FREE MARKET: That condition of society in which all economic transactions result from voluntary choice without coercion.

THE STATE: That institution which interferes with the Free Market through the direct exercise of coercion or the granting of privileges (backed by coercion).

TAX: That form of coercion or interference with the Free Market in which the State collects tribute (the tax), allowing it to hire armed forces to practice coercion in defense of privilege, and also to engage in such wars, adventures, experiments, "reforms," etc., as it pleases, not at its own cost, but at the cost of "its" subjects.

PRIVILEGE: From the Latin privi, private, and lege, law. An advantage granted by the State and protected by its powers of coercion. A law for private benefit.

USURY: That form of privilege or interference with the Free Market in which one State-supported group monopolizes the coinage and thereby takes tribute (interest), direct or indirect, on all or most economic transactions.

LANDLORDISM: That form of privilege or interference in the Free Market in which one State-supported group "owns" the land and thereby takes tribute (rent) from those who live, work, or produce on the land.

TARIFF: That form of privilege or interference in the Free Market in which commodities produced outside the State are not allowed to compete equally with those produced inside the State.

CAPITALISM: That organization of society, incorporating elements of tax, usury, landlordism, and tariff, which thus denies the Free Market while pretending to exemplify it.

CONSERVATISM: That school of capitalist philosophy which claims allegiance to the Free Market while actually supporting usury, landlordism, tariff, and sometimes taxation.

LIBERALISM: That school of capitalist philosophy which attempts to correct the injustices of capitalism by adding new laws to the existing laws. Each time conservatives pass a law creating privilege, liberals pass another law modifying privilege, leading conservatives to pass a more subtle law recreating privilege, etc., until "everything not forbidden is compulsory" and "everything not compulsory is forbidden."

SOCIALISM: The attempted abolition of all privilege by restoring power entirely to the coercive agent behind privilege, the State, thereby converting capitalist oligarchy into Statist monopoly. Whitewashing a wall by painting it black.

ANARCHISM: That organization of society in which the Free Market operates freely, without taxes, usury, landlordism, tariffs, or other forms of coercion or privilege. RIGHT ANARCHISTS predict that in the Free Market people would voluntarily choose to compete more often than to cooperate. LEFT ANARCHISTS predict that in the Free Market people would voluntarily choose to cooperate more often than to compete.

- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson

It's from Illuminatus! I'm just interested in hearing what you think about this little snippet. I myself, dig it.

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"Violence isn't always evil. What's evil is the infatuation with violence."
Jim Morrison

Every American should be forced to memorize this list (and hosts of others).

While not dismissing the above, which I find fasinating, I would like to present another perspective.

Governmental Types:

Anarchy: Rule by no one
Democracy: Rule by the majority
Dictatorship: Rule by one man
Oligarchy: Rule by a few, or the minority
Republic: Rule by law
Theocracy: Rule by God


Capital Good: Goods utilized for producing or acquiring consumption goods.

Consumption Good: Goods acquired for consumption purposes.

Capitalism: Any economic system that utilizes capital goods in acquiring or producing consumption goods.


Economic Systems:

[tab:68d287cb55] Free Enterprise System: Where the capital goods are owned and controlled by the individual.

[tab:68d287cb55] Fascism: Where the capital goods are owned by the individual and controlled by the state.

[tab:68d287cb55] Socialism: Where the capital goods are owned and controlled by the state.

[tab:68d287cb55] Communism: Where the capital goods are owned and controlled by coercive monopolies.


Conservatives come in different "flavors" if you will. Some are limited government type, some are big government type, some are social and some are fiscal. There are combinations also.
Libertarians are the biggest Free Market defenders and very liberal on social issues. They can vary also.
Liberals / Progressives / Socialists believe the government is the answer.

Modern day capitalists lobby congress to keep a level playing field and don't like competiion.

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As president Wilson use to say, "Nothing is more fun than having a brain and knowing how to use it".