Towards Voluntaryism (Part 3)
1.3. Introduction: Consequences of the Societal Injustice Belief System
Towards Voluntaryism (Part 3)
As long as this societal injustice belief system is propagated, it will be almost impossible to abolish because it is a self-reinforcing and self-perpetuating belief system. By propagating the societal injustice belief system, an unjust society is guaranteed which perpetuates the societal injustice belief system...
Tragically, an unjust society primarily benefits those who are authoritarian, anti-meritocratic and corrupt; the societal injustice belief system enables them to transfer more power and resources to themselves by claiming to be opposed to the very state of affairs and belief system that gives them power. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The fearful irony is that a majority of people seem to believe they and the politicians they support are exceptions to the societal injustice belief system. To my mind, this is paradoxical: the belief that individuals must be involuntarily subservient to, subjugated by or beholden to other people is the essence of societal injustice. Even more frightening are those who believe they are the smart ones, the altruistic ones, the non-violent ones, and the world is as it is because people will not obey someone else. When they see someone peacefully disobeying an unjust law they deem the use of force appropriate and are prepared to delegate their desire to force others to act as they deem fit to an "authority" that they cannot control.
It never occurs to them that it is precisely the belief that some people must lead and others must follow , that some must rule and some must obey - whether they like it or not (i.e. there must be masters and slaves)- is itself the problem. Such shortsightedness is rarely rectified before it is too late and they too are forced to obey against their will. At times it appears to my eye to be an all-pervasive and subtle form of mass Stockholm's Syndrome.
Regardless of who is elevated to power/leadership/rule/control/master status within the current paradigm, the societal ills of authoritarianism, anti-meritocratic partisanship, corruption and greed continue. Because it is the system itself that is flawed.
We shouldn't be surprised. Bestowing "leadership" powers upon a select few - despite the objections of some and then forcing the dissenters to obey leaders they do not wish to have - actively negates the foundational concept of equality and intentionally deprives individuals of their innate right to peaceful self-determination. This causes a degree of cognitive dissonance in individuals who wish to believe they are free but must obey or be subservient to someone they don't want to be. I contend that this state of affairs cannot lead to a happy and healthy psyche, but rather only to repressed resentment (anti-social behavior) and, in worse case scenarios, to (often self-directed) violence when the organism finally tries to free itself from the intrinsic hypocrisy of the system.
That the bestowal of leadership negates the principles of equality becomes undeniably apparent when the new "leaders" grant themselves powers and privileges that enable them to more easily manipulate, suppress or control others without seeking their consent. The current system is Orwell's Animal Farm writ large.
When have you ever heard a professional politician or educational administrator say "You don't need me, you can do it yourself"? You haven't and you never will. As far as I can tell, it is not in their self-interest. Most do not to believe in equality. And as someone whose living depends on the obedience of others, they do not believe in freedom of the individual or even the right just to be left alone. They want control.
The current paradigm is fundamentally flawed to such a degree that is incapable of top-down self-correction because the individuals elevated to and entrusted with power benefit and profit from the system as it exists. The current system is one of increasingly authoritarian collectivism, instituted for the benefit of the few, that has captured the educational, governmental and economic systems and is sustained almost exclusively by the emotional and mental manipulation of the masses via controlled media and, if that fails, violence.
The societal injustice belief system described above necessitates solutions capable of setting mankind on the path to a better future. The solutions presented in the following will focus on the role, rights and potential of the individual and postulate how the voluntary cooperation of individuals, using the mechanisms of power available to them as a form of self-defense, can remedy collectivist systems of centralized authority (i.e. statism) that rely on force and subjugation to maintain a so-called "civil society".
The solutions that will be provided are to be considered suggestions. I do not claim to have perfect solutions, nor to have considered every potential consequence. In the event there are unintended negative consequences that are counterproductive to greater peace, prosperity and social stability in the long term, I would be the first to reconsider. In essence, each suggestion should be considered to be silently prefaced by "in my opinion" or a similar qualifier. Furthermore, none of my writings on this or related topics are to be construed, interpreted or understood as legal or financial advice of any kind - I am merely outlining theoreticals that may be deemed worthy of becoming practicals on the part of the reader.
Ultimately, moving towards a Voluntaryist society only seems possible by initiating a sea change that seeks to abolish the societal injustice belief system by treating each of its tenets one by one. Such treatment would likely begin with teaching people how to counteract the societal injustice belief system by not conforming to it or, at the very least, not unthinkingly perpetuating it.
In terms of structure, the following suggestions for moving towards Voluntaryism will provide background and considerations relevant to each sphere, then the proposed solutions themselves with specific and concrete means of initializing and instituting said suggestions.
I look forward to feedback on the concept of the societal injustice belief system and ongoing feedback throughout the course of the following series of posts. At the end of this series, I will seek to incorporate recommendations I agree with and distill the entire series down into a form of condensed action plan.
Next: Towards Voluntaryism (Part 4) - 2.1 Education: Introduction & Understanding the Problem
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