BUILDING FREEDOM by Frederick Mann Actions and endeavors to expand freedom can be viewed as lying along a spectrum or continuum. The following definitions of freedom are indicative of the continuum: Freedom Spectrum Anthemby Ayn Rand (Penguin Books, NY; 1992 — first published in 1938): "There is nothing to take a man's freedom away from him, save other men. To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. That and nothing else." Return to Reason: An Introduction to Objectivism by Paul Lepanto (Exposition Press, NY; 1971): "Full freedom is the absence of restraints, other than natural ones, on an individual's actions." "The degree of a man's freedom decreases as the restraints on his actions, beyond those imposed by nature, increase in number or extent." "Although the influences reducing a man's freedom can vary in form, the source of any and all such influences can only be the actions of other men." For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto by Murray N. Rothbard (Collier Books, NY; 1978 — first published 1973): "Freedom is a condition in which a person's ownership rights in his own body and his legitimate material property are not invaded, are not aggressed against." The Struggle Against Authority by Rose Wilder Lane (Arno Press & The New York Times, NY; 1972 first published in 1943): "Freedom means self-control; no more, no less." The Ego & Its Own: The Case of The Individual Against Authority by Max Stirner (Rebel Press, London; 1982 — first published in German in 1845 as Der Einzige und sein Eigentum): "It is not recognized in the full amplitude of the word that all freedom is essentially self-liberation — that I can have only so much freedom as I procure for myself by my ownness." At the one extreme of this spectrum, aspirant freedom builders say, "In order to be free, I must change those who restrict my freedom." Adherents of this extreme emphatically believe that the actions of others are the only impediments to freedom. At the other extreme, aspirant freedom builders say, "In order to be free, I must liberate myself; I must develop my sell: control; I must overcome the factors within me that prevent me from being free." Adherents of this extreme emphatically believe that all the impediments to freedom are within the self.   Evolutionary Thinking   At an early age, I became aware of a "wall in my mind." Even then, I was extremely introspective. I was consciously aware of some of what was going on in my mind. But it was as if there was a "wall." I somehow "knew" that behind the wall "things" were going on that I couldn't "see." Starting in 1967, I got involved with a number of "self improvement methods," mostly regarded as "cults" by the mainstream. Some of these methods contributed to my finding out what was behind the "wall in my mind." Other methods enabled me to improve my thinking skills and become better at taking those actions that lead to the results I want. However, some "self-improvement" organizations have a "Janus-like" design — on the one hand, they help you remove "rubbish" from your mind; but on the other hand, they put their own brand of "rubbish" into your mind, in order to turn you into an obedient, self-sacrificing, loyal true believer. In 1972, I discovered freedom when I met up with a small group of libertarians in Johannesburg, South Africa. We had regular weekly discussions as a result of which my intellectual development took a quantum leap. I also read every freedom book I could lay my hands on. My thinking gradually evolved along phases: 1. Government should be limited; there are some things government must do; 2. There should be no government; everything can be done by the free market; 3. All "governmental" political systems are essentially hoaxes; the notions that there are in reality such things as "countries, " "nations, " "states " "governments. " etc. are a kind of collective hallucination. The people who masquerade as "government, ' 'president," etc. are liars and impostors. Those who believe these liars and impostors are suckers. 4. The notion that some of the noises and scribbles that emanate from the mouths and pens of the liars and impostors constitute "the law" (so-called) is quite absurd. In 1977, I decided that I was a free sovereign individual, not subject to hallucinated idols, institutions, and their noises and scribbles. Since then, my life has been an experiment to determine the extent to which I could live and prosper as a free sovereign individual in a world of people with notions very different from mine.   Early Attempts to Build Freedom   Around 1974, I got the idea that it must be possible to sell freedom and make a profit doing it. During the ensuing years I made various attempts to create organizations that would somehow sell freedom at a profit. Until 1993, all my attempts "failed." However, they were all valuable learning experiences. The process of "failing exposed my own weaknesses and areas of ignorance: I simply didn't know how to persuade others to work with me — my communication skills were insufficient. I didn't know how important it was to create valuable products and services people would gladly pay for. I didn't really know anything about business dynamics. I knew practically nothing about marketing. In order to become successful I had to build my competence. Freedom could be regarded as the ability to act. I also discovered that consciousness is something that needs to be developed and built. In general, you have to develop and build your own freedom first. I persistently asked the question: "If freedom is so good and so desirable, and so many great minds advocate it, then why do so many people seem to enjoy so little of it?" I constantly looked for the weaknesses in the ideas and practices of the leading freedom advocates. The Advent of Terra Libra   During March, 1993, a friend and I generated the idea of "Terra Libra" — a worldwide information-based free country with no borders and no territory. We launched Terra Libra with the grand capital sum of $250! The first step was to write a few reports to describe the concept and to start marketing them. We set it up so as to have Distributors who could help with the marketing and make some money doing so. In next to no time we had Distributors all over America and Europe. The reason Terra Libra got going so quickly is that it is based on a number of very powerful identifications: Individuals are free by nature, though very few people realize this — including very few freedom advocates. (See Rose Wilder Lane: The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority (Arno Press & The New York Times, NY; 1972 — first published in 1943) and Harry Browne: How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (Avon Books, NY; 1973).) It is possible for a determined individual to enjoy a high degree of freedom — practically anywhere in the world — despite the (hallucinated) political system and the (very real) gun-toting violators of freedom. It is further possible for a group of determined individuals to operate businesses that are largely free from the interference of the gun-toting violators of freedom. There are practical knowledge, methods, and skills that can be acquired to live free and prosper — called Freedom Technology — which includes the street-smart know-how to outwit and run rings around the "terrocrats" (agents of coercion or terrorist bureaucrats). The "Path of Least Resistance" — it is possible to organize or arrange your life and affairs in such a way that the path of least resistance automatically leads towards what you want to achieve. This principle and its application is covered in the book The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz (Ballantine Books, NY; 1989). Of the several thousand books I've read, it is by far the most valuable. The "Gap of Potential" — Bill Gates has been providing the software that advanced the personal computer from a low level of functionality to a much higher level. At the time he started there was a huge gap between where the personal computer was and where it could be. The difference was a gap of potential. By bridging this gap, Bill Gates became one of the richest men in the world Similarly, there is now a gap between where human beings are as functional entities and where they could be. This "human gap" is vastly greater than the "computer gap Bill Gates bridged to become a billionaire. Whoever provides the "human software" to bridge the "human gap" has the prospect of making Bill Gates a pauper by comparison. People don't have to be "educated" about freedom in order for them to take freedom-building actions. If you put the right "freedom things" in their environment (irrespective of whether they recognize the real nature of the "things"), the path of least resistance for them will be to take freedom-building actions, and they will do so. Anything that enables individuals to expand their freedom — increase their ability to act functionally — has extraordinary value because it enables individuals to create more value (and less "disvalue"). There is an extraordinarily large scope for developing freedom expanding products and services, marketing them, and getting people to implement them. In America, in some areas, like the Internal Revenue Service, some effective legal methods have been developed to stop bureaucrats in their attempt to violate the freedom of determined, knowledgeable individuals. Money is an important "freedom factor." In general, the more money you have, the more freedom you have to enjoy. Any products or services that can be provided — and anything that can be done — to enable people to make more money and to spend it as they wish, are great "freedom builders." The economic means to freedom is the shift of individuals, resources, and economic activities from the public and private sectors to the free-enterprise sector. We call this the "Terra Libra Shift." Terra Libra also happens to be the free enterprise sector of the world. Through the application of Freedom Technology, any reasonably determined and knowledgeable individual or group can practice free enterprise in most parts of the world. The power of tyrants (terrocrats) depends on support from the victims, particularly the financial or economic support. Remove the support and the tyrants lose their power. (See Etienne de la Boetie: The Politics of Obedience The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude (Free Life Editions, 41 Union Square, NY, NY 10003; 1975 — first published in 1562). The Terra Libra Shift — or economic means to freedom — removes the support on which the tyrants depend. In April, 1995, Terra Libra launched its Life Money Success ™ II (LMS 2) program, which enables individuals to make money while building freedom. For more information on this program and other employment opportunities contact Terra Libra, 2430 E. Roosevelt #998, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA; phone: (602) 234-3532; fax: (602) 234-1281; e-mail: terrahq@ix.netcom.com