When it comes to buying locally and supporting Vermont made goods and services, fifth generation Vermonter Dennis Steele truly puts his money where his mouth is. The Kirby businessman and Vermont Patriot has just launched a new Internet radio station, Free Vermont Radio, entirely devoted to promoting Vermont musicians and their music worldwide.

The new radio station had hardly been broadcasting a week, when its collection of Vermont based music surpassed one thousand tracks (individual tunes) from dozens of CDs. Dennis often receives as many as 10 or 12 CDs a day from Vermont musicians eager to share their music with the rest of the world.

Listeners are encouraged to submit requests and to rate individual music tracks. For each track included in the freevermontradio.org collection several options are available to listeners. You may select a track to be played on the station, you may rate the piece, you may purchase it, or you may obtain additional information about the musical group who produced it from their website.

The selection of music played on Free Vermont Radio is entirely controlled by the listeners. No D.J. or computer controls the music program. Fans of a particular musician or musical group influence the frequency with which a particular tune is played. Loyal fans can easily send their favorite group to the top of the list.

Currently one of the most popular tracks on Free Vermont Radio is Pete Sutherland and the Clayfoot Strutters’ “Two Hundred Years Is Long Enough,” the theme song of the Second Vermont Republic.

Vermont musicians are encouraged to send their CDs to Free Vermont Radio, P.O. Box 28, E. St. Johnsbury, VT 05838. Inquiries can be directed to Dennis at freevermontradio@gmail.com.

Tune in to freevermontradio.org for a potpourri of terrific music from the Green Mountain State.

May 22, 2009

An icon of the political Right known for its unconditional support of Wall Street, Corporate America, the American Empire, and the dual philosophy that bigger is always better and might makes right sent shock waves through the nation when it published a piece by Paul Starobin calling for America to become “the global leader of devolution.” In a full two-page, cover story which appeared in the Weekend Section of the June 13th issue of The Wall Street Journal, Starobin made the case for the peaceful dissolution of the American Empire. Entitled “Divided We Stand,” Starobin’s prosecession piece is a remarkable departure from the conventional wisdom of The Journal.

It trades heavily on the wisdom expressed by the late George F. Kennan in his 1993 book Around the Cragged Hill in which he refers to the United States as a “monster country.” Kennan, the godfather of the Second Vermont Republic, advocated dividing the U.S. into “a dozen constituent republics.” In a personal letter to me about the Vermont independence movement dated 1 August 2002, Kennan wrote, “My enthusiasm for what you are trying to do in Vermont remains undiminished, and I am happy for any small support I can give it.”

The comprehensive survey article covers most of the important secessionist groups in the U.S. including those in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Texas, and Vermont.

Starobin describes the Vermont independence movement as “one of the most vibrant movements” even though it is located in one of the country’s most politically liberal states. “Vermonters are especially upset about imperial America’s foreign excursions in hazardous places like Iraq.” The article also includes the Associated Press photograph of Jacob Grossi seen around the world in 2007. The Riverwalk Records store owner is shown in front of his Montpelier store holding a “U.S. Out of Vermont” T-shirt.

Paul Starobin is also the author of a recent book entitled After America. The book outlines five postAmerica scenarios including dark or happy chaos, multi-polar nation-states, a global Chinese empire, global city-states, and universal world government. He considers secession to be an example of “happy chaos.”

Starobin’s article ends with the following two provocative sentences: “So why not America as the global leader of a devolution? America’s return to its origins—to its type—could turn out to be an act of creative, political destruction, with ‘we the people’ the better for it.”

Rebél
Thomas H. Naylor
June 22, 2009