Urgent: A FreeCapitalist Call to Action

Saving Freedom: A FreeCapitalist Call to Action
Launching the Faire Action Forums™ and Free Capitalist “Community Councils”

My whole life it seems, I’ve been thinking about making the world a better place. It seems to me that some people are simply born into the world thinking about the general condition of life on the planet. I am definitely, even if unexplainably, one of those people.

For example, I remember organizing my friends in the earliest grades of elementary school. I remember watching attentively the election returns in 1980, when I was only seven years old. I remember thinking then that the President of the United States could certainly make the world a better place. Many of us never think past some of these, our simple and childish notions of power and change. Its not that we’re wrong with these ideas – it’s just that being serious about them requires so much more.

Most adults, I think, still have very childish ideas about what it takes to change the world and even why the world might need changing. Even more specifically, most of us, from our earliest childhood have been socially conditioned to see the head of any tribe (using this term loosely to refer to any organized group) as being the most influential person in the tribe itself. In families for example, which are small tribes, being a parent means to most of us, through our still childish concepts, having all the power. In school, being the teacher or principle means having the power. On a sports team being the coach means having the power. So, from our earliest days it’s easy to fall prone to the false notion that if we want to have the power to change the world it means we must first become the head of the tribe. While there certainly is power and purpose in being the head of a tribe, the irony and simple refutation of this commonly misplaced notion is obvious to anyone who has actually been the head of tribe.

Tribalism (or collectivism) is the political philosophy of the naïve, the intellectually lazy, and the deceivers. To the collectivists, the fact that the tribe exists in the first place is a simple given. Collectivists seem to think that organizations like the family, the community, the nation, etc., just exist and thus they spend most of their time either striving to become the head/leader of the tribe or complaining that a new leader is needed to make life better for everyone. To a liberally educated adult – a person who loves liberty and freedom – the notion of making anyone’s life better is absurd given that we each hold that sovereign power for ourselves. The purpose of leadership in any tribe is not served by this naïve and dangerous idea that authority (and the power that comes with it) is the necessary ingredient for changing the world.

Unfortunately, this misplaced idea lays at the center of the most common political philosophy in our culture today. Consciously or subconsciously it engulfs the major political parties, all geographical regions and all age groups. It’s largely the result of what I’ve previously described as “the brain-off conspiracy”(see my previously published essay entitled the Brain-Off Conspiracy), a culture of civil deception perpetrated by those whose agenda is to take advantage of a collectivized world.

Certainly, leaders of tribes have power. That is not the distinction I’m pointing out. Great leaders have great power to do much good. But great leaders do not seek to be appointed or given a position of power over the tribe for the sake of the authority and power inherent in the position. Creators of tribes and those that recognize how a tribe is formed, protected and defended have a power deeper than the sum of power granted by the authority of any tribal head. These are society’s prime movers and first-handers. They are brought to power by the fruit of their own productive effort not by politicking, campaigning or the social acceptance antecedent to some ritualistic or ceremonial coronation. The difference is between the prime movers and the so called leaders who are really nothing more than second-handers, hoping to be anointed tribal chief as a gift to which they are entitled by virtue of their ego alone. Life will get better in the tribe, according to the second-hander, because they are in charge, regardless of the legitimacy or his or her ideas and agenda.

It’s important to develop the ability to make this critical distinction between first and second-handers. A person who knows, for example, how to constitute, sustain and defend the structure of a family is more powerful then the typical parent who simply has a family and seeks to rule over it. A person who knows how to build a community is more powerful than a person who simply holds the position of leader in a community. A person who knows how to build a sports team, a political group, a civic service organization, etc., is more powerful than the one (or few) who simply end up in charge of those organizations. The difference I’m describing is subtle but powerful. It is essential to recognize this distinction between prime movers and second-handers in order to discern between those who want to really do good in the world and those intellectual second-handers – the brain off do-gooders.

Our society has the tribal sickness of the second-handers like never before. We actually, as a people, believe that the way to solve most of our problems is to simply anoint a new leader of the tribe. Even more typical, we usually just assume that if the new leader of our tribe came from our neck of the woods or our social camp (see my essay entitled Earth Camp) then we would all be better off regardless of the actual, individual merits of such a leader.

Choosing new leaders can indeed lead to change, but it’s not the kind of change most of us imagine. Anyone who has been the leader of a tribe – in family, in business, in community etc., recognizes that a power deeper than simple authority alone comes from the network of people who lend their support to the integrity of the tribe, its leader and his ideas. Without that support even the most intelligent, charismatic and visionary leader fails, and then falls quickly.

An example of what I’m trying to casually point out (this essay is certainly not academic, that is a project for another day) is the group in our society who self-identify as Constitutionalists. I am a person who believes that the Constitution of the United States is a divinely inspired formula for not only protecting freedom but for building prosperity. In the current presidential election campaign Texas Congressman (R) Ron Paul has effectively illustrated the point I’m trying to make. Congressman Paul has a huge following of Constitutionalists among the younger politically astute and the more independent minded portion of the electorate. His support crosses traditional party lines, he campaigns on high ideals, and he has a decade’s long track record in the Congress that evidences the consistency of his philosophy and his performance.

Congressman Paul has raised abnormally large amounts of money through seemly spontaneous movements of supporters organized across the country using only the Internet. While it has been quite obvious to almost everyone that Ron Paul has never had a real chance to become the leader of America’s tribe in 2008 – it is not obvious to very many why this is the case. It is not because his ideas are unsupportable as some have suggested. It’s not because he cannot get grassroots support, he has demonstrated this to the amazement of many and it’s not because he lacks vision or intellectual acumen. Whether you are a Ron Paul supporter or not, the truth of the matter is that the reason congressman Paul, and many other’s like him who have gone before in decades past, will not become the leader of the American tribe is because those who support him, though their conscious ideals are much different, are actually subconsciously tribalists in their methods as evident by their dominate focus of changing the head of the tribe before first building an organization that is prepared to govern under new leadership. This contradiction seals Congressman Paul’s fate, even though he himself is generally speaking prime mover and first-hander. The second-handers, anointed by those who seek advantage over the common man, maintain their advantage with Congressman Paul as their adversary because of this simple contradiction in the minds of his supporters. I mean this as no insult, instead I mean to point out the stumbling block in the path of obtaining real, fundamental power for effecting social change that is too often encountered by many of the most ardent lovers of freedom in our day.

Let me go into just a brief explanation of the ideas behind my example. In Presidential politics there are generally two sub-tribes (Republicans and Democrats) that battle every four years for control of the larger American tribe. Congressman Paul and his constituents refuse to compromise with the dominant members currently in authority over the Republican tribe because of what they see as their principled stand on many issues. So, right or wrong, with the unconscious mistake of tribalism guiding their efforts, they will lose his campaign for the Presidency – claiming that their ideas are right and that the Republican tribe is wrong and has lost its moorings (an argument I heartily agree with by the way).

However, the unconscious implications of this kind of thinking is the very problem for those who see what I’m describing as the problem we face in America, and it certainly does not just plague Congressman Paul or his colleagues. This very problem is what has stood in the way of almost all those who have previously stood for freedom and liberty, trying to finish what America’s founders started more than two centuries ago. These have been good men and women who have dedicated their lives to the cause of making the world a better place whether it be through politics, civic affairs, volunteer community service, education, etc. Modern history is full of idealistic martyrs, but it reveals a few, invaluable examples of prime movers who find a way to move beyond this almost invisible enemy of our cause.

Lest anyone be offended at my attempt here of candid self criticism, remember the consequence of our general failure to date is leaving the control of our society to the deceivers and the brain-off conspiracy of those who are willing to give in to them.

Governor Mitt Romney learned this same lesson this year, or at least should have. Illinois Senator Barak Obama is also about to learn this lesson. If Senator Obama wins the contest to become America’s next President he will have an enormous challenge starting the first day of his Presidency. His challenge is subtle, and most men in positions like his in the past have not realized it until long after the challenge swallows any chance for their dreams of success.

Governing the tribe involves an army of tribe makers and defenders. These are “mini-leaders” who Senator Obama (or any future President) will have to turn to in order to actually govern the many different facets of the federal government. This is true in politics and in any sizable tribe/organization. Senator Obama’s challenge will be that he will need many more people to form his government than are actually his insiders. This means he will have to turn to others who are outside the very small Obama leadership tribe. I suspect he’ll turn first to the larger tribe of the Democratic Party. To do this, he will want competence and some experience. However, looking for experience and competence means that he will have to rely on many whose ideas and loyalties are preformed, independent of his and in some cases at odds with him - therefore challenging the very ideals that he has campaigned upon (for the record, though he’s pleasant to listen to and though I judge him to be authentic, I am no fan of Mr. Obama’s view of the proper role of government or his proposed policy initiatives – just in case you’re wondering).

The successful leaders, who are also among society's most important prime movers, are those who do not find themselves in the situation I’ve just described, and are able instead to turn to numerous colleagues of their own making from their own experience formed usually years in advance of any such challenge.

This is the problem of focusing on change by only changing the tribal head. While he has the authority in most cases, it is NOT the tribal head who has the power to make the world a better place at his wish and whim as we imagine in childhood. Instead, leaders with authority are subject in a multitude of ways to those who he relies upon to define and defend the tribe. A President depends upon his cabinet and the congress and even to some extent the judiciary to cooperate in his leadership. A congressman depends upon his peers, the Washington bureaucracy and the small special interests that coincide with his agenda. So it is at the State level, in communities, in business and in families. Therefore, an organization seeking to further a real movement of change recognizes that a revolution begins first by creating the organizational context for a new leader, and this usually occurs long before the larger tribes surrounding the revolution ever know what is, in fact, taking place.

To provide a simple example, going back to Congressman Ron Paul – let’s assume for a minute that he were by some odd chance elected President of the United States in November of 2008. President Ron Paul would want to eliminate the Federal Reserve system and return America to a sound banking system. But as President how would he do this? He does not have legislative authority or any lawmaking power whatsoever. Any action he took as President, even if he judged it to be legal and just, would have to past the muster of judicial scrutiny. He would therefore have to turn to Congress and to the judiciary. But who in Congress or the judiciary would support him just because he was the President? How would he gain their support? Without this kind of support – he could only talk, and as we are all to well aware talk is not the same as real change. I’m not criticizing Congressman Paul, I’m criticizing what we have come to expect as the blind game of tribal politics and the ritual of leader picking that has lulled so many of us into passive participation and occasional critical lip service in our republic rather than real civic involvement.

Why do I take the time to make this point about where power really rests in any revolution? Because, I really want to organize a revolution that is successful at bearing the constitution of the United States off triumphantly from its current brink of ruin and destruction. No one reading this should make any mistake in believing it will be possible to do this by simply “electing one of our own” to be the head of any tribe – we must first create and/or organize the social, economic, and political context required for a new leader of our country to be successful in some future day. Lest this seem discouraging to some, I firmly believe we can do it and that the success we create along the way will serve as a more lasting bulwark against the progress of our enemies than the work which will take place at the ultimate climax of our cause.

I’m not a politician, so I actually mean what I say. I want to organize change on such a fundamental level that it has only been seen twice before since America’s founding revolution. After the amazing success of the Founders, only the civil war era and the socialization of America after the Great Depression serve as historical benchmarks of real, fundamental and consequential change that has taken place in America. Unfortunately, these past two revolutions have been in the wrong direction for liberty.

America is becoming socialized, Europeanized and hollowed out by those who understand what I’m talking about and are using the naiveté of those who advocate change based upon the tribalist head-picking mentality. For the last eighty years, with very few exceptions – change at the top has resulted in only more disguised and homogenized consolidation in the real power structures that govern our society. To put it more simply, Senator John McCain, Senator Barrack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton have only so much to offer the American people. Specifically, they are Senator whose power to change the world rests with the same group of mini-tribe leaders who have been in control for decades. They bring with them nothing more than worn out promises, sometimes packaged in new rhetoric – but none of the merits of a prime mover who has created an organization prepared to defend liberty and restore the principled foundation of our republic. For all their talk about social reforms, policy changes, and a new future, they are stuck in the same rut of political reality that is carved out, defended and even advocated by people whose names the public does not generally know, but who have self-interest in maintaining the status quo. Spending endless energy identifying and uncovering the support structure I’m describing is an almost fruitless activity today. There is not time to waste in trivial discovery when the time for effective leadership, principled organization and real social movement is at hand.

To those with eyes to see and ears to hear, in our current political environment, America’s congressional leadership is more important and powerful than change at the executive level (though change there is important.) State leadership in the Governor’s offices and legislative offices around the country is more important than change in Washington (though change there is important). Community leadership in towns and counties across this country are in fact the MOST important political priority of those who want to organize and then actually succeed at implementing the real, fundamental change I’ve been describing, here in America. This is difficult to swallow for the politically naïve and over-ambitious citizen who reads the paper daily, for the man or woman who has personal ambitions to hold elective office (or who already holds such office), or for those who simply desire to be among those who support the right candidate next time. As I’ve said many times before, some things are true whether we believe them or not.

Our way of life, our future, and the cause of liberty is on the brink of ruin in America, and if in America then also across the globe. The brain-off conspiracy can be defeated, but only if a large, statistically significant group of people wake up and organize themselves in communities across this country – and do this quickly.

In my estimation (and the details of my reasons here are for another time to elaborate) we have perhaps a dozen years before America, as we now know it, and the world that we seek to improve may literally cease to exist. With the advance of certain power structures in global society, today we stand seriously in jeopardy of plunging headlong into a long dark spell, perhaps a generation or more of a new dark age where society's welfare and the safeguard of individual liberty is given over to the intellectual elite who have sought for generations to capitalize on the intellectual laziness and naiveté of the common man.

I’m not suggesting that our children are in trouble – though they are. I’m not suggesting that we are leaving problems to future generations, though we are. I’m not suggesting that history will write very unkind and condemning critiques of our generation, as those who lost the most powerful experiment in freedom that was ever experienced on planet Earth – though they will write that if we fail. I’m suggesting more purposefully that in our lifetime, today and through the next few decades, there is a battle being fought. It is not something that is coming; it is something being carried out now.

What I am declaring, what I am warning, what I am proclaiming with the fervor and conviction of one simple American citizen who has been carefully observing the affairs of the world is this – it will be adult Americans today and those who enter adulthood in the next decade who will be fighting the climax of this struggle and determining the fate of freedom. I’m also suggesting that we can win – but it should be obvious to almost everyone that we are a long way from winning today. The trends are against us, the social conditions are against us, and the political world in America, and even more so across the globe, is a mess.

I think there are many, many good men and women in elective office at all levels across the country today – but they cannot succeed playing the ritual of tribal monopoly. They can be helpful, even invaluable – but the solution does not rest with them alone. Benevolent tyrants are still tyrants. Friendly dictators are still dictators. Republicans, Democrats, and all others are not immune to the essential, fundamental truths that govern social affairs despite the tribe or camp of their birth and despite the donkey or elephant lapel pins we figuratively sport as we stroll into the election booth every few years. On a side note: voting in a contest between tyrants is not fulfilling civic responsibility. Voting is only the beginning of citizenship. Voting is to the cause of liberty what eating is to the good life of any man. It’s essential but hardly remarkable and certainly not sufficient for anyone.

So, what can we do? I’ve been working on this question now for more than twenty five years. While I’m certainly aware that many great minds and movements have been working at this issue for centuries, I believe I have developed an effective answer to the question that can actually be carried out by the people I know, those I work with and those who will associate together with us.

I’ve been all over the gamut as I’ve searched for solutions. I’ve learned how to debate in academic contexts – studying public policy and public affairs at some of the best colleges and universities in the country and literally traveling the globe testing my ideas with some of the greatest minds of our time. I’ve studied economics in both the classroom and as an entrepreneur in the business world, having gone from broke and bankrupt to over a billion dollars in business with a national business organization across many industries. I’ve gotten to know and become acquainted with some of the most powerful men and women in politics, in social and community affairs and in business all across this country. I’ve succeeded in short measures and failed over and over, as I’ve looked for answers to the most basic question, “What can we do?” This doesn’t make me more or less, it simply has offered me preparation. I certainly do not have all the political, social or economic answers, but now, approaching age 35, what I do have is something I want to share with those who also desire to make the world a better place. Specifically, I am interested in sharing this vision with those who think that saving the Constitution of the United States from the brink of utter destruction is the mission of our day - today.

My plan is simple but not easy. It’s based upon a few basic axioms. First and foremost it is based upon the idea that the universe is not a place of chance and that the blessings, good fortune, and prosperity available in this life are not based upon chance or happenstance. Instead, I’ve learned for myself that God governs in the affairs of men, more commonly discerned through the delineation of certain timeless and ancient principles known to our Founders and the leaders of all successful ancient people. I’ve learned that Jefferson and his colleagues were right – that collectivism must shrink in the face of eternal truth, namely the truth that each individual is endowed by his Creator with certain unalienable rights and that sacred among these rights are individual life, individual liberty and the individual pursuit of happiness. No tribe has rights in and of itself and therefore no tribal leader and no collective group has any unique moral authority that is not first the individual right of any man. Finally I’ve learned that economics is not about money and material luxury but that economics, at its core, is as Mises describes it - the science of human action in social relations. Therefore, central to my philosophy and my plan is the idea that economic liberty is the foundation and safeguard for all other forms of personal liberty such as religious freedom, political freedom and each man’s individual liberty of conscience. This intellectual package is unique in the history of those who have advocated for our cause, and it provides the bedrock upon which a veritable revolution can be formed, launched and pursued with unlimited potential for success.

I’ve been organizing the Free Capitalist Project™ to bring about the organization that I’ve been alluding to for the last several years. I’ve also recently completed the foundation of a program I call Prosperity Quest™ which enables any individual to measure his or her progress on the path to personal liberty, prosperity and peace. It is a learning technology that creates a framework for the organization as a whole and for effectively measuring success on an individual basis and in families. It is a tool that has been sorely missing in the battle for freedom in modern times. Having accomplished much with the help of many good friends and associates who are also dedicated to this cause, I’m now embarking on a new chapter in my life and in the cause of liberty.

In the days ahead there will be a number of developments being announced related to the growth, progress and organization of the FreeCapitalist Project™. As a warning to the habitual schismatics, second-handers, moochers and looters, there is no room here any longer for freelancers or lone wolves. This is a deliberately formed organization and an objectively defined effort. The FreeCapitalist Project™ has a unique mission and plan of operation, and we are inviting all like minded individuals to join with us in making our sacred pledge to live principled lives, to defend liberty, and to advance the cause of liberty through principle based civic service at all levels of our society. We will focus first and foremost on serving our members and turning to them for support. However, consistent with our principles we will not stand in the way of any individual or group who also advocates true principles of liberty and will seek to assist other friends and organizations where we can.

Consistent with these new developments within the FreeCapitalist Project™ you may like to know that:

Thursday March 6, 2008 I’m officially launching the “Faire Action Forums” agenda and the Free Capitalist “Community Councils” agenda in communities across America.

Faire Action Forums. Faire Action Forums are local study groups, organized by private citizens who love freedom and free enterprise and who have become members of the FreeCapitalist Project™, choosing to be freely united in a structured cause of organized effort. The name of our forums has reference to the “Laissez-faire” doctrine that maintains the supremacy of individual liberty and private initiative.

Since rugged individualism is at the heart of the remedy for the mental virus I’ve labeled as tribalism and collectivism, the primary purpose of these study groups is to fortify the individual through study and productive association with like minded individuals who are committed to the basic but ancient principles of universal peace and prosperity.

Weekly Meeting. Forums meet at least weekly to study the Free Capitalist Primer and the American Founders University courses on the Introduction to Self-Reliance and the Fundamentals of Wealth (where the 13 Principles of Prosperity™ are first taught in a structured manner to members).

Public Preview & Private Study Sessions. While each local study group has a weekly “preview” meeting open to the public for an opportunity to learn more about the FreeCapitalist Project™ and its different programs such as the Faire Action Forums™ agenda, the actual study session each week is private and restricted to members of the Free Capitalist Project™ who are participating in the Prosperity Quest™ program as Apprentice Capitalists™ (sometimes referred to as simply “Apprentice” members). Forums must maintain an active membership of at least 10 Apprentice members.

Forum Leadership. Forums are organized by individual members of the FreeCapitalist Project™ who qualify for the privilege by participating in Prosperity Quest™ Mentoring, a Prosperity Quest™ program offered through a partnership with American Founders University. These participants are sometimes referred to simply as PQM Students. The Prosperity Quest™ Mentoring program is directed by me personally and is designed to empower each individual participant to most effectively realize the three core values of self-reliance, economic independence, and personal liberty - including a perspective shifting introduction to self-identity and the concepts of definite major purpose (DMP) and definite chief aim (DCA).

Community Organization & Civic Service. Forums are officially recognized and governed based upon guidelines set forth and administered by local Free Capitalist Community Councils.

Community Councils. The proper role of Government is to secure the individual rights of its citizens. As Jefferson penned, “…to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Yet, in our day the prevalence of the brain-off conspiracy and its consequential philosophy of tribalism has corrupted American’s view of government and our mission. Over the largest portion of the last century it has fostered the widespread belief that the role of government is to remake and remold society based upon the desires and wishes of its leaders. This type of tribal politics has had dreadful consequences on personal liberty, and despite our apparent material prosperity, the ingredients for freedom, prosperity and universal peace have been substantially eroded to the point of extreme danger. Today is a time for extreme vigilance and productive organization.

Given the environment I’ve described, the political contests of our day are largely but erroneously defined by the promises that potential tribal leaders make as ritualistic but hollow social bribes. Since government is essentially the public’s delegated authorization for the use of physical force, the proper role of government is rightly limited. By going so far beyond this conceptual limitation today our society is “slouching towards” the wickedness and dismal circumstance of ancient Gomorrah. As Jefferson continued in the Declaration of Independence, “… whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [the securing of individual rights], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Consistent with this idea, it is at the core of the mission of the FreeCapitalist Project™ to functionally demonstrate, as an unquestionable example, the type of positive civic organization and productive social change that can be accomplished by free people in voluntary associations, without implementing the use of force. Or to put it more simply – as part of our agenda we are organizing local (county based) Community Councils that coordinate the ideas and implementation of agendas, programs and projects advanced by our members and participants from the general public wishing to contribute to positive change and development in our communities through volunteer civic service. We will add our efforts to those of others who have previously organized and demonstrated to Americans that it does not take a new law or the unjust use of government to accomplish the good ideas that prevail in our communities. We will show instead, that through the power of free men organized in a volunteer manner we can better accomplish the positive result envisioned by so many who now turn only to the force of government because they see no other alternative.

FreeCapitalist Community Councils are not partisan and are first organized by appointment from the National FreeCapitalist Council at the State and County levels. Subsequently each Community Council is sustained through the free vote of FreeCapitalist members who participate in local Faire Action Forums™ according to jurisdiction, consistent with the Founder’s ideas of republicanism. These Free Capitalist Community Councils will, therefore, provide a counter balance to local municipal governments and actually work with them to counter the growth of tribalism and socialism now engulfing our communities through bureaucrats, over regulation, and the activities of over-zealous politicians.

In our early stages, as an organized body we have already begun to demonstrate the power of our principled approach to real social change by affecting the results of local elections, successfully electing Free Capitalists to office and teaching thousands of individuals to more effectively live consistent with the core value of self-reliance. We have also become substantial players in government reform having already succeeded in rooting out high levels of government corruption and demonstrating substantial political clout in state and federal election campaigns.

Our movement has already obtained a prominent voice over the public airwaves, over the Internet and through print media. We are just beginning, but we already have rational, fundamental reasons behind our hope and our faith in the principles we advocate and the cause we are ushering forth.

Conclusion. This is just a basic description of what I’m working to accomplish with a large network of dedicated and loyal colleagues. I’m publishing this expression of my personal motivation and agenda as a call to arms, so to speak. I’m looking for individuals who are interested in participating in this organization.

I’m looking for leaders who want to step forward and organize forums, participate in community councils, teach study groups, and help us organize and move forward. I’m looking for those who are interested in engaging their talents for the advancement of our cause. Everyone involved will be required to pledge to live, to the best of his or her ability, by these principles.

It’s important to note that there will be opposition. Certainly there already has been, and as we are sure to make mistakes here or there, it will be normal for those who do not see our real intent (sometimes for those who do) and who disagree, to point out our flaws and seek to thwart our progress. People will misunderstand, and the naïve and deceived will feel threatened by an organization based upon the ideals I’ve described. However, there is considerably more value in reaching out to those who are looking for what we have to offer. Despite the difficulties we face there are great days ahead for the FreeCapitalist movement. These are difficult days ahead for America, but there are also brighter days. It takes a statistically significant group of individuals united in a cause such as this to accomplish the bold design I’ve laid out here and that I’ll continue to describe and unfold as we move forward. I’m satisfied we are more prepared than ever to accomplish the most effective movement in American history to “complete the work of the American Revolution” and America’s founding generation.

If you believe you can be committed to the cause of liberty in the manner I’ve laid out here, and help us successfully organize the most powerful civic service organization in America, I will be hosting a series of training meetings over the next several weeks. Specifically, between now and March 15th 2008,

• I am going to be training the leaders of the Utah County, Utah F.C. Community Council.
  
  
• I am going to be training those who want to organize Faire Action Forums in Utah County
  
  
• I’m going to be training members of the national Free Capitalist Council
  
  
• I’m going to be training a Utah-based Free Capitalist “Student Leadership Council” for establishing student organized Faire Action Forums in high schools and colleges across the State
  
  
• Finally, I’m going to be doing a worldwide training for individuals who are spread out across this nation and a few others in countries across the globe who are interested in starting Free Capitalist “master mind” groups which are preparatory groups for Faire Action Forums and the Free Capitalist Community Councils I’ve described.

So, it doesn’t matter your age, your background, where you live or what your prior association may have been with me and this cause. If you’re sincerely interested in being a part of what we do then this is your call to action.

Many of you have said to me in person, over email, and through letters in the past that you wanted to step up to the plate and help wherever it was needed. Well, I’m looking for those who are willing to do more than say it – I’m looking for those who are willing to do it and to do whatever it takes to advance these principles and this cause. I’m looking for those who have something deep inside of them that forms a driving motivation to make the world a better place – in a more powerful way than most people have seriously contemplated.

Most of you, who will accept my invitation, are people who have felt this way for the majority of your lives. Some of you are those who are just beginning to wake up to the challenge of our day. Some of you are politically inclined, while others are simply tired of the quiet desperation so plainly manifest in the lives of so many we love and associate with.

I personally extend my invitation to everyone who has taken the time to read what I’ve presented here. I invite you to leave behind the self-doubt, negativity and cynicism of the world, and the tendency to criticize and find fault. I invite you to come and join us in our quest to accomplish something talked about for generations, something possible for us to actually accomplish in our day. Accomplishing even the smallest portion of what I’ve described here in this short outline will add our sustaining voice to the cause of freedom, prosperity and peace. Ours is the generation to do it, the question is simply, “will we step up to the task?” Let us each become stronger members of our communities by being anxiously engaged in true civic service.

I look forward to hearing from many of you. Please write if you feel so inclined.

Sincerely,

C. Rick Koerber
The Free Capitalist
rkoerber@freecapitalist.com
1-800-546-7921

Francine's Domain - Scandal Brewing in Utah Government

FreeCapitalist News Item - February 14, 2008 10:55am -

In Utah right now there is a scandal brewing. The scandal penetrates the highest reaches of the Utah government. The question is, "Where will the buck stop?" as the evidence rolls out that an entire section of Government is in need of a major overhaul.

Steven Oberbeck of the Salt Lake Tribune, quoting Chuck Newton of the Financial Planning Association of Utah, reported yesterday that there have been enough "shocking actions" in recent years that he believes its highly likely that "some government officials may eventually be criminally prosecuted."

Mr. Oberbeck's report in the Salt Lake Tribune touches just the tip of the iceberg. The Department of Commerce is ultimately under the direction of Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. (R) - a politically ambitious McCain backer who has little tolerance for scandal given the import of this year's election and his political future. Huntsman is the one who appointed the highly controversial Francine Giani as the State's Executive Director over the Department. Ms. Giani is not an attorney, has no legal background and did not have any substantial experience in executive level positions. Yet, she currently holds Utah's highest regulatory position over business activities in the State.

Since Ms. Giani's appointment, the Department of Commerce has been the subject of a surprising degree of scrutiny. Many legislative leaders on both sides of the political isle have expressed "disgust" at how the Department's activities have been and are being carried out by Giani and her associates. One legislator, Utah Representative Jim Bird (R-West Jordan) recently uncovered an alarming complaint.

"Ms. Giani allegedly was made aware of illegal activities taking place within the division and responded by telling employees that she didn't care if the actions of the division were legal or not - but that employees were to perform the jobs without question."

Some Utahans are hoping that the current controversy will allow the public to clearly separate “lip-service giving do-gooders” in government positions from authentic leaders who care about civil liberties, small business and simple concepts such as fairness. At the core of this issue the question is, “How far up the chain does the corruption go?”

In recent years the State has behaved with little concern for small business owners who find themselves entangled in the Department of Commerce's web of scandal and corruption. One of the State’s highest elected officials recently commented:

“Francine Giani is the single greatest threat to small business and personal liberty in the State of Utah.”

It’s easy to give lip service to the idea that small businesses are “too heavily regulated” but when corrupt and over zealous regulators systematically engage in the type of behavior now being uncovered in Utah, it's time for change at the highest levels.

For the small businessman, the lifeblood of the local economy, abusive behavior by regulators can be a matter of life or death for their business - which means a loss of jobs for Utahns at a time of huge economic uncertainty.

As news of the present scandal spreads, residents are anxiously awaiting the Governor's response to the Giani controversy. Sources suggest the Governor feels conflicted given that he and Giani are reportedly "good friends."

Warning over forty years ago former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan observed,

“The world of [regulation] is reminiscent of Alice’s Wonderland: everything seemingly is, yet apparently isn’t, simultaneously…It is a world in which the law is so vague that businessmen have no way of knowing whether specific actions will be declared illegal until they hear the judge’s verdict – after the fact.” (Greenspan, Alan. Later Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Paper given at the Antitrust Seminar of the National Association of Business Economists, Cleveland, September 25, 1961.)

Quiet whisperings have become all too common in Salt Lake City among government employees, elected officials, and community leaders about this rogue agency stealthily persecuting small businesses. Over the last 12-15 months Ms. Giani’s commissars in the State’s Division of Securities have come under the most serious scrutiny.

Allegations of corruption, incompetence, mismanagement and "too many unfair prosecutions"under a cloud of controversy are growing relentlessly frequent and more substantial. Last week, apparently in an effort quell the unraveling of her department - Giani reportedly pressured Securities Director Wayne Klein to resign

"They obviously haven't told me the results of the audit but I've heard words like [the division is in] 'disarray' and the 'deeper we [the auditors] go, the deeper we need to go,' " (Representative Bird testimony last week during the Utah Legislature's meeting of the House Business and Labor Committee.)

Klein's resignation, however, is not likely to insulate Ms. Giani (or several other employees involved in this mismanagement such as Securities Enforcement head Mr. Michael Hines who is also suspected of official wrongdoing in the Department) from the political and legal fallout yet to come. Apparently hoping this will all blow over quickly, Ms. Giani has tried to appear disconnected recently asserting, absurdly, of Klein;

“He has been a good director, and in terms of his background in the securities industry, there is no one better.”

Utahns can only hope Ms. Giani is simply posturing here. Wayne Klein is not only personally vindictive but has a fairly well known reputation in the legal community from his previous positions both in the Utah Attorney General's office as well as with the State of Idaho for being a loose cannon, an unjust prosector, and having contempt for legal restrictions on his own activities.

It makes one wonder, in light of all the information that is now coming out, how Mr. Klein was appointed with the approval of the Governor and the legislature in the first place. According to Ms. Giani's recent statements to the press, Klein is precisely is the "type" of regulator she strives to appoint in her department. Yet, Klein is quite simply a commissar (listen to the Free Capitalist radio broadcast archives from August 31, 2007 for elaboration). Specifically, he has increasingly become an embarrassment to government and legal professionals. He and his staff routinely fail to demonstrate even basic familiarity with the A-B-C’s of securities law. Reportedly, his own agenda is more important than the letter of the law and he is known to stammer and hesitate when trying to describe even the most basic federal standards for simple concepts such as what constitutes an accredited investor.

One of Klein's former government employers recently remarked that he, and a number of other government officials are not surprised at the recent discoveries about Klein and Giani's philosophy of government.

“Mr. Klein is the worst kind of loose cannon. He’s often going after someone who’s offended him, regardless of the law. He’s really only effective if someone with very strong supervisory skills watches his every move and Francine is not that capable.”

Securities attorneys in Utah should not only be alarmed and offended at Ms. Giani's defense of Klein, especially given his track record, but extremely diligent in working to ensure that there is serious reform in the Department. With Ms. Giani still at the helm she’ll likely just pick another “Wayne Klein” to run the Division. As reported by a notable Salt Lake City attorney recently,

"It has become common practice in Utah for knowledgeable, reputable, and highly educated attorneys to have to grovel to Giani, Klein (and their heretofore behind the scenes bulldog Mr. Michael Hines, Director of Enforcement in the Division of Securities). None of whom have shown much if any appreciation for the details of the law. It's embarrassing."

In 2007 a group of private citizens and business owners, fed up with the egregious behavior of an entire section of state government, began a private investigation on their own to look into the State's activities. So far, the investigation has uncovered a remarkable cache of written documents and audio recording.

The evidence includes recordings and transcripts of private meetings, official and unofficial conferences, lunch meetings, early morning meetings (as early as 6:30am at the home of one resident) and late night investigative activities (with government workers showing up to the homes of some "witnesses" as late as 10:00pm).

The mounting evidence shows a disturbing pattern of Giani, Klein, and Hines each engaging in deception, incompetence, misstatement of the law, and abuse of the legal processes. Perhaps even more telling, the evidence is beginning to show a growing rift in the Department of Commerce between those public servants who want to carry out the legitimate duties of the Department and those like Hines who reportedly remarked recently that he hopes to retire by "writing a book" about one of the cases he's currently investigating.

The Salt Lake Tribune recently reported that it is precisely this internal rift between real public servants and self-serving bureaucrats that brought about the legislative audit working to uncover the details of this brewing scandal.

“After hearing from several division staff members who expressed concerns about how the agency was being run, Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, late last year requested that the Legislative Auditor General's Office audit the division."

This kind of situation makes for a very unfriendly business environment and is embarrassing to everyone in government. With a formal audit underway, it appears Ms. Giani is simply buying herself time to try and get out from under the explosive details now coming to light. Consider a few embarrassing examples of the work being conducted by Ms. Cruella and her henchmen.

1. Wrongful Accusation of Criminal Behavior against Utah Citizens.


2. Misuse of the Courts and Legal Process.


3. Lying to Government Officials.


4. General Incompetence when it comes to explaining rudiments of the law.


5. Defaming Members of the Legislature who scrutinize the Department.


6. Punishing Citizens with Evidence Against the Department for their Political Activity.


7. Demanding "prior restraints" on Utah Citizens' free speech, in an attempt to silence
   criticism of the Department's methods in public or in the courts.


8. Government employees lying to the public in order to "create" causes for investigation.


9. Disseminating confidential information obtained during investigations to private sector colleagues to enrich their business efforts.


10. Offering jobs and/or job referrals to witnesses who are willing to lie or distort the truth to defend the Department.

This kind of behavior is precisely what Ronald Reagan warned America about as early as 1964 when he deplored:

“It is time we realized that socialism can come without overt seizure of property or nationalization of private business. It matters little that you hold the title to your property or business if government can dictate policy and procedure and holds life and death power over your business. The machinery of this power already exists. Lowell Mason, former anti-trust law enforcer for the Federal Trade Commission, has written "American business is being harassed, bled and even blackjacked under a preposterous crazy quilt system of laws." There are so many that the government literally can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute.” (Reagan, Ronald, A Time for Choosing, Speech given October 27, 1964)

Legislation has recently passed the Utah House of Representatives that would rein in the powers of the division and its director in an effort to secure more just handling of the Department's responsibilities. However, as reported on FreeCapitalist Radio Monday February 12, 2008 this attempt to “rein in” the powers of Ms. Giani and her flying monkeys is being received about as well as the “Wicked Witch of the West” receiving Dorothy and her ruby slippers.

For example, after Bird's HB83 passed the Utah House, Giani defender Utah Senator Curt Bramble (R-Provo), apparently in an effort to help Giani and the Governor's office stall the brewing controversy, strategically stalled the legislation from being considered by the State Senate indefinitely.

Reminiscent of something behind the iron curtain in the 1980s the outgoing commissar Klein remarked to the attorneys of a Utah citizen recently, who was cooperating with State legislators in their attempts to get to the bottom of the abuses going on in the Department that: because of his political activities the Division was “forced” to take tougher action. In a similar case Klein justified:

“Part of the problem is that I’ve been painted in a corner because your client has gone on the radio and publicly accused us of stuff. He’s got legislators out there trying to cut our powers because what we’re doing as if he’s entirely right in what he’s doing and government is unfairly coming after him. So ordinarily we have more flexibility but where I’ve got public attacks coming in saying we’re being accused of being unfair…[interrupted].”

Ayn Rand also famously warned us of situations like the present scandal brewing in Utah under Ms. Giani's watch.

“This means that a businessman has no way of knowing in advance whether the action he takes is legal or illegal, whether he is guilty or innocent. It means that a businessman has to live under the threat of a sudden, unpredictable disaster, taking the risk of losing everything he owns or being sentenced to jail, with his career, his reputation, his property, his fortune, the achievement of his whole lifetime left at the mercy of any ambitious young bureaucrat who, for any reason, public or private,may choose to start proceedings against him…It is a form of persecution practiced only in dictatorships and forbidden in every civilized code of law. It is specifically forbidden by the United States Constitution. It is not supposed to exist in the United States and it is not applied to anyone-except to businessmen.”(Rand, Ayn. Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, pg. 50 – from a speech given at the Ford Hall Forum, Boston, on Dec. 17, 1961)

The official audit of Ms. Giani and her staff is still under way. Potential legal action is reportedly pending against the State from private parties alleging damages in the hundreds of millions. Additional complaints are coming in from victims of the Department’s abusive handling methods including complaints against the Division of Real Estate, Licensing, Securities, and Consumer Protection. Transcripts and audio recordings of Commerce employees lying about Utah businessmen and their activities and other highly problematic behavior on the part of government employees are being delivered to government officials and media outlets.

In the mean time, Utah citizens (the real Ma’s & Pa’s Mr. Hines is so fond of talking about while he pursues his agenda) are getting tired of being scammed by the so-called “scam busters.” Some investors have recently been told according to evidence obtained through recorded conversations that (consistent with what has been reported about Giani's style of administration) if citizens want the State to help them they have to be willing to distort the truth and cooperate with the State’s agenda - independent of the facts involved. One local businessman recently complained,

"For more than two years now the Department of Commerce has been after me. They have come at me from every angle, from the Real Estate division, the Securities Division, Consumer protection etc. Every time, I've been able to demonstrate that they have no evidence against me and that I and my associates have done nothing wrong. Yet, the government continues to make horrible allegations, publicly bad mouth me and my colleagues and even accuse me of being a criminal to legislatures, business colleagues, and some of my closest associates. All of this so that Francine Giani, Wayne Klein, and Michael Hines can "look" like they're doing their job. They've got all my clients in an uproar, they've told this story about what my business "really is," all truth be damned, and their efforts have cost dozens of real Utahans their jobs and as essentially bankrupt me and my partners to the tune of millions of dollars. All this and not one charge filed, not one official action taken, and not one person in government responsible. There's not even a forum where I can defend my case, I simply have to wait until these very powerful men and women are done playing politics with me, my investors, my customers, and my business. Maybe I'll get an apology like Mr. Teran received from the Department, after they've succeeded in destroying my company."

While the citizens of the State wait for the Governor to weigh in on the issue, thank goodness for good legislators and government leaders who don’t hesitate to reach for the pail of water when the Wicked Witch comes around.

On a side note, sources suggest that Ms. Giani may already be preparing for her exit, vying for a position as an investigative journalist (Geraldo watch out!) back at Utah’s local Channel 2, KUTV along side consumer watchdog Bill Gephart. If it’s true, it’s likely that Ms. Giani can serve the people of Utah better there – for certainly there’s a role for consumer watchdogs. If she does return to the media perhaps she’ll feel less burdened, being freed from sticky things like State law, due process, fairness, etc.

Its time for Utahns (including our Governor) to get past the old cliché of Utah being among the “scam” capitals of the world, and start taking a closer look at the corrupt bureaucrats irresponsibly promoting that myth to the detriment of good people in a good state working hard to do many good things.

Once again scandal is brewing in Utah. This time it's the government in need of systematic reform. Perhaps Mitt would accept an invitation to come save the day in Salt Lake City one more time.

Stay tuned...

Overcoming the "Invincible" NY Giants Win Against the Odds

Free Capitalist News Item 01/04/2008 11:48pm -

So often the “air” of invincibility these days is simply “made and imagined” by the media. I don’t mean to take anything away from the Patriots; for sure they deserved to play in the Super bowl this past Sunday. But with their 18-0 record and all the talk about this team being perhaps the best to ever play the game, does it seem funny to anyone that from the first play of the game the team didn’t look like it really wanted to win. I know that sounds funny, but really have you watched any of the film. Whether it was how they acted after each play or the expressions on their faces, it seemed to me from the first play of the game onward that the Patriots just lacked “something.” In a nut shell, they were certainly not inspiring.

Now, the Giants on the other hand made repeated mistakes right and left and these were quite obvious for all to see. Nevertheless, despite their weaknesses –the tenacity, commitment and having that special “something” as evident by the poise and constant readiness of the Giants enabled them to overcome the “invincible.” The Giant’s last drive in the game, kept alive by a hand & helmet catch by David Tyree – a backup’s backup, should remind us all that the reason you “keep hanging on” in life is not just so you can say you kept hanging on, its so you can win.

The Giant’s showed a generation last Sunday night that it is possible to beat the “Invincible.”

"Turn Your Brain-On" - Do a litle Reading...

• MSNBC Article: "This was greatest Super Bowl of all-time." By Mike Celizic
• AP Article: "Giants-Patriots Most-Watched Super Bowl." By David Bauder

Christmas Giving & Capitalism

Last year I wrote about a friend who was trying to raise money for a family member as a great act of charitable service. I thought about the situation and wrote the following:

I’ve been thinking recently about the idea and subsequent practice of giving money as a gift. I also have been thinking a lot about the practice of “raising money” for charity or a “good cause.” I thought I'd take a minute to share some thoughts with the community of producers.

It seems self-evident to me that giving money and raising money can be good practices. Of course both are simply activities or strategies for accomplishing some end. Means to an end can be either good or bad depending on the principle basis of the action. If divorced from the context of principle, means can never justify the ends nor can ends ever justify the means.

In the consumer condition, the world in which we all live (even if we’ve shifted paradigms because the world we live in, among and around has not), ideas of money and wealth are corrupted by the notion of scarcity. It is within this context that the desire to give what is lacking (a good desire and the root of production) is corrupted. The desire is too often divorced from the actual creation of value for another (which is always subjective) and is replaced by the creation of value for self. This of course is fine if it is recognized for what it is, consumption.

Let me illustrate with a mildly fictitious example. My mother has been poor (according to possession of material things) for most of her life. When I became “rich” I wanted to immediately help those close to me. Near the first on my list was my mother. Simply stated, I wanted to use my access to money and material resources to “make her life better.” I wanted to do things in a dramatic way, to “make a paradigm shift possible” for her and to “give her what she wanted”—or at least what she “needed.”

It is obvious, when one considers my intentions rationally and non-emotionally, that my entire context is corrupted by scarcity. If I were to persist in my efforts in the illustration above, I would have only contributed to the destructive nature of the consumer condition (which would have been quite the opposite of what I was intending). The mental paradigm shift experienced constantly by producers is often overpowered by the habits of emotional response to scarcity. It takes time and discipline to overcome these scarcity demons or devils as Les would call them.

Since it is Christmas time, a time full of emotion—generally speaking, I would like to take my fictitious example and do a short analysis to demonstrate just how destructive my subsequent actions could likely have been.

Let’s revisit the illustration point by point. My mother has been poor (according to possession of material things) for most of her life. Why? The physical condition of our life is the consequence of our ideas and actins; in other words, to reference Napoleon Hill, we tend to attract the material equivalent of our habits of thought. In brief, my mother has been materially poor over the course of her life for a reason. The universe is governed by law, and her condition is a result of law, not chance. The fundamental assumption of “do gooders” is that if they can change the current situation by giving their loved ones a chance, things will then change. Of course this is nonsense since gambling (the giving of chances) violates principle. Gambling is based upon a number of false maxims, the first and foremost of which is the idea of something for nothing. The only way I can ever help my mother, in my fictitious example, is to assist her in her own efforts to change her mental context, for that is the cause (creator) of her physical reality.

Now let’s discuss the next point of the illustration. When I became “rich” I wanted to immediately help those close to me. This is a great intent and the true motivation of a producer; it is the desire to create more value than is consumed by self. On a side note, this desire—when viewed from God’s perspective—is impossible because by accomplishing that desire in “this world” we receive more than we ever give; therefore, we will always be “unprofitable servants” (another discussion for another time and place).

Let’s revisit another point. Near the first on my list was my mother. Helping family and friends is among the most noble of desires; however, it is also a trigger to the emotional bad habits we must struggle to escape in order to accomplish our own paradigm shift from consumer to producer. Therefore, acting on such desires requires a double dose of caution and deliberateness to ensure that we are not using our emotional desire as a pretext for excusing our own violation of principle. Violating principle corrupts the context of our giving and becomes a starting point for future excuses for regressing into the mentality of a consumer in scarcity. Consider this as a subtle warning to all of us so-called “do-gooders” in the revolution.

Next point. I wanted to use my access to money and material resources to “make her life better.” There are two problems to grapple with in this statement. First, since it is my want, the value created is actually for me! This is important. Often we want to "do good to others"; and in the process of doing good, we judge what they "should value" rather than what they demonstrate, through their own choice, that they do in fact value. My want in this case would be tyrannical, even if it looks benevolent. Furthermore, it is impossible to "make" anyone's life better. It is only possible to offer value in exchange for value. If the exchange is a "free" exchange, the resulting "better life" will not be made solely by one party of the exchange; rather, it will be the mutual cooperation of all parties involved. Therefore, a more healthy way to conceptualize the desire to "make life better" for loved ones would be to "offer service to make a better life possible." Such offers should be given freely (this means without coercion).

Let’s revisit another point. I wanted to do things in a dramatic way to "make a paradigm shift possible" and to "give her what she wanted”--or at least what she “needed." There are a series of problems with this intention. First, it is again my "want" that would be governing; so the result, even if it is successful, would be consumption. Secondly, a paradigm shift would require the other party to freely desire the same change. Additionally, it is the other party who is always the best, most important judge of what and how to obtain what is wanted and needed for themselves. The socialist disagrees and uses arguments that amount to essentially nothing more than, "but I know better what is good for them." Producers, beware of such thoughts.

To summarize the points of my illustration, let me remind all producers that money has no intrinsic value. If giving money as a gift, one should first consider what is the expected utility associated with the gift; in other words, what is it that can be done with the money by the person receiving it. If you want to give money to a family so they can buy siding for their new home, what would you do if they took the money and went to the race track instead? Wouldn't it be evident that the recipients’ value choice, if allowed to freely be exercised, would frustrate the effort of the giver? If that is the case, why not arrange with the service provider, the actual creator of the direct value—the siding man, to have the siding work done? Giving money to the one in need only ensures that a) the receiver will continue to make poor choices with resources since no substantive change in thought has occurred or b) the giver will force the "poor unfortunate party," through coercion of one kind or another, to use the money for that which the giver requires. This is a dangerous and often surprisingly depressive pattern of gift giving.

There is also danger in raising money (freely donated) for charity. It is appropriate to give with strings attached. Some argue it is more virtuous to give with no strings but such action would be deception. The "no strings" mentality is only right if by no strings one means no coercion or deception. Strings - there must be - unless we want to admit it is the giver’s job to grant the wrong doers, the evil doers and the desperate among us the drug of choice to further destroy their lives. Anyone raising money for a cause has an obligation to openly and directly define the strings attached. If not, free exchange is not being advocated and the charitable giving only facilitates the benevolent charity of the kind tyrant. God does not work this way neither should his children.

In a nutshell, money will not solve problems. The only way to truly bless the life of another is to work with them by affecting their life substantively in the Human Life Value category. Beware of the false deception that one can buy happiness, peace and prosperity—or anything else in this world—for money. It is a lie. It is destructive. It can undue your producer paradigm and result in further destruction of the world around you.

When giving a gift, the way to ensure value production is to involve the recipient in a principled path to a new life. This takes patience, meekness and long suffering. I invite you to consider 1 Corinthians 13 where the apostle Paul defines charity. Having charity is not simply giving; charity involves giving in the context of principle. Giving all your goods to feed the poor does not ensure charity. Charity includes realizing none of your goods have any intrinsic value and that real giving is using your goods to incentivize new thoughts, choices and actions. Honest gift giving must be done in a context of respect, love and, most importantly, freedom—the freedom of choice.

The challenge for producers is to learn how to really give—not to avoid giving and not to give mindlessly, but to really give. Real gift giving doesn't "look as nice" in the eyes of the world. Receiving the judgment of the world is its own reward, a reward we consume on our own. To produce, to be true disciples of the Lord and followers of the Eternal laws that govern, we must look forward with real charity and rely upon the judgments of God. God’s judgments are just and true. There is no legitimate way to give money or raise money pretending away any of this context.

I appreciate all the good that producers are doing in the world. It is my constant invitation to others and to my own self that we question our assumptions and ensure that when we "give our lives" we are really giving through free exchange and not as a tyrant demanding the result of virtue because we intended well.

The Lord himself gives the gift of eternal life and the opportunity of exaltation freely to all men; however, He does not try to "make our lives" better. He gently beckons each of us to come unto Him. His constant invitation is powerful to the honest in heart. No matter the pain of rejection, the cost of patience and long suffering he freely chooses to bare, his arms are outstretched still. He waits on those he loves. That we too may wait on those we love and allow them the real blessing of choosing wisely is my sincere desire at this special holiday season and always.

Merry Christmas,

The Free Capitalist

Living the Hero's Life

Many of us admire heroes from a distance; yet, we often fail to make the choice to live the hero’s life. There is no modesty in failing to take on the personal mantel of being a hero in your world. The challenge for most of us is that we simply fail to grasp the simple concept that choosing to "be a hero" is the way to change the world. The individual who grasps this concept can live the life of a hero, starting today!

I’m convinced that each human being, even the very simple, wants to live a life that matters. I would argue herein lies the truth regarding all human beings’ cravings for the feeling of importance. Individual heroes are our minds projection of our own personal desire for living a life we love. It is for this reason we should cultivate in our own minds a respect for our own heroes, even heroes of many different kinds.

Most of us fail to realize that we can cultivate the life of a hero in our own daily choices. Through our own observation and study of those in the world who have gone before us in time and/or accomplishment, we are able to get in touch with a personal and valuable portion of our own consciousness. Or to say it more simply, by choosing heroes for ourselves -- men and women we deliberately choose to admire and whose lives and accomplishments we purposefully reflect upon -- we find ourselves able to recognize the power of a hero inside ourselves.

The realization in the mind of a man or woman that he or she can actually be a hero to themselves, to their loved ones, and to those around them - is a realization that gives the mind and heart a source of courage, a reservoir of faith and hope, and an example of how to face the challenges of life.

“Ye Are Gods”

The Lord says he created man to act for himself rather than to be acted upon. To me this means the difference between living life as a hero and living life as a victim. More poignantly, it is the difference between living life as a god and living life as a devil. When the Savior was accused of blasphemy for proclaiming himself the Son of God, he responded:

Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. (King James Version, John 10: 34-37)

All men are the children of God; yet, the devil would like all men to be miserable, to forget their royal heritage and to live life as a thing acted upon rather than as one that with courage and deliberateness makes the world a better place. Do we do the works of God? Do we choose liberty and life, or captivity and death?

An Example: 5 Minutes that Changed My Life Forever

There is a difference between one who acts and one who is acted upon. This difference begins with perception. A few years ago I was in a business meeting with three of my top executives. We were having an unplanned meeting to “deal with” some of the pressing business issues of the day. It dawned on me that none of us had spent any time deliberately preparing for our discussion.

I noticed that we were being acted upon by the pressure of expectations outside ourselves, a pattern to which we had become habitually addicted. This is how a person assents to perpetual victimhood.

Then, as I pondered our situation, an idea came to my mind and I said to each of my associates there in that meeting: “I’d like to take exactly five minutes to focus in complete silence on this one very specific issue.”

I asked each executive to write down any ideas that came to mind while we pondered that one simple matter -- very deliberately, together and in silence. The challenge I issued to them was to think of a solution, or more than one if possible, to this very specific problem our company was facing. I asked them: “If this challenge was left entirely up to you, what would you do?”

I asked them to consider all possibilities, no matter how bold. Once I confirmed that each understood, I looked at the clock and said: “Okay, five minutes; please don’t make a sound.”

The seconds began ticking by. I’m not sure much happened in the first minute or two, other than three grown men looking occasionally at each other -- acknowledging the oddity of the moment. After about two or three minutes, one of the men began to jot down an idea. A few seconds later another started to write. By the time there was only thirty seconds left, we were all writing quickly. At the end of five minutes, we all had a bright look on each of our faces. The feeling in the room was much different than the pressure felt just five minutes earlier. I asked each man to share his ideas. One at a time they began to do so.

By the time each of us had finished sharing our ideas, the power of deliberateness was evident. The amazing reality was that in just five minutes of deliberateness we did more thinking, more planning and more effective “acting” in our stewardships than we had done in months of discussion on that one issue. That simple five minute experiment has changed my life forever.

An Example: Walking Down the Middle of a Busy Street

On another occasion I learned more about the power of deliberateness, and of choosing the hero’s life, by walking down the double yellow line the in the center of a busy downtown street.

I had been given the difficult church assignment to work with two single women within our congregation. They were both single mothers who didn’t regularly attend meetings, lived in very poor conditions and didn’t like the idea of receiving assistance from anyone in the church.

For months I struggled with my assignment. It was difficult to even obtain their phone numbers. I prayed about my assignment and made token efforts semi-regularly to reach out to them. Whenever I reached out my efforts were easily and quickly dismissed. It had been nearly six months into the assignment when I realized very clearly that I was failing to make any difference in the lives of these two women whatsoever.

I felt bad about the situation. I did not know what to do. I attempted to justify myself by remembering each of the times I had “tried” to reach out but had been rebuffed; however, nothing seemed to quench the gnawing within me. I didn't realize then that there was an external force inviting me to get out of my own victim story and write a new chapter - the hero’s life.

One day as I sat in my office, a very strange thing happened. Unannounced and out of the blue, both women came into my office at the same time asking to see me. My secretary came in to interrupt my schedule and asked, assuming I would say no, if I would see these two young women.

I was a bit surprised to see them, to say the least. As each of them sat across from my desk, the idea struck me how odd it was to have both sisters, who I had been so concerned over but had felt so helpless to affect, now sitting directly in front of me together.

They proceeded to explain that due to some unforeseen circumstances they were both facing a situation where they would soon be homeless. As a matter of fact, one of them was required to be out of her house that very day. They had successfully secured a new apartment together, but it was in a complete mess. The new apartment needed cleaning and required some minor repairs. In addition, they had no help for the move. They had no pickups, no friends to assist and no plans for making the move happen. They were now here in my office asking for my help.

I agreed to help but explained that since it was the middle of the work day and I had many responsibilities to resolve it would be several hours before I could arrive. I envisioned myself showing up, helping load boxes etc., but really nothing more. They both quietly expressed understanding that I was busy. They expressed appreciation that I would take the time to come by and help. They smiled briefly and then politely left my office.

After they were gone, I sat pondering the situation. Certainly, I thought to myself, I want to help them, but I have a huge workload today. No one would expect me to drop everything.

I thought it silly for these two women to expect to move so quickly with so little planning. They explained it wasn’t their fault; it was unanticipated, but I had heard such excuses many times before. I’m sure the thought “an emergency in your life doesn’t require an emergency in mine” might have gone through my mind.

As I sat justifying to myself that there was nothing else I could do, a feeling deep inside again started to gnaw at my core. The feeling was so direct and poignant that I could not deny it. I knew for certain that all my rationalizations meant nothing. I knew I had been praying for months for a way to reach out to each of these women; and for months the only thing preventing me from “making the world a better place” for them and myself was my own lame pattern of excuses.

I acknowledged to myself that I was not acting like a hero, and I knew it. I also knew that I was of no matter in this situation to these women or to the Lord; I had not chosen to be a significant source for good in the situation. The more powerfully I went over this acknowledgment in my mind the more powerfully I felt inspired to do something about it.

I suppose it had been fifteen minutes since I had escorted the young women from my office. I sat by myself in silence, tortured by the idea that I had failed; that there was no excuse for the poor choice I had made.

I began asking myself what I could do. I started to ask very specific questions about the possibilities rather than focusing on rationalizations for the impossible. I pondered and then got on my knees and prayed. I knew I must do something. The idea then came to my mind that I must act very deliberately. I felt certain my failure to deliberately chart a course forward was the same as deliberately charting a course to nowhere; therefore, I started asking myself what I could deliberately do to rectify this situation. I committed to myself to do something right then, without delay.

I had no way to reach either woman. This was a time before cell phones were common. They had errands to run and were planning to meet me back at the home where the move was to take place at 5:30 p.m. that evening. At that point in time, it was only noon. I knew there was no way that I could wait five hours to do something. Or better stated, I knew I could make a difference and that I would not wait to do it.

As I sat pondering, a very strange idea came to my mind. It was as if a voice said to me, “Okay, if you want to act deliberately, go walk down the middle of the street.” I’m not kidding. That is the idea that came into my mind very directly. At first I chuckled. I wondered if the source hadn’t been my own frustration and as an expression of that frustration I was now telling myself to go “play in the middle of the highway.” However, I knew the source of the idea and knew that I could not deny it. I knew that I was prepared to act and was going to act; so, I got up from my office chair immediately and headed out the door.

On my way out of the office my secretary, surprised to see me heading out of the office so directly, asked me where I was going. Not thinking how strange it would sound I simply replied: “I’m going to go walk down the middle of the street.” This I’m sure sounded alarming.

My secretary got up and started following me out the building. As I made my way quickly down the stairs and outside to the sidewalk, he again asked what I was doing. I looked out at the double yellow center line in the center of road. I remember thinking to myself that this was a bit crazy and wondering what I hoped to accomplish. I turned to my secretary and explained that I was going to help the two women that I had mistakenly dismissed earlier. I told him the only way I could change what I did was to take deliberate action. I’m not sure how convincing I sounded, but I took off for the center of the road.

When I reached the double yellow line, I decided to start walking west. My secretary walked with me (staying on the sidewalk, paralleling my course). I stopped responding to his questions and just kept walking down the center of the road paying close attention and keeping my feet, one step after the other on the double yellow line. I soon approached a busy intersection controlled by a traffic light. I paused, wondering to myself how much danger I was really willing to put myself in, in order to keep "walking the line.”

As I stood there a bit concerned, wondering how this action was going to make a difference, a car came turning the corner and about ran me over. Of course I couldn’t complain since I was the one standing in the middle of the road. The car swerved to avoid hitting me. Noticing who I was, the driver pulled over to the side of the road. To my great astonishment, inside the car were the two women I was looking for.

The woman in the passenger side rolled down her window and with a somewhat astonished look on her face asked what I was doing walking down the middle of the road. I responded by telling them that I had been inspired to do so; that it was the only way I was going to be able to reach them; that I had made a mistake earlier, and I wanted to take charge of getting them moved, starting that very minute. The entire story is too long to tell; but suffice it to say, the mood between the three of us changed dramatically. We all recognized in that moment, that something was much different than only a short time before.

I went to work. I called over 25 men in the middle of the day without any warning. I simply requested in a rather forceful way that they all meet me with boxes, trucks, hand-trucks, dollies, etc. I only reached a few of the men at home; for the rest I left messages. On each of their answering machines I left a very deliberate and determined message. I had no idea how many would show up. For some reason I had no doubt that I could orchestrate and accomplish this task; but to tell the truth, I had no idea what I was about to witness.

I arrived at the house to help with the move (ironically my soon to be wife was with me that day, but that is another story). At first we were the only ones there; not even the two women who needed the help were present to witness the miracle that was about to take place. After a few short minutes, men and women began to arrive from all directions.

Almost everyone that I had called came to help, in addition to many others who had received word of the project. In what must have been less than 30 minutes, we had so much help I couldn’t count everyone. We had trucks, boxes and lots of hands. Literally, in just a few hours, we had the entire home packed and moved as well as having cleaned and made the needed repairs to the new apartment.

I had spent almost the entire time simply directing traffic so to speak. I had never before witnessed such an effective and heartfelt response to any similar situation. The people who showed up to help had a unique spirit about them, and the work was accomplished almost as a byproduct. When the two women finally arrived to help get the move started they were astonished, to say the least, to discover all the work had already been completed. They were moved, and everything was already accomplished.

I remember a brief moment, while standing in the middle of the living room in the center of traffic watching all the work being done under my basic direction throughout the house. At that moment the feelings I had were the feelings of a hero. Not a hero in the sense of being recognized by others as such, but a hero in my own mind. I knew that I had finally stepped up to the plate and had accomplished something worthwhile.

Heroes: The Power of Being Deliberate

There is a power that comes with deliberateness. In both of my stories, which were actual occurrences in my life, small but significant moments, I learned something amazingly powerful. I learned something of the difference between acting and being acted upon. I felt the difference between being a victim of circumstance and a hero who had chosen to act deliberately. In those minutes, a brief glance through the mundane in life, I knew that I had chosen to be an agent, a hero and even a god.

Life is about finding importance and making a difference. The answer to our search is unique for each of us, as unique as the individual situations and challenges we face each day. I have learned through my own experience something of the sacred and amazing possibilities that lay at the core of why each of us is here on the earth. Through many small moments, like the two experiences I’ve shared, I have come to know that what I accomplish as a result of being very deliberate in my efforts has enabled me to tap into the power of a hero, which is literally the power to change the world.

I am convinced that within the immediate grasp of anyone reading this essay, is the possible choice of living the hero’s life, the choice of being gods -- even the children of God. But it is a choice, and we must each individually decide if we are seriously willing to live lives we love. The individual who grasps this concept can live the life of a hero, starting today!

Walking Through the Looking Glass

What's the difference between failure and prosperity? How can you be sure you are headed in the "right" direction in life? Is it even possible to chart a course to live a prosperous life? Is it just an age-old gimmick to trick the naïve and unsuspecting entrepreneur into believing that the American dream is still a possibility? Can an honest person actually make it "big" in the business world?

To anyone with any substantial ambition whatsoever, these questions-and many related to them-are very important. To me, it has been very surprising indeed how I have come to learn the answers to these questions over the last few years.

Let me just give you a glimpse of an incredible journey. It's a journey made possible only by my own choice to accept the possibilities of walking through the looking glass.

Six years ago I was making well over six figures and, given the current business trends of the day, headed down the fast track to what most around me considered wealth and prosperity. Five years ago I was filing for federal bankruptcy protection and defaulting on almost $1,000,000 of debt. Four years ago, having given up all entrepreneurial ambitions and having convinced myself that "capitalism was evil" and that there was no place in the modern world for an honest entrepreneur, I was working as a telemarketer and giving plasma twice a week (along with my wife) just to have "enough money" to pay the bills. Three years ago I had surprisingly discovered a path to earn sufficient income, independent of a typical job, to ensure that I would almost certainly never "need" another paycheck again. Two years ago I had successfully generated over $1 million in revenue and had paid back all those whose debts I had previously legally discharged through bankruptcy (plus an additional 6 percent interest for good measure). One year ago I had just completed my best business year ever with over $110 million in revenue!

As you can tell, it has been no slow moving experience these past few years. Much has changed for my family and me. I have helped thousands of people improve their lives. I have toured the country speaking in a dozen major cities helping people change their basic understanding of prosperity and the path to it. In the process I have helped create at least a couple dozen millionaires. I have helped an unknown number of people successfully get "out of the rat race" through a curriculum I developed (which, by the way, takes less than a year to complete).

I have been blessed beyond measure and life continues to be full of opportunity. I now understand why Robert Kiyosaki described his life changing experience, in regards to experiencing prosperity, using the following language. He wrote:

I had stepped through the looking glass and now could clearly see a new way of life. I began to cry, not with sadness, but with profound wonder at the perfection, bounty, and abundance that surrounded not just Kim and me . . . but all of us. Slowly, I realized that too much of the time my fear of not being enough or not having enough prevented my from allowing the abundance that life here on earth offers..I finally stepped through the looking glass, and fully understood my rich dad. 1

I too have learned that prosperity is not about some external event or some lucky opportunity. Prosperity is about a choice and the subsequent change that starts from within. It is literally like "walking through the looking glass" and seeing a world that so many people never see because of their own fears. I add my voice to those who have gone before me and say, "I too have walked through the looking glass and see a new way of life."

So what happened that enabled me to walk through the looking glass? Did I get lucky? Was I in the right place at the right time? Did I find a partner with a lot of money? No. None of these have anything to do with my success. The fact that I used to think in a way to even conceive such possible explanations for success is almost frightening to me.

Today, I am the host of my own national radio talk show, broadcast daily over the AM frequencies of Salt Lake City and across the world via the web at www.freecapitalist.com. I introduce myself to the listeners as "The Free Capitalist." I say to my listeners every day, "Wake up; turn your brain on!" That is literally my formula for success.

When you hit the ground as hard as I did (going bankrupt and losing almost everything imaginable-houses, cars, money, business, friends, etc.) the best way to describe the result is, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Since that time, each day I started to wake up, turn my brain on, and get to work using the God given assets that each of us have been given.

I'm not sure if the timeline I've outlined for my journey is exact, but it is substantively accurate. It is certainly true that each year has brought new growth, new challenges, new accomplishments and new opportunities. Truthfully, I feel like I'm just getting started. I'm certain there exists a ton more to learn and discover, and I know there are many more exciting people to meet and associate with as I do that.

Nevertheless, when I look at my life today, in every regard I have a better grasp on prosperity than I have ever had. In a temporal sense I am light years beyond the day nearly six years ago when I was up late at night in my basement searching through the Internet for "angel investors," doing everything I could think of to find any possible solution to get the "money I needed" to get out of the deep financial hole I was in and to avoid bankruptcy.

Since that day I have successfully created, purchased, partnered with or acquired over 30 new businesses-which include a motion picture company, a gold and silver operation, multiple real estate companies, a restaurant franchise, a private university, a media company, and many others; but more importantly, I've also gone through a myriad personal changes along a road of struggle, growth, pain, frustration, and a few serious setbacks. I'm certain that this has been and will be no accident for any of us in the future.

Okay, but so what? You may be wondering why I have taken the time to outline this short list of key events in my life over the last six years. Well, my reasons definitely have nothing to do with the money, the temporal success, or the luxury life now holds. I could lose all that at any moment and as unfortunate, frustrating, and painful as that would be I would still have something that could never be taken away: my knowledge.

What I have learned through my journey is priceless to me. I have literally gained a treasure that is so powerful, so amazing, and so exciting that it is now my deepest desire to share it with those who might be looking for the same answers to the same questions that I once regularly asked-questions like those I started out with at the beginning of this essay. Why would I be so anxious to share? Well, the answer to that question is the reason I am writing this essay today.

I am convinced that no matter who you are and no matter how "rich" or "poor" you may feel at this moment in time, the message of this short essay can quite literally change your life.

If you are headed in the wrong direction, it will give you what you need to turn your life around. If you are headed in the right direction but want to do so with more conviction, more power, more speed, and more competence, it will give you that too!

Are you willing to believe that this kind of change is possible? Even if you don't believe it yet-even if you can only "wish" what I'm saying is possible (since you've taken the time to read this far), all I ask of you at this point is to give me a chance to share with you a formula for prosperity I did not invent but have discovered. It is an ancient formula and one that you can verify for yourself. You do not need to trust me or any other "guru" to get ahead; all you need to do is to "wake up" for a few minutes and "turn your brain on." If you'll do this, I promise that what I'm going to share with you will have an amazing influence on your life, starting right now.

How Are Your Ideas Working for You?

One of my favorite sayings today is something that just popped into my mind one day and has stuck with me ever since. I have no idea if anyone else has said it. It goes like this, "Some things are true whether you believe them or not." That statement is where the journey begins. You must allow your mind to ponder the possibility that what I'm about to share with you is true. It is up to you to ultimately judge for yourself. Your judgment will not change the truthfulness of what I say one-way or the other; however, it will change the way you respond to my message and what happens in your life as a result.

Ideas have consequences. This is a simple yet profound truth. The way you think, the ideas you hold in your mind, are much more powerful than you've probably been taught to imagine. They determine whether or not you live in the Consumer Condition™ or the Producer Paradigm™; but, I'm getting ahead of myself.

In the late 1990s, I considered myself "on top of the world." As the president of a small Internet company (one I built along with a few partners), I thought I was at the helm of a strong, vibrant and growing enterprise. This company was "my ship" and from all appearances it was about "to come in."

It was during the heat of the "dot-com" boom. I was optimistic that if things kept going the way they appeared to be going it looked like I was going to be super rich. Everyone around me was telling me about their excitement and optimism.

Interestingly enough, it wasn't the fact that I was going to be rich that excited me; rather, it was the feeling of having a lot of money that gave me confidence in the future. In my mind, at the time, the idea of making a lot of money meant that I would be secure. Security is something that I had been looking for in my business life for quite some time. "Finally," I thought to myself, "I am at the right place at the right time."

Little did I know then that my future was indeed certain. Certainty and its attendant destination, however, was something I was completely blind to. As anyone familiar with the "ancient principles of prosperity" can see from what I've shared thus far regarding my thought pattern six years ago, there is sufficient evidence to know for certain that regardless of the way it happened there was no way possible for me to avoid my worst fear. Failure!

Read back through what I've explained already about my thoughts at the time and you can find at least three "absolute" and "objective" reasons why I was most certainly headed towards failure. Indeed-as surprising as it was to me at the time-by the end of the year 2000, I was broke, and it was ugly!

Oh, I could tell you a long story about how it came about. We could talk about the dot-com bubble and how it burst. We could talk of politics and how I should have been more shrewd in how I used the business to support my own political initiatives. We could even talk about how I had inadvertently run astray of the complex and nuanced details of State securities laws. All of these topics would be suitable and fertile ground for the excuses of a "well intentioned" businessman, who through no real "fault of his own," happened to be in just the "wrong place at the wrong time;" however, such excuses are not the truth.

We are all where we are in life because of the way we think! This one very sharp truth is like a double edge sword. Once we accept it, embrace it, and wield it, we can powerfully create a life we love; however, until then, it is this truth that cuts deeply and often appears so frightening that we turn away our glance and pretend somehow, someway the laws of the universe might change just "for me" and make it possible to succeed some other way.

The Repository of Ancient Truth

One of the things I did as I began to "wake up" each day was to read. I can't fully explain it, but I started to read like it was an obsession. The first book I remember reading during that time was Napoleon Hill's Master Key to Riches. I was trying to come to terms with the idea he calls definite major purpose. This book was my first exposure to Carnegie's fundamental axioms, one of which is that "A man's reading program should be as carefully planned as his daily diet, for that too is food, without which he cannot grow mentally." 2

So, I read. I read diligently. While reading Hill's discussion on the Founding Fathers of the United States and the mastermind principle, I was reminded of my association with a mentor in my past who had taught me about American history from the curriculum of Dr. W. Cleon Skousen. I started to re-read great books dealing with American history, such as The Making of America and The 5,000 Year Leap.

Then a friend referred me to read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad; it was like water to a thirsting man. I read Norman Vincent Peale, Stephen Covey, and even Donald Trump. I read Bastiat, Friedman, and Ayn Rand. I could go on and on; I have now read hundreds of books since that period of time. Notably, there has been an interesting pattern that has developed in my reading.

Years ago I noticed three basic categories in my reading curriculum. First, I began reading books that could be categorized as personal improvement books-which essentially taught the concept of self-reliance. Second, I started reading books on economics and finance that related to economic independence. Finally, I began reading books dealing with history, politics and the culture of Western Civilization (this last category dealt primary with questions of politics and liberty).

It was through this experience I learned for myself that there are great treasures stored in the books and libraries of the world. Do you have a personal library?

The ironic reality is that the ancient truths, which can be discovered by studying the permanent and perennial issues with which all men of all time have grappled, can be had for only a few dollars at a time simply by selectively purchasing a few of the best books ever written.

The One Question

Deep within the souls of all men stirs one eternal question. How each of us individually answers this question determines everything. It is in fact the question of life. It is not complex, sophisticated, or difficult to understand; yet, it is not often discovered by the conscious mind. Even the so-called intellectuals are prone to overlook the question as they seek to know the mysteries of life. In its most abbreviated form the question of life is simply, "Will I choose to be free?"

For millennia before the foundations of the world and continuing still today, the battle for the "Eternal Cause of Liberty" has been waging between those who answer this one question in the affirmative and those who do not. The power of a man's mind allows him to penetrate the obscurity of ignorance and question the state of the world in which he finds himself. Darkness, doubt, fear and despair-though the common experience for billions who have lived and are now living on the Earth-are not the necessary or natural conditions of man. These are instead the result of choice, and the result of man's choice either tends toward devastating slumber or awakening greatness-toward captivity and death or liberty and life.

The Two Paradigms

Either subconsciously or consciously, we are each viewing the world through one of two lenses. Since the era of the Great Depression most people on the planet have been trained, taught, and educated to see the world as a place of scarcity-a place where there is never enough time, never enough money, never enough respect, never enough opportunity, etc. This paradigm of scarcity clouds our thinking and becomes our default program for finding fault, being cynical, and for living lives of quiet desperation.

There is another paradigm that is within the choice of all. It is a way of seeing the world and life for its beauty and opportunities, for seeing that what the "mind can conceive it can achieve," and for seeing greatness in the noble acts of men and the hero inside your own soul.

Each of us chooses the perspective with which we approach the struggle for liberty and freedom. Those who choose to do so from a paradigm of scarcity become like "starving dogs fighting over meatless bones" while those who choose the paradigm of abundance throw off the victim language and the helpless thoughts of the prisoner; and they begin to see the end from the beginning. Those who see in abundance know that life is more than the false constructs and fake allurements of dialectical materialism. Those who choose to see in abundance throw off the habit of living constantly with a "fear of loss" and instead make a deliberate and concentrated effort to develop a faith in true principles.

The 13 Principles of Prosperity

In all my reading, one of the most enlightening ideas I came across was that principles govern. Alexander Hamilton put it best in Federalist #31 when in 1778 he wrote:

In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths or first principles upon which all subsequent reasonings must depend. These contain an internal evidence, which antecedent to all reflection or combination commands the assent of the mind . . . and [are] so obvious in themselves, and so agreeable to the natural and unsophisticated dictates of common sense, that they challenge the assent of a sound and unbiased mind, with a degree of force and conviction almost equally irresistible. 3

It was when I learned this fundamental truth that I began searching the historical records for what Thomas Jefferson often referred to as the "ancient principles." These are the principles which the Founding Fathers recognized as the key ingredient to a great society. They had studied the histories of all great civilizations and had realized that individuals and nations prospered according to the degree to which they adhered to certain "ancient truths."

When I learned this I too set out to make a short catalog or list of these basic principles of prosperity. There are 13 of these principles that if studied, understood, and applied can change life.

Prosperity is not about a new business idea, some trick or technique, or going to school to learn some new process or approach. These are all effective or ineffective based upon the application of timeless principles.

There are many truths relating to the quest for an ideal life. In fact, I suppose that each truth has an unlimited number of applications. Nevertheless, I have learned for myself that if a person truly desires to live the abundant life-to live with freedom and prosperity-all he needs to do is learn and apply these 13 Principles.

I teach a full semester class on each of these principles at American Founders University because there is much to learn. As a basic introduction, I'll provide a brief list.

Principle 1: God is the author of prosperity

Principle 2: Faith begins with self-interest

Principle 3: Agency implies stewardship

Principle 4: Perspective determines action

Principle 5: People are assets

Principle 6: Human life value is the source and creator of all property value

Principle 7: Dollars follow value

Principle 8: Exchange creates wealth

Principle 9: Profit is the tool of validation

Principle 10: Productivity is the standard

Principle 11: Force destroys freedom and prosperity

Principle 12: Collective action has no unique moral authority

Principle 13: Personal liberty requires private property

The Life Worth Loving

In Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged the protagonist in a moment of great climax boldly declares: "I am the man who loves his life." One of my dearest friends made this same declaration to the world every day. At the core of the declaration is a truth beyond the obvious.

The history of mankind is the history of the struggle between the Producer (the man who chooses liberty, lives in abundance, has faith in principle, creates more value in the world than he consumes and values each individual life - including his own) and the Consumer (the man who does not choose liberty, lives in scarcity, wrestles constantly with a pernicious fear of loosing, consumes more value in the world than he produces and deep inside loathes himself and values only the collective).

The societies that have produced the happiest men, the highest standards of living and the greatest advances have been those where the power of the collective (government, state, tribe, or gang) was limited and the individual was given freedom of independent action. As Ayn Rand has explained:

While men are still pondering upon the causes of the rise and fall of civilizations, every page of history cries to us that there is but one source of progress: Individual Man in independent action. Collectivism is the ancient principle of savagery. A savage's whole existence is ruled by the leaders of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. 4

That is ultimately the lesson I learned. I have always held deep within me a desire for freedom, for liberty, and for the opportunity to triumph. Living in a world where I had been trained, taught, and educated to think like a victim and act like a slave produced a reality that had become a literal prison to me; but when I began to wake up, to turn my brain on, and to act with faith in true principles, I discovered the world on the other side of the looking glass-a world that is invisible to those who constantly live in fear and regularly resist the truths I've described.

Today, as I have learned the virtues of seeing prosperity from a new perspective, I have new answers to old questions.

* What's the difference between failure and prosperity? It is one choice.

* How can you be sure you are headed in the "right" direction? Live by principle.

* Is it even possible to chart a course to live the abundant and prosperous life? Yes.

* Is it just an age-old gimmick to trick the naïve and unsuspecting entrepreneur into believing that the American dream is still a possibility? No.

* Can an honest person actually make it "big" in the business world? Yes.

I believe because I have learned for myself that within the power of each man and woman is the ability to live a life worth loving, to live a life of principle full of abundance and prosperity.

I believe because I have learned for myself that there is no justification for living a life of quiet desperation.

I believe because I have learned for myself that we each write the story of our own life through action and deed, and I believe that our role in that story as either a hero or a victim is ours for the choosing-to write each day.

I believe each person thus informed and empowered has the choice of walking through the looking glass.

Those who make this choice will stand united in a common Cause with a mighty force of individual free men and women who boldly proclaim, "In the name of Liberty, we will step forward, we will live lives we love, and we will prosper!"

Rick

Works Cited

1. Kiyosaki, Robert T. Rich Dad's Retire Young, Retire Rich. New York: Warner Business Books, 2002. 333.

2. Hill, Napoleon. The Master-Key To Riches. New York: Ballantine Books, 1965. 97.

3. Hamilton, Alexander, Jay, John, and Madison, James. The Federalist Papers. New York: Bantam Dell, 1982. 176.

4. Rand, Ayn. "The Only Path to Tomorrow." Readers Digest January 1944: 88-90.