You probably see the inequities and corruption in our system. Do you also see the growing distance between you and other humans, in your beliefs, amount of time spent with others, and level of compassion you feel? Maybe you even see the many ways it is possible that human beings can work together to create voluntary systems and even effective rules without the need for a ruling class. Heck, humans created computers, pizza, WiFi, and rocket ships!
So yay, I'm glad you are "with it", philosophically and you may even see how Voluntaryism can work, practically (https://clearsayarchive.com/law-without-government.html). So, it is reasonable for you to ask, "How can we get there from here?" and/or "What can I do to help?"
It's a common misconception that Libertarians, Minarchists, Agorists, and Anarchists favor immediate and/or violent revolution or don't care about anyone but ourselves (hereinafter "Voluntaryists" and yes, I'm making some generalizations in the name of keeping this article as simple as possible). Usually, the reality of Voluntaryist mindset is the opposite of those assumptions. Most every Voluntaryist I've met realizes the path to a peaceful world, absent involuntary government, is most likely obtainable via a peaceful path. Why build a peaceful world on a foundation of violence? And I think most of us realize a necessary prerequisite to peace is an ability to empathize.
So how can we "get there" peacefully?
I look around at what my fellow Voluntaryists - and even people who don't label themselves that - are doing and I see us coming at the solution from many directions. I see each of these "ways" as intersections in a "safety net". As this net gets more dense, the need for government is reduced and the more ways people can transition more peacefully from involuntary government to systems of voluntary governance. Here are some ways I see:
- Educate yourself. Read books or watch videos. Whatever it takes. Books have some advantages, including: (a) being a form of meditation, (b) increasing your patience, (c) exercising your brain, (d) increasing your reading comprehension, and (e) making you a better writer so you don't sound like a dumbass when you write, so the ideas you wish to spread will spread further. Unless you don't care that people ignore what you write. Another benefit of reading - specifically fiction, actually - is that it increases empathy. Here are some books and authors I recommend: Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. The Conscious Resistance by Derrick Broze. The Most Dangerous Superstition by Larken Rose and Freedom by Adam Kokesh are thin and packed with bang for the buck. And if you really want to understand Voluntaryism on a deep philosophical level, read http://Mises.org, Bastiat, Hayek, Ayn Rand, and Rothbard. Finally, can you garden? Cook? Defend yourself?
- Peer-to-Peer sharing/trading. Use blockchain-based services like https://Steemit.com, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero (for privacy), etc. Try LocalBitcoins.com for anonymous crypto trading. Try the Exodus.io wallet for your computer and the Samourai wallet for your phone. Use http://Uber.com instead of taxis and http://CouchSurfing.com for free lodging, meeting new people, and sharing space. http://AirBnB.com for travel or host to supplement your income, if you can live with their restrictions and regulations in your region. http://Craigslist.com for local goods and services. My companies, http://OceanMedia.net and https://clearsayarchive.com, are working now on finding more ways to get people together because there is strength in numbers. For example, mobile app and free web versions of the "Play to Evolve" card game you see on the right (try the free game and talk to EmpathyBot at https://EmpathyBot.net), and I can use your help! Disruptive technologies can reduce costs, increase efficiency, forge/strengthen valuable relationships, and create wealth.
- Educate your children. State Education is a huge factor in indoctrinating people to support authoritarianism and involuntary government. Solution: Private schools, Homeschooling & Unschooling (https://clearsayarchive.com/unschooling.html). Bonus: The Internet allows most people to teach themselves.
- Spread the word. Media & propaganda are powerful. Spreading the word via films, animations, articles, conversations, and debates. There are many myths out there to be dispelled! Here is one: Myth: America has free market capitalism (https://clearsayarchive.com/myth-america-has-free-market.html).
- Communicate with privacy. Deny snoopers from seeing/hearing/recording your texts, emails, and phone calls. But if you wonder why privacy matters for you if you have done nothing wrong, please read this: https://steemit.com/facebook/@scottermonkey/why-using-facebook-messenger-hurts-us-all. The article also debunks some misconceptions about various privacy-oriented apps. Some apps I find useful include: Telegram (https://Telegram.org) is a free encrypted texting app that works on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and web. http://protonMail.ch is a free secure email service from Switzerland. You can even switch your DNS management from NSA lap dogs like Godaddy to http://easyDNS.com.
- Communicate censorship-free. Whether you have noticed the consistently increasing censorship on Fakebook and YouTube: Try Bitchute and LBRY.com, which I find to be faster and more censorship resistant. Oh and LBRY pays you for likes via crypto! Find me there at: https://open.lbry.com/@Voluntary for Voluntaryist-related content and https://open.lbry.com/@scotter for empathy-related content. Fakebook replacements I recommend including Minds.com and Steemit. Steemit.com is the most popular decentralized blockchain-based social media site that has no censorship and where you can get paid for your posts. Heck, it's probably the ONLY social media site that meets those prerequisites. And right now with Google and Facebook amping up their censorship and general reduced friendliness toward libertarians, I see Steemit.com as having a huge amount of potential to be a haven for free expression. You can find the bulk of my articles there at https://steemit.com/@scottermonkey. Lately, I've found myself more often using Minds.com, which is also censorship free and has a much nicer interface and easier startup process than Steemit. You can find me there at https://www.minds.com/ScotterMonkey.
Online Meetings. Now that more of us are having online meetings, I'd recommend avoiding Zoom and trying https://jitsi.org. You can even set up your own Jitsi server for maximum security.
- Replace the "need" for government watchdogs. Peer-to-Peer review/reputation apps like http://Yelp.com and http://ConsumerReports.com. Here we can even change the "punishment paradigm" toward restitution, rehabilitation, and in the worst cases, ostracization. I'm sure other, possibly better, watchdog apps and sites have sprung up. Let me know what you like!
- Self sufficiency. Another common misconception about Voluntaryism is that everyone must be 100% self sufficient. Most of us know that certain basic needs like security, connection, efficiency, variety, sustainability, etc., are often best met by interacting with, trading with, and getting along with our fellow humans because no one has the time to learn every craft/skill. That said, we all benefit when more of us can survive on our own (and teach others to do so), or at least feed and defend ourselves and our families if and when necessary. Examples: Learn to garden. Rainwater collection. Solar and wind. Study nutrition and cooking. Martial arts. Firearm safety and use. Meet your neighbors and build relationships.
- Access to information. Via the Internet, more people have access to see the many ways involuntary government is inefficient, corrupt, abusive, and the many other ways it is failing us. Exposure to other kinds of thought/culture can also create more acceptance and humility, which are key to letting go of wanting to control others by proxy of involuntary government. Support open source projects.
Finally: I see some well done dystopian films that serve as warnings. V for Vendetta, 1984, and Brave New World come to mind. What I'd like to see more of (haven't seen one yet, really) is a film showing a person from this world somehow transported into a Voluntaryist region. We could go sci-fi with it where "transported" means dimensional or time travel OR we could go more realistic where some people form a State-less society in some region over the course of x number of years. Anyway, there would be some seeing that world through the eyes of a Statist and how he'd be asking questions like, "Wow! How is it so many people are so prosperous and healthy here?"
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