There are many ways anarchists seek to answer the State. Some choose violence to overthrow governments. Others choose to undermine instead. Agorism, from the Greek agora, or marketplace and public square, is one such method of undermining governments. It is a political and economic philosophy developed by Samuel Edward Konkin III which describes use of counter-economics to achieve greater personal freedom while building a foundation for a stateless society and undermining the status quo. Counter-economics, in turn, is the underground market, both black and gray.
| Moral | Immoral | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Most aspects of our everyday life related to voluntary, consenting interactions. | Politics, war, taxation, prohibition, and other legal trespasses against life, liberty, and property. |
| Illegal | Consenting exchanges and interactions outside the realm of government permission: the Counter-Economy of gray and black markets. | Crimes which violate life, liberty, and property without political sanction, such as murder, theft, rape, and terrorism. |
There is no need for flamboyant and dangerous revolutions. We do not need a mass movement. We can individually choose actions which promote our own freedom and subvert the State's presumption of legitimacy right now. In Konkin's own words,
The Counter-Economy is the sum of all non-aggressive Human Action which is forbidden by the State. Counter-economics is the study of the Counter-Economy and its practices. The Counter-Economy includes the free market, the Black Market, the "underground economy," all acts of civil and social disobedience, all acts of forbidden association (sexual, racial, cross-religious), and anything else the State, at any place or time, chooses to prohibit, control, regulate, tax, or tariff. The Counter-Economy excludes all State-approved action (the "White Market") and the Red Market (violence and theft not approved by the State).
Agorism offers myriad benefits, including immediate escape from the smothering restrictions of the State, opportunities to experiment with new ways we can cooperate, and a network of exchange outside the control of corporations and governments.
It is not, however, without risk. Nothing worthwhile is guaranteed to be safe. Governments hate threats to their perceived legitimacy and territorial supremacy. They may crack down on you, no matter how cautious you are. Then again, we know playing by their rules is not safe, either.
There is always a threat of war, riots, natural disasters, economic recessions, and trade disruptions. Police may summarily execute you despite the pretense of legal protections. As I write this, we are 90 weeks (click here for updates, future readers) into "two weeks to flatten the curve" for COVID-19, and we are still seeing growing ripples of chaos from the disruptions in economic activity and new inflation of the money supply. Many states are still curtailing everyday life, and some countries are doubling down on lockdowns and travel restrictions thanks to new variants.
Agorism lets us build decentralized, resilient communities in the face of such chaos.
a³: "agora, anarchy, action!" (public domain logo)
Agorism is a spectrum. You are already probably participating unknowingly. Have you ever held a garage sale, bought eggs from a neighbor who raises chickens, or done odd jobs for cash? If you choose to act without begging for government permission first, you are an agorist.
If you are here on HIVE, odds are you already know about cryptocurrencies, which can allow us to sidestep government funny money. Sure, it is a chaotic market, but we exchange lively risk for the stagnation and inflation of fiat. Consider adding some physical silver (or even gold) to your diversified inventory of monetary options. If your government currency goes the way of the Weimar German Papiermark, Zimbabwean dollar, or Venezuelan Bolívar, you have an alternative option for trade with no technological hurdles.
You can also plan a garden regardless of HOA bylaws and zoning restrictions. Learn new skills for self-sufficiency, or to build a new business. Explore home education instead of government school. Options are endless. Work toward whatever level of risk and independence you are willing to accept. Just try taking that first intentional step and see where the new road leads.
Further resources:
agorism.info
A brief Samuel Edward Konkin III biography at mises.org
The Off Grid Agorist Podcast
