There are a lot of misconceptions about what we believe as free people. Whilst we primarily focus on becoming the most that we can be as individuals, this may have flow on effects on society. This posting explores how we see ourselves and society.

You can find us everywhere. We’re the person who is more efficient and productive on the job and expects to be rewarded for it. We’re the woman who goes against the flow and opens a business to compete against the corporates and is soon growing and employing people. We’re the guy who puts free software on the Internet because he loves writing it. We develop encryption programs so that you can keep your privacy. We dig into our own pockets to fund causes we believe in, and never bleat “the government should…”, or “a just society owes…”.

We are those who produce and create. Those who have the really good ideas, and the ability to put them into action. The good things that society enjoys were made by us, not by the government. We pay the most taxes and get the least benefit from our work, but we do it because we want to achieve, not to control. At the same time, we’re more in touch with who we are as people than most people ever will be. We love life and want to live it to the full.

We believe in voluntary arrangements because we respect the right of everyone to make their own decisions without coercion or threat of violence. Similarly, we don’t try to think for other people – we believe that people generally look after their own interests when allowed to do so.

We are the ultimate realists – we only value something that works. We are not attached to beliefs that don’t hold up under scrutiny, or don’t perform in the real world. We think for ourselves. This distinguishes us from socialists, communists and other “ists” of all types.

Since we value logic, we never ignore the linkage between cause and effect. So we take responsibility for the effects of the actions and decisions we have made. We don’t expect anyone else to pay for our mistakes.

We’ve developed a strong sense of ourselves, and aim to maximise our own potential. We seek truth and to experience the richness of our own cultures and to learn about other people.

We want to live in a free and prosperous society, with everyone having more than enough for both personal survival and growth. We want to see everyone with proper shelter, clothing, food and health care, because that makes for a better place for all of us to live and trade together. We believe that the free market is the best way to achieve this. We are advocates for capitalism.

Because of our aversion to violence, we want to contribute voluntarily, not by compulsion, to the well being of those who are unable to look after themselves. Firstly, we reach out to those closest to us – our family and friends. Then we look to society as a whole. We’re generous with our own money, not that of other people who have had it ripped from their pockets by force.

We don’t wish our inclination to help others and the feeling of peace that it gives us to be tainted by coercion. Similarly, we obtain our sense of self worth, not by keeping the disadvantaged down “in their place”, but by trying to pull them back onto their feet.

Our goal is to see the man sleeping in the gutter driving a luxury sports car and wearing fine clothes, not keeping him there by giving him a pittance and cutting down his future. We want the person who has no work skills to be in the workforce and doing well. We want those who are economically disadvantaged to prosper in the free market. We don’t want people to be kept down, we want them to do well. That way, we all benefit.

Similarly, we want to trade with those in undeveloped countries on equal terms. We want to see them leaving poverty behind and advancing. We again have no time for anyone who stands in the way of their advancement.

Whilst we acknowledge that different people with different callings and gifts will achieve different financial outcomes, we regards all productive work as beneficial. We save our disdain for the lazy and shiftless – they get no help from us, but we are always ready to trade with them on equal terms when they want to.

We’re not particularly materialistic because our primary focus is on creation and achieving our highest potential. So often we will give of our best for no monetary reward – just for the joy of doing so. You benefit from the free software we have written, the ideas we have shared, and the art we have created. Sometimes we seek time to spend in learning, travel and reflection rather than money.

However money is a yardstick of the value of our ideas in the free market, so we do demand the right to the fruits of our labour. At the same time, we’ve given the world all the things that make life richer and more pleasant. We represent the minds that transform the raw materials of the earth into the products that benefit everyone.

Our own lives are very valuable, because we own ourselves. We don’t regard ourselves as property of the state. We are private individuals. This means that we will always protect ourselves against anyone who attacks us. We expect to be allowed the means to do so, so do not accept the justice of any law that disarms us, or prevents us from defending ourselves.

We value a peaceful society without crime. We believe that crime is discouraged by allowing us to protect ourselves against it. Our people gain nothing from resisting criminals but we keep what is ours, our lives and property.

Similarly, we value our property, insofar that it represents the heritage of our families, and is a tangible expression of our work, our talents and abilities and our choices. We expect to retain our property without fear of appropriation or taxation.

Since we believe that the individual rather than a government can make the choices that are best. Irrespective of how we choose to live our own lives, we extend the right for others to choose their own way of live themselves also. We seek no control over others, except for those who initiate force against us.

For example, we don’t seek government sanction against any religion, or alternative lifestyle. We want minimal regulation, in fact we want as little government as is consistent with law and order. We don’t want the government to control the education of our children, subsidise anything or run anything.

Don’t confuse us with those who destroy the earth and will sell anything for a dollar. We seek excellence in whatever we do. Inefficiency and waste and pollution are anathema to us. Since we live here, don’t you think it is in our interests to want to keep it for our children? You’ll see us developing solar cells and hybrid cars.

In summary, our own achievement of self actualization helps to promote a peaceful, prosperous and free society. Only the vested interests of those who want to hold back and control others, or leach off them prevents the full benefits of our way of life from transforming our culture. Before you condemn us as greedy capitalists needing to be restrained by the state, think for yourself and remember what we are really about.

Tags: capitalism, politics, Self-actualization, socialism, taxation

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2007 at 10:13 pm and is filed under Lies and truth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.