The weird, wild and illuminating story of how a libertarian utopia was foiled by bears

Political identity and the ways we describe the way we see the world are changing in America. On the right and the left, the doors have been flung open to the acceptance of ideas and structures that once were political taboo. 

Socialism, and calling yourself a socialist, for instance, no longer carries the stigma it once did. But how far are people willing to go to embrace their political beliefs? Would you move to a community where a purer version of your ideology rules? A new book sought for answers in a small New Hampshire town.

Other residents told me about bears pushing their way into their homes, attacking their sheep, just doing all sorts of things that you wouldn’t want a bear to do.” — Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, author of “A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear”

Listen: What happened when libertarian purists descended on the town of Grafton.

Matt Hongoltz-Hetling is an international journalist and author of the book, “A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear.” In 2004, Hongoltz-Hetling says a group of libertarians realized they didn’t have their own state, city or town, so they moved to the small town of Grafton, New Hampshire, to implement their vision of the world. While there, the author says residents implemented an extreme version of libertarianism, and then “everything just started going to pot,” including an intrusion of aggressive bears.

“Other residents told me about bears pushing their way into their homes, attacking their sheep, just doing all sorts of things that you wouldn’t want a bear to do,” he says.