is as rich and delightful as ever and every day carries the promise
of a better world. Not everyone sees it that way, but on the whole,
"Team People" is doing very well. We have come a long way
and that’s something worth taking a step back to appreciate. But
the current path is not sustainable. Governments are transferring
more wealth than ever from the poor to the rich. We are rapidly
approaching a point where we must adapt or perish. The short
view of history tempts pessimism. We might see the recent steps
backward as the triumph of evil over good, or at least a turn toward
mutual annihilation. They are merely the steps backward in a long
progression of one step backward and two steps forward.
A truly free society does not exist just because we have been
convinced we are free. A truly free society cannot exist when we
have been so thoroughly propagandized as to define “freedom” in
terms of government-granted privilege rather than as a universal
moral principle. However, a free society is inevitable because the
global paradigm is shifting as we learn how to better assert our right
of self-ownership.
We all know life is better with freedom – that our own individual
experiences don’t mean nearly as much without the ability to assert
our will, rather than having our choices limited by force. Many of
us today still experience lives dominated by the edicts of others.
Many still live under the threat of death from war. While some are
doing relatively well and enjoying a great deal of personal wealth
and autonomy, many are not. Even those who are doing well are
living in a less vibrant and robust environment due to violations of
individual freedom around the world.
Any act of violence or threat of violence between individuals
represents a violation of someone’s freedom. The great illusion
of the current paradigm of statism is that governments achieve a
worthwhile reduction of violence. Governments are the greatest
cause of violence in the world today. They are coercive monopolies
with only an illusion of public support. Everything they do is
based on a presumed right to point guns at people who are acting
peacefully.
Many of us are dependent on government, and because it takes
on a large role in society, one can claim that everyone benefits to
some degree. This doesn’t mean the benefits justify the cost, and
the vast majority of us experience a net loss due to government.
Even if we are convinced that most people have a net gain from
government, we can always do better without using violence.
Freedom is the ability to exercise your will within your rights
without the threat of force from anyone else. It’s really that simple.
You own yourself. No one can claim even partial ownership over you
without violating your rights. By abolishing statism we will achieve
a world free of miserable victims and miserable victimizers. We will
create a world in which all relations are free of force and coercion.
We will see each other as partners in the human experience, united
in our desire to live free and realize our potential. We are destined
to build a society based on respect and cooperation
FREEDOM! by Adam Kokesh - Introduction
I am the author of FREEDOM!, a book endorsed (I mean banned) by the US Department of “Justice.” You can get a copy here. I’m running for Not-President in 2020 on the platform of the peaceful, orderly, and responsible dissolution of the United States federal government. You can find out more here. I am currently on my #TaxationIsTheft tour! You can find an event near you here. Whoever has the top comment on this post after 24 hours can claim a free signed copy of FREEDOM! by sending me a message with their address.