by Frederick Mann
10/4/97
Introduction
------------
The Economic Means to Freedom is one among many
strategies that any individual could follow to
expand freedom. Nothing in this article should
be regarded as a suggestion that other freedom
strategies should be changed or abandoned.
I do, however, encourage those looking for better,
more workable, and more profitable strategies, to
consider the Economic Means to Freedom.
Three important factors make the Economic Means
to Freedom attractive:
1. The actions you take are under your control
and the outcome of your actions -- the results
you produce -- for the most part depend on
your own actions.
2. The results can be quick, so you don't have
to wait for years and years before enjoying the
benefits that result from your actions.
3. Your actions can become profitable fairly
quickly. This may enable you to spend more
time on profitable freedom-expanding actions.
It may even enable you to devote all your
working time to promoting freedom in profitable
ways.
This is the first of a series of articles on the
Economic Means to Freedom. Further articles are
in the pipeline.
Disclaimer
----------
This article constitutes the dissemination of
information in accordance with the right to free
speech. Nothing in this article is to be interpreted
as legal, accounting, tax, currency, banking, or
investment advice. Anyone seeking such advice
should consult a properly qualified and accredited
professional. All readers of this article are
emphatically advised to obey all laws on Earth
and in the Universe to the letter.
Principles of the Economic Means to Freedom
-------------------------------------------
Probably, about 20 important principles of
the Economic Means to Freedom can be identified.
This article covers a few. Other principles
will be described in the rest of this series.
This article is mostly theory. Future articles
will cover some of the specific steps you may
be able to take to embark upom practicing the
Economic Means to Freedom. This article does
suggest a few steps to start with -- such as
finding out more about the free-enterprise
institutions mentioned below (by utilizing
them you may be able to implement some aspects
of the Economic Means to Freedom), and
subscribing to the Advanced Freedom Solutions
Mailing List -- mailto: AFS-request@involved.com>
with "subscribe" in the body of your message.
The Opportunity Gap
-------------------
As a professional consultant I've worked with
computers for many years. I've also done some
thinking about why Microsoft has been so successful.
Why did it overtake IBM in terms of market valuation
some years ago?
Microsoft basically sells software programs to make
computers more efficient and effective and easier
to use. We could call Microsoft's programs "computer
success programs." At the time Microsoft was created
its potential could have been measured by the
difference between how successful computers were
at that time compared to how successful they could
become. There was a gap between what was and
what could be. This gap represents potential.
By utilizing this gap of potential, Microsoft
co-founder Bill Gates and some of his associates
became a billionaires and top the list of the
richest people in the world.
The "gap of potential" can also be called an
"opportunity gap." In human affairs there is
also a gap between what is and what could be.
We suffer from "human failure programs" or "HFPs"
(like coercive political systems!) that tend to
keep many of us stuck at a low level -- if we allow
them to! The gap between what is and what could
or should be represents potential -- the opportunity
gap. In human affairs generally, this potential
is considerably greater than the potential that
enabled Bill Gates to become the richest man in
the world.
So, the first thing to appreciate is that there is
this huge potential of the opportunity gap. Provide
people with the means to bridge the opportunity gap,
i.e., shift from where they are to where they should
or could be, is the essence of the Economic Means to
Freedom.
Of course, with a computer it's easy to delete an
old program and install a new one. With humans it's
much more difficult. We tend to love and identify
with our programs (some obsolete), even if they no
longer work very well.
Notice that it's largely because of the terrocrats
that we have the opportunity to take advantage of
such an enormous opportunity gap. By "terrocrats"
I mean coercive political agents or terrorist
bureaucrats. Through coercive control of "education"
and other means, they load people with human failure
programs (HFPs) -- such as "obedience to authority."
In the absence of coercive political systems, there
would be far less holding people down, and the
opportunity gap would be considerably smaller!
Also notice that as terrocrats become more onerous
and oppressive with their "laws and regulations,"
"taxes," property seizures, etc., the more they
tend to expand the opportunity gap!
Example of Economic Means to Freedom
------------------------------------
As an outstanding example of someone practicing the Economic
Means to Freedom, a businessman bought a subset of the
materials now available on <http://www.buildfreedom.com/>
in 1993. At the time his company had assets of $286,000.
Now, four years later his company's assets are worth
about $40,000,000! Through various stages of growth and
metamorphoses and a reverse takeover/merger, this company
is now listed on Nasdaq. When all the reverse takeover/
merger transactions are completed, I guesstimate about 90%
of the company's shares will be owned by freedom lovers.
(The name of the company is available upon request. This
is emphatically not advice for or against investing in
this company.)
Note: All the information referred to above is available
to you free of charge for personal use from our website:
<http://www.buildfreedom.com/>. (We are supported by a
substantial annuity which enables us to provide all our
information free of charge.)
Three Economic Sectors
----------------------
The second important thing to realize is that we can
usefully distinguish three economic sectors: (1) public;
(2) private; (3) free enterprise. The "public" sector
is the terrocrat sector. The "private" sector consists
mostly of people who kowtow to the terrocrats and/or are
in cahoots with them in various ways. They pay "taxes"
to support the terrocrats, they obey their "regulations,"
and they often beg for special favors like "tariff
protection." The free-enterprise sector is also called
"the underground economy," "black economy," or "unrecorded
economy."
By "free enterprise" I mean an economic system characterized
by (1) property ownership; and (2) voluntary exchange. In
a free-enterprise system there are no "taxes" and no coercive
terrocrat "regulations"; no one initiates force, fraud, or
the threat of force to overwhelm the will of another; people
are free to do whatever they like, provided they don't
violate the rights of others -- basically the right to own
property and to engage in voluntary exchange. Free enterprise
is a "human success program" or "HSP." Coercion can be an
HSP for those administering the coercion and some who
benefit from the coercion, but is an HFP or human failure
program for everyone else.
The greatest potential for providing people with the means
to elevate themselves (in all respects) is in the free-
enterprise sector, because this is where we enjoy the
greatest freedom. One perspective of freedom is that it
represents the range of positive options available to you.
If you can find ways to operate with reasonable safety
in the free-enterprise sector, you enjoy competitive
advantages: no or few "taxes," no or few "regulations."
(For most people it's not yet feasible to completely
escape from the terrocrat and private sectors -- e.g.,
when I put gas in my car, I pay some taxes.)
The Internet makes it easier to shift assets, earnings,
and economic activities into the free-enterprise sector.
Of course, the Internet itself constitutes an enormous
expansion of the free-enterprise sector.
Free-Enterprise Institutions
----------------------------
The third principle of the Economic Means to Freedom
is the creation of free-enterprise institutions in areas
like secure communication, currencies, banking, barter,
investment, raising capital (free-enterprise share
exchanges), etc. These institutions will make it easier
to shift assets, earnings, and economic activities into
the free-enterprise sector. Some examples:
Anthony L. Hargis & Co., 17220 Newhope St. #201,
Fountain Valley, California [92708]; Tel. (714) 957-1375.
Banking -- gold and dollar accounts; free-enterprise
share exchange.
Natural Coin Exchange, 33838 SE Kelso Road, #2,
PO Box 569, Boring, Oregon 97009; Tel. (503) 668-4941.
Banking -- gold, silver, and dollar accounts.
World Trade Clearinghouse (WTC) <http://www.wtc-info.com/>.
Accounts in gold, silver, platinum, and five major currencies.
(If you decide to open an account, please specify "AE001"
as your Sponsor ID#.)
Gold & Silver Reserve, Inc. (E-gold) <http://www.e-gold.com/>.
Accounts in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
Much more information on monetary and banking freedom:
<http://www.free-market.net/features/spotlight/9709.html>.
I invite veryone interested in furthering the Economic
Means to Freedom to help create and/or expand these
and similar free-enterprise institutions.
A major consideration is that if you're stuck in the
"official" systems and they collapse, you may be in
such a hopeless situation that your very physical
survival becomes a problem. Should such a collapse
occur, you'll be much better off if you've been using
alternative systems for some time, and you've got at
least some of your assets in them.
Benefits of the Economic Means to Freedom
-----------------------------------------
If you're an ardent freedom lover, and you live "in
the system," obeying terrocrats and supporting them
by paying "taxes," then you're living contrary to
your philosophy -- some would even say you're being
a traitor to your own philosophy. I have no intention
here to make anyone wrong. I admit to paying certain
"taxes" because I calculate that to be the least evil.
In this regard I choose to be a traitor to my own
philosophy.
We can think of a scale, spectrum, or continuum. At
one extreme is being totally "in the system"; at the
other extreme is being totally "outside the system."
Each individual can calculate where on the scale he
or she derives maximum benefit. And, of course, your
life and affairs can be compartmentalized so certain
assets and activities are "in the system,"and others
are "outside the system."
Practicing the Economic Means to Freedom enables you
to focus on doing things you can control. In contrast
to political strategies, your results don't depend on
some terrocrats "changing the law" or a few million
voters changing their minds. I'm not suggesting that
anyone drop political strategies. I am suggesting that
some people will be more successful, and more satisfied
with the results they produce, and personally benefit
more from those results more quickly, if they practice
the Economic Means to Freedom.
Provided you can become successful in the free-enterprise
sector, the benefits can be quick and significant. For
starters, if you successfully exit a "tax system," it may
be the equivalent of giving yourself a 25-35% pay raise!
By the way, my experience has been that in all the places
I've lived during the past 25 years, I have found people
in the private sector willing to pay someone like myself
in the free-enterprise sector without any problems. It
may involve registering your own company or setting up
a trust. I've literally had no problems -- even with a
giant American multinational company -- to set up the
arrangements such that I operate in the free-enterprise
sector. In fact, it's often beneficial to the company
because it relieves them of obligations like withholding,
a lot of admin, and they can easily get rid of me whenever
they want to.
I find the sense of living free and prospering exhilerating!
I have a strong "beat-the-system" streak and I certainly
enjoy not having to kowtow to terrocrats -- and for more
than two decades, never having even one penny "deducted"
or "withheld" from my earnings!
Of course, there are risks involved. You have to be more
careful what you say and do. You have to guard your back.
For those who are risk-averse, the Economic Means to Freedom
may be inappropriate. Possibly, you should follow other
freedom strategies.
On the other hand, operating "outside the system" tends
to reduce certain risks. People "in the system" report
all kinds of information about themselves to the terrocrats.
They are also reported on by their "employers," insurance
companies, stock brokers, doctors, etc. So if you're "in
the system," terrocrats tend to have lots of information
they can use against you. In contrast, terrocrats often
have very little information concerning people "outside
the system."
What to Do Next
---------------
So, if you want to live in accordance with your philosophy
of freedom -- living free and prospering -- even make a
fortune! -- then I suggest you seriously consider the
Economic Means to Freedom.
As a starting point I suggest you subscribe to the
Advanced Freedom Solutions List, and explore with others
the best ways to implement the Economic Means to Freedom.
To subscribe, <mailto: AFS-request@involved.com> with
"subscribe" in the body of your message.
Copyright C 1997 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FWO/TL HOLDINGS
Copyright Exception: Anyone is free (and encouraged) to
circulate this article in electronic form in accordance
with the generally accepted customs of netiquette, provided
the article is circulated in its entirety without any changes,
with the exception that World Trade Clearinghouse (WTC)
account holders -- see section on Free-Enterprise Institutions
-- may change the Sponsor ID# to their own.
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