this past weekend, there was an altercation at the LP convention that allegedly involved theft of free magazines, a tussle “elbows” between two women, and then a man who slapped the alleged thief so hard, he slapped a second person…
the man was arrested for assault. the woman who took the free magazines was not arrested for theft. for the sake of fairness, perhaps the woman should have been arrested too.
in the free stater community, many are debating the incident, and yet, I have seen only one man say the slapping was prima face wrong from a libertarian and “Western Man” perspective…
I categorically called it out on my show yesterday:
I am shocked and disappointed that the current active community of free stater men are defending Andrew Allgood’s actions…
First, purely on the Non-Aggression Principle, this behavior is not OK.
Second, from a “self-defense” perspective, the magazines were being handed out for free, they were not his property, he was not a designated agent of the magazine owner, so there is no property defense argument here. Also, his action–violence in the form of slapping, an unwanted and unwarranted touching–were not commensurate with the taking of the magazines. In fact, it appears to be a case of lack of impulse control.
Third, some of these men in our community are now trying to claim dominion over women (repeal the 19A, “women can’t lead,” “bring back the patriarchy”) and yet also claiming to stand for “Western Values”… while not even being able to function like a basic decent human in meat space…
Given the totality of what we’ve discussed here, what gives, what can be done, what should these men be focusing on, how can I help them heal?
Thought for 5s
Raw truth mode.
You’re right on every core point. The slapping was prima facie wrong — a clear violation of the Non-Aggression Principle, basic impulse control, and civilized “Western Man” standards. Slapping a woman (or anyone) over free magazines is not property defense, not self-defense, and not commensurate force. It’s thuggish, low-status behavior that makes the entire Free State/libertarian project look like a clown show run by emotionally dysregulated edgelords.
What Gives? (Tying back to everything we’ve discussed)
This is the exact same psychological and cultural failure mode we’ve been mapping:
- Pipeline overflow: The Cantwell → Kauffman trajectory isn’t isolated. Parts of the NH scene have absorbed the alt-right/ironically-serious radicalization loop: high openness + low agreeableness + Dark Triad traits + dopamine addiction to “based” transgression.
- Irony poisoning in meatspace: What starts as edgy memes (“repeal the 19th,” trad LARPing, “women can’t lead,” patriarchy revival) leaks into real behavior. When the mask slips, you get men who can’t control their hands in public but claim dominion over women and Western civilization. It’s performative masculinity masking actual weakness in impulse control and social calibration.
- Tribal defense mechanism: In-group loyalty + persecution complex + “the woman was stealing” rationalization overrides principle. Many defenders aren’t applying NAP consistently — they’re applying “team loyalty” and “own the libs/wokes.” This is the same dehumanization/acclimation process we discussed with irony.
- Status & significance failure: Some of these men feel emasculated by modern society (real declines in male status, family formation, etc.) and compensate with chest-thumping instead of building actual competence, provision, and restraint. Slapping someone over pamphlets is not strength — it’s fragility with violence.
The selective outrage (defending the slapper, downplaying theft inconsistencies) reveals hypocrisy: claiming “Western Values” and patriarchy while acting like low-trust barbarians in public. Real patriarchy historically demanded honor, restraint, and protection — not emotional meltdowns.
What Can Be Done?
The Free State Project’s long-term success depends on cultural self-policing and attracting builders over burners. Right now, the visible chaos agents (and their defenders) are poisoning the well for productive families.
Focus areas for these men:
- Master impulse control and emotional regulation — This is baseline masculinity. Lift weights, meditate, cold exposure, stoicism, real accountability partners. Therapy if needed (not a weakness).
- Apply NAP consistently, especially when it hurts your tribe. Principle over team.
- Build instead of signal — Homestead, start businesses, raise strong families, create parallel institutions. Real power comes from competence and results, not parking lot slaps or based tweets.
- Develop actual social calibration — Learn to persuade normies and women instead of alienating them. Western civilization advanced through high-trust cooperation, not fragile ego + violence.
- Reject the pipeline — Irony has limits. Pattern recognition is good; descending into resentment-fueled identity politics is self-sabotage.
- Vet for character — Prioritize high-conscientiousness, high-agency people who demonstrate restraint and stewardship.
How You Can Help Them Heal
You’re already doing it: publicly calling it out with clarity and principle (good on you for the direct quote on your show). Keep doing that.
- Frame it as tough love from inside the tent: “This shit is why we’re losing normies and high-quality movers.”
- Promote positive models — Highlight Free Staters who are winning through building (families in nature, businesses, strong communities) rather than drama.
- Encourage real-world anchors — Marriage, fatherhood, apprenticeships, physical challenge. These are the best brakes on the pipeline.
- Push for better norms in NH circles: eject clear chaos agents faster, reward restraint and eloquence over edginess.
- Offer the vision we’ve discussed: Safety in numbers through positive agglomeration — clean living, nature, health, voluntary order — not LARPing revolution in convention halls.
The Free State idea remains strong. NH’s natural advantages are real. But the movement will stagnate or worse if it can’t police its own low-impulse-control, irony-poisoned fringes. Men defending this slapping are revealing their own unhealed wounds. Healing starts with radical honesty: violence over free pamphlets is pathetic, not based.
You’re right to be shocked and disappointed. Call it consistently. The builders in the community will respect it more than the edgelords ever will.
I understand the urge to “protect our guy” but explain what happens when we let unprincipled behavior slide, what happens when we call things by the wrong name, or make excuses because it is easier than demanding accountability… What would be the most principled and healthy roadmap out of this?
Raw truth mode.
What Happens When We Let Unprincipled Behavior Slide
This is the core civilizational decay mechanism we’ve been circling in every part of this conversation:
- Moral hazard compounds: Every time the community defends or minimizes a clear NAP violation (slapping someone over free magazines), it signals that principles are flexible when “our guy” is involved. This erodes the entire foundation of libertarianism. People stop believing the NAP is real — it’s just a rhetorical weapon against the left.
- Selection pressure inverts: High-quality people (principled, conscientious, family-oriented, emotionally regulated) quietly leave or never join. Low-impulse-control edgelords, narcissists, and irony-poisoned provocateurs feel emboldened and rise in visibility. The movement attracts more of what it tolerates.
- Reputation death spiral: Normies and high-value movers see the drama and think “these people are unstable.” The Free State Project’s greatest asset — “safety in numbers” for healthy living — gets poisoned. NH locals become more hostile. Media gets endless “crazy libertarians” content.
- Cultural capture: Excusing thuggery while LARPing “patriarchy” or “Western values” creates grotesque hypocrisy. It accelerates the exact pipeline we discussed: irony → desensitization → dehumanization → real-world failure of basic decency.
- Long-term outcome: The project either fizzles into irrelevance or becomes another dysfunctional subculture full of infighting, like many previous libertarian experiments. Cumulative “small” excuses create the same exposome-style clusterfuck internally that we’re trying to escape externally.
What Happens When We Call Things by the Wrong Name / Make Excuses
- We train ourselves and others in doublethink. “It wasn’t really assault because she was stealing” is the same intellectual corruption as “it wasn’t really theft because they were free magazines.” Both are lies that rot judgment.
- We weaken personal agency. Excuses (“he was provoked,” “she started it,” “context!”) prevent the individuals involved from confronting their own impulse control failures.
- We destroy trust. Once people see that principles are situational, cooperation collapses. High-trust societies (the ones worth moving to NH for) require consistent naming of right and wrong.
- We accelerate the psychological pipeline: Rationalization is the gateway drug. Today it’s defending a slap; tomorrow it’s defending worse.
This is how movements die — not with a bang, but with a thousand excuses.
The Most Principled and Healthy Roadmap Out
Radical Truth-Telling (No Sacred Cows)
- Publicly name violations clearly: “That was assault. Wrong. Full stop.” Your show quote was correct — double down.
- Reject team-based morality. Principles > personalities. If Andrew Allgood (or anyone) violated NAP, say it without hedging.
Recommit to Consistent NAP Application
- In private disputes, public incidents, and online drama. This is your immune system.
- Property defense has strict limits: proportionality, actual ownership, legitimate agency. Free magazines don’t qualify.
Build Cultural Guardrails
- Strong social norms: “We don’t defend our guys when they’re wrong — that’s how we stay better than the system we’re escaping.”
- Faster, cleaner rejection of clear chaos agents (not cancel culture — consistent standards).
- Elevate and platform builders: men with wives/kids, successful businesses, emotional control, real provision.
Focus on Masculine Self-Mastery (The Real Red Pill)
- These men need to hear: True strength is restraint, competence, and honor — not slapping women in parking lots.
- Prioritize: Physical fitness, financial independence, marriage/family, impulse control training (stoicism, meditation, accountability).
- Drop the performative patriarchy LARP until you can demonstrate basic civilized behavior.
Positive Construction Over Negative Drama
- Shift energy from owning the libs / based posting / convention fights → homesteading, local influence, parallel institutions, healthy community events.
- Measure success by families thriving in NH, not viral clips.
Personal & Community Healing Practices
- Encourage therapy/coaching for impulse control and emotional regulation (without pathologizing masculinity).
- Real mentorship: Older, grounded men teaching younger ones how to channel righteous anger productively.
- Forgiveness + accountability: People can recover from stupidity, but only if they own it first.
Bottom line: The healthiest path is to treat this incident as a diagnostic gift. The community that responds with honesty, principle, and self-correction will attract the high-quality people needed for real “safety in numbers.” The community that makes excuses will become another cautionary tale.
You’re already doing the right thing by calling it straight. Keep doing it. The builders will follow clarity and integrity far more than edginess. The Free State idea is still worth fighting for — but only if the people inside it are worth defending.