I‘m in search of a master plan for liberty. I want a simple list of rules or principles that I can use to reliably guide me towards liberty – that state of being where I’m free from government (aggression) – so I can just live a regular life.
Just do it! If Only …
“So just do it already!” you say. Well, I am. Except this gang of thieves and murderers called “The Government” won’t leave me be. They claim 50% or more of my labor off the top. They pilfer my savings via their central banking scheme (the so-called Federal Reserve). I have to beg their permission to exercise my rights to labor, travel, defend my life and more – or risk imprisonment. This government gang makes it very difficult to just live a regular life.
I’m NOT a Revolutionary
My goal is most vehemently NOT to topple governments or effect coups d’etat. If the folks who voluntarily choose to propagate the scam that is government would just leave my comrades and I alone, our conflict would be at an end. But they insist in claiming power over my property and I. They are bringing the fight to me and won’t allow me to escape or be free. (I’m an evolutionary, by the way.)
What Makes a Satisfactory Plan?
So how will we judge prospective master plans for liberty? What makes a satisfactory plan? I’ve come up with 5 requirements so far. A master plan for liberty must be:
- Principled
- Tactical
- Straightforward
- Resilient
- Convertible
1. In Alignment with the Principles of Liberty
First, it must be in perfect alignment with libertarian principles. Since we distinguish ourselves through the consistency and purity of our principles, that is our foundation. We must guard it at all costs and never self-attack by chipping away at it. This has the side effect of rendering our projects liberty showcases – where others can witness the practicality and wild profitability of liberty in the form of true compassion, cooperation for mutual benefit, moral rightness and personal happiness. This means no aggression of any kind.
2. Tactically Intelligent
Second, it must be tactically intelligent. I define tactics in this context as the art of organizing activists and techniques in combination to erode state power. We must be astute in leveraging what little we have to make as large an impact as possible. For example, if we’re selling the Zero-Aggression Principle, we should not violently defend ourselves from the state, no matter that it is morally correct and may eventually be unavoidable. Those unfamiliar with the principles of liberty could be confused or easily misled about who we are. If we’re making an issue of government spending, we should avoid anything that causes it to spend more money.
3. Uncomplicated, Simple, Low Barrier to Entry
If it’s complicated, it’s broken. The plan has to be relatively simple, specific and realistic. It has to be accessible to your average liberty lover. If you have to read ten books to get the plan, it’s failed.
4. Resilient: Not Easily Broken Up or Impeded
If it’s easily broken or impeded by the bad guys, it’s worthless. So if the prospective plan results in valuable activists being imprisoned for an extended period of time, it’s a failure. I’m not implying a slavish obedience to the state’s numerous regulations. That’s not only inconsistent with our principles but also probably impossible! Consider if we were discussing war. Prisoners of war are much less useful than active combatants. That’s all I’m saying.
5. Convertible to Guerrilla Warfare
In the event that government collapses or radically escalates its attacks, the plan must facilitate preparation for survival, including self-defense. This mean survival strategies, firearms and guerrilla warfare. Yes, I said guerrilla warfare.
What’s Missing? What’s Incorrect?
This is a very high-level, first swipe at answering this question: What guidelines should we judge prospective master plans for achieving liberty by? What is missing? What did I get wrong? Please also think high-level for now. Once the high-level thinking is done we can work on some details.
Next Steps
With the benefit of your feedback I’d like to translate these principles into a comprehensive plan for achieving liberty. With your help, I know we can do it. Thanks in advance for your comments.
Photo credit: eschipul. Photo license.
21 replies on “In Search of a Master Plan for Liberty”
I can’t help but feel that going full-bore to create the institutions/ organizations/ companies/ what-ever-you-want-to-call-em that will replace the functions that the government currently monopolizes, is key.
We need new banks, new protection companies, new road operating/maintaining companies, new schools and other educational groups, more and better arbitration companies, new media organs of all kinds, etc. We need (I believe) to approach the government(s) as competitor companies, and strategize as companies strategize against competitors that offer an inferior product or service, but for whatever reason (such as bully tactics) are dominant in their market.
I do understand that the big difference between the State and “regular” commercial competitors, is their monopoly on force, and their ability to declare someone to be in violation of “the law” pretty much at will. But that is part of the picture that we need to deal with, as we try to sway the “consumers” over to our products and services. But one tactic is to create a competitive solution that is small enough to be achievable, but has a lot of “bang for the buck”, in terms of revealing just how corrupt the government is. Not sure what that “demonstration” project should be– I find that my brain isn’t so practical in isolation.
2 and 5 are in conflict, me thinks.
What’s new and different and seemingly advantageous for us is the internet.
Organize a “mapping” project. It would actually be a compiled list of popular discussion forums — whether they be web-based bulletin boards, email groups, Usenet news groups, chat rooms, social networking / social news sites or whatever.
The point is, figure out where people (as in “the general public”) are. The list is the “map” of the terrain your forces would take and hold — by dominating the discussion through logic, teamwork and sheer stubbornness.
Divvy up volunteers into 3 to 5 person propaganda teams to “invade” these forums and take control of the discussions. If they aren’t sure where to go, consult your list.
Ideally, some careful analysis can go into prioritizing different items on the list.
Definitely. But even that requires a lot of foundational work to get there, no?
Not any more than it is to shake a stranger’s hand while open carrying. IOW, not in the least.
It’s expecting the best and preparing for the worst. It’s doing public outreach on Monday, handgun practice on the range Tuesday, cash-only business on Wednesday …. and Appleseed training on the weekend. Pairs that do jury rights education Monday mornings are dyads practicing military maneuvers in the forest once a month.
IOW, the activism promotes the close relationships necessary to survival in a SHTF situation. So now it’s not just about being active, it’s a path to personal preparation for what lies ahead. It’s synergistic.
In the best case, where the S doesn’t HTF and the government fans succeed at rolling back their beast, we’ve made close friendships, profited, had a lot of fun and built expansive networks of similar-minded folks. In the worst case, we’ve maximized our preparation for the SHTF event and may survive it and/or will have eroded government power some.
Brad, interesting idea.
Yep… and from where I sit, it’s called “business planning”. I want to be something like a venture capitalist for the companies that will replace the state entities that hold power over the Philly region, and that will allow the kind of informed/educated public that is necessary for liberty. So for example, #5, there’s a business plan for that.
I think it’s more than just business planning. Right now if you want to compete with government you need to beg their permission – and inevitably become a subsidiary of them, which would seem to defeat the purpose, no?
I agree it is more than just business planning– but it just so happens that that is the part that I see myself being useful with.
I assume by “beg their permission”, you mean obtain a charter from the PA Department of State? And “inevitably become a subsidiary”… whah? Let’s dig into this a little bit more. I can’t believe you’re saying that we shouldn’t bother creating businesses– you’re probably saying that the “master plan” can’t start and end with the planning of businesses?
Anyway, I need you to elaborate more on what you’ve said, that seems to tend to discourage anyone from building the institutions that will replace the state. I want to make my living in a way that is aligned more fully with my beliefs, and I need to do it (for the time being, anyway) without changing the cost structure of my family. Therefore, I want to invest in, create, advise, a whole bunch of Philly area companies, that do a large enough volume of business to allow me to replace the income my family currently receives. Maybe that doesn’t seem very hardcore, but that is who I am, today.
Oh, and frankly, I’m not comfortable talking about warfare with the state, at this stage in the game. I think you’re jumping the gun– so to speak. If they bother to attack you outright, with guns, it’s because they know they can win. Which meant you were too weak to bring on the confrontation– you instigated it prematurely. (I realize I’m talking out of my ass with that, but it came to my mind from Atlas Shrugged, where Riordan called the government’s bluff when he was on trial for selling his metal in a way the law had forbidden.)
That’s not at all what I’m saying. :)
I’m suggesting that the time for that [creating businesses that compete with the state] is not here yet and that there is much to be done before we can reach that stage.
I’ll try to be clearer. Let’s take an example. Garbage collection. An innocuous service that you would think no one wants to do. Sometimes this is done by private companies, sometimes by the state, sometimes in a mixed way where one gets permission from the other…
Can you help someone start a garbage collection business right now that competes with the state in a meaningful way without becoming a part of the state?
If you have to get the state’s permission/approval and/or form an LLC/corporation/etc with the state, then I think the answer is no. This is what I am getting at. The state must be weakened first.
Hey even if you could only spend 30 seconds per month resisting the state, it’s better than nothing in my book. ;)
My point is simply that I think you’re getting ahead of yourself, but by all means, prove me wrong. I don’t have a direct line to the truth any more than you do. :D
What’s your strategy for getting around the fact that the state will not like your competition and is still powerful enough to cause you some serious problems? Or do you not see forming state corporations and getting state permissions as a problem?
Exactly, that’s why I argue in the article that, although morally correct, exercising the right to self-defense against the state is not tactically intelligent at this time, and should be ruled out for now. [And it has to be decided when to stop ruling it out.]
However, any master plan for liberty must prepare one for the time when either we are left with no choice but to exercise the right to self-defense against the state, or it becomes tactically intelligent.
That’s just common sense. A free people recognizes their right to life implies a responsibility to pro-actively protect that life.
Not all guerrilla / fourth-generation warfare tactics require you dress in camo and carry an AK-47. The kind of teamwork and behavior modification required for successful self-defense can also be kept in mind and practiced while one is making money on the black market, sowing doubt amongst the statists and educating juries, among other things.
And firearms proficiency and more real-world practice can become a hobby, like when people in the army reserves go train 2 weekends a month and for 6 weeks in the summer or something like that.
Thank you for the clarifications– I see now that we’re in the same book, but reading different chapters… or something like that. :-) I have some ideas now about how one can strategize at the metro regional level, but it’ll have to wait until I’m at a reasonable stopping point with work. :-)
I think I’ll post an initial response to your original RFP :-) on my free-philly-region.blogspot.com, rather that take up too much space here. Is it gauche to make a comment on a blog, that is longer than the blog? :-)
Sorry for so many smileys. ;-)
Not at all. :)
I think that a kind of company should be formed that a) serves as a kind of prototype or showcase for how companies should be formed and run in the absence of all State coercion, and b) exists for the purpose of assembling the vast knowledge, and forging the deep relationships, needed to prepare for direct competition with the State across a metro region.
In other words, as an answer to your request for a master plan, I say– form a company to prepare a “master plan” for an American metro region. For another metro region, form another company.
That’s all I’ll have to say about that. (For the time being.)
Joel, I agree with your first paragraph. I think that a master plan for liberty is greater than just business tho. You may think so too and it just didn’t come out that way.
Let’s figure out one to start on. How about personal identification? Or security patrol?
Thanks for your comments. :)
The best strategy for freedom that I’ve read about is agorism.
You ignore all the stupid laws and taxes that restrict your freedom. You try to generate wealth via off-the-books businesses. You use real money (gold or silver) instead of slave points. You ignore stupid government regulations that make it hard for individuals to start a business.
Hey FSK, thanks for commenting. I’m enjoying your blog.
Agorism rocks. But it needs to be spelled out. That’s part of my mission/aim (with this).
On a side note, one issue with using Au/Ag right now – Gresham’s Law. I’m just stockpiling for it now, so I’ll have it when legal tender laws are obsolete.
Some excellent comments on this can be found at:
http://fr33agents.ning.com/profiles/blogs/in-search-of-a-master-plan-for
George: I’m interested in both of your business ideas (of course). You want to develop a plan “open source”? Out on a blog? I’d totally be willing to make two new blogs, one for the personal ID idea, the other for “security patrol” (I assume you mean protection service).
Is that where we start it? Blog?
Blogging – sure, sounds like a good idea! :D
This is purely personal preference but I prefer to have one blog and post about all kinds of stuff there – as long as it’s all related to one general theme (like liberty and how to achieve it, or even as broad as “me”). Easier maintenance, more synergies in building reader/commenter relationships and all that. So I’ll be posting my more organized thoughts here and lately I like to re-post at the fr33 agents’ ning.
Of course that has no bearing on where you post but if you can ensure your blog(s) are trackback-enabled it makes this thing work better. :)
In the USA, it isn’t (yet) illegal to write a blog or website advocating for agorism and really free markets. No police have come to arrest me (yet).
If you attempt practical agorism, that’s a bigger risk. For that, you should be careful.
I don’t know of any advanced agorist trading groups. The only thing you can do is to get started and experiment. There isn’t really any good advice for practical agorism, other than what’s already been written. The only way to find out for sure is to try and see what works.
The biggest risk for an agorist is to make sure that your trading partners won’t rat you out to the State. If you have a few friends that understand the philosophy, then go ahead and get started!
I’m not going to start with practical agorism for a few years. I’m going to start with low-risk, high-reward things first, and expand from there.
That’s smart. But to wait a few years? The situation is much too urgent for that. Of course there are already many, many people doing agorism that just aren’t aware of the philosophical side. But those of us who are need to start practicing ASAP. We need to make the de facto agorists our allies, too.
To do that we need collaboration, mutual support if you will – and of course a more detailed plan.