Live Free or Die! That is the motto in New Hampshire. In that state, you can legally drive a car without having insurance.
In every other state, it is illegal. Yet, in New Hampshire, it is legal!
Joel Kofsky, a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer says, “In Philadelphia, around 8% of drivers do not have car insurance.”
According to the latest New Hampshire statistic, 9% of drivers are also without car insurance.
What is the ultimatum for uninsured New Hampshire drivers responsible for causing the accident?
They either pay the damages to the victim or lose their driver’s license. Sounds fair? I think so. Although, some people may not agree with me.
This is one example of the Live Free or Die attitude.
Should the rest of America share such an attitude? Will this attitude make America great again?
Analyzing the Donald
Donald Trump has said those last four words for the past year. He is a great entrepreneur and could even apply some of that knowledge to revive the economy. However, it takes much more than business knowledge to lead a country. Economics is one part, but not the only part. Can he really make America great again?
Conversely, his temper and ego worries many people. He is quite insensitive to some issues. He has started to flip flop like his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Although, most Americans tend to forgive the political hypocrisy for reasons beyond my understanding.
Analyzing the Former First Lady
Then, there is Hillary Clinton. I am happy to see a woman running for the presidency of the United States. Although, I do not think it should be her.
I am sure that you have seen all of the news stories suggesting that she should be thrown in jail for her crimes. I do not disagree with their suggestions.
It would be hypocritical for her to use the existing justice system to imprison others for their crimes and not be imprisoned for her own crimes.
Analyzing the Green Doctor
Again, I would be happy to see a woman become the President of the United States, which leaves Dr. Jill Stein. She is the Green Party’s presidential nominee. She is currently polling at 6%, which still falls short of the 15% minimum polling requirement to be included in the mainstream debates.
From a moral standpoint, it is hard for me to vote for any of these people. I do believe in voting, but in an entirely different way. In a Huffington Post article, I share why you should vote with your dollars instead of voting for politicians.
However, I know that many people will go out to the polls anyway because they feel that their vote will make a difference. After nearly a decade of activism, I no longer share that belief. Although, I will always respect your right to publicly express that belief.
Well, I can assure you that Jill Stein will not be your next President. In my opinion, she is better than Hillary Clinton – only in the sense that she does not carry all of that corruption. She is definitely more honest, but her policies are socialistic.
Socialism may sound good in theory, but it is the most immoral economic system in existence.
Analyzing the Former Governor
The only candidate with a realistic chance to get in the mainstream debates is Gary Johnson. He is the former New Mexico governor and the Libertarian presidential candidate. He is currently polling at 12%, which is quite close to meeting the requirement to enter the mainstream presidential debates.
If you look at his record, you could be quite impressed. Unlike Hillary, he does not have the political baggage. Unlike Trump, he has the relevant business experience as he ran New Mexico’s economy quite efficiently for 8 years.
Since libertarianism and the Live Free or Die philosophy are often similar (if not considered the same), I thought that it would be a good idea to gather some opinions from Facebook users.
Since he has the most realistic chance of entering the debates, I wanted to know some of the current opinions about the Libertarian presidential nominee.
Jonathan Lockwood says:
He irritates purist libertarians. I won’t vote, but I would smile at a less destructive President.
William Hanna says:
He deserves to be the next president. The other two cronies [Clinton & Trump] are only in it for personal gain.
Harrison Burge says:
He is a better option than the two major party nominees, but he doesn’t stand for the non-aggression principle – the hallmark of a peaceful, free, and voluntary society.
James L. Howell Jr. says:
I think he is a shill who is trying very hard to masquerade as a libertarian. He is about as close to a libertarian as Bernie Sanders.
Elliot Scheirman says:
A Johnson presidency would be a win for personal and economic liberty. The other choices are a looming disaster.
So, as you can see from the handful of comments, there are some mixed feelings, but many more people prefer him over Clinton and Trump.
Well, there you have it – the top 4 candidates. So, which candidates share a Live Free or Die philosophy or something similar to it?
Analyzing the Live Free or Die State
Let’s take a look at some of New Hampshire’s laws that are based on the Live Free or Die philosophy.
- Raw milk sales are regulated very lightly.
- There is no capital gains tax.
- State reps are paid $100/year to ensure their commitment is to public service.
- There is no eminent domain.
- Drivers can drive legally without car insurance.
- There is no seat beat law for adults.
- Excluding convicted felons, there is no law prohibiting a person from carrying a knife as a weapon for self-defense.
- There is no law requiring parents to submit annual evaluations for their homeschooled children.
- Every government official is accessible to the public at almost any time, due to their “walk right in” policy.
I am not going to use this article to suggest that you vote for a certain candidate. If you like these laws, take these laws and compare them to each candidate’s stance.
To Vote or Not to Vote
Will I be voting this year? Absolutely! I will continue to vote with my dollars. I will also continue to vote with my feet. It is one of the reasons why I became an expat entrepreneur.
You may say, “Well, the expat lifestyle does not appeal to me. So, what would you advise me?”
If the Live Free or Die philosophy appeals to you, then you should join The Free State Project. There are 101 reasons why you should move there.
The Free State Project’s growth has been significant, due to the efforts of Ian Freeman (Founder & Co-Host of Free Talk Live – #1 nationally syndicated radio show for alternative politics).
Then, there are others who may say, “Yeah, but [insert your excuse here]. So, what else would you suggest?”
I do not know! It sounds like you have to make a choice. Fortunately, you have five choices.
- Vote for one of the mainstream candidates (Shillary Clinton or Donald Dump).
- Vote for one of the popular third party candidates (Gary Johnson or Jill Stein).
- Become a Free Stater by moving to New Hampshire (Motto: Live Free or Die).
- Take your career abroad and become an expat like me.
- Do not vote and continue doing whatever you have been doing up until now.
I recommend the third or fourth choice, but you have to ultimately decide the best choice for you and/or your family. I hope you reach the finish line!
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Photo credit: Flickr