Chill, I already supplied a rebuttal of points 3 and 4 of your original post. As to the other two:
1. From meeting many at this year's Jam, and from the postings here, I've come
to the conclusion that FSW folks seem to be particularly disenfranchised from
the existing political system. There is almost universal disdain for the Republicans,
the Democrats and the Libertarian Party. FSWers are not the kind of people who will
be patient enough or capable of playing politics while surreptitiously planning and
pulling off the 'infiltrate and take over the dominant party' scheme, let alone
seceding from the US. Mol?n Lab? is fiction and will stay fiction.
Yes, there is disdain. That is only normal for anyone who has even modest powers of observation. Again that does not imply all of us are simply going to ignore the system (although some are). I disdain careless drivers, but I still take them into account when I drive. In my view, the system impinges on us so we have to deal with it somehow. As to the rest of your point, we specifically reject the idea of doing anything "sneaky" or "infiltrating", etc. We are just individuals, moving to a state that we believe will be most in line with our views, just like the way other people often move to other states. Naturally, being here, we will act individually or in groups (but not via FSW) to keep or even improve its friendliness to our views (which for us can be boiled down to the word "freedom") - again, just like anyone else who moves to any other state, and anyone who has previously moved to Wyoming.
Molon Labe! is indeed fiction, but it is also something to inspire that movement of people, and an excellent novel besides.
I don't disagree with all of this point you made, but with some of it.
2. FSW folks are really big fans of guns. Don't get me wrong - I think guns are
great tools, just like cars and big bank accounts. But the truth is that we're not
going to effect political change in Wyoming at the shooting range.
Mao said, "Political power flows from the barrel of a gun" (no commie ever spoke more truly). Or as Boston put it in
Boston's Gun Bible, "I'd like to see your backup plan!" (my recollection of the quote) The emphasis on guns is just our attending to our backup plan - although it is also fun!
What's more, it's not just a mere tool like a bank account. Historically, advances in personal freedom were
directly connected to advances in personal weaponry that is usable with a modicum of training, a description that fits firearms. Without firearms, freedom is impossible. No other factor is so important for freedom, except
perhaps the right to free speech (which itself depends on RKBA).
What I find astounding is that there are freedom-lovers who have not understood this connection and made it a part of their persona. FSW is clearly for those who have, or at the very least for those who are willing to take the time and effort to make it so.
As to political involvement, you simply have no basis for judging what FSW people in Wyoming are up to, unless you claim perfect knowledge. Just because FSW has not centralized political activity in the way FSP has, does not mean political activity is not happening. Centralized political activity does not fit a state like Wyoming very well anyway, in my opinion; local efforts are much more important here, and tend to be somewhat invisible to observers. Also, remember in any comparisons with FSP, we have started later than they did.
Bottom line: folks, if you see a political need, then get working to fill it, yourself and with your friends and associates. Don't wait for FSW to lead you, as it ain't gonna happen. Do use this forum as a resource though - I certainly do!
Chill, I apologize for characterizing what you said as a "usual pessimistic take".
I think it's safe to say ALL OF US hold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as the documents of the highest order, alongside or somewhere near their holy texts (if they subscribe to holy things).
Teotwawki, I urge you to read Boston's
Hologram of Liberty for a more nuanced understanding, which will give you a better view of some of the comments you may have read here about the Constitution, that have irritated you up to now. I happen to hold the same view as Cathy Henderson, who said, "The Constitution may not be a perfect document, but it beats the hell out of what we're using now." Any
reasonable interpretation of the Constitution would leave us far more free than currently, even if it was designed by those who wished to centralize power in federal hands.
Paul (Park County)
