LRC entry on political and economic terms, as defined by Robert Anton Wilson, co-author of The Illuminatus! Trilogy, among others. This list is from here -- I'm not sure I remember reading it in the book or not, but anyway, good list.
You should read this book. It helps up the paranoia by a fair bit. Also read the political definitions below. Good Stuff.
Edited 2004-10-03, 10:54AM -- corrected spelling of 'Trilogy'
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).
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 with 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 with the Free Market in which commodities produced outside the State are not allowed to compete equally with those produced inside the State.
POLITICAL 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 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.
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