Our History

Founded in 2005, Vermont Commons:Voices of Independence is a news journal by and for the citizens of Vermont. We are solutions-oriented, non-partisan, and interested in promoting ongoing and vigorous debate about a more sustainable future for the once and future republic of Vermont, and the world.

We are a print and online forum for exploring the idea of Vermont independence - political, economic, social, and spiritual. We are unaffiliated with any other organization or media, and interested in all points of view. We welcome your writing, photos, thoughts, and participation.

Our Mission

Vermont Commons: Voices of Independence news journal and web site publish articles and opinion written by citizen journalists doing the good work required of us on a wide variety of fronts - energy, agriculture, local currency, education, land use, localvores, media and more – by writers as diverse as Frank Bryan, Hazel Henderson, John McClaughry, Robin McDermott, Bill McKibben, Kirkpatrick Sale, Catherine Austin Fitts, Peter Forbes, George Schenk and James Howard Kunstler. Some of our writers advocate nonviolent secession, others do not, while still others are on the fence. All of our writers, though, are fierce champions of localism and decentralization. These visionary thinkers are helping us imagine a more sustainable and self-reliant Vermont future into which we can invest our time, energy, and financial and spiritual resources.

Our Politics

We at Vermont Commons: Voices of Independence believe that the United States is no longer a republic governed by its citizens, but an empire that is immoral and essentially ungovernable.

We believe that a sovereign state's right to nonviolently secede, first championed in the United States by the citizens of 19th century New England, is a right that demands re-exploration in the 21st century.

We believe that a 21st century Vermont, working in concert with our neighbors and the rest of the world, may better be able to feed, power, educate and care for its citizens as an independent 21st century commonwealth than as one of fifty states within the U.S. empire.

The "endless war on terror" being waged by the United States for geo-strategic control of the world's remaining fossil fuel energy resources - "full spectrum dominance" -  can not and will not alter the emergent reality of peak oil and climate change.

Our Vision for 2010 and Beyond

We hope to remain in statewide print publication six times per year to continue our efforts at pioneering a new and sustainable model for 21st century journalism. Elements of this model include

Not-For-Profit: We see our news journal as a nonprofit “statewide multimedia coffeehouse,” not as a commercially-run for-profit business. In an era of corporate consolidation, and the gutting of the print news business, we are providing an essential public service for the citizens of Vermont.

Place/Commons-Based: We are focused on the goings-on of a single place – Vermont – and its relationship with the rest of the world, with a specific focus on the idea of “the Commons.” (See Peter Barnes’ book Capitalism 3.0 for an introduction.)

Civically-Minded and Solutions-Oriented: We seek out writers and ask them to submit their work as unpaid citizen journalists, chronicling solutions-oriented work being done by Vermonters across the state.

Fiercely Subjective/Non-Partisan: We make no pretense to “Objectivity”: preferring instead to model ourselves after 19th century republican newspapers in the then new U.S. republic. We have a definite point of view. But we balance this with a non-partisan approach, seeing ourselves as a “big tent” for a variety of voices from a variety of political perspectives – liberal, conservative, progressive, libertarian, and decentralist/mutualist.

Collaboratively-Funded: As a not-for-profit, we rely on funding from multiple sources, including generous individuals, subscriptions, and advertising from Vermont-based businesses and nonprofits.

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As a subscriber, a writer, an artist, an advertiser, a donor, and an advocate.

Long live the "Untied States."

Free Vermont.

Who We Are

Meet our editorial board and bloggers