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Agorism is a libertarian strategy for achieving freed societies where we can each live our lives as we see fit. Agorism leverages the libertarian emphasis on free trade to encourage us to build businesses where we trade outside the bounds of the government-controlled marketplace.
As we trade, we inevitably become more prosperous. Exchange is not a zero-sum game after all. As more people join our marketplace, the counter-economy, we grow collectively more powerful. We can increasingly defend ourselves better against government aggression.
As our power grows, because we are operating outside the government system as much as possible, so does government power correspondingly wither. We deny them the percentage of our growing prosperity that they so violently demand.
Over time, our counter-economy will grow to such a level that we can challenge the state for our autonomy. This may come down to an armed struggle or we may be able to negotiate or use nonviolence to finally establish our collective and individual autonomy.
Unlike some other strategies for achieving libertarian goals, agorism involves actually practicing our values.
Agorism has other benefits, as well:
- Agorism is about exchange, so it requires connection which implies network building. Large, international networks of agorists can serve to spread libertarian ideas farther than ever before.
- It aligns personal interest with political philosophy because the agorist strategy requires free, independent and strong people, not just financially but also physically and mentally.
- It can help enrich libertarians. More money is more free time and more power. This is the basic progression of civilization, from drudgery to more free resources that we can use to pursue artistic, political and personal goals.
- You can start with easy and low-risk steps right now and build up to your limits on your schedule.
It’s important to take note of the following:
- Agorism implies trading risk for profit. Risk isn’t for everyone and you have to be careful to design the right risk profile for you.
- Figure out your risk profile up front and don’t venture beyond it until you are absolutely prepared. Agorism is illegal and government can mete out harsh punishments.
- Avoid orthodoxy. Don’t stress out about the official definition of agorism. Focus on building yourself up, first and foremost.
- If your risk profile only allows for the creation of a white market (i.e., government-approved) business, that’s fine. Continue on that path. Some progress is better than no progress. Perhaps somewhere down the line you can support higher-risk agorists or shift your business into the agorist grey market.
- Agorism is about exchange. It’s about trading our way to a position of greater power so that we can challenge the state more effectively. So any tactics that isolate you, such as self-sufficiency, investing a lot of time in growing your own food for political reasons or moving to remote areas, are not recommended.
- Don’t move too fast. You can start slow. Keep your day job for now.
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