From: "John Zube" To: References: Subject: 010301 Re: Costa Rica, elections, limited governments, territorialism, panarchism, experimental freedom. Let all parties win - for their members - the realization fo their own programme - among themselves! Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 01:37:15 +1100 Organization: Libertarian Microfiche Publishing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit 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 ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 4:14 AM Subject: Costa Rica Hi John, Whatever the results and the unfairness of the democratic process I don't think we are to disapprove the impetus given to a Libertarian movement in a presidential election issue. WHILE IT IS UP TO EACH FREEDOM LOVER TO SUPPORT THOSE FREEDOM PROJECTS THAT HE LIKES MOST, I HAVE COME TO DOUBT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PARTY POLITICS AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. THEY TEND TO EDUCATE NEITHER THE VOTERS NOR THE CANDIDATES SUFFICIENTLY AND TEND TO COST MORE THAN THEY ARE WORTH. A PROPER EVALUATION OF SUCH EFFORTS COMPARED WITH OTHERS, IS STILL MISSING. INDEED, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEE A SOMEWHAT LIBERTARIAN GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED SOMEWHERE AND REMAINING SOMEWHAT LIBERTARIAN RATHER THAN BECOMING MORE AND MORE AUTHORITARIAN, LIKE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SINCE ITS FOUNDATION. BUT PARTY POLITICS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST, CHEAPEST, EASIEST AND FASTEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THAT. ALL THE ALTERNATIVES TO IT SHOULD BE FULLY EXPLORED AND PUBLICIZED. Myself I can't find any other way for freedom but in a revolutionary or secessionist movement, as a result I strongly condemned Harry Browne for the mildest of his libertarianism : he dared acknowledge a role for a government ! REVOLUTIONS AND SECESSIONS DO NOT NECESSARILY PROMOTE LIBERTY WHEN SUFFICIENT ENLIGHTENMENT IS MISSING. I WAS TOLD THAT H.B. IS INVOLVED IN A GENERAL ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN NOW. BUT, LIKE MOST LIBERTARIANS, HE STILL FAVOURS AT LEAST A LIMITED AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT. I FAVOUR IT ONLY FOR VOLUNTEERS AND ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS - AND NOT FOR MYSELF, EITHER, ALTHOUGH I WOULD PREFER IT TO ANY PRESENT TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT. But Otto Guevara in Costa Rica is much different and his success gives hope and widely spreads our ideals, so we are to support them. IF HE WINS MAINLY THROUGH EXTERNAL SUPPORT THEN IT BECOMES SOMEWHAT DOUBTFUL THAT HIS VICTORY WILL REMAIN SECURE. THE EXTERNAL SUPPORT SHOULD NOT JUST GAIN TEMPORARY VOTES FOR HIM BUT LASTING CONVICTIONS AMONG THE VOTERS. CAN THIS BE ACHIEVED MAINLY BY A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN? I WOULD EXPECT MORE FROM E.G. A SUCCESSFUL TAX STRIKE SOMEWHERE OR A LOCAL MONETARY REVOLUTION THAT ABOLISHED, LOCALLY, INFLATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT. BUT IT, TOO, HAS SUFFICIENT ENLIGHTENMENT AS A PREREQUISITE. Deception is a milestone on the way to Anarcho-capitalism, the human nature hope in a simple way to be free. DO YOU MEAN "DECEPTION" OR "GRADUALISM"? First people do believe in the democratic process for obtaining more liberties, then they lose that hope and get more radical, that's maybe the way we grew anarcho-capitalist so what's important is not the ballots but the maturation of a libertarian mind. DOES MAJORITY DEMOCRACY MATURE MINDS OR RATHER PUTS THEM TO SLEEP? AT LEAST THE ALTERNATIVE TO TERRITORIAL DECISION-MAKING SHOULD BE DESCRIBED IF NOT AS AN IMMEDIATE OPTION THEN AS A FUTURE IDEAL: FULL EXTERRITORIAL AUTONOMY FOR ALL VOLUNTEER COMMUNITIES OR EXPERIMENTAL FREEDOM OR FREEDOM OF ACTION FOR ALL - AT THE OWN RISK AND EXPENSE. SUCH A PROGRAMME HAS ITS ATTRACTIONS NOT ONLY FOR LIBERTARIANS AND ANARCHISTS AND IT DOES NOT PROVOKE FEARS AND ANTAGONISM AS ANY TERRITORIAL ELECTION VICTORY DOES. LIBERTARIAN MINDS WILL NOT MATURE WHEN THEY ARE NOT CLEAR ABOUT THIS FINAL AIM: COMPLETE VOLUNTARISM, BASED UPON INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTY & INDIVIDUAL SECESSIONISM COMBINED WITH EXTERRITORIAL AUTONOMY FOR ALL WHO DESIRE IT FOR THEMSELVES, WHETHER THEY ARE LIBERTARIANS OR ADHERENTS OF ANY OTHER SYSTEM OR BELIEF OR CONVICTION. ALL STATE SERVICES AND BURDENS TO BE OPTIONAL. EACH TO FILL HIS "SHOPPING CART" WITH THOSE ONLY THAT HE WANTS FOR HIMSELF AND EACH TO PAY ONLY FOR HIS OWN "SHOPPING" OF HIS KIND, IDEALLY ALSO IN AGREED UPON ALTERNATIVE, PRIVATELY OR COOPERATIVELY ISSUED ALTERNATIVE CURRENCIES, USING OPTIONAL VALUE STANDARDS. ULRICH VON BECKERATH, 1882-1969, DEVELOPED THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MONETARY FREEDOM DEEPLY AFTER HE HEARD, CA. 1908, A CGT FUNCTIONARY NAMED LEVINE? ASK: WITH WHAT WILL WE PAY FOR OUR BREAD AFTER THE REVOLUTION? THREE OF HIS CLASSICAL BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECT WERE ALSO PUBLISHED IN FRENCH, IN PROF. EDGARD MILHAUD'S "ANNALS OF COLLECTIVE ECONOMY". I ALSO MICROFICHED THEM, IN PEACE PLANS 9-11. MAXIMUM TOLERANCE FOR ALL TOLERANT ACTIONS! LIBERTARIANS RUNNING FOR OFFICE SHOULD CLEARLY STATE THAT THEY WOULD WELCOME THE SECESSION AND FULL AUTONOMY OF THEIR OPPONENTS, SHOULD THE LIBERTARIANS WIN AN ELECTION. EVEN LIBERTARIANISM SHOULD NOT BE FORCED UPON ANYONE. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SO IGNORANT AND PREJUDICED THAT THEY FEAR FULL LIBERTY IS RATHER LARGE AND WILL LEAD TO BACKLASHES. FREEDOM IS LIKELY TO BE BLAMED, ONCE AGAIN. FOR THE RESULTS OF ANY REMAINING STATE INTERVENTIONISM. THUS: LIBERTARIANISM ONLY FOR LIBERTARIANS AND ANY OTHER ISM, INCLUDING EVEN COMMUNISM, NAZISM, SOCIALISM, FOR ALL OTHERS WHO FAVOUR THEM - AT THEIR OWN RISK AND EXPENSE. LET US HAVE FULL AND INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER SOVEREIGNTY - FOR ALL "PUBLIC SERVICES", WHICH IMPLIES VOLUNTARY MEMBERSHIP AND VOLUNTARY TAXATION. THE LATTER, IF CLEARLY DESCRIBED AS A REALISTIC OPTION, COULD BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE PROGRAMME POINT IN ANY CAMPAIGN. SO FAR, ALAS, LIBERTARIANS HAVE NOT EVEN BOTHERED TO SURVEY ALL VOLUNTARY TAXATION PROPOSALS EVERY MADE AND TO DISCUSS AND PUBLISH THEM. UNDER LIBERTOCRACY AND POLYARCHY SOME PANARCHISTIC IDEAS ARE PRESENTLY PRESENTED ON THE INTERNET. I DO INTEND TO MICROFICHE THEM IN MY "ON PANARCHY" SERIES. Friendly yours, Xavier PIOT, JOHN ZUBE. " Si quelqu'un voit en nous autre chose que des hommes, nous ne le regarderons pas non plus comme tel, mais comme un monstre et le traiterons pareillement. " Max STIRNER. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ---------- 2001 Année Frédéric Bastiat EuroLibertarians at http://libertarians.cjb.net French version at : http://libertariens.cjb.net Italian version at : http://libertari.cjb.net Spanish version at : http://libertarios.cjb.net Branch of the International Libertarian Network : http://maxpages.com/libertarian Subscribe to the French mailing-list : les-libertariens-subscribe@egroups.com