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Counter-economics

January 26, 2023

Counter-economics is an economic theory and revolutionary method consisting of direct action carried out through the black market or the gray market. As a term, it was originally used by American libertarian activists and theorists Samuel Edward Konkin III and J. Neil Schulman. The former defined it as the study or practice "of all peaceful human action which is forbidden by the State".[1]

The term is short for counter-establishment economics and may also be referred to as counter-politics. Counter-economics was integrated by Schulman into Konkin's doctrine of agorism,[2] a left-libertarian[3][4] social philosophy and branch of left-wing market anarchism that advocates creating a society in which all relations between people are voluntary exchanges.[5]

Within libertarianism in the United States, counter-economics has been adopted by anarcho-capitalists[citation needed], left-wing market anarchists, as well as more anti-capitalist anarchists.

Origins

The first presentation of the theory of counter-economics was made by Samuel Edward Konkin III at a conference organized by J. Neil Schulman in 1974 held in Cheshire, Massachusetts.[citation needed] The first book to portray counter-economics as a strategy for achieving a libertarian society was Schulman's novel Alongside Night (1979).

Relationship with agorism

Konkin's agorism, as exposited in his New Libertarian Manifesto,[6] postulates that the correct method of achieving a voluntary society is through advocacy and growth of the underground economy or "black market" – the "counter-economy" as Konkin put it – until such a point that the State's perceived moral authority and outright power have been so thoroughly undermined that revolutionary market anarchist legal and security enterprises are able to arise from underground and ultimately suppress government as a criminal activity (with taxation being treated as theft, war being treated as mass murder, et cetera).

According to Konkin's pamphlet Counter-Economics:

The Counter-Economy is the sum of all non-aggressive Human Action which is forbidden by the State. Counter-economics is the study of the Counter-Economy and its practices. The Counter-Economy includes the free market, the Black Market, the "underground economy," all acts of civil and social disobedience, all acts of forbidden association (sexual, racial, cross-religious), and anything else the State, at any place or time, chooses to prohibit, control, regulate, tax, or tariff. The Counter-Economy excludes all State-approved action (the "White Market") and the Red Market (violence and theft not approved by the State).[7]

According to Konkin, counter-economics also allows for immediate self-liberation from statist controls, to whatever degree practical, by applying entrepreneurial logic to rationally decide which laws to discreetly break and when. The fundamental principle is to trade risk for profit, although profit can refer to any gain in perceived value rather than strictly monetary gains (as a consequence of the subjective theory of value).

Voluntary practices of counter-economics include:[8]

Strategy

According to Per Bylund, counter-economics applies two basic strategies to liberate people from the state, vertical or introverted and horizontal or extroverted, arguing:

The first recipe provides instructions for how to break free vertically through building a decentralized infrastructure for free communities avoiding the State and its centralized "solutions" altogether. The other recipe advocates breaking free horizontally through making use of one's personal network of friends and colleagues, and doing business out of the State's reach. One might also call these recipes or strategies the introvert and extrovert solutions to our methodological problem.[9]

Vertical or introverted

The vertical or introverted strategy is aimed towards individuals concentrating on decentralized local infrastructure as opposed to expansive state foundations and explained as such:

What this means in real terms is to create local or neighborhood networks for self-reliance, where people in the vicinity get together to find ways to produce whatever is necessary for survival and a good life. It means creating local production facilities and markets with no effective State regulations and without the State's knowledge.[9]

Voluntary association among those in a community is essential to this concept. Bylund believes developing means to refuse dependency on state services and become self-reliant can be an effective course of action to achieve free market[non sequitur] processes.[citation needed] Community technology is an example of this strategy.[citation needed] Bylund mentions Karl Hess's efforts to transform a Washington, D.C. neighborhood which reflects these principles as a primary example. Hess set up green houses on top of available rooftops and using old washing machine parts to build a fish-breeding facility in a building basement.[9]

Horizontal or extroverted

The horizontal or extroverted strategy applies individuals actively creating black market networks and structures which can be stretched beyond neighborhood communities focus in the vertical strategy, with Bylund arguing as follows:

What it basically proposes is to trade with people you know and people who are recommended to you. This can all be done at whatever scale one finds appropriate, using available technology such as the Internet and e.g. E-bay for communication and money transactions. A first step could be to hire the children next-door to mow the lawn or baby-sit. It does not have to be very sophisticated at first. This approach should come naturally to libertarians, since it simply means exercising trade without bothering with State regulations or paying taxes. Most people are willing to exchange goods and services without registering the sales tax, which is a good start. Some of them will also find it in their interest to do this on a larger scale, producing and distributing goods and services without ever paying taxes or following unnecessary government regulations and controls. And most people don't really care about government standards if they trust their supplier.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Agorism: Revolutionary market anarchism" 2022-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. Agorism.eu.org. "Counter economics: The study and/or practice of all peaceful human action which is forbidden by the State".
  2. ^ Afterword by Samuel Edward Konkin in Alongside Night (1999). Pulpless.com. p. 274. ISBN 1-58445-120-3. ISBN 978-1-58445-120-4.
  3. ^ "Smashing the State for Fun and Profit Since 1969: An Interview With the Libertarian Icon Samuel Edward Konkin III (a.k.a. SEK3)". Spaz. Retrieved 21 Deczember 2019.
  4. ^ D'Amato, David S. (27 November 2018). "Black-Market Activism: Samuel Edward Konkin III and Agorism". Libertarianism.org. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  5. ^ Konkin III, Samuel Edward (December 2008). An Agorist Primer (PDF). Kopubco. Retrieved 21 December 2019. The goal of agorism is the agora. The society of the open marketplace as near to untainted by theft, assault, and fraud as can be humanly attained is as close to a free society as can be achieved. And a free society is the only one in which each and every one of us can satisfy his or her subjective values without crushing others' values by violence and coercion.
  6. ^ Konkin, Samuel Edward (1983). (PDF) (25th anniversary ed.). Los Angeles, California: Koman Publishing. ISBN 978-0977764921. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Counter-Economics: what it is, how it works". 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Counter-Economics, Market Anarchist Distro, archived from the original on 12 July 2012
  9. ^ a b c d Bylund, Per (May 9, 2006). "A Strategy for Pushing Back The State". Lew Rockwell. Retrieved November 21, 2019.

External links

  • The Agorism Project – Agorism.co
  • Agorism: Revolutionary market anarchism 2022-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
  • Just Things | The Fair Trade Journal of Applied Counter-Economics 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  • Alongside Night by J. Neil Schulman

January 26, 2023
counter, economics, economic, theory, revolutionary, method, consisting, direct, action, carried, through, black, market, gray, market, term, originally, used, american, libertarian, activists, theorists, samuel, edward, konkin, neil, schulman, former, defined. Counter economics is an economic theory and revolutionary method consisting of direct action carried out through the black market or the gray market As a term it was originally used by American libertarian activists and theorists Samuel Edward Konkin III and J Neil Schulman The former defined it as the study or practice of all peaceful human action which is forbidden by the State 1 The term is short for counter establishment economics and may also be referred to as counter politics Counter economics was integrated by Schulman into Konkin s doctrine of agorism 2 a left libertarian 3 4 social philosophy and branch of left wing market anarchism that advocates creating a society in which all relations between people are voluntary exchanges 5 Within libertarianism in the United States counter economics has been adopted by anarcho capitalists citation needed left wing market anarchists as well as more anti capitalist anarchists Contents 1 Origins 2 Relationship with agorism 3 Strategy 3 1 Vertical or introverted 3 2 Horizontal or extroverted 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksOrigins EditThe first presentation of the theory of counter economics was made by Samuel Edward Konkin III at a conference organized by J Neil Schulman in 1974 held in Cheshire Massachusetts citation needed The first book to portray counter economics as a strategy for achieving a libertarian society was Schulman s novel Alongside Night 1979 Relationship with agorism EditKonkin s agorism as exposited in his New Libertarian Manifesto 6 postulates that the correct method of achieving a voluntary society is through advocacy and growth of the underground economy or black market the counter economy as Konkin put it until such a point that the State s perceived moral authority and outright power have been so thoroughly undermined that revolutionary market anarchist legal and security enterprises are able to arise from underground and ultimately suppress government as a criminal activity with taxation being treated as theft war being treated as mass murder et cetera According to Konkin s pamphlet Counter Economics The Counter Economy is the sum of all non aggressive Human Action which is forbidden by the State Counter economics is the study of the Counter Economy and its practices The Counter Economy includes the free market the Black Market the underground economy all acts of civil and social disobedience all acts of forbidden association sexual racial cross religious and anything else the State at any place or time chooses to prohibit control regulate tax or tariff The Counter Economy excludes all State approved action the White Market and the Red Market violence and theft not approved by the State 7 According to Konkin counter economics also allows for immediate self liberation from statist controls to whatever degree practical by applying entrepreneurial logic to rationally decide which laws to discreetly break and when The fundamental principle is to trade risk for profit although profit can refer to any gain in perceived value rather than strictly monetary gains as a consequence of the subjective theory of value Voluntary practices of counter economics include 8 Arms trafficking failed verification Bartering and alternative currency use Illegal migration or hiring illegal immigrants Drug trafficking Electricity theft or tapping failed verification Exchange of food stamps Mutual credit Off the grid energy and solar energy failed verification Smuggling Subsistence farming Tax evasion ProstitutionStrategy EditAccording to Per Bylund counter economics applies two basic strategies to liberate people from the state vertical or introverted and horizontal or extroverted arguing The first recipe provides instructions for how to break free vertically through building a decentralized infrastructure for free communities avoiding the State and its centralized solutions altogether The other recipe advocates breaking free horizontally through making use of one s personal network of friends and colleagues and doing business out of the State s reach One might also call these recipes or strategies the introvert and extrovert solutions to our methodological problem 9 Vertical or introverted Edit The vertical or introverted strategy is aimed towards individuals concentrating on decentralized local infrastructure as opposed to expansive state foundations and explained as such What this means in real terms is to create local or neighborhood networks for self reliance where people in the vicinity get together to find ways to produce whatever is necessary for survival and a good life It means creating local production facilities and markets with no effective State regulations and without the State s knowledge 9 Voluntary association among those in a community is essential to this concept Bylund believes developing means to refuse dependency on state services and become self reliant can be an effective course of action to achieve free market non sequitur processes citation needed Community technology is an example of this strategy citation needed Bylund mentions Karl Hess s efforts to transform a Washington D C neighborhood which reflects these principles as a primary example Hess set up green houses on top of available rooftops and using old washing machine parts to build a fish breeding facility in a building basement 9 Horizontal or extroverted Edit The horizontal or extroverted strategy applies individuals actively creating black market networks and structures which can be stretched beyond neighborhood communities focus in the vertical strategy with Bylund arguing as follows What it basically proposes is to trade with people you know and people who are recommended to you This can all be done at whatever scale one finds appropriate using available technology such as the Internet and e g E bay for communication and money transactions A first step could be to hire the children next door to mow the lawn or baby sit It does not have to be very sophisticated at first This approach should come naturally to libertarians since it simply means exercising trade without bothering with State regulations or paying taxes Most people are willing to exchange goods and services without registering the sales tax which is a good start Some of them will also find it in their interest to do this on a larger scale producing and distributing goods and services without ever paying taxes or following unnecessary government regulations and controls And most people don t really care about government standards if they trust their supplier 9 See also EditCivil disobedience Economic secession Illegalism Informal sector The Other Path The Economic Answer to TerrorismReferences Edit Agorism Revolutionary market anarchism Archived 2022 04 27 at the Wayback Machine Agorism eu org Counter economics The study and or practice of all peaceful human action which is forbidden by the State Afterword by Samuel Edward Konkin in Alongside Night 1999 Pulpless com p 274 ISBN 1 58445 120 3 ISBN 978 1 58445 120 4 Smashing the State for Fun and Profit Since 1969 An Interview With the Libertarian Icon Samuel Edward Konkin III a k a SEK3 Spaz Retrieved 21 Deczember 2019 D Amato David S 27 November 2018 Black Market Activism Samuel Edward Konkin III and Agorism Libertarianism org Retrieved 21 November 2019 Konkin III Samuel Edward December 2008 An Agorist Primer PDF Kopubco Retrieved 21 December 2019 The goal of agorism is the agora The society of the open marketplace as near to untainted by theft assault and fraud as can be humanly attained is as close to a free society as can be achieved And a free society is the only one in which each and every one of us can satisfy his or her subjective values without crushing others values by violence and coercion Konkin Samuel Edward 1983 New Libertarian Manifesto PDF 25th anniversary ed Los Angeles California Koman Publishing ISBN 978 0977764921 Archived from the original PDF on 23 February 2012 Retrieved 4 June 2022 Counter Economics what it is how it works Archived 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Counter Economics Market Anarchist Distro archived from the original on 12 July 2012 a b c d Bylund Per May 9 2006 A Strategy for Pushing Back The State Lew Rockwell Retrieved November 21 2019 External links EditThe Agorism Project Agorism co Agorism Revolutionary market anarchism Archived 2022 04 27 at the Wayback Machine Just Things The Fair Trade Journal of Applied Counter Economics Archived 2009 01 06 at the Wayback Machine Alongside Night by J Neil Schulman Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Counter economics amp oldid 1128067071, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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