gAmanda - speech at the LPCT convention

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Yesterday, I spoke with the LPCT convention about the Free State Project. They were a fabulous group, and I had a wonderful time. To my delight, many of the attendees were already members of the Free State Project. I signed on three new members that night, and many others took Statements of Intent and other literature home with them. One of the new members was the Chair of the LPCT. Yay!

Gary Nolan, who is campaigning for the Libertarian Part presidential nomination spoke after I did. He gave a wonderful talk about delivering a positive message to bring people into the party. His main focus for his campaign will be to use his media experience to bring visibility to the party and to help local candidates in their races.

Amanda Phillips (Free State Project) and Gary Nolan (candidate for LP presidential nomination):

A pause during my speech:

Gary Nolan speaking to the LPCT convention:

Here is my speech. I'm pretty proud of it. I will soon have the video.

Good evening. I'm thrilled to be here; thank you for having me.

Ben Franklin wrote, “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” If I had to summarize the Free State Project in one sentence, that would be the one. "Where liberty dwells, there is my country."

How many of you know about the Free State Project?

The Free State Project is a plan in which 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people will move to a single state of the U.S. where they may work within the political system to reduce the size and scope of government. The success of the Free State Project would likely entail reductions in burdensome taxation and regulation, reforms in state and local law, an end to federal mandates, and a restoration of constitutional federalism, demonstrating the benefits of liberty to the rest of the nation and to the world.

Does that sound appealing to anyone here? If it’s not appealing, perhaps you are in the wrong room. Is there a conference on fascism across the hall?

I knew it was appealing to at least one other person in the room… our next speaker, Gary Nolan, joined a few weeks ago at the Escape to New Hampshire event. Gary, we’re glad to have you. In addition to Gary Nolan, we have some other high profile members and friends, including Walter Williams, Claire Wolfe, Vin Suprynowicz, J.J. Johnson, and Gary’s opponent for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Michael Badnarik. In addition, New Hampshire’ s Governor Craig Benson has welcomed us to his state, which is one of our ten candidate states.

Before I get into too much detail, I’d like to introduce our mascot to you. Here he is, the porcupine! Any idea why we might have chosen a porcupine? We were looking for something like the Gadsden snake. That’s the one on those flags that say “Don’t tread on me.” But the snake is an aggressive creature, and we Free Staters are not. We chose the porcupine because he is non-aggressive in nature. The porcupine uses his quills only for self-defense, so he is a perfect symbol for our project. Also, the porcupine is cuter and cuddlier than a snake.

The Free State Project is for those who believe in a consistent philosophy of freedom.

If you agree with most of the following statements, then the Free State Project might be for you.

· Government should focus on fighting real crimes, like murder or theft.
· Government should not protect us from ourselves.
· Individual responsibility and freedom go hand in hand.
· We are only as free as we allow our neighbors to be.
· It is better that people rely on each other than on the government.
· People should be able to keep what they earn.
· Freedom makes good policy.

We open our arms to anyone who agrees that we should reduce the size of government by around 2/3. Personally, I think we should reduce the size of government by 3/3, but I won’t argue about that extra 1/3. While we don’t like to limit ourselves with labels, we are usually known as libertarians, constitutionalists, or classical liberals.

So what’s all this about moving? Isn’t that a bit radical? Why should we move?

We were once a nation that believed in individual liberty, self-sufficiency, and voluntary cooperation between neighbors. But we have strayed from the ideals upon which we were founded. Our government intrudes more and more upon our wallets, our bodies, our schools, our businesses, and our bedrooms. What can we do to change this disturbing trend? We can work to elect liberty-minded people. We can reduce taxes so people can keep what they earn. We can end socialist programs so people can rely on each other like they once did. We can pull the government out of our bedrooms, bodies, schools, and wallets. I believe the best strategy for achieving this is to join forces in a Free State.

As I’m sure you might have experienced here in Connecticut, we libertarians are spread thin across the nation. In a nation of around 280 million people, there are around 28,000 paid members of the Libertarian Party. Even in our most concentrated areas, we amount to a whopping 3.15% of the population. This makes it difficult for us to accomplish our goals. Most of our neighbors don’t want to be free, so we often find ourselves working hard against the mainstream with little to show for it. While libertarians have shown some success at local and state levels, we have made little progress at the national level.

Now here’s a radical idea… what would happen if we concentrated our energy on those areas that we could realistically influence? Can we strengthen our team in the minor league before we bring it to the majors?

The Free State Project aims to concentrate our numbers in one small state where we may work with the local population to institute a free society. Our founder, Jason Sorens, who recently graduated from Yale with a PhD in political science, studied migratory political movements such as the Mormon movement into Utah, the gay movement into San Francisco, and the Socialist movement into Vermont. Based on historical precedent, he determined that 20,000 liberty-oriented activists would be able to successfully influence states with populations under 1.5 million. Once we have proven success at the state level, we will then have the credibility and the political capital we need to influence national politics.

So 20,000 are enough to create a more libertarian state. But can we actually get 20,000 people to move? You might be surprised to know that we currently have around 4,500 people committed to move, and we haven’t even chosen a state yet! We’ll vote on the state when we reach 5,000, and we’ll begin our migration to the state when we reach 20,000 members. This is the simple beauty of the project… if we don’t hit 20,000, we don’t move. We’ll be no worse off than we are today. But if we do hit 20,000, we have up to five years to move to the Free State. Once there, we will work within the political system to elect liberty-minded candidates and eventually achieve Liberty In Our Lifetime.

Now the question on everyone’s mind (including mine!) is Which State? We have 10 states under consideration: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. We’re researching each state extensively to determine the best choice. We’ve looked into many factors, to include population, voting trends, tax burden, gun control, crime, climate, state spending, government employees per capita, federal dependence, home school restrictions, and port/border access. Our Free State Project membership has done a wonderful job in their state research. In fact, I now know more about North Dakota than I ever thought I wanted to know. You’ll find this information on the Free State Project website, www.freestateproject.org. Also, many of the state Libertarian parties have this information on their websites.

What if you don’t like one of the states? You can still sign up and “opt out” of any states to which you’re not comfortable committing. In fact, we encourage you to join and opt out rather than not be involved at all. Besides, after we vote on the state, your opt-outs will be irrelevant. After our vote, those of us who haven’t opted out (and hopefully even those who have!) will be focused on moving to the one Free State.

About that vote… we will vote via paper ballot using the Condorcet method. Each voter ranks the states from 1 to 10 based on his preferences. The Condorcet method then uses a rather complicated calculation to find the state that is the most acceptable to the most people. If you’re interested, our website has a detailed explanation of the Condorcet method.

How can you participate in this vote? You need to join the Free State Project to vote. Who can join the Free State Project? Anyone who can agree to the following statement:

“I hereby state my solemn intent to move to a state of the United States designated by vote of Free State Project participants as specified in the Participation Guidelines of the FSP. Once this move occurs, I will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of life, liberty, and property. I have read and understood the Participation Guidelines of the FSP and agree to be bound by them.”

In addition to all the literature you see on our table, I brought Statements of Intent with me. If you’d like to join the Project today, I’ll be happy to collect them from you. If you’d like to learn more about the FSP before you join, please take the literature and the Statements of Intent with you. You may send the completed Statement via mail or sign up via the website, www.freestateproject.org.

You may have a lot of questions about the Free State Project, and I will answer those in a moment. First, I’ll share with you one of the questions I asked myself when I was considering the Free State Project: Will we actually move? Can I actually move?

When I put things in perspective, I see that our entire human history is a series of Free State Projects. In her novel Anthem, Ayn Rand describes it thus: “At first, man was enslaved by the gods. But he broke their chains. Then he was enslaved by the kings. But he broke their chains. He was enslaved by his birth, by his kin, by his race. But he broke their chains. He declared to all his brothers that a man has rights which neither god nor king nor other men can take away from him, no matter what their number, for his is the right of man, and there is no right on earth above this right.”

I think back to the Free State Project that began in the 1700s, and I’m inspired by those heroes who founded our nation: Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, John Hancock, Thomas Paine, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and many, many others.

These men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. All we have to do is move.

Speaking to Virginia’s Revolutionary Convention in 1775, Patrick Henry asked, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” For us, the choice is a little different. It’s also a little easier. Instead of choosing between peace and revolution, we must choose between our comfortable lives in our current states and a new beginning in the Free State. I, for one, am not willing to purchase a comfortable life at the price of chains and slavery. The question is not, “Can we create a Free State?” The real question is “How can we not?”

I’ll leave you with a personal question, for which every person in this room will have a different answer. I encourage you to think about it and answer it for yourself. How much does liberty mean to you? Do you want Liberty In Your Lifetime?

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Oasis - Wonderwall

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 13th, 2003 08:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)
cool

That's a terrific speech; you're right to be proud of it.

--Mike

	From: amanda42	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: cool

	From: crasch	Date: July 13th, 2003 08:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Great speech, Amanda! You da man! Er...I mean, you da woman!

How did they react? What kind's of questions did you get?

	From: amanda42	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks!

They were very positive about it. The audience interrupted me with applause several times. :)

The questions were fabulous. They were the sort of questions people ask when they're seriously considering the project. A 17-year old asked how old he had to be to join. A few others asked about things like jobs & housing in the Free State. Others asked about our strategies for opting out of income taxes and other sorts of federal oppression. The secession question came up (as it always does) and I was able to explain that we were not a secessionist movement, etc, etc.

I'll have a video soon, so you'll be able to watch the whole thing and the Q&A.

	From: crasch	Date: July 14th, 2003 01:53 am (UTC)		(Link)

Cool! Thanks! Looking forward to seeing the video...

From: humandays	Date: July 13th, 2003 08:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

	From: amanda42	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:46 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks! I am strong. :)

From: humandays	Date: August 4th, 2003 04:10 pm (UTC)		(Link)
Re:

i had a dream about you in italy! :)

	From: amanda42	Date: August 18th, 2003 10:37 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Umm, thanks! Was it a good one?

From: humandays	Date: August 21st, 2003 01:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)

it was!

a very simple one. you were standing up giving a speech, being very strong, and the audience attended. i walked up to you afterward, as though we were in the dream familiar friends, and we talked a bit about how it had gone. was very harmonious and easy. :)

	From: amanda42	Date: September 5th, 2003 03:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

From: birkin	Date: September 5th, 2003 05:13 pm (UTC)		(Link)

	From: enthiomaniac	Date: July 13th, 2003 08:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Wow. Well said. I'll keep an eye out around here for a convention/gathering such as that, they'd probably have me signed then and there. My only real pause is that I'm not sure that I am enough of an activist, by nature, to "exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of life, liberty, and property." I'm following this with interest, and am seriously considering moving to the chosen state, but I think that the official 20,000 ought to be more outspokenly activist people than me in order for this to really take off, no?

	From: libertyscribe	Date: July 14th, 2003 04:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

There's not much in the FSP agreement about being an activist. Even being a consistent voter for liberty and sending some money to worthy candidates and causes will be a help. Not to mention just living a free life and encouraging others to do the same.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The FAQ on the web has a bit about what we consider "activist." Obviously, there are going to be crazy hardcore activists out there, but we hope the 20,000 will support FSP candidates (votes, yard signs, bumper stickers?), donate to campaigns, write letters to the editor... that sort of stuff.

If you would be mildly involved in that sort of thing, we'd be more than happy to have you!

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)
"How can we not?" ?

There are more important things in life than liberty ...

... well, sort of. Liberty, in a sense, is a "passive" tool: a way to let you do what you want. But, like any other tool, it must be nurtured and sustained; this takes time and energy, both of which could be applied to what you would use the liberty _for_.

Yes, I have a sense of humanity -- the freedom for others to do what _they_ want is important to me as well; but, it must be weighed against the critical values in my own life. In particular, I want my energies directed towards enhancing the freedom of those I value, not just anyone.

This is why I can't commit to the Free State Project right now, nor in the forseeable future -- my physics career and family take precedence.

Best,

Sourav
http://www.sourav.net/

PS: Hi Amanda! Thanks for the update -- your speech reads quite eloquently.

	From: taische	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: "How can we not?" ?

That's a reasonable choice, of course. I suspect that for nearly all of those who have signed up, altruism has had little to do with the choice. I, for one, know I signed up for completely selfish reasons.

I suspect that if I had elected to continue to pursue a career in plasma physics rather than choosing more entrepreneurial pursuits, the balance might have been tipped in another direction. Then again, Nashua, NH is only about thirty or so miles away from the PFC, so even then it likely would have have been workable. Any good work going on at Harvard or MIT in your area? A free state may not be worth leaving behind the career you love, but perhaps a bit of a commute? :-)

	From: ernunnos	Date: July 13th, 2003 11:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: "How can we not?" ?

This is what I don't get about the FSP. It's a good idea, granted. So why wait? Once the decision is made, what's the point of waiting for 19,999 other people to jump at the opportunity? Even 5,000 could make a change, and all the states under consideration are libertarian-friendly anyway. Even if you accomplish absolutely nothing, you're living in a place that's more libertarian-friendly to begin with.

	From: libertyscribe	Date: July 14th, 2003 11:57 am (UTC)		(Link)
	no need to wait

No need to wait. We've had dozens of people say they'll be moving once the state is chosen. You can have an impact with 5000 people, even 500 in some states, but achieving the goals of the FSP will be easier with a critical mass, and in some cases will only be possible with that mass of activism and support.

From: (Anonymous)	Date: October 4th, 2003 03:57 pm (UTC)		(Link)
Re: no need to wait

As an FSP organizer, I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from moving, but let me explain that the FSP is a solution to what economists call a "collective-action problem", related to game theory. You have a goal that requires the support of a minimum of M people out of a larger population of N people, like paying for street lights (a public good) in your neighborhood. Each person is thinking, "Why should I contribute to the cause, if not enough other people do, and the cause fails?" The solution is to first get M people to pledge.

Each person also has another worry: "Why should I contribute to the cause, if N-M free riders benefit without contributing?" Why shouldn't I be a free rider? That one is harder, but still solvable, as the people who care the most will gradually commit, and their higher cost can be offset with reputational score-keeping.

But you correctly sense that to some degree what we have is a "coordination problem", another example of game theory. For example, two drivers approaching each other on a two-lane highway need to agree to drive on the left or on the right. It doesn't matter which, as long as they agree. Even 5000 rabid libertarians who just want to see some increase in their influence similarly need to agree on one state, any state, and move there as quick as possible. But they will not see significant change until at least another 15K join them.

-Steve

	From: amanda42	Date: October 4th, 2003 04:13 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: no need to wait

Thanks for your comments, Steve. I think the kind of people who are rabidly libertarian enough to move after we reach 5,000 are the kind of people who will be happy with some increase in their influence. (Not that those who wait until 20,000 are not rabidly libertarian... they just might have more to risk than the early movers.)

Early movers do help answer the all-important question, will people really move? When we have early movers, people will see that we are serious and they will be more likely to sign up and commit. And then we'll hit 20,000 sooner than we might have.

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 14th, 2003 12:25 am (UTC)		(Link)
Re: "How can we not?" ?

No, I don't assume that Free Staters are being altruistic; I am just resistant to the idea that liberty itself should be the ultimate object of those participating in the enterprise, or that a total devotion to the cause of liberty is necessary to effect one's life goals.

Yeah, as for exploring possible positions at Harvard or MIT, I'll cross that bridge when it comes -- it'll be another four years or so before I even finish my PhD here at UC-Berkeley (looking to specialize in string theory, quantum gravity, etc.). Also, that's all assuming I have the chops to be a post-doc or faculty member at those excellent departments! I went to MIT for undergrad and I know they have some great strings folks there; don't know much about Harvard apart from their most recent hires.

	From: taische	Date: July 14th, 2003 06:40 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: "How can we not?" ?

Sure. I was just trying to point out that participation does not imply that furthering a political classical liberal agenda itself is the ultimate object of all who participate- just one, probably alongside many, to which they are willing to dedicate significant effort.

I don't know about all the other participants, but I certainly don't intend to give up other pursuits (including dedicating time to pondering quantum gravity :) ) if this all plays out as hoped. That wasn't in the contract (that is to say, I would find that impractical, and the term fullest practical effort is used in the wording of the agreement).

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 14th, 2003 04:39 pm (UTC)		(Link)
Re: "How can we not?" ?

All agreed.

In an otherwise superb speech, Amanda's rhetorical question "How can we not?" simply raised my brow. (Then again, perhaps it was appropriate hyperbole for her audience.)

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: "How can we not?" ?

Thanks for the compliment.

quoting myself, here... I'll leave you with a personal question, for which every person in this room will have a different answer. I encourage you to think about it and answer it for yourself. How much does liberty mean to you? Do you want Liberty In Your Lifetime?

Everyone's answer to this question is different. It's OK... I respect your decision to place career & family over liberty. I'm making a different decision; I think my decision will ultimately be a better one for my daughter but not such a great one for my career.

Trade-offs, as with everything.

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 16th, 2003 12:18 am (UTC)		(Link)
Re: "How can we not?" ?

Yeah, I recognize that I would be staying behind in a gilded cage ("comfortable life at the price of chains and slavery").

My folks dropped everything to leave India and come to the US for reasons not dissimilar to those behind the FSP, and I'll consider a similar action in the future if circumstances (career, gov't or social annoyance) change.

In the meantime, I really appreciate what you and your fellow activists are doing, and hopefully we'll all reap the benefits in the future.

Best,

Sourav
http://www.sourav.net/

	From: taische	Date: July 13th, 2003 09:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Excellent work, Amanda!!!

I wonder if anyone has been taking point in terms of speaking to groups in these parts. I'll have to see about touching bases with Tim up in Tampa to find out.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yes, there probably are some local groups in your area. I'd check the website. http://www.freestateproject.org

	From: madbard	Date: July 13th, 2003 10:08 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Congratulations, Amanda. That's really terrific.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

	From: scottsch	Date: July 13th, 2003 10:28 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I like your speech!

By the way, the Gadsden snake is a rattlesnake, which is not aggressive. Check out the history: http://gadsden.info/history.html

	From: burntbythesun02	Date: July 13th, 2003 11:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)

You know that, I know that, and Amanda probably knows that, but the public would perceive the use of the snake as extreme, aggressive, and cold. Libertarians can't afford anything but the best pr. Especially women. I think most successful political movements require a critical mass of women, and lack of them is an obstacle to libertarians. At least a porcupine, has a soft, warm, fuzzy side to it, and could conceivably be made into a cuddly stuffed animal.

Humans have an inborn fear of snakes - according to a philosopher of science I know. And it's funny how snakes are evil not just in Christianity, but in many religions across the globe, including African religions.

By the way, Opeth is playing next Saturday with the band Porcupine Tree. YOu might want to check them out. Could they be another "We the Living"?

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:46 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yes, we're planning to make cuddly stuffed animal porcupines!

I think Saturday is BON movie night, so I won't be able to check out Porcupine Tree.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yeah, I'll amend that for future versions to read something like "The snake isn't as friendly as we are!"

From: the_singularity	Date: July 13th, 2003 11:14 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I have never been comfortable with some of the (as I perceived them) conceptual jumps in the line of reasoning that concludes with "anarchy is liberty." I will have to prepare an LJ entry on this and will welcome your comments.

Given the Free State Project seems to be a practical response to a practical problem, i.e., optimizing the political impact of a small minority, do you agree that it is only advisable to embark on a sincere libertarian or anarchist reform agenda when other countries do so as well? Assume you wake up tomorrow and everyone in the United States thinks the same way you do regarding the appeal of drastically smaller or nonexistent government at the federal, state and local level. What then? It seems to me that we would still be hamstrung in our ability to execute such an agenda by the existence of governments in other countries. Regardless of what you may think of the merits of individual freedom, an anarchist state can not respond effectively to the overtures of a statist adversary.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Regarding anarchy... have you read anything by David Friedman or Murray Rothbard?

We're not going to wake up tomorrow with everyone magically anarchist/libertarian, so it's a moot point. If we get there naturally, gradually, we will develop both the well-armed population of individuals and the peaceful goodwill that would be needed.

Your question is akin to asking, "What if we took a 7 year old and turned her into a 25 year old overnight? Would she be able to function in society?"

	From: burntbythesun02	Date: July 13th, 2003 11:47 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Excellent speech, Amanda. Who wrote it? Just kidding.:)

There was an article on the conservative community of LJ on how many of the founders suffered after signing the Declaration.

For all readers, and not just Amanda, do Milton Friedman and Ludwig von Mises believe that people earn what they make under capitalism? I seem to remeber folks like them objecting to the terminology, saying that it is not a matter of desert, but marginal product.

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:50 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks.

I don't follow your question.

From: krikket	Date: July 14th, 2003 02:40 am (UTC)		(Link)

Also, the porcupine is cuter and cuddlier than a snake.

Objection! Some snakes can be plenty cute and cuddly...

Maybe I just don't know porcupines, but I can't see keeping one as a pet...

	From: amanda42	Date: July 15th, 2003 03:52 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Well, most people are afraid of snakes.

And we can make cute stuffed animal porcupines.

From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 16th, 2003 12:20 am (UTC)		(Link)
Nice speech.

Well done! Sorry I missed it. I checked out the pictures of you by the camp fire and by the plane in NH....tasty. :-)

Fran

	From: amanda42	Date: July 18th, 2003 10:25 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: Nice speech.

User:

amanda42

Name: lilah morgan

	November 2008
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