Rooted in Non-Violent Anarchy and Individual Counter-Economics
“It can be many things; it’s a political philosophy, it’s a form of economics, or counter-economics,” explained long-time Nevadan and business owner, Kevin, when asked to explain the concept of agorism, which was brought up on Twitter recently and piqued our interest. It can also be the pursuit of a range of lifestyles. Kevin believes it has the potential to be a form of social change.
“It’s a form of anarchism,” he explained, one that is based on free-market forms. Anarchy sometimes gets painted as rooted in violence and riots, but the true definition is simply a society without a government and absolute freedom of the individual. Some see this as lawlessness while others view anarchy as a path to self-reliance and sufficiency.
“The central grain of agorism is to eventually deprive the state of its source of funding,” said Kevin. This form of government has no central funding platform and fully believes in the power of the free market. “Agorism advocates non-violence,” he added.
Kevin feels that any society that does not have to deal with the surveillance and taxation of the state is more productive and can offer more wealth to all its members. “The goal is to exist without all the baggage that a state comes with,” he explained, including state-sponsored wars.
“I think agorism points to contradictions in Marxist philosophy and gives us a better way to look at it,” he added, explaining further. He feels agorism takes the better parts of Communism, anarchy, capitalism and combines these elements into a new package that embodies the spirit of the individual.
Created by Samuel Konkin, a political philosopher, it came out of the split between libertarians that occurred in the 1970s. One group sought to seek change through political means while another group realized there was a contradiction. “Between wanting to get rid of the state and seeking political power through the state,” Kevin explained.
According to Wikipedia, Konkin rejected voting, “believing it to be inconsistent with libertarian ethics. He likewise opposed involvement with the Libertarian Party, which he regarded as a statist co-option of libertarianism.”
Cryptocurrency is a contemporary example of a form of agorism, according to Kevin. Anyone taking means to avoid paying taxes is also an agorist in his book. The waiter who does not claim all of his tips or the driver who avoids registering her car, all agorists. These subtle steps lie in the shallow end of agorism while living fully off the grid and being completely self-sufficient occupies the deep end.
“We all take means to evade the burdens that the state imposes on us,” Kevin said.
The Experiment of Burning Man, and the Free Market as Opposed to Capitalism
Burning Man, the arts and culture festival was founded on agorist principles but according to many has since been overrun by corporations looking to cultivate a sense of agorism, if only for a week. In a purse sense, it’s a way for the individual to reclaim a portion of their perceived lost rights by not paying taxes or acknowledging the state; by focusing on the notion that the free market is always right and can be trusted.
“Agorism will divide the economy into three parts,” Kevin explained. Part one is the red market, the only one that comes at the expense of human lives. The other two, the gray and black market are more attainable to live under. Though Kevin did not elaborate on these two, he said the important part of agorism is to avoid the red market. According to Wikipedia, the Counter-Economy “excludes all State-approved action (the "White Market") and the Red Market (violence and theft not approved by the State).”
“You can barter for goods, if you’re a business person, you can exchange goods and services,” he explained. There are many ways for anyone to ascribe to agorist principles. Raising your own food, providing your own power, or riding a bike. Kevin explained many of the things people already do would categorize them as an agorist.
“I think the free market, as opposed to capitalism, provides opportunities to improve the quality of people's lives,” he explained. “It gets rid of the onerous burden the state imposes by getting rid of taxation.”
Based on these explanations, do you think agorism could be applied even more locally, how so, and would that be a good development?