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 upon 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 sub-scribing to the Advanced Freedom Solutions Mailing List-e-mail to AFS-re[email protected] 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 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 at 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 guess-timate 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: 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 distin-guish three economic sectors: (1) public; (2) private; (3) free enter-prise. 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 prop-erty and to engage in voluntary exchange. Free enterprise is a "human success program" or "HSP." Coercion can be an HSP for those administ-ering 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:

The Firm of Marc M. Harris, The Harris Centre, Edificio Balboa Plaza, Avenida Balboa...PO Box 6-1097, Panama, Republic of Panama tel. 011 (507) 263-6900 facsimile + 011-(507) 263-6964: Estate Planning; Overseas Job Opportunities: Asset Protection. E-mail

PTS, Ltd. Am Platz No. 4, CP-310, CH-7310 Bad Ragaz, Switzerland... facsimile +41-81-723-3128, Email . World's premier international assets protection and banking in Silence experts.

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#.)

Recommended Newsletters, the FreeBooter heads and shoulders above the rest, contact henry Morgan at facsimile +44-171-223-4295. Alternatively e-mail

Much more information on monetary and banking freedom can be found in an article called "Get Your Money Out Of The Country Before Your Country the Money Out of You!" E-mail your request to: [email protected]

I invite everyone interested in furthering the means to true personal and financial freedom to help create and/or expand these and similar free-enterprise opportunities and ideas. Join the "PT Buzz Users List, e-mail (subject subscribe) to:

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 success-fully 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 with-out 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 exhilarating! 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, send e-mail to:

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.

Ian Fraser: The Trader Principle

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE!

If you were confronted by that statement - fair guess that you'd be about to be robbed, mugged or both! But one thing's for sure, you'd be confronting someone who didn't want to exchange value for value - but was intent on taking values from you (at the threat of force) and giving you nothing in return. And what is this principle of exchanging value for value? It's called "trade". When you trade you give up some-thing for something else. And you do it voluntarily!

I'm sure you know all this, but there is something deeper here that applies to all relationships - not just business. Being a "trader" is in fact a badge of honour - because it means that you believe in the principle of exchanging value for value - unlike your typical thug, thief, conman - or politician for that matter!

If you examine your other (non-business) relationships, you'll notice that the principle of trade applies just as much. It's just that most of us don't recognise it as such. Let me give you an example: think of a good friendship, one where you really know the other person and really value the relationship. That won't have happened over night. It will have taken time, and getting to know the other person. But think how quickly friendships can become "sour", if one party forgets the "unwritten" rules of trading.

To illustrate what I mean, let me tell you a true story. I'll use made up names to protect the identities of the people concerned.

FRIEND OR FOE?

Linda and Anne had been friends for a long time. Then one of them went off overseas for some years. They kept in touch through the occasional letter, but it was still a surprise to Linda when Anne turned up on her doorstep announcing, "I'm back". It seemed like old times again. Their friendship was re-kindled.

But not all was well with Anne. She couldn't get a job and her life seemed to be in a bit of a mess. In fact, it soon became apparent that Anne needed quite a lot of help and emotional support. Well, Linda was a good friend and gave all the help she could - including actual gifts of food, to help feed Anne's baby.

Well, that's what friends are for, you say. And indeed it is. Trouble was that just a few months later, Linda's mother died. She was devastated. Linda and her mother were really close, best friends really. And Linda could not imagine life without her mother. Grief set in with a vengeance and instead of being the "helping" friend, what Linda needed now was a friend to "help" her get through this.

To cut a long story short, her friend disappeared. Anne simply got "out of touch" and stayed away. Linda couldn't understand what had happened and was, as you'd expect, extremely hurt.

It was then that Linda realised that Anne had always been the one needing the "help", and that their friendship was actually based on this rather unbalanced fact. It's just that Linda never realised this until she needed the help. And then it was too late.

You probably know the outcome. They never talked to each other again. The friendship came to a sudden and unpleasant end. Why? Because Anne reneged on the hidden "contract" to give value for value. She was not a "trader" but a thief. A person who stole the time, effort and even the goods of someone else, without ever intending to give like in return.

THE LOVE ACCOUNTANT

Each of us keeps a "hidden" track of what we "give" to a friendship, and we actually, subconsciously, add up the pluses and minuses. It's like book-keeping. Favours given and favours returned. And if the accounts get out of balance - then wham, the friendship is in crisis.

It's even more apparent in a close relationship like a marriage. And there's even an old term for it - "give and take". What do you think that means, if it doesn't mean acting on the principle of the trader - give value for value. If your wife or husband constantly slaves out of consideration for you and you give nothing of yourself in return, then your marriage will soon be over - or at least "die".

You can see this trader principle at work everywhere. The giving of a compliment. Being polite to a stranger. Thanking someone for their eff-orts. Praising someone for their good work. We all expect to receive something in return for the something we give. And it is right that we should. It is the most honorable thing in the world to be the sort of person who always gives value for value, who always returns a favour, who always appreciates the time and efforts given by others.

THE LOOTER VS THE TRADER

The truth of the matter is that there are many people who have no intention of giving value for value. In fact, our current society is imbued with the opposite idea - take what you can if you can get away with it. And this way of thinking has risen to the very top of our societal structure - to the politicians, the political process and the very nature of government itself.

People now talk about their "rights" to a job, a home, healthcare, retirement income - you name it, they want it. These same people never ask the question, "who will pay for these economic goods?" They have no intention of exchanging value for value. They just want it. You can see this mentality at the heart of the "welfare state" - the political idea that the harder you work, the more should be taken off you, so as to give to those who haven't worked so hard. In other words, the complete opposite idea to the trader principle. It's the "looter" principle.

My advice to you is to steer clear of the "looters". Don't give them the time of day. The minute you realise that you're dealing with a "taker", just end the relationship before you get hurt or "done" in some way - whether emotionally or economically. Looters can only exist as long as we let them get away with it. Make up your mind today to never let them get away with it. Become a real trader and be proud of it!

Copyright 1997 - Ian Fraser

Copyright 1998 PT Shamrock Ltd. Unauthorized use prohibited. All Rights Reserved.