A.J. Muste is famous for having said “there is no way to peace; peace is the way.” I think that Agorists can appreciate this saying, with a slight modification for our own purposes.
It should be self-evident that the attainment of condition x by action exclusive to condition x is a self-defeating philosophy. Unfortunately, many of those who share the same goals with us do not recognize that fact. Minarchists, partyarchists and others who believe that freedom can be gained through the political process are no different from those Muste was criticizing by that saying: those who believe that peace could be attained by violent means.
In promoting Agorism, I have made (and seen others make) the mistake of describing a free market as the end which we seek. I think that what is needed, and what Konkin saw, is a shift of the idea of the market as an end, to one of the market as the means whereby specific ends may be achieved. Prosperity, peace, and morality are the effects of human action conducted within the market (and thereby eschewing political action).
By such a shift in language, we not only more accurately describe the idea of Agorism, but we also show the absurdity of political strategies for liberty. If people understand that the market is not a mystical ideal on the other side of the obstacles we face, but rather a condition of human action under which we must act to bring about the ideals we share, then they will see the contradiction implied by political strategy.
Thus, I am taking on the following adaptation of A.J. Muste’s saying as my personal motto from now on: “There is no way to a free market. The free market is the way.”
Daniel Shorthouse is a Christian market anarchist, author, musician, and nacent counter-economic entrepreneur. He currently writes from the Pittsburgh area, but will at some point in the not-so-distant future be moving to New Hampshire as a Free State Project mover. 
Inspiring stuff, Daniel. It resonates.
A valiant effort — so much so that I hate to use it as a foil, but it was enormously helpful to me in bringing together some arguments I formed and discussed extemporaneously at the Boston Tea Party’s conference in Kansas City in May. Therefore, I have responded at length and in article form rather than here in comments.
Best regards,
Tom Knapp
Yes, yes yes.
I’ll add to your statement that free markets are not “a mystical ideal on the other side of the obstacles we face”, that they are in fact the means to knocking down those obstacles.
I believe Minarchy is on the way to the true free market. The chaos was incremental. I am still confident that the laws of the Constitution are strict enough to get us at least to a more rational foreign policy and deregulation of commerce. Then, you have to tackle domestic policy. If local currencies aren’t invited/encouraged, then the process is all for naught.
How do we know our new “creditors” are going to allow us a self sustainable lifestyle? Much is to be done…or undone. I do understand and admire the arrangement of a voluntary society… If anywhere can do it, it’s New Hampshire.
“If anywhere can do it, ”
There’s the flaw in your understanding.
A free market is not a place.
I’m pretty sure he meant that NH is the “anywhere” rather than the “it” and that the free market is the “it” rather than the “anywhere.”
That’s how I took it as well. My comment stands. Linking the agora to geography – other than indidentally – is a recipe for fail. The agora is a state of mind, a network of relationships, trust and trading partners, and it is a collection of methodologies. Tying it to territory necessarily brings in political strategies which always degenerate to collective rather than cooperative methods.
I have some serious doubts about moving to New Hampshire as an Agorist. If the goal is really to use counter-economics to make government inconsequential then it would seem to be preferable to make little Agorist networks all over the place rather than just having all of the Agorists move to New Hampshire and make one really cool Agorist network there.
It’s a trade-off, and I think that its good to have a wide variety of solutions to it. A concentration of like-minded people allows for easy bootstrapping, but has less “surface area” and a shorter reach. More dispersed networks struggle to start, but once they do they can seed a wide area. I’d hate to see all the agorists rush to New Hampshire, but I’d hate to see none of them do so as well.
Me, I’m heading to Wyoming. There are quieter, less politically oriented networks forming there. I’ve taken to calling it the “Second Foundation”.
beautifully simple. (simply beautiful.)
The whole philosophy of agorism is that the means and the ends are identical. Excellent post.
Very zenarchist. I like it.
sounds good
I look forward to watching it work