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Title: Exposing the Libertarian Agenda of the “Free Thought Project”
Source:
thenorthstar.info
URL Source: http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=12885
Published: Oct 9, 2016
Author: DEBORAH MAY
Post Date: 2018-01-15 11:23:14 by Gatlin
Keywords: None
Views: 751
Comments: 19
I knew there was something seriously wrong with the “The Free Thought Project” (a.k.a., “Police the Police,” “Get Involved, You Live Here,” “V is for Voluntary”) which somehow has become a wildly popular source of information for many of my liberal, progressive and radical friends on Facebook. While their extensive reporting on incidents of police brutality in the United States at a time when Black Lives Matter has brought the issue of racist police brutality to national attention makes it appear that the folks at FTP must be progressive anti- racist allies with BLM, nothing could be further than the truth. The Free Thought Project website articles on police accountability support an “All Lives Matter” perspective. One FTP writer’s perspective on the police violence in Charlotte is very different from anything coming out of Black Lives Matter. “Corporate media subtly furthered victim-blaming and what it inaccurately surmised to be a matter of black versus white as the cause for rioting in Charlotte — rather than that overzealous officers stole yet another life for which justice almost certainly won’t follow.” Another FTP article’s headline reads, “Black Libertarian Calls Out Black Lives Matter’s Culture of Divisive Politics and Victimhood.” Not only does FTP not support BLM, it opposes and undermines the work and anti-racist perspective of that movement. I first became alarmed when good friends started parroting several words and concepts they attributed to the Free Thought Project. It was easy to recognize the code words used by conspiracy theorists and libertarians: “imaginary money,” “volunteerism,” “Rothschilds,” “false flags,” “Federal Reserve criminals.” Yet most of my friends are well-educated politically conscious folks on the left – so what is going on that so many of them are getting on board with this “Free Thought Project” and their “Police the Police?” I used my Sunday morning to find out exactly who is part of The Free Project, who funds them and what their real political agenda might be. I found out and it’s not pretty. First I watched the video linked below that was filmed in February 2016. It features a couple of chain-smoking young white dudes wearing sunglasses and khaki cargo shorts. The background is a beautiful beach in Acapulco. They have just attended the 2016 Anarchapulco international conference there. Despite the incorporation of the word “anarchy,” I’m not feeling the solidarity. Jason Bassler, one of the two “enlightened” founders of FTP, cannot manage to keep his knees still for even one minute during the half-hour interview with one of his fellow “anarcho-capitalist” activists, Jeff Berwick. Bassler looks more like a coke- head hipster on vacation from his Wall Street job than an anarchist who might proclaim solidarity with the goals of Occupy or Black Lives Matter. Yes, I did write, “anarcho-capitalist” in the above paragraph. Anarcho-capitalists are more commonly known simply as “libertarians.” These are people whose agenda is to eliminate all government regulation of corporations in favor of “individual sovereignty” in a free market economy. Injecting the word “anarchy” into their new name makes libertarianism sound almost attractive and interesting to progressives who otherwise would reject it outright. Similarly, two of their favorite terms, “evolving consciousness” and “enlightenment” provide their work with an aura of Eastern spirituality. But their anarcho-capitalism is just another word for libertarianism, that noxious conservative neoliberal ideology on steroids. We could also just remove “anarchy” from the “anarcho-capitalist” label and call them . . . capitalists. If you happen to be one of my friends who believes in overthrowing capitalism, or at least in greater government regulation of corporate capitalism, you should be aware that FTP is owned and operated by people who definitely disagree with you. So be aware whenever you want to repost one of the Free Thought Project’s police brutality videos that you are increasing their advertising revenue and supporting their pro-capitalist libertarian agenda. The Free Thought Project’s libertarian agenda also includes the concept of volunteerism as a substitute for government provision and coordination of services through the common payment of taxes. The government doesn’t need to provide regular trash pick-up service to urban dwellers, because all we need are volunteers like Bassler, who reports having carried a trash bag to the Acapulco beach to collect the litter there himself. His “leadership” apparently inspired and “empowered” other individuals to join him in his personal project of cleaning up the beach. Now how easy was that? A couple of people a couple times a month and who needs government services to clean up beaches or whatever? Without governments stopping us from performing volunteer services like this, individual citizens could easily provide all the goods, services and coordination needed in a complex society. “It’s not up to the government to take care of all our problems,” says Bassler. “Volunteerism is the only consistent ideology I embrace.” I bet it is. The example of cleaning the beach is discussed at length in the video to demonstrate why everyone should refuse to pay taxes to “corrupt governments” for programs serving the common good. Apparently, the provision of health care, mass transit, and education should be fully volunteer-run and privatized. And if you want streetlights in your neighborhood, you better come up with a way to pay a private company to install them in front of your own house. Bassler and Berwick fully embrace libertarian politics in this video when they openly scoff at the idea that people need any kind of “social contract” to ensure the protection and welfare of all. And if private citizens can figure out a way to make a hefty profit by delivering what used to be a government service under the new libertarian system of wholly unregulated capitalism, so much the better! Just look at how great privatized prisons worked out. Capitalism has worked out just fine for Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist. They are very happy about having founded the profitable Free Thought Project. With tens of millions of website followers, Bassler and Agorist are rolling in dough from advertising revenue. And they believe that’s a great thing! FTP is unapologetically a pro-capitalist business venture promoting libertarian candidates and ideology. Their other Facebook pages, which include “Police the Police” and “Get Involved, You Live Here,” also link tens of thousands of people back to their profit-making website. So don’t confuse the Free Thought Project with a benign grassroots nonprofit organization promoting a social justice mission. The mission of FTP is to spread libertarian propaganda disguised as progressive left ideas and make a lot of money doing it. If you are Black, Muslim or Latino and you think the good folks at the Free Thought Project are looking out for you because they are deeply concerned about how people from racial and ethnic minority groups are targeted by police violence, you can let go of that illusion right now. FTP promotes only “liberty” from a “corrupt government” and “the police state,” but it expresses zero interest in promoting social and economic justice for black communities or fighting back against racist police practices. In fact, in over thirty minutes of the linked video which emphasizes FTP’s work on the issue of increased police accountability, the words, “racism,” “Black” and “African American” are not mentioned once, let alone the words “Black Lives Matter.” However, Jason does let us know how excited he is that “a growing swell of people” from “different groups” are joining their efforts to demand police accountability. Like, for example, that “different group” in Ferguson, Missouri after the police execution of Michael Brown. Finally, let’s move to an examination of some other content on FTP’s website. We see in the “About Us” section that the founders support a “revolution of consciousness.” I assume this is somehow connected to enlightenment” in FTP’s self- description: “The front page to exposing the corrupt government and finding enlightenment along the way.” Yeah, these are a couple of very spiritually-evolved guys. The “Anti-War” section of the website contains several stories that appear to be taken directly from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The articles do not report on any issues central to most progressive peace movements. The “Government Corruption” section has a story focused on a teen who was suspended from her school for taking photos of dirty water in the school water fountain. Yep, there’s evidence of some nasty big government corruption. The “Solutions” section is not a list of links, resources or recommendations, just reposts of the same news stories that appear elsewhere on the website. So who are some of the role models and activists our enlightened anarcho-capitalist activists mention on this video as folks whose work they find inspiring? Alex Jones, the social media king of convoluted conspiracy theories. Adam Kokesh, gun rights activist. Ron Paul, former Libertarian Presidential candidate from the heart of Texas. Are these guys your heroes? If you feel still comfortable supporting the Free Thought Project’s libertarian and All Lives Matter political agenda, by all means, continue to uncritically repost their police brutality and conspiracy theory articles and videos to help them earn more advertising revenue. The same is true for their multiple Facebook pages under different names, including “Police the Police,” “Get Involved, You Live Here,” “V is for Voluntary.” Me? I’d rather send my nickels to my comrades Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez at Democracy Now!
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#1. To: Gatlin (#0)
Some serious ignorance here. The name Free Thought Project is quite obviously derivative from New Hampshire's Free State Project.
Well there's one of your lies about the site debunked. We could also just remove “anarchy” from the “anarcho-capitalist” label and call them . . . capitalists. Wow - they make money from operating the site? How EVIL!! If you happen to be one of my friends who believes in overthrowing capitalism, or at least in greater government regulation of corporate capitalism, you should be aware that FTP is owned and operated by people who definitely disagree with you. Hmmm...let me guess as to who her "friends" are...Socialist Workers of America? The Communist Party? Antifa? All of the above and BLM to boot? But...but...but I have seen numerous claims by you Parsons and others who have claimed that FTP is a LEFTIST site. How can that be when they are obviously the enemy of this leftist gasbag and her commie friends? Capitalism has worked out just fine for Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist. They are very happy about having founded the profitable Free Thought Project. And why shouldn't they be happy? They are living the American dream. This author is starting to sound suspiciously like a leftist. Say it ain't so Parsons - you are really trying to denigrate FTP by post a bunch of leftist drivel? Seriously man - are you that desperate? So who are some of the role models and activists our enlightened anarcho-capitalist activists mention on this video as folks whose work they find inspiring? Alex Jones, the social media king of convoluted conspiracy theories. Adam Kokesh, gun rights activist. Ron Paul, former Libertarian Presidential candidate from the heart of Texas. Are these guys your heroes? I'm sure her role models and heroes are Che Guevara, Bill Clinton, Barak Obama and every other piece of leftist shit. Me? I’d rather send my nickels to my comrades Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez at Democracy Now! I'm sure you would Deborah. All in all, this piece has done more to validate the articles from Free Thought Project more than I ever could. Thanks for posting this Parsons. You done real good! Pink pussyhat Paddock Gatlin's peeps.
Links to show exactly where I have made such numerous claims....please.
Free ______ Project? C'mon.
Gatlin seems to have little real knowledge of the various flavors of libertarian philosophy. Certainly, you have the Left-libertarians (anarcho-capitalists). You also have the Von Mises and Rothbardian libertarians who are not Lefties at all. It is inconvenient when your straw men can't be sorted into convenient categories. I thought about writing more to explain the many differences but why waste the keystrokes.
Wow - they make money from operating the site? How EVIL!! Do you think it is?
YOu c’mon....that’s a stretch. I will not waste keystrokes explaining where the name association really came from....you can believe what you want to. BTW – I would think “Free Willy Project” would be more appropriate. ;)
Validate that Jason Bassler, the co-founder of the FTP, is a self-proclaimed anarchist and then explain why anyone should be interested in what an anarchist has to say?
How did you come to that conclusion merely on the basis of my posting an article and nothing else? Oh, the same way you made the Free Thought Project named association with New Hampshire's Free State Project. It is something that you just pulled it out of your ass and thought is sounded intellectually viable. Are you posting on the wrong thread? If not, then try making sense with specifics and stop generalizing about things that never happened.
Have you ever seen a claim by Jason Bassler, the cofounder of the Free Thought Project, that he is an anarchist? How can that be ...
Why is this “obvious?" Free ______ Project? C'mon. The Free Thought Project is headquartered in Louisiana and describe their organization as “a hub for Free Thinking”. Capture those word they specifically use...”Free Thinking” as in “freethought” or “free thought”. WAIT...”Free Thought.” That’s the name of their website group. Research will show you that “freethought” or “free thought” is a philosophical viewpoint which holds that positions regarding truth should be formed on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism, rather than authority, tradition, revelation, or other dogma. They are a declared anarchist group as evidenced by their FB page. They are against “authority, tradition, revelation, or other dogma”. Consequently, the “Free Thought Philosophy” sounds more like the basis for their selection of the “Free Thought Project” for a name rather that New Hampshire’s “Free State Project.” C'mon....sure it does.
They're commies. You're posting commie agitprop because you're so desperate to tear down libertarians. They don't like libertarians, even the Lefty anarcho-capitalists, because the commies want to keep the anarchist label for themselves. They consider anarchists and capitalists of any flavor to be diametrically opposed. I don't see why you bothered to post on the ideological infighting of these very small groups of commies or libertarians.
After a diligent research on the Web, I find absolutely nothing in any way that will label Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist, the cofounders of the Free Thought Project as “commies.” I have only the flippant remark you made in passing that they are. So on that and with the absence of confirming information….you will please forgive me, but your say so is not good enough for me. Only documented proof is. I did find where Jason admits he is an anarchist, actively supported Ron Paul and other indicators that formulate my belief that Jason is also a libertarian.
Not TFTP. The North Star bunch you started this thread with. The article is some commie Antifa scum bitching about TFTP being libertarians, whether they call themselves anarcho-capitalists or not.
Thanks for the clarification. I was discussing TFTP and I saw no transition you made and had to naturally assume that you were referring to TFTP. I see what your were speaking about, not that I agree or disagree with it….I just don’t want to spend more time researching something insignificant.
I can see why the idea of "free thought" scares you - can't have people thinking for themselves and relying on logic and reason for the truth. In Gatlin Bizarro World - truth only comes from those in authority and from government approved dogma. Gatlin going full blown socialist once again. Pretty amusing actually.
#2. To: Gatlin, A K A Stone, hondo68 (#0)
(Edited)
Another FTP article’s headline reads, “Black Libertarian Calls Out Black Lives Matter’s Culture of Divisive Politics and Victimhood.” Not only does FTP not support BLM, it opposes and undermines the work and anti-racist perspective of that movement.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
#3. To: Deckard, Gatlin, alt-pussyhat, Che Gatlin, Assclown Lives Matter (#2)
DACA Shithole Dreamers - Make America Great Again?
#4. To: Tooconservative (#1)
Some serious ignorance here.
Where is the ignorance? The name Free Thought Project is quite obviously derivative from New Hampshire's Free State Project.
Why is this “obvious?"
#5. To: Deckard (#2)
(Edited)
I have seen numerous claims by you Parsons and others who have claimed that FTP is a LEFTIST site.
#6. To: Gatlin (#4)
Why is this “obvious?"
#7. To: Deckard, Gatlin (#2)
#8. To: Deckard (#2)
We could also just remove “anarchy” from the “anarcho-capitalist” label and call them . . . capitalists.
She is NOT saying that making money ie evil. What she is pointing out is that the profit motive they are following by making money off their of 20 million viewers is not compatible with their anarcho-capitalist philosophy.
#9. To: Tooconservative (#6)
Free ______ Project? C'mon.
#10. To: Deckard (#2)
All in all, this piece has done more to validate the articles from Free Thought Project more than I ever could.
#11. To: Tooconservative (#7)
Gatlin seems to have little real knowledge of the various flavors of libertarian philosophy.
Wait a minute. I post an article and make no comments. You make a post (#1) next followed by Deckard making a post (#2). Then later you post to Deckard’s (#2) comment: “Gatlin seems to have little real knowledge of the various flavors of libertarian philosophy.” It is inconvenient when your straw men can't be sorted into convenient categories.
Who used a straw man and where?
#12. To: Deckard (#2)
But...but...but I have seen numerous claims by you Parsons and others who have claimed that FTP is a LEFTIST site. How can that be when they are obviously the enemy of this leftist gasbag and her commie friends?
#13. To: Tooconservative (#6)
The name Free Thought Project is quite obviously derivative from New Hampshire's Free State Project.
I can find no way you in which you can associate the “Free Thought Project” as having anything to do with New Hampshire’s “Free State Project”.
#14. To: Gatlin, Deckard (#13)
They are a declared anarchist group as evidenced by their FB page. They are against “authority, tradition, revelation, or other dogma”.
#15. To: Tooconservative (#14)
They're commies.
So say you. You're posting commie agitprop because you're so desperate to tear down libertarians.
No, I am in no way desperate to tear down libertarians at this time and during this discussion. I am only interested in facts.
#16. To: Gatlin (#15)
After a diligent research on the Web, I find absolutely nothing in any way that will label Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist, the cofounders of the Free Thought Project as “commies.”
#17. To: Tooconservative (#16)
#18. To: Gatlin (#13)
..."free thought” is a philosophical viewpoint which holds that positions regarding truth should be formed on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism, rather than authority, tradition, revelation, or other dogma.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
#19. To: Liberator (#0)
We could also just remove “anarchy” from the “anarcho-capitalist” label and call them . . . capitalists. If you happen to be one of my friends who believes in overthrowing capitalism, or at least in greater government regulation of corporate capitalism, you should be aware that FTP is owned and operated by people who definitely disagree with you.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
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