Editor’s note: The mission statement of the Second Vermont Republic, “a nonviolent citizens’ network and think tank,” contains a declaration of purpose, principle, and intent, and seeks to return Vermont to its erstwhile status as an independent republic.
Second Vermont Republic Mission Statement
The Second Vermont Republic is a nonviolent citizens’ network and think tank committed to: (1) the peaceful breakup of meganations such as the United States, Russia, and China; (2) the political independence of breakaway states such as Quebec, Scotland, and Vermont; and (3) a strategic alliance with other small, democratic, nonviolent, affluent, socially responsible, cooperative, egalitarian, sustainable, ecofriendly nations such as Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland which share a high degree of environmental integrity and a strong sense of community.
Supporters of the Second Vermont Republic subscribe to the following set of principles:
1. Political Independence. Our primary objectives are political independence for Vermont and other breakaway states as well as the peaceful dissolution of meganations such as the United States, Russia, and China.
2. Human Scale. We believe life should be lived only on a human scale. Small is still beautiful. Our role models include Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
3. Sustainability. We celebrate and support Vermont’s small, clean, green, ecofriendly, sustainable, socially responsible towns, farms, businesses, schools, and churches. We encourage family-owned farms and businesses to produce innovative, premium-quality, healthy products. Energy independence is an important goal towards which to strive.
4. Economic Solidarity. We encourage Vermonters to buy locally produced products from small local merchants rather than purchase from giant, out-of-state megastores controlled by Wall Street and Corporate America. We support trade with nearby states and other small nations. Globalization is antithetical to our humanity.
5. Power Sharing. Vermont’s strong democratic tradition is grounded in its town meetings. We favor devolution of political power from the state back to local communities, making the governing structure for towns, schools, hospitals, and social services much like that of Switzerland. Shared power also underlies our approach to relations with other small nations.
6. Equal Opportunity. We support equal access for all Vermont citizens to quality education, housing, employment, and health care. Any effective health care system must take cognizance of the fact that the demand for health care services is driven by fear of death and supply is driven by greed. The highly decentralized Swiss health care system is second to none.
7. Tension Reduction. Consistent with Vermont’s long tradition of “live and let live” and nonviolence, we do not condone any form of state-sponsored violence. An independent Vermont will have no standing army. In its place will be a voluntary citizens’ brigade to reduce tension and restore order in the event of civil unrest and to provide assistance when natural disasters occur. Tension reduction is the bedrock principle on which all international conflicts are to be resolved.
8. Community. We support a strong sense of community among our citizens and their neighbors including their international neighbors. An invitation to join the Vermont community must be sponsored by a town meeting vote as evidence of community support.
Thomas H. Naylor
August 14, 2012
(Thomas Naylor is founder of the Second Vermont Republic, and Professor Emeritus of Economics at Duke University; co-author of Affluenza, Downsizing the USA, and The Search for Meaning.
Source: Vermont republic.org
