Paranoid Conspiracy Theories

It’s interesting to be the fly on the wall for the conversation between people who are believers in the state and who feel threatened, angry, or confused about the liberty movement in NH. The misinformation and lies are pervasive, of course, as are personal insults about prominent liberty activists. That’s all to be expected when you have an effective movement that is actually making an impact – something the liberty movement has never had until the Free State Project.

More interesting still are the conspiracy theories that the state-believers ascribe to the liberty activism world. While some people in the liberty movement follow conspiracies (and in my opinion, to their detriment), apparently so do the statists. Here’s a summary of those I can recall off the top of my head or are currently being discussed in the brand new facebook group for haters of this website and the people associated with it, “Free Keene from Free Staters“.

1. The Keene Sentinel has been infiltrated by Free Keene operatives. – This one is brand new and courtesy of a thread on the Free Keene from Free Staters haters group on Facebook.  Basically, someone posted an old article about Mark Edge from the Keene Sentinel, which discusses his past as a prisoner for nine years for a murder charge. Mark didn’t kill anyone and has turned his life around. Nonetheless, the state-believers are so paranoid that they think Sentinel reporter is candy-coating the murder rap and therefore must be Free Keene operatives that has infiltrated the Sentinel (former Sentinel reporter Phil Bantz is indicated by one hater group member as a possible mole). It is stated in the group that the paper’s editors will be approached, and much trashing of the Sentinel is done as well. The poor guys at the Sentinel can’t win, it seems. Now they are part of the liberty movement, according to paranoid state-believers.
2. Activism must be organized hierarchically, like the state. – This one is pretty pervasive. People who believe in the state tend to believe that every other group of people must be organized just like theirs – an understandable confusion. However, when our decentralization is pointed out, sometimes they just don’t get it. They can’t imagine how anything works that’s not a hierarchy. Little do they realize that this is a great strength of the liberty movement. No one is in charge. Not me, not Free State Project president Carla Gericke, not the Koch brothers. At the same time, everyone is in charge – of their own life. Each activist does what suits them best. And most I know in the liberty movement do not like to be told what to do – that’s generally a major reason they got active in the first place.
3. Free Staters are violent! – Despite volumes of evidence to the contrary, the state-worshipers continue to paint liberty activists as violent extremists. Free Staters were likened to domestic terrorists in the “City of Concord” application for the BEARCAT grant from the feds. Some activists who open carry are cited as evidence for this supposed lurking threat, but this is New Hampshire, and it’s completely legal to open carry a weapon – it’s not a threat to be prepared to defend ones-self.  Additionally, the FSP’s own website says, “Anyone who promotes violence, racial hatred, or bigotry is not welcome.”  This is a peaceful movement, and that’s part of what frustrates the state-believers.  They really want us to be violent so they know how to respond and look good.  It never looks very good to hurt and threaten peaceful people.
4. Ian is in charge and has “minions”. – Parking enforcement officer Jane has called activists my minions multiple times. She’s not the only one to make such a reference. It’s really insulting. The suggestion is that I’m somehow orchestrating all relevant activism in Keene and that anyone else is merely an automaton, doing my bidding. They are not individuals who have unique motivations and interests and self-start their own activism! Instead, they are drug-addled mindless tools of the evil Ian Freeman! Muhahahaha! Dance, puppets, DANCE!!
5. The ultra-rich Koch brothers are funding NH activism. – Charles and David Koch are billionaires who fund semi-libertarian groups like CATO. Money from people like that does filter down sometimes. In the past, my radio show has had the Institute for Humane Studies as an advertiser, and I think they get some money from the Koch brothers. To say that means we’re tools of Koch is absurd. There is no agenda handed down from anyone, anywhere.  However, if any libertarian billionaires want to help out, please see the contribute page here. A million dollars would go a long way in Keene.  Unfortunately, no one has big money to throw around.  Maybe someday more wealthy individuals will move to Keene – that could be a game-changer.
6. Free Staters are “Free Loaders” – The reverse of the KOCH conspiracy also exists, which holds that activists are mooching off the system. Most liberty activists are employed or own businesses. Many who are employed hold managerial positions and have good work track records. You might even work with one without knowing!
7. Ian is getting super-rich from exploiting the movement. – I don’t hold on to much money at any given time. I pour most everything right back into the movement. I even recently donated my home to the Shire Free Church. I own no assets and do not possess a large amount of wealth. That which I do have is all focused on activism through the Church. I’m not in this for money or glory – only liberty.

Are you aware of some more conspiracy theories about liberty activists that are being propagated by the state-worshipers? Please post them in the comments.

UPDATE @ 1:22p with two additional conspiracy theories.