My buddy Dodiafae from Pagans Against Child Abuse emailed me this Time piece about the Vermont Secessionist movement. Note to Paulnuts who carp about me using the term “Left Libertarian” the term seems to be catching on … with Left Libertarians.

The nutshell:

On Jan. 15, in the state capital of Montpelier, nine candidates for statewide office gathered in a tiny room at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, to announce they wanted a divorce from the United States of America. “For the first time in over 150 years, secession and political independence from the U.S. will be front and center in a statewide New England political campaign,” said Thomas Naylor, 73, one of the leaders of the campaign.

A former Duke University economics professor, Naylor heads up the Second Vermont Republic, which he describes as “left-libertarian, anti-big government, anti-empire, antiwar, with small is beautiful as our guiding philosophy.” The group not only advocates the peaceful secession of Vermont but has minted its own silver “token” — valued at $25 — and, as part of a publishing venture with another secessionist group, runs a monthly newspaper called Vermont Commons, with a circulation of 10,000. According to a 2007 poll, they have support from at least 13% of state voters. The campaign slogan, Naylor told me, is “Imagine Free Vermont.” In his fondest imaginings, Naylor said, Vermonters would not be “forced to participate in killing women and children in the Middle East.”

Nothing like moral outrage from people residing in a state where child rapists are routinely given light sentences. I say good luck fighting off Canadian/E.U./U.N. forces when the “highly developed agriculture” these secessionists claim will support Vermont doesn’t have the protection of American military force. But if they want to leave let them, and they can take their love of child molestation with them.