How We Can Get There From Here


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Market anarchists have no problem visualizing an ideal society--one rid of the age-old curse of government, so that we self-owning human beings make all our own decisions, unburdened by any obligation except those undertaken explicitly and voluntarily.

Nor have we any problem seeing the ruin, misery and destruction caused by government, as it supercedes those sovereign decisions and distorts what would otherwise be a free market. Comments upon that destruction appear here and elsewhere every day.

Rather, our problem is that we don't know how to get there, how to cause the change.

Two possible methods must be excluded, for both initiate force, which would violate the very principle of self-ownership we wish to implement. One is that of armed revolution, and while self-defense is fine even if deadly, a systematic program of initiated violence against the violent State is something else. And the other is that of politicking, which even if "successful" would mean the defeated minority would be forced to do our bidding--again, a denial of our primary principle. Additionally, the Libertarian Party has tried that route and in 34 years it has miserably failed.

A third "method" sometimes proposed is just to wait for the inevitable collapse of the State under its own weight and incompetence. That is certainly peaceful, but is by no means certain to take place; the State has had a lot of practice disguising its own powerful tendency to bungle, and to postpone the reckoning. Additionally, only a few would understand why it collapsed, and so the whole disastrous cycle might easily be repeated.

So the main task to be completed in my opinion is to so educate every member of society one by one as to convince him that a zero government society is the only kind consistent with his human nature and the only one that will maximize his pleasure in life; and that must be done by reason. So the two obstacles to surmount are the vast numbers involved, and the ugly fact that most people have been so well indoctrinated that they are barely open to reason; they live rather by myth, prejudice and superstition.

Here's how both these huge obstacles can be overcome. I am proposing something new: a program of universal, systematic education. I have prepared TOLFA, The On Line Freedom Academy, for the use of every reader here and then by all his or her friends and then all theirs. By means of on-line, interactive study, here's what every participant will discover:

- The huge benefits a free society will bring him

- By rigorous logic, that such freedom alone conforms to his human nature

- That practical experience conforms to that theoretical proof

- How to bring one new student to TOLFA every year

- How, thereby, to end the Age of Government within a single generation

"A tall order!" may perhaps be the first reaction. True, but nothing less will do. Anything less is to engage in mere armchair debate, mere preaching to the choir. "People won't listen!" is the other, for yes--victims of government schooling follow myth, not reason, and resent any suggestion that they need re-educating. For that, however, please note from #4 above that everyone looking to join the Academy will have been introduced by someone he knows and respects. That's how minds will open--not everyone's at once right now, but progressively over several years. One who refuses today, will consider it tomorrow--and each of us knows about 200 people we can approach over time.

The numerical obstacle will be overcome by TOLFA because of the math I mentioned on Strike The Root last November in "The Power of One." It is quite simple, but dramatic: when a person has studied all 18 segments of this Academy, he or she will be motivated to find one new member from among his circle of friends, to do the same thing--once per year, or more frequently if feasible. That very light workload will cause the number of graduate members to double every year.

So if, say, 256 readers of this article decide to take part and there are about 268 million literate Americans to convince, it will take us just 20 years to complete the job; more, or less, according to how many join immediately and what the average replication rate proves to be--one a year, or more, or less.

At the end of those ~20 years, notice: nobody will want government to continue. Therefore, nobody will support government; those working for it will walk off the job and get on with the business of living freely, well-informed on what that means and how to do so by what they have learned in the Academy. The brilliant but neglected insight of Etienne de la Boëtie will be implemented at last: support for the Collossus having been withdrawn, it will peacefully "fall of its own weight and break in pieces."

TOLFA represents about six months' development, with frequent review by a small panel of market anarchists whose opinions I respect. As well as kick-starting the process of ending the Age of Government within a single generation, I hope that the first "round" of members whose participation is solicited here will help eliminate any remaining wrinkles. A particular strength they will find, I hope, is that--as indicated by #2 above--it commends a zero-government society as something that necessarily follows from an undeniable premise--that is, that freedom is not just a good idea as a matter of opinion or pragmatic advantage, but something impossible to deny without abandoning one's intellectual integrity and essential humanity. It's a powerful tool. Please, use it.

Nuts & bolts: the Academy is ready now, at and visitors will find they are quickly directed to an "Entrance--Is this for you?" page whose purpose is plain from its name. Nobody here will have difficulty with that. However, nobody here will have been introduced by a "mentor"--a friend who has just graduated; and mentors are important, to make sure each student gets answers to his questions and does complete the course and sets about the task of replicating himself each year. So for those wishing to proceed, please also visit its "Orphan" page and I will find him or her a mentor.

Oh by the way, TOLFA comes completely free of charge.

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Jim Davies's picture
Columns on STR: 241



Glock27's picture

In six years this has been posted there are zero (0) remarks. Well I guess I make one now after six years. My question is "Why are there no more remarks on this article than one after all these years?"

Jim Davies's picture

Comments began appearing under articles, Glock, only when Drupal was introduced - several years after this one appeared.
Perhaps a more surprising fact is that nobody since 2006 has come up with a better alternative. That suggests this one hit it spot-on.
Here are the key dependencies, for success:

  1. Each participant applies his/her mind to the course diligently, and Graduates.
  2. Each graduate Resigns in disgust from any government job he may hold, and
  3. Each graduate Recruits one friend a year to take the course and helps him through it.

All three are essential, but all three are very simple. The mnemonic is GRR; there is no violence involved of any kind, but we do... growl. Nothing else will do the job, but nothing else is needed.
Do those three, you're part of the solution. Fail to do all of them, you're part of the problem.

Glock27's picture

I guess I am part of the problem because I can never seeing this seed ever hit solid ground. It needed to start with the founders. Was reading a Book on the Bill of Rights and all the bastards were interested in was to figure out ways to get revenue. Hamelton was dead set against Bill, but all the rawlling and balling from the other states would not ratify the Constitution until it had a bill of rights so Hamalton broke down dashed off something like about 16. When it hit the house and the senate the chopped it down to 10 Rights. So Jim in full essence the constitution is bullshit. Not one of those bastards beleived in what they were writing and as I have looked at it much more closel I don't know what we have. I know John Adams was glorious to have a Monarch and the way things are going it looks like that is what we are going to get. In fact your plan stands no chance once the government collases as we will see something worse grow out of it.
Someone in [o]bamas gaggle of geese touted the phrase "From the top down, bottom up inside out, and the government comes in with martial law that will go on forever like all other dictatorships. Now the top down bit is where the government puts the squeeze on the people as [o]bama is doing (Right out of Alynsky f you ave ever read him, bail outs, no oil, no jobs, spend, spend and spend and etc" The people are already feeling the pressure and the bottom up well this was a supprise the states got involved in this by passing legislation making semi-automatics legal in their boarders. If any federal agent came into the states boundries to apply the federal law the state steps in arrests them puts them away for 5 years and a $5000 fine. Soon there will be three states with leislation against NDAA. This will be a kidnapping charge with 20 years of prison time and $300,000 fine. The Utahs Sheriffs Association (With a lot of Sheriffs names) are standing up to the maggot as well. There are some other states that are doing this. Micigan will make 3 so far. Now the last figures I have heard regarding the sale of firearms and munitions to states with Anti-gun laws has gone over 60 companies refusing to sell to state and local LEO.
There are some people who can take action--all I can do is huraah themand hope it works.
As I have said elsewhere. We are fortunate to have what we do or else this would have all been ove with in the first year of watermellon boy. The Constitution is not perfect because it is the people that are the problem with it. I am up for a new Constitution Convention filled will fair and equitable people with virtues. By the way none of the delegates can be judges, lawyers or politicians. just common folk coming together and hammering out a new Constitution.

Jim Davies's picture

Due respect, Glock, but this comment seems to have nothing to do with the one to which you relate it.
I suggested that any person can take three simple actions and if he does, he's "part of the solution. Fail to do all of them, you're part of the problem." Scroll up to read again what the three actions are.
But you write about the political founders of the country. Why?
Whether you are part of the solution or of the problem depends exclusively on you. Not them. Nor me. Just you.