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| Map created to show how America would look if all of the calls for secession and/or separation in our history had been successful. |
For my Secessionist and Anarchist allies, our common ground is the goal of achieving Liberty. I think we can also all agree we want our Liberty to be "legal", in the sense that behaving in an at Liberty manner is not a "crime" and challenged by "The State".
To that end I would ask you to consider how we can address our weakness as a "Liberty Movement".
When the average NRA/Law & Order/not-yet-Awake/but-generally-decent-guy looks at the "Liberty Movement" he sees a series of labels for groups to which he has a knee-jerk negative reaction, thanks to being low-information, bombarded by Statist propaganda, and general failure to think for himself. In truth, the number of different labels within the Liberty Movement has the same end result as a third party candidate in a Presidential election - the third party will split the vote and ensure the other team wins. Our insistence on narrowly defining and labeling ourselves creates a lot of unnecessary political noise.
Joe sees some people calling themselves "Anarchists". Some call themselves "Secessionists". Some call themselves "Anarcho-Capitalists". Some call themselves "Libertarians". He can marginally relate to "Tea Partiers", but doesn't really want the hassle of being ostracized by identifying as such around all of his Karl Rove-ian friends. Some refuse to label themselves as anything but "Patriots". He sees people calling themselves "Three Percenters" which, on its face, is off-putting to the politically un-informed - who would want to be part of a group with only 3 percent of support? The list goes on, and you know as well as do I that Joe Sixpack does not understand you, people fear what they do not understand, and as a result of those factors and the fact that he is intellectually lazy, he's going to dismiss each of those groups and not even bother to research beyond, perhaps, a shallow Google search. He will stay where he is comfortable, in the grasp of Establishment Republicans.
The label he can and will accept is "Constitutionalist". He's been comfortable supporting "the Constitution" his entire life. He's may have taken an oath when he was younger to protect and defend that Constitution against all enemies, and that makes him part of a tough-guy, patriotic, "good" group of people. He likes that, and it is easy. He doesn't have to think much. Hell, even his political opposites refer to the Constitution as the authority for all the things they do, even though he disagrees with them.
The "Constitution" is the American political touchstone.
Consider what the "Liberty Movement" would look like to Joe Sixpack if all of those disparate groups dropped their labels and came together under the label of "Constitutionalist" with a single demand: Restore the Constitution. The movement would look larger and unified, chasing 2 concepts with which Joe is familiar and wants for himself: Liberty and Freedom. Joe could stand with that group. Joe is all about Freedom, it's American, dammit!
You don't like Joe, nor do I. But there is seemingly a consensus that we must win Joe's support in the pursuit of our genuine common goal of Liberty. You don't like the Constitution - I get it. But in the pursuit of Liberty, could we not unify our message for the public relations benefits that come with a unified front and message? Within the movement we all understand that you won't settle for the Constitution - but why not use "Restore the Constitution" as a real and sincere waypoint. For me, Restoration is a destination. For you, Restoration to an as ratified 1791 state is probably better than what we have now, but you will continue on toward your end game. To work, your calls to "Restore the Constitution" will have to be genuine and sincere - people innately sense deceptions. In your true heart you are being honest - Restoration as a waypoint - not an end point.
Liberty and Freedom are two concepts to which Joe will rally. "The Constitution" will earn Joe's support as a vehicle back to Liberty and Freedom.
If you seek genuine Liberty, I am asking you to seriously consider accepting "Restore the Constitution" as a sincere waypoint toward whatever your endgame may be...
Why? Because our mutual, existential enemies of Liberty will never leave you alone to realize your end goal. They will never let me reach my goal peacefully, either. You and I must be rid of our mutual enemies before anyone has a chance at Liberty. In your heart you know "The Left" will never permit an "amicable divorce". All pretense of civility will vanish the moment the two sides begin the discussion of division of assets and who gets "the kids". "The Left" has made this clear at every turn. "The Left" in California today is demanding that another sovereign state must change its flag.
Do you understand?
They. Will. Never. Let. You. Leave. Peacefully.
So, let's work together to dispatch our mutual enemy, then go our separate ways.
If you believe "Hearts & Minds" are essential and you want Joe Sixpack's support, the easiest way to earn that support is to stay well inside his comfort zone.
His comfort zone: Freedom, Liberty, and the Constitution.
Think about it.
Kerodin
III
