From: Exitil-AT-aol.com
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 00:10:32 EST
Subject: Aretia information


Please note before reading that Aretia does not have a single economic system 
and those who are interested in libertarian socialism as well as those 
interested in mutualism, capitalism, free market, communism, etc. are all 
welcome via the micronations.

The following is a little email that explains what Aretia is, basically just 
that we're looking for members to help start an anarchist nation.  Let me 
know if you're interested.



ARETIA
Written by Alexander Temal


What is Aretia?

    Aretia is an association attempting the creation of an anarchist nation 
and the spread of anarchist materials.  This section is not so much an 
explanation of Aretia, but an explanation of anarchism, which is the system 
Aretia uses.  After reading this essay, I would encourage those who are 
interested in Aretia, or who have questions or comments, to contact me via 
email at exitil-AT-aol.com.  
    The meaning of anarchism is quite simple.  Anarchism is freedom.  
Anarchism is independence as an individual rather than a cog in a machine, a 
blind follower of rules and restrictions placed arbitrarily by an oppressive 
government that no longer listens to the people it pretends to represent.  In 
anarchism, there is no government in the manner of those that currently 
exist, but rather a society that governs itself via the direct actions of 
each individual.  These actions are not limited only to politics, but rather, 
as natural, are a part of every aspect of life.  People living in an 
anarchist system are entitled to free association, freedom of thought, and 
independence.  In such a system, the various associations would, among other 
things, take over all the services provided by the state, with none of the 
usual oppression of the people.  The people would also be able to use their 
freedom to negotiate various arrangements (contracts, combined efforts on 
projects, etc.) and to create smaller political and economic organizations 
within the nation (micronations) as well as businesses, schools, armies, etc. 
 In short, people are free to develop any arrangements between each other and 
to form any association they see fit, to fill any want, need, or other 
purpose.  Such associations will rise and fall; and arrangements will be 
made, altered, and broken.  Such will be the constantly changing nature of 
the anarchist political and economic landscape, but rather than resulting in 
chaos, these changes will lead toward the development of improved systems and 
allow for necessary change which is vital to the survival of any nation.  In 
theory such a fluid system would seem to cause confusion, but in practice 
this fluidity is quite natural and appears a much less daunting task than 
when describing the system in theory.

How would it work?

    As I mentioned above, the society would govern itself via direct action.  
Direct action is directly negotiating arrangements with others without 
resorting to outside influence.  Yes, this means that the nation as a whole 
would not be governed by a democracy as most anarchist organizations do.  In 
democracy there is the possibility not only of tyranny of the majority but 
also of the misguiding an ill-informed population to make bad decisions.  As 
individuals, we should not put our lives in the hands of such a majority any 
more than we should any other form of state.  This does not mean that 
democracy will not exist anywhere in the nation, because due to free 
association many organizations will arise and may need or want a political 
system other than the basic direct action system, applied to that association 
alone by those within it.  This would be the case if the organization was 
trying to determine one path to follow and the entire group needed to choose, 
etc.  In that case, a system of consensus or of direct democracy would be 
preferable, because representative democracy, at least in the United States, 
is slow and inefficient and often the representatives act contrary to the 
interests of the people.  Even so, representative democracy might be wanted 
at some point, perhaps in large associations, for the sake of convenience.
    Another difference between Aretia and most other anarchist organizations 
is that Aretia's economy is primarily a free market instead of socialist.  
Instead of libertarian socialism, in which in most cases surplus goods are 
put into a shared storage area where anyone can take what they need, Aretia 
will use trade.  If you bake five loaves of bread, you are entitled to all 
five because they are the products of your labor.  If you only need one, you 
are not forced to share the remainder with the community but instead can 
trade the goods you created for the goods of others.  The free market system 
is fairer and more efficient.  Those who do not work or who create things 
that are not wanted or needed, will not be able to take from the work of 
others.  On the other side of the argument, a free market also does not mean 
exploitation.  When the owner of a company takes, for no reason other than 
ownership, the products of the labor of their employees, this is 
exploitation.  The free market is simply about owning the products of your 
own labor and being able to trade this with others.  As with the use of 
democracy above, this does not mean that socialism will not ever be used.  
Because of free association, those wishing to create socialist associations 
with each other may do so.
    In anarchism, all people are independent individuals.  This means that 
they do not blindly follow a particular leader, group, or set of laws, but 
rather think for themselves as the individuals they are.  When a person no 
longer thinks for themselves and does what a certain person or law tells them 
to do for no reason other than obedience, they have ceased to be independent 
and perhaps have ceased to be human, having instead become only the tool of 
those they follow.
    In the first part of this essay, I wrote that one of anarchism's goals 
was to take over the roles previously held by the state.  One of the most 
noticeable roles is that of law enforcement and the creation of law.  Law 
will naturally arise, first at the small scale where each person has their 
own ethical standards, and beyond a certain point will wish to stop crimes.  
The next progression would be the neighborhood watch, where neighbors help 
each other in the event of a crime or injury.  Later, these associations 
would evolve into police forces and fire departments as we see today.  
However, instead of being controlled by the state and having jurisdiction 
over the entire nation, these associations would be created and funded by the 
citizens of a particular area through free association.  The purpose of 
associations such as these would only be to serve and protect those who 
voluntarily associated themselves with it and that would also be the limit of 
their influence. Judicial and other systems will arise similarly.  The 
freedom of association as applied to law also means that there shall be no 
censorship unless that is voluntarily entered into.  Another benefit of 
associations of this type is that the people would not place unjustified 
faith in them, recognizing that the people in them are people like any other, 
and will continue to aid themselves, with law enforcement or rescue 
organizations being used for support.
    Law enforcement, as well as city maintenance, schools, and other services 
can be created through free association as described above, but these 
associations may require funding.  This gives me a good opportunity to 
present the anarchist view of taxation.  Through free association, as well as 
creating the associations, arrangements will be made to fund them.  Instead 
of a third of one's profits being taken by a state, they can make 
arrangements with various associations to pay them for the services they 
want.  Things like law enforcement in a less troubled area might be free 
while accepting donations, while certain services like garbage disposal or 
roadwork would require payment for materials and labor.  These associations 
take on the role of the state without having the state's influence over 
things (influence mainly applying to law enforcement and education) and 
without a state requiring an unjustified amount of taxes.  Any "tax" that 
does arise would be the result of voluntary association within a community, 
with payments being given for specific services.  Property taxes and income 
taxes for example, would not exist, because a state does not own the land nor 
does it have the right to take from the income of the people (this is 
essentially the same theft as an owner taking from the profits of his 
workers, but on a larger scale).
    Taxation reminds me of another thing I wish to address.  Currencies.  
Without a government, free associations would also arise to provide the 
service of a currency.  Originally there may perhaps be a few dozen 
currencies, depending on the size of the anarchist group, but eventually for 
the sake of ease one or two commonly used currencies will arise.  Coin 
minting is a fairly simple process, and credit cards are another possibility. 
 Most likely there will also be people who are elected to the task of 
watching over the coin minters to make sure that they are not abusing the 
system, or perhaps there will be a way to track the amount of funds currently 
in the system and the amount accounted for.
    I have two last things to address before I move on to the questions 
section, which is where I'll include responses to some questions I've been 
asked either regarding the essay, anarchism, or Aretia itself.  Those two 
things are the micronations and the function of international relations in an 
anarchist system.  I will deal with the micronations first.
    Micronations are basically associations of people who share political and 
economic views.  Instead of throwing people with radically different views 
into the same group and seeing who comes out on top, the micronations present 
an alternative.  Those who wish to live under a socialist system may choose 
to join a socialist micronation.  Those who wish to live under free market 
may likewise do so.  The same is true of people who wish to live in a system 
of representative democracy, direct democracy, direct action, republic, or 
other political system.  No, micronations aren't the only time people are 
given the choice to choose a political or economic system.  This is simply 
one type of organization, generally useful because of the size of a 
population needed to sustain independent economies.  Many kinds of 
associations may have political systems within, including businesses, law 
enforcement, farmers associations, unions and syndicates, etc.  Generally 
those who have the same political/economic opinions will come to live near 
those who hold similar views, and thus they form micronations for mutual 
benefit.
    As for international relations, this is a bit unusual.  Usually nations 
deal with other nations as a whole rather than pointing out specific groups.  
In Aretia, none of us follow a certain leader, so the political dealings of 
other nations might be slightly more difficult than usual.  Micronations will 
help part of the problem, by grouping those holding similar views together, 
but they do not solve it all.  However, in almost every situation other than 
war, business can be carried out as usual.  When trading, nations will simply 
deal with the businesses they are trading with, when giving foreign aid, only 
the group involved will do so, etc.  In wartime I would imagine it would be 
fairly clear who the aggressors were if it were started by a group within 
Aretia, and they would fight independently unless of course other groups 
agreed with the aggressor.  The other possibility is that Aretia would be 
under attack in which case most likely all would organize into one or two 
main forces to combat a common enemy.
    This concludes the main portion of the essay and I shall now move on to 
the questions.