean, NH has access to worldwide trade markets.
76 New Hampshire shares a border with Canada, facilitating international trade and travel.
77 With the majority of the nation's population already living east of the Mississippi, New Hampshire has a large, nearby population from which to draw freedom-lovers in order to reach and exceed the goal of 20,000 participants.
78 New Hampshire is home to the tallest mountain in the Northeast, Mt. Washington, affording 100-mile views of three states and Canada. The Mount Washington Observatory
Quality of Life
# Reason Source
79 New Hampshire has an active pro-liberty social community. Participants host weekly events like Taproom Tuesdays, Ice Cream Social Sundays, and holiday parties, along with weekly and monthly mixers. In addition, the annual NH Liberty Forum and Porcupine Freedom Festival attract hundreds of liberty lovers from around the country. Your social calendar will always be full! NH Liberty Calendar
80 New Hampshire has been ranked #1 in the nation for quality of life and livability five years in a row. Congressional Quarterly
81 New Hampshire is the safest state in the country . Congressional Quarterly
82 New Hampshire is the 2nd healthiest state in the nation. Congressional Quarterly
83 New Hampshire is ranked 3rd for health care quality. The Commonwealth Fund
84 New Hampshire has the 3rd fewest fatalities per 100 million miles driven. Reason Foundation
85 New Hampshire is ranked 1st nationally in the index for child well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation
86 New Hampshire is the least expensive state in which to own a vehicle. Edmunds
87 New Hampshire is a state with breathtaking beauty and scenery - the ocean, lakes, mountains, forests, rivers, picturesque New England towns, covered bridges, and historical homes.
88 New Hampshire enjoys all four seasons. Fall foliage attracts tourists from all over; in winter, snow-related recreational activities are popular; spring brings blooming wildflowers and greenery galore; and in the summer, outdoor festivals abound.
89 New Hampshire offers many private/non-government schooling options, ranging from home schools, to Montessori schools, to religious schools, to boarding schools, to traditional private high schools. GreatSchools
90 New Hampshire is home to quality, diverse dining options for all tastes and budgets. NH Dining Guide
91 New Hampshire is considered at very low risk for hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and forest fires. Insurance Center Associates
92 New Hampshire offers hundreds of private, non-profit organizations ranging from food banks, to youth mentoring, to health services. NH Center for Nonprofits
93 New Hampshire is home to an array of colleges, from Ivy League member Dartmouth to technical trade schools. New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission
94 New Hampshire is home to people of all religions and as well as those who are non-religious. The New Hampshire population is among the most religiously tolerant, with 73% believing that other religions can lead to eternal life. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
95 Air transportation to and from New Hampshire is facilitated by 116 registered airports, 60 registered heliports, and 6 registered sea plane bases. NH Department of Transportation
96 New Hampshire offers modern, extensive cellular and Internet infrastructures and statewide access to low-cost, high-speed Internet. Fiber Optics (FiOS) service available in select areas.
97 New Hampshire offers extraordinary opportunities for black bear, coyote, bobcats, moose, white-tailed deer, and beaver hunting as well as deep-sea, river, and lake fishing. NH Department of Resources and Economic Development
98 In addition to many small and unique family-owned businesses, most large, national chain stores are within short driving distance.
99 New Hampshire has a plethora of gun clubs throughout the state. NH Fish and Game Department
100 New Hampshire offers an incredibly diverse mix of communities. Whether you are interested in living in a city, in the suburbs, on a farm, by the beach, in the mountains, or on a lake, you can find your dream home in New Hampshire.
101 Being in New Hampshire as part of the Free State Project offers the added benefit of knowing you are part of something historic. Rather than just talking about liberty and accepting your loss of freedoms, you will be an active participant in making history, achieving Liberty in Our Lifetime!
Here we go.. :roll: If you dissagree with Obama it must be bcos he black" :roll: Jesus man when are you and others going to stop playing the race card.? Do you realize that calling someone a racist is one of the worst things you can call someone? So why do you and others do it ? Its bcos you don't have anything left but to.
Could it be that Obama or not one Democrat (that I know of) cannot credibly claim that he or she is a champion of smaller government. Or can credibly claim that he or she represents a movement to balance the budget, cut the deficit, control federal spending or reduce taxes on Americans and American businesses.
Ron Paul is not selling a fear agenda ? Facts are Facts if we dont stop spending future generations wont be able to enjoy the country the last generation gave to us. Its being pissed away and has been for the past 80 years by politicians who don't give a shit about you or me. All they care about is power and getting re-elcted. Whether it's defense,entitlements,or domestic spending it's got to stop or were all screwd.
I'll agree with you to a certain point that a lot of Americans weren' paying attention until Obama got into Office. And if it's bcos of race then shame on them. And theres alot that just weren't paying attention period and have not been for a long time. But what diffrence does it make now ? Theres nothing we can do about it . The Important thing is that people are now waking up and paying attention. So to sit there and say where where you when___ is pointless and doesn't solve anything.
Im sold on the idea of moving to New Hampshire. Im sick of living in the south. The town I live in is becoming to crowded for me. I realize that progressives do not like the idea of smaller government. You guys are all about central planning and letting some faceless beuracrat control your life. Not Me
I didn't say "if you disagree with Obama, it must be because he's black". I'm making an observation that people are acting like his deficit spending is such a huge threat to the country, when there wasn't the same reaction when a white guy did it. In our society in general, people have a stronger fear reaction to black men when compared to the same behavior done by whites. I'm aware that racism still exists, and I'm observing it happening, not playing a card.
I don't care if someone says their for "smaller government". Those are buzz words. I look at someones stance on policy to see if they're for what I thinks is best for the country. And Ron Paul is selling a fear agenda. The Department of Education wants to "indoctrinate our children"! Really Ron? OOOH I'm scared, I better buy one of your books. He's overblowing inflation, which isn't high right now, and CPI is up some after being low for several years. No one is controlling my life, but it sounds like some old timer in Texas might be controlling yours. I agree with Ron on certain things, but he's not qualified to be prez. I got a good laugh out of your "central planning" comment. Reminds me of people talking about the Soviet Union.
CPI does not even take food or gas prices into account, so if you're measuring inflation based on CPI alone, you're not getting the whole story-- not even close. Also, inflation by definition is the expansion of the money supply, which NO ONE can argue against happening because of programs like TARP, QE 1, and QE 2, as well as maintaining artificially LOW interest rates which penalizes saving and leaves more money in circulation. Price inflation, which his what you're talking about is usually one of the consequences of inflation, and again I reiterate price inflation is falsely represented by the CPI by not taking into a account food or gas prices. But hey, don't take my word for it. Just gas up on your way to the supermarket and then try and tell yourself that everything is in check, and that your dollar is buying exactly what it should.
As far as the indoctination comment, I don't believe I've ever heard Ron quoted as saying this, but why is this comment so off-base to you? I went to public school, and according to my public-school-issued history books, my government has never screwed up, has never told me a lie, has never lost a war, has rammed Keynesian Economics down my throat, and FDR was the greatest president ever by a longshot. Even Ben Bernanke admits that the Federal Reserve CAUSED the Great Depression, when their stated purpose was to prevent economic PANICS from happening, let alone depressions, although my history books said differently. When your curriculum is decided at both a federal and state level by some overbloated, ever-growing agencies whose livelihoods are based on taxpayer money, they might just include a slight bias towards government being the answer all the time, rather than admitting that it does fail at certain things often. You may think indoctrination is a strong word, but let's call a spade a spade and admit that education run by the state is going to be biased towards statism.
Ron Paul is NOT selling a fear agenda. He is promoting a society based on liberty, which shouldn't sound all that wild to anyone. Governments that prove to know no limits can be scary-- they are the use of force legitamized, and if the wrong people were to be in charge of that use of force, it could have some serious implications. If you do not feel the pressure of government intruding into your everday life you are:
1) unaware of the powers of the Patriot Act, recently renewed by President Obama, aka W. the Sequel, and also unaware of how the 4th Amendment was supposed to protect us against such violations of our rights to privacy.
2) somone who does not know anyone that is fighting in any of the various conflicts around the world that have nothing to do with our national security.
3) in love with the fact that oil costs what it does and still dominates the market since oil and ethanol are highly subisdized by the government leaving their true costs unknown to the public, while we pay for the existence of the Federal Department of Energy whose stated purpose was to, and I paraphrase, "get us off foreign oil."
4) someone who doesn't know anyone who is gay and would like to be married.
5) someone who is unaware that INFLATION is the most vicious hidden tax that robs your money of its wealth through devaluation, requires no new taxes to be levied on the public, and comes with interest paid to private bankers for every new dollar created.
6) someone who doesn't care that this power is used to bail out giant corporate failures instead of the little guy at YOUR expense.
7) someone who thinks they'll be much safer either getting publicly x-rayed or felt-up at an airport.
8) someone who doesn't like having choices in any of the products that they buy since government has a tendency to pick winners and losers through their amount of intervention (see #3 again, and think about how this is a major reason why 99% of the cars on the road still run on gasoline).
9) someone who doesn't think they own their own body and can choose freely what they put into it as long as they leave everyone else alone.
10) someone who doesn't care that the rule of law doesn't apply equally to everyone, especially to politicians and to the big businesses that control them.
If 10 / 10 of these apply to you, let me know where you got that Blue Pill, I'm thinking of switching medications
All of this has been going on for a very long time, much of it long before W. Things got increasingly worse with him, and continue to head in the same direction under the current administration. What has happened though, is that it has gone too far, and the people of this country are reaching their thresholds with regards to intervention, taxation, regulations, etc... I'll credit America for having a much lesser threshold to get angry and publically display it unlike those recently in the middle east who are just acting NOW over years of terrible dictatorial rule.
As far as selling an agenda through fear, that's not Ron Paul, sorry. He relies on historical precedents when he speaks, and never does so hysterically. See Alex Jones for that. There's a big difference, the jury is out on whether Alex does it intentionally or not intentionally, but that's for each listener to decide.
As far as the indoctination comment, I don't believe I've ever heard Ron quoted as saying this, but why is this comment so off-base to you? I went to public school, and according to my public-school-issued history books, my government has never screwed up, has never told me a lie, has never lost a war, has rammed Keynesian Economics down my throat, and FDR was the greatest president ever by a longshot. Even Ben Bernanke admits that the Federal Reserve CAUSED the Great Depression, when their stated purpose was to prevent economic PANICS from happening, let alone depressions, although my history books said differently. When your curriculum is decided at both a federal and state level by some overbloated, ever-growing agencies whose livelihoods are based on taxpayer money, they might just include a slight bias towards government being the answer all the time, rather than admitting that it does fail at certain things often. You may think indoctrination is a strong word, but let's call a spade a spade and admit that education run by the state is going to be biased towards statism.
Ron Paul is NOT selling a fear agenda. He is promoting a society based on liberty, which shouldn't sound all that wild to anyone. Governments that prove to know no limits can be scary-- they are the use of force legitamized, and if the wrong people were to be in charge of that use of force, it could have some serious implications. If you do not feel the pressure of government intruding into your everday life you are:
1) unaware of the powers of the Patriot Act, recently renewed by President Obama, aka W. the Sequel, and also unaware of how the 4th Amendment was supposed to protect us against such violations of our rights to privacy.
2) somone who does not know anyone that is fighting in any of the various conflicts around the world that have nothing to do with our national security.
3) in love with the fact that oil costs what it does and still dominates the market since oil and ethanol are highly subisdized by the government leaving their true costs unknown to the public, while we pay for the existence of the Federal Department of Energy whose stated purpose was to, and I paraphrase, "get us off foreign oil."
4) someone who doesn't know anyone who is gay and would like to be married.
5) someone who is unaware that INFLATION is the most vicious hidden tax that robs your money of its wealth through devaluation, requires no new taxes to be levied on the public, and comes with interest paid to private bankers for every new dollar created.
6) someone who doesn't care that this power is used to bail out giant corporate failures instead of the little guy at YOUR expense.
7) someone who thinks they'll be much safer either getting publicly x-rayed or felt-up at an airport.
8) someone who doesn't like having choices in any of the products that they buy since government has a tendency to pick winners and losers through their amount of intervention (see #3 again, and think about how this is a major reason why 99% of the cars on the road still run on gasoline).
9) someone who doesn't think they own their own body and can choose freely what they put into it as long as they leave everyone else alone.
10) someone who doesn't care that the rule of law doesn't apply equally to everyone, especially to politicians and to the big businesses that control them.
If 10 / 10 of these apply to you, let me know where you got that Blue Pill, I'm thinking of switching medications
All of this has been going on for a very long time, much of it long before W. Things got increasingly worse with him, and continue to head in the same direction under the current administration. What has happened though, is that it has gone too far, and the people of this country are reaching their thresholds with regards to intervention, taxation, regulations, etc... I'll credit America for having a much lesser threshold to get angry and publically display it unlike those recently in the middle east who are just acting NOW over years of terrible dictatorial rule.
As far as selling an agenda through fear, that's not Ron Paul, sorry. He relies on historical precedents when he speaks, and never does so hysterically. See Alex Jones for that. There's a big difference, the jury is out on whether Alex does it intentionally or not intentionally, but that's for each listener to decide.[/quote]
I went to public school, too. And I was taught that our country isn't the center of the universe, that our government has screwed up, and that there are other ways of going about things. This was also in a very conservative state, but it's what my local community was supportive of. My point is that education curriculum is also determined on a state and local level. It's funny how fox news conservatives think the public school system is cranking out a bunch of commies, and Ron Paul thinks it's putting out a bunch of conformists who love the federal government and all of it's policies. Going anecdotally, the gas I buy isn't much more than it was in 1981, and I don't feel that food prices are out of control, although Ron picks and chooses to reference what foods have gone up more than others when trying to make his argument.
The implication by the smug libertarians is that if you don't agree with them, then you living your life as some sort of lemming in denial. It has a condescending vibe to say the least. I'm fully aware of the 10 points, but my reaction is different than yours. There is specific areas where they over-step. I see the answer to more than just blaming the federal gov. And your reference to people's anger and reaching their threshold is over stated. The level of "anger" in the country is the same it was in 2006. You're looking at slices of evidence to support your case rather than using a wider lens. It's a wonder New Hampshire even exists with our iron fisted federal government!
People pissed themselves after 9/11 and wanted more law enforcement, and that's what they got. People want the weird looking guy to get x-rayed. If you look at other aspects, things are changing. Pot laws are loosening. Women can still get abortions despite the anti-choice crowd. Gays can marry in certain states, and eventually this will become federal law. etc.
I think Ron Paul is trying to sell a pill. Frustrated with how things are in our country? See these bad things happening? Guess what, it's because of the federal government! Well, that's an easy answer to complex issues, and it makes me feel better. Thanks Ron!
Forget about the blue pill, where are you getting this gas?
I don't mean to sound smug, sorry if it comes off that way. I just call it how I see it-- to say food and gas hasn't risen all that much across the board, especially over 30 years DOES sound like being in denial to me. Why did housing prices balloon so much before crashing? Whose fault was that? To set the record straight, Libertarians do not just blame the federal government, they blame big business as well. The thing is, big business do not have nearly as much power if it they were not given power through agencies created by the federal government. Who always ends up running these agencies but former CEOs of the industries they are supposed to be policing? The scales get tilted in favor of their friends still in business, creating massive conflicts of interest. It is the merger of public and private that is to blame for most of this country's problems. Other classic examples of where there is a dangerous mix of public and private interests so closely woven that you can barely tell them apart: the military industrial complex, and the Federal Reserve.
Pot laws are loosening on a state by state level, gays can marry in certain states-- the answer to a lot of complex issues lie in leaving it up to the states. Why does that perturb so many people? Why can't we govern ourselves on a more local level? I don't see that as anti-federal government hysteria, I see it as a practical way to put the power of the people closer to the people.
Do you honestly believe that the Federal Government hasn't been overstepping it's bounds for dozens of years now? What about the Constitution-- where does the federal government get it's authority from, if not from this document which limits the power of the federal government to specific duties?
Are you generally agreeing with most of what I say, but disagree with the seriousness and level of severity of the problems being discussed here?
It's like watching those handicam tsunami videos from Japan, isn't it?
Just when you think the crazy can't get any higher, in comes more crazy.
I didn't say food hasn't risen much. Of course it's gone up in price, but as a percentage of household income, it's gone down steadily for forty years. Gas isn't much higher today than in '81 when you factor in inflation. If people are going to bitch about things being too expensive, they should have facts, and also identify what "too expensive" is. Too expensive when compared to what? I think the federal government does over step its bounds. I've seen states put it in check when it can, too. It could be put in check more often, of course. I feel like the system in place can work and can dial things back. I don't advocate dismantling the federal gov. to how it was in the 1800's.
I agree that calling someone a racist is bad... but it's hard to believe that so many conservatives and Republicans in America simply weren't "paying attention" during the Bush years (which is the other possible explanation). During the eight years Bush was in power there wasn't a series of (initially) massive protests against the government that were sponsored by a news network. There wasn't an entire movement of people who said Bush wasn't qualified to be the president because he was born overseas. People weren't accusing Bush of having a radical religion-based agenda. Nobody was saying Bush hated America and that he was "palling around with terrorists."
But Obama takes office and ends up doing many of the same things Bush did when he was in office, and a decent-sized part of the population seems to think he's the antichrist.
While I don't believe that all anti-Obama people are racist (I believe only a small vocal percentage of them are), I truly believe that if the current president's name was Steven Alan Thomas there would be no birther movement, and nobody would accuse him of having radical religious ideals.
Seriously... how ugly is the 2012 election campaign going to be? This has "clusterfuck" written all over it