From: "John Zube" To: "Joe Toscano" Subject: 020423 Joe Toscana, Your note of 18.4.02 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 09:13:00 +1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_004E_01C1EAA7.11103F40" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_004E_01C1EAA7.11103F40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear Joe,=20 I did not wait for retirement from a government job to = oppose particular governmental policies and practices. I have done this = since the early fifties. That brought me into conflict with the West = Berlin authorities and as a result I migrated in 1959 to Australia.=20 After about 9 months of factory work, I ended up in a government job = again, one that happened to offer me a house for a growing family and a = chance to improve my English.=20 (Governmental housing policies for the general public had left me with 1 = rented room, as a married shiftworker, with a small child. With the = radios of up to 5 neighbours blaring away, when I tried to sleep after = nightshifts, I went once 5 days without sleep and was nearly driven mad = thereby. A rapid change of the single room to one alongside Dowling St., = brought me relative quietness - in spite of the regular traffic noise = from this thoroughfare. Then came the chance to get a house in the = country, for 13/4, with a prison job there, and the choice was easy. The = single room had cost us 6 pounds. Once I had door-knocked in a Sydney = suburb for quiet accommodation near my job. Several of those I asked = said that they had spare rooms and would like to let them out - but, the = Landlord and Tenant Act did not leave them with sufficient options. Thus = once they would accept us, they would be stuck with us in case friction = would arise between us. So they rather left their spare rooms unused and = did without that possible income. Now we have something similar = regarding jobs with the "unfair dismissal laws". Potential employers = rather leave some job openings unfilled then fill them under present = legal and juridical conditions. And cooperative productive = self-employment is still rather rare due to the predominance of = trade-unionist non-thinking.) I thought the prison job would be only for a few years but the marriage = broke up and so I stayed, largely to remain near the kids, for 28 years. = During most of these I spoke up for anarchist and libertarian ideas, = wrote and published them as far as I could - and almost never ran into = conflict with the Australian authorities about them. Three exceptions come to my mind now: My opposition to compulsory = ex-rays and compulsory voting. I submitted to the x-rays under the = threat of a large fine. Once I had to pay a penalty for non-voting. = Mostly they got me to attend, to vote informal. Several times my long = letters against compulsory voting served me to avoid paying the fine for = non-voting.=20 Then there were my difficulties with the local council and the local = histerical mob when I built my affordable modern house in Old Berrima. I = was forced to make some concessions in colour, placing and finishing. Otherwise, my disagreements were mainly ignored. Those in power do not = listen to better ideas, often do not even respond to letters and = suggestions and the mass media are also largely closed to radical = freedom ideas that are contrary to popular prejudices. But at least I was not threatened or penalized for publicizing my = dissent as far as I could with the media accessible to me. In the recent and somewhat ridiculous firewood dispute it finally = sufficed that one of my neighbours spoke up for me and a second = inspection of my place found it acceptable. I received so far no written = reply and do not expect any. But a small object of injustice does not mean that the injustice proved = thereby cannot be very large. That is the essence of an old thought by = Immanuel Kant. The future extermination camps in Nazi-Germany were = prepared by forcing Jews to wear the Star of David on their clothing, = then by closing certain jobs to them, then by expropriating them. And = most countries of the supposedly free world closed their borders to them = and, at the beginning of WW II even shot at refugee ships and sank some = of them, according to an e-mail I received today. The local councils are widely hated for what they do or fail to do. But, = for want of a better model people put up with them, as they put up with = large and small tyrannical acts of state and federal governments. Once individual secessionism, exterritorially autonomous communities and = voluntary taxation are turned into widely believed alternatives - then = the present territorial governments would mostly fade away or become = reduced to exterritorially autonomous communities themselves.=20 But these alternatives ought to be introduced tolerantly, under full = experimental freedom, with all kinds of "conservatives" being free to = continue with the status quo - at their own expense and risk. Most people are still afraid of "anarchism" and "anarchists" of of what = they perceive as such, as they are of free markets, anarcho-capitalism = and laissez faire economics and most anarchists do very little to reduce = these fears or rather increase these fears e.g. by expropriation or = compulsory sharing threats. As a long-term anti-communist, I am, nevertheless, in favour of = voluntary communist experimental communities made up of communist = volunteers, with their properties. But different people and beliefs are presently still considered as = "threats" to earlier immigrants, however wrongly and falsely, like e.g. = illegal immigrants are now, by all too many, so that the could be = induced to tolerate even Australian concentration camps for them. = Neither they nor their rulers have any clear notion on the rightfulness = and usefulness of the alternative of free migration, unlimited asylym = for all who ask for it and the rightful and necessary self-help options = for new immigrants, without threatening any rights and liberties of = earlier immigrants or natives. Their protest and liberation actions around these concentration camps = may be illegal and legally punishable but, by my standards, they are = moral. However, clearly speaking up for free migration and the right to = asylum, even when only economically motivated, could achieve much more - = if it were accompanied by sufficient knowledge of rights and liberties. They do not know, in most cases, any better than their governments, how = to end mass unemployment and inflation and wide-spread poverty.=20 Nor do most anarchists.=20 Nor are they even willing to learn anything about this which goes = contrary to their prejudices.=20 The coercive redistributionism of most of most governmentalists, as well = as that of most of the left anarchists, is intellectually little above = that of the Christians. It does not set individuals and volunteer groups = free to produce and exchange. Nevertheless, they should enjoy freedom of action and freedom to = experiment - at their own risk and expense - whatever utopia they = individually subscribe to. The better ones would win in the long run and = some even in the short run. I am for instance convinced that with sufficient and sufficiently = wide-spread knowledge of monetary freedom the mass unemployment in = Australia could be done away with within a day - largely by mobilizing = the ready for sale goods and services in Australia, which come to many = billion dollars, into suitable wage payment means - by the providers of = these goods and services, freely associated for this purpose and = granting short-term turnover credits with their own alternative and shop = foundation money, accepted in local shopping centres. No legal tender for these alternative means of payment. Free choice of = value standards and each privately or cooperatively issued goods = warrants, purchasing vouchers etc. being optional money, free market = rated, not only in wage and salary payments.=20 Acceptance at par and at any time from anyone should be only compulsory = for the issuers, for everyone must recognize his own IOUs.=20 This approach could stop deflation, inflation and stagflation at the = same time, almost instantly, and make every desired and possible = exchange practical.=20 It would permit the exchange of the so far unsold labour of Australians = and legal and illigal immigrants, by the millions, for the goods and = services they want and need, profiting all other Australians as well. Alas, it is almost impossible to discuss such options with leftist = anarchists, although experiments of this kind happened, after a while, = even in the Spanish Revolution. Most reports concentrate on other = aspects of it. No matter how hated authorities become (even in representative or direct = democratic countries) - nothing will change unless people have better = models in mind and are aware how they can be put into practice without = support by the majority or by a bloody revolution, via voluntaristic and = tolerant experiments of an economic, social and political kinds. Better utopias are not impossible they are simply outlawed in the same = way as better postal, taxi and bus services are outlawed or too = restricted for successful operation. Being mostly victims of governmental-run curriculae and the prejudices = of their government-trained teachers, both, ordinary subjects and most = dissenting anarchists as well, are so far blind to most of the freedom = alternatives. The "economic" doctrines of most of the left anarchists is not much = better - if not even worse- than those of ordinary citizens or their = rulers! We will not settle our remaining disagreements by arguments between us. = They can only be settled by=20 a)maximizing the process of enlightenment, which requires optimal usage = of affordable and powerful alternative media and b) maximizing experimental freedom in the economic, social and political = spheres, which requires panarchies. James Hutchings' first anarchist floppy is a step in the right = direction. I wrote to him today about it, as a result of your adv., but = think that the e-mail address you gave, with a full stop between james & = hutchings is probably wrong and thus added in the second line the same = address without this full stop. PIOT, John Zube.=20 ------=_NextPart_000_004E_01C1EAA7.11103F40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Dear Joe,
           &n= bsp;  =20 I did not wait for retirement from a government job to oppose particular = governmental policies and practices. I have done this since the early = fifties.=20 That brought me into conflict with the West Berlin authorities and as a = result I=20 migrated in 1959 to Australia.
 
After about 9 months of factory work, I ended up in a government = job again,=20 one that happened to offer me a house for a growing family and a chance = to=20 improve my English.
(Governmental housing policies for the general public had left me = with 1=20 rented room, as a married shiftworker, with a small child. With the = radios of up=20 to 5 neighbours blaring away, when I tried to sleep after nightshifts, I = went=20 once 5 days without sleep and was nearly driven mad thereby. A rapid = change of=20 the single room to one alongside Dowling St., brought me relative = quietness - in=20 spite of the regular traffic noise from this thoroughfare. Then came the = chance=20 to get a house in the country, for 13/4, with a prison job = there, and=20 the choice was easy. The single room had cost us 6 pounds. Once I = had=20 door-knocked in a Sydney suburb for quiet accommodation near my job. = Several of=20 those I asked said that they had spare rooms and would like to let them = out -=20 but, the Landlord and Tenant Act did not leave them with = sufficient=20 options. Thus once they would accept us, they would be stuck with = us=20 in case friction would arise between us. So they rather left their = spare=20 rooms unused and did without that possible income. Now we have something = similar=20 regarding jobs with the "unfair dismissal laws". Potential employers = rather=20 leave some job openings unfilled then fill them under present legal and=20 juridical conditions. And cooperative productive self-employment is = still rather=20 rare due to the predominance of trade-unionist non-thinking.)
 
I thought the prison job would be only for a few years but the = marriage=20 broke up and so I stayed, largely to remain near the kids, for 28 = years.=20 During most of these I spoke up for anarchist and libertarian ideas, = wrote and=20 published them as far as I could - and almost never ran into conflict = with the=20 Australian authorities about them.
 
Three exceptions come to my mind now: My opposition to compulsory = ex-rays=20 and compulsory voting. I submitted to the x-rays under the threat of a = large=20 fine. Once I had to pay a penalty for non-voting. Mostly they got me=20 to attend, to vote informal. Several times my long letters = against=20 compulsory voting served me to avoid paying the fine for = non-voting. 
Then there were my difficulties with the local council and the = local=20 histerical mob when I built my affordable modern house in Old Berrima. I = was=20 forced to make some concessions in colour, placing and finishing.
Otherwise, my disagreements were mainly ignored. Those in power do = not=20 listen to better ideas, often do not even respond to letters and = suggestions and=20 the mass media are also largely closed to radical freedom ideas that are = contrary to popular prejudices.
But at least I was not threatened or penalized for publicizing my = dissent=20 as far as I could with the media accessible to me.
 
In the recent and somewhat ridiculous firewood dispute it finally = sufficed=20 that one of my neighbours spoke up for me and a second inspection of my = place=20 found it acceptable. I received so far no written reply and do not = expect=20 any.
But a small object of injustice does not mean that the injustice = proved=20 thereby cannot be very large. That is the essence of an old thought by = Immanuel=20 Kant. The future extermination camps in Nazi-Germany were prepared by = forcing=20 Jews to wear the Star of David on their clothing, then by closing = certain jobs=20 to them, then by expropriating them. And most countries of the = supposedly free=20 world closed their borders to them and, at the beginning of WW = II even shot=20 at refugee ships and sank some of them, according to an e-mail I = received=20 today.
 
The local councils are widely hated for what they do or fail to do. = But,=20 for want of a better model people put up with them, as they put up with = large=20 and small tyrannical acts of state and federal governments.
 
Once individual secessionism, exterritorially autonomous = communities and=20 voluntary taxation are turned into widely believed alternatives=20 - then the present territorial governments would mostly fade = away or=20 become reduced to exterritorially autonomous communities themselves. =
 
But these alternatives ought to be introduced tolerantly, under = full=20 experimental freedom, with all kinds of "conservatives" being free to = continue=20 with the status quo - at their own expense and risk.
 
Most people are still afraid of "anarchism" and "anarchists" of of = what=20 they perceive as such, as they are of free markets, = anarcho-capitalism and=20 laissez faire economics and most anarchists do very little to = reduce these=20 fears or rather increase these fears e.g. by expropriation or compulsory = sharing=20 threats.
As a long-term anti-communist, I am, nevertheless, in favour of = voluntary=20 communist experimental communities made up of communist volunteers, with = their=20 properties.
 
But different people and beliefs are presently still considered as=20 "threats" to earlier immigrants, however wrongly and falsely, like = e.g.=20 illegal immigrants are now, by all too many, so that the could=20 be induced to tolerate even Australian concentration camps for = them.=20 Neither they nor their rulers have any clear notion on the rightfulness = and=20 usefulness of the alternative of free migration, unlimited asylym for = all who=20 ask for it and the rightful and necessary self-help options for new = immigrants,=20 without threatening any rights and liberties of earlier immigrants or=20 natives.
 
Their protest and liberation actions around these concentration = camps may=20 be illegal and legally punishable but, by my standards, they are moral. = However,=20 clearly speaking up for free migration and the right to asylum, even = when only=20 economically motivated, could achieve much more - if it were accompanied = by=20 sufficient knowledge of rights and liberties.
 
They do not know, in most cases, any better than their governments, = how to=20 end mass unemployment and inflation and wide-spread poverty.
Nor do most anarchists.
Nor are they even willing to learn anything about this which goes = contrary=20 to their prejudices. 
The coercive redistributionism of most of most governmentalists, as = well as=20 that of most of the left anarchists, is intellectually little above that = of the=20 Christians. It does not set individuals and volunteer groups free to = produce and=20 exchange.
 
Nevertheless, they should enjoy freedom of action and freedom to = experiment=20 - at their own risk and expense - whatever utopia they individually = subscribe=20 to. The better ones would win in the long run and some even in the short = run.
 
I am for instance convinced that with sufficient and sufficiently=20 wide-spread knowledge of monetary freedom the mass unemployment in = Australia=20 could be done away with within a day - largely by mobilizing the ready = for sale=20 goods and services in Australia, which come to many billion dollars, = into=20 suitable wage payment means - by the providers of these goods and = services,=20 freely associated for this purpose and granting short-term turnover = credits with=20 their own alternative and shop foundation money, accepted in local = shopping=20 centres.
No legal tender for these alternative means of payment. Free choice = of=20 value standards and each privately or cooperatively issued goods = warrants,=20 purchasing vouchers etc. being optional money, free market rated, not = only in=20 wage and salary payments.
Acceptance at par and at any time from anyone should be only = compulsory for=20 the issuers, for everyone must recognize his own IOUs.
This approach could stop deflation, inflation and stagflation at = the same=20 time, almost instantly, and make every desired and possible exchange = practical.=20
It would permit the exchange of the so far unsold labour of = Australians and=20 legal and illigal immigrants, by the millions, for the goods and = services they=20 want and need, profiting all other Australians as well.
 
Alas, it is almost impossible to discuss such options with leftist=20 anarchists, although experiments of this kind happened, after a while, = even in=20 the Spanish Revolution. Most reports concentrate on other aspects of = it.
 
No matter how hated authorities become (even in representative or = direct=20 democratic countries) - nothing will change unless people have = better=20 models in mind and are aware how they can be put into practice without = support=20 by the majority or by a bloody revolution, via voluntaristic and = tolerant=20 experiments of an economic, social and political kinds.
Better utopias are not impossible they are simply outlawed in the = same way=20 as better postal, taxi and bus services are outlawed or too restricted = for=20 successful operation.
 
Being mostly victims of governmental-run curriculae and the = prejudices of=20 their government-trained teachers, both, ordinary subjects and most = dissenting=20 anarchists as well, are so far blind to most of the freedom=20 alternatives.
 
The "economic" doctrines of most of the left anarchists is not much = better=20 - if not even worse-  than those of ordinary citizens or their=20 rulers!
 
We will not settle our remaining disagreements by arguments between = us.=20 They can only be settled by
a)maximizing the process of enlightenment, which requires optimal = usage of=20 affordable and powerful alternative media and
b) maximizing experimental freedom in the economic, social and = political=20 spheres, which requires panarchies.
 
James Hutchings' first anarchist floppy is a step in the right = direction. I=20 wrote to him today about it, as a result of your adv., but think = that the=20 e-mail address you gave, with a full stop between james & hutchings = is=20 probably wrong and thus added in the second line the same address = without this=20 full stop.
 
PIOT, John Zube.
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