Editorial
A Happy New Year and Many New Schemes!
First, allow me to wish all our readers and viewers a happy new year. This has been a year of growth for our modest publication, and we regularly receive upwards of 20-25 million hits a month. I hope your endeavors have achieved even greater success – however you measure it – in a difficult economic environment.
We've wanted to be part of what we knew would be an important, emergent conversation in this era of the Internet. We wanted the ability to provide input because we are free-market oriented; too often the reality of free-market arguments (as opposed to a merely cosmetic display) are insufficiently argued. The powers-that-be don't like competitive markets and will do almost anything to downplay them and confuse people about their reality.
Thus, predictably, we've ended up on the "bleeding edge," defending libertarian ideas from the many well-meaning "big thinkers" that have "better ideas" on how to run society and create a fair money supply that will not oppress people.
Years ago, reading Murray Rothbard, it seemed fairly self-evident to me: Only the market could decide what was best for people and money. But inevitably people themselves interfere with this idea!
There are so many people who have a way ... a better scheme. Too often, they want to use force to achieve it. Too bad. People lack historical memory. We are born and die almost in an instant and are prone to all sorts of misperceptions in the meantime. This is especially evident when it comes to money.
Money is THE most important element in a fair society and, if abused and perverted, can lead to untold misery. In the modern day, it has given rise – thanks to the current Internet Reformation – to a number of alternative money perspectives, many of which go out of their way to disintermediate gold and silver for some reason.
The idea apparently is that gold and silver give powerful people an unfair advantage within the context of a monetary system. We are not so sure. Gold and silver artifacts have been dated to thousands of years ago. The instinct to treasure gold and silver is not, say ... a Zionist plot. "Banksters" did not invent man's attraction to money metals.
But there it is. Thanks to Ellen Brown and others (we predicted it almost three years ago now) the idea that people can "print" their way to prosperity has made a comeback. Whether it is "social credit" (the most recent eruption) or "greenback"-ery or even the idea of central banking (in its current incarnation), people are endlessly convinced that money can simply be printed and acquire inherent value.
Of course, there is nothing that disallows people from believing money is anything they wish it to be. In fact, Austrian free-market theory provides this illumination. If people want to use sand as a conduit of value they're welcome to do so.
But that is a far cry from using the force of government to create a consensus as to what money is. Many of these schemes seem to mandate that people need to be forced into using some sort of currency for their own good. Everybody has a better idea on how to "organize" society so there is no want nor sickness.
In fact, there ARE no better schemes. The best scheme is "none at all." This is perhaps the default that will be realized as the CURRENT scheme collapses into chaos – including central banking. Once that happens, people may be free to adopt what seems to be most logical to them without the recommendations of the "wise men."
What would a free society look like in reality? Well, absent military coercion of the many by the few, human beings would tend intimately to relate to about 150 others ... that's the biological limit, apparently. And groups of people would probably relate to other groups of people informally – regionally and nationally.
Business would relate similarly in flexible partnerships. If there were corporations, they might be more constrained than currently as people would have to agree voluntarily to their formation and stipulations.
Such a society would likely be more rural and agrarian than current socialites. Cities might be smaller. Populations might be further dispersed. Innovation actually might be increased as there would be no system of patents to retard innovation.
People would have to enforce their own intellectual copyright on an ad hoc basis rather than turning to the state to do it for them. Pop stars, therefore, would tour a lot more. Actors would not make so much money and would have to perform on stage for a living. The salaries of sports stars might be similarly downgraded. Generally, the pools of money available to people would shrink. Disparities of income might lessen.
Ironically, within the ambit of this sort of anarchical relationship there would be no need to specific national geographies. People would define their nationality by language probably, but the physical reality of nation-state borders probably would not be necessary.
Would there be a necessity for taxes? Probably not. Taxes were initially tributes, so far as we can tell, and have little or no relevance to the creation or upkeep of public facilities. Most governments, in fact, are very bad at planning for the upkeep of the vast public works created with initial taxes. It would be preferable to let private industry create necessary infrastructure. But then government could not collect taxes or generate the bureaucratic snooping that often accompanies them!
Importantly, state-run monopoly public justice would be a thing of the past. Instead of having the state create laws via legislatures, and enforce laws via state supported police, courts, judges, prosecutors and penitentiaries, people would return to the laissez faire justice that worked well for so long.
Such lower-case common law legal systems have been prevalent throughout the history of humankind for tens of thousands of years. People protected themselves via elaborate dueling mechanisms, the threat of vendettas and, of course, by turning to wise men or judges-for-hire to settle disputes. There was no need for elaborate incarceration measures and no vast penal system to impoverish and ruin families forever.
Military defense, as well, might be created via informal liaisons on an ad-hoc basis as they have in the past. Wars of aggression would surely be less tempting, as these enrich the few at the expense of the many.
Notice we are not presenting a scheme, dear reader. We are merely suggesting what a society might look like in lieu of the full collapse of the current one. There ARE other ways of living and producing – and of using money. But probably the best that can be hoped for is that some of the current viciousness and centralization of the powers-that-be is ameliorated following any collapse.
In such a situation, groups of people would develop their own solutions over time, as they have in the past. I think we'd be surprised by what we might see, though I would venture a guess that gold and silver would figure in many monetary structures as they have before.
Happy New Year! May this next year bring you prosperity and progress in realizing your personal and familial goals. Take human action and remain positive and energized.
l 
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Posted by Bluebird on 01/03/12 12:59 PM
Hey! You fixed it! My IE is now working on this site. Yay! Everything is back to normal. Thank you.
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Posted by Merridth80 on 01/03/12 06:37 AM
Dear Mr. Wiley:
Do you know that you rating/scoring does not work. It highlights the area your cursor points to but does not seem to take the click. and no ratings appear.
Reply from The Daily Bell
Maybe it depends on the browser. We're working on it ...
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Posted by Bluebird on 01/02/12 12:21 PM
Thank you, Daily Bell. I also followed Pete's advice and checked my add-ons. Bad move considering my limited knowledge. Now other things are not working that I wanted to work, namely the green circles that say whether a search is safe. One thing I disabled was skype, which I thought was a phone helper I will not use. But pay back is not good. Other add-ons jumped in there I did not ask for. UGH!
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Posted by Bluebird on 01/02/12 10:06 AM
Good morning. Thank you for replying, Daily Bell and Pete 8. I am still blocked by IE and it is the financial snapshot that is blocked. The videos are there most of the time now. I keep checking back to see and no one else seems to be having trouble. ;-) I did wonder if it was because I share the state with Mr. The-internet-should-never-have-been-invented. ;-) I decided I was getting too paranoid. Ha. I don't know what add-ons are necessary, but will go check my browser. Thank you.
Reply from The Daily Bell
We are looking into this ...
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Posted by Agent Pete 8 on 01/02/12 05:17 AM
Try disabling uncessary Addons in IE: Tools Manage Addons...
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Posted by thinker70 on 01/01/12 04:41 PM
You are stating this as a positive with no evidence other than "Jewish tradition" and they are just as deceived as any other religious group according to Rev. 12:9! If you read the entire book of Jeremiah you will see that JUDAH, (Jews) followed Israel (northern 10 tribes) into apostasy. Their calendar being primarily based on that of Babylon (where they went in captivity) for Sabbath breaking is just as corrupted by pagan traditions as the Gregorian.
It is true there are7 Gregorian months between March and Sept. but Deut 14 is CLEAR that the Feast of Tabernacles is when all the tithes of the lands production are brought into the storehouses, and since that includes olive oil which is often not harvested until as late as early Nov. that would put the New Year from very late April or into May depending on the varying length of the Biblical year.
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Posted by DwightMann on 01/01/12 01:19 PM
May an(Mayan)excellent and enterprising New Year and New Age dawn upon all the readers of this wonderful
Site. . .
Terrible attempt at a pun. . .
I do agree!
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Posted by FLEAGLE on 01/01/12 11:03 AM
Vigilence. Incrementalism (spit).
America! . . . desecrated;foundations under mortal siege.
But We are a young Nation; ... with growing pains.
Perhaps we'll return 'on course'and recover the admiration of those thirsty for Liberty,ethics and noble enterprise;friendly collaboration and competition. On the other hand,when was that.Ever?
There'll always be 'bad guys'.(The devil does push ups on your doorstep).
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; and timely action.Understanding,compassion and fortitude. Put fear in a box.
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Posted by FLEAGLE on 01/01/12 10:50 AM
You 'guys' "Rock" (in the current American vernacular).
HAPPY NEW YEAR DAILY BELL and Staff! Keep on keeping on; give up no ground regarding speech,Truth and fearless Opinion.
Never let'em see You sweat.
Pass the egg nog!
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Posted by oneman on 01/01/12 10:39 AM
Even though I am not a frequent commenter, I want to take this opportunity to echo the thanks for DB - and all the more frequent commentators. You have ALL given me so much, and I appreciate you all!
Reading DB gives me cause to recall Mr. Nock's "Remnant". Thanks to one and all, for assuring me that all is not lost!
A very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year to one and all! (well, I CAN hope, can't I?) LOL!
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Posted by Spectator on 01/01/12 08:34 AM
Happy New Year to the Bell, the elves, and even the gnomes (someone has to do the heavy lifting).
And good on you for interviewing Catherine Fitts.
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Posted by Merridth80 on 01/01/12 05:29 AM
Happy new year to you and your elves!! Thank you for giving a partial glimpse to what it was like when I was very young.
Then taxes were very low, nor were you forced to retain any city services. You weren't forced to pay for remedial services if you didn't use as much of a service as your neighbor! You could let out your pet (a 24 ounce dog) without having to be visited by the Police!
You weren't checked out if you wanted to go to a distant place to see a relative!
And yes I am talking about the U.S, of A.
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Posted by herrfaust on 01/01/12 04:51 AM
Happy new year to Anthony and the Elves!
Love your site very much. It really is a gem.
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Posted by clark on 01/01/12 02:14 AM
"Take human action and remain positive and energized."
Nice quote. One I would have used a while back (decades ago?) with enthusiasm.
gfeeze, I think I lost my MoJo somewhere along the line and I can't find the thing. ... Funny how things work out. Maybe that's why I can't see the reasons to be positive,... or energized.
kenn wrote, "If one thinks, one doesn't have to believe."
Psft, I find that to be untrue. It seems to be just the opposite, IMHO.
Dang, as Frank wrote, "America COULD start to do the right things again, but I'm somehow not optimistic."
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Posted by samson on 01/01/12 12:03 AM
The best of New Years to you & your staff Mr Wile. I've been a observer for
over 80 years. As a young man I wore "Elect Wilkie" buttons on my jacket. I served my country in WWII & Korea. Since that time the depreciation of individual moral values have been in gradual decline. Corruption in all
government offices from local to the President, have sunken to depths that
frighten me. This country has permitted election of an unknown Socialist to
Commander in Chief of our once great nation. The stepping stone to totalitar-
ianism is within his grasp. What would prevent him from declaring a National
Emergency, demanding the Armed Forces loyalty, and cancel the 2012 Election
(ala Adolph Hitler)? Today, Obama signed into law the Defence Bill which permits the arrest & incareration of US citizens w/o the protection of Habeas Corpus.
Your New Years commentary would only be possible on Earth if 70% of its pop-
ulation were exterminated. We currently have to play the hand we have been
dealt. If mankind doesn't wake immediately, NOW, we will be too late to stop the destruction of the LIBERTY, and the FREEDOMS, granted by our Constitut- ion & the BILL of RIGHTS. The one world crowd are extremely pleased with
their agenda nearing fullfillment of control of the masses.
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Posted by bogunnar on 12/31/11 09:40 PM
In a free market MONEYS are THOSE GOODS that are most easily traded for any other goods.
Green paper seems like poor goods indeed.
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Posted by Agent Pete 8 on 12/31/11 08:47 PM
Thankyou All DB for such stunning works.
The resonant ring of the The Daily Bell and commenters cuts clear cross the mainstream's diminished augmented discord.
Happy New Year to All.
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Posted by penelope on 12/31/11 08:05 PM
A Very Blessed New Year to you Anthony Wile, your family, the Elves and feed-backers. Thank you for stretching my aging but still enquiring mind.
Penny.
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Posted by Cupitor on 12/31/11 07:52 PM
Thank you DB for your commentary on world affairs with the dominant social themes and structures behind them - it has opened my mind to new concepts not considered in the time I been a subscriber. Knowledge is everything
Best wishes and Happy New year to Mr Wile and company and all DB'ers
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Posted by Bluebird on 12/31/11 06:20 PM
I just wanted to also say Happy New Year to all. I hope it is a better year. Note: I had to get a different browser to post. Is no one else having trouble with IE here today? Any ideas why it would not let me post or even vote?
Reply from The Daily Bell
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We'll look into it ...
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