A lot of people would like to sell their skills online, open a business, or offer goods for sale internationally. But while all these things are possible in theory, making them a practical reality is much more complicated than many entrepreneurs imagine at the outset. The sheer number of rules and regulations in the market economy makes it difficult for the average person to get ahead. And that’s a massive cause for concern for anyone wanting to live a free, prosperous and successful life.
Regulations and taxes are always justified using what you might call the argument from effect. If there weren’t regulations, people say, then society would crumble, and companies would exploit workers and destroy the environment. Similarly with taxes. How would the world function if governments didn’t make people pay them for public services?
There is, however, another way of viewing the current economic setup. Regulations aren’t tools to keep the average person safe. Instead, they’re cleverly-justified barriers to keep them down.
Government action is just the tip of the iceberg. Global DTSS fraud, for instance, means that the entire financial system is primarily set up to oppress the creators of value. Major banks generate money out of thin air, instantly transferring purchasing power away from productive individuals and towards those who get the newly-minted credit first.
When people discover the truth of the economic system, their first instinct is shock. Can it really be that way? Then they go through a process of denial. They say things to themselves like, “my life is good materially, so why do I need to worry about what bankers and regulators are doing?”
The answer is that it still makes a difference. On a basic level, it robs you of the freedom to which you’re entitled as a human being. Furthermore, it keeps you trapped in a cycle of wage-earning you can’t escape. Every day, you have to get up to work because the cost of living is so high. The vast majority of people have no choice whatever. And finally, it impedes your ability to do meaningful work. The risks of starting a business are now so high; most people don’t bother (even if they have a great idea).
Living Free In An Unfree World
So how do you live free in an economically unfree world? What do entrepreneurs need to do to push back against the intrusions on their freedom?
Living free is all about not allowing the powers that be to tax you twice. You already have to fill out a tax return once per year and submit yourself to compliance duties. The last thing you want is to go around thinking about it too. The banks and state are just going to do what they’re going to do, and there’s not a great deal you can do about it right now. For that reason, smart entrepreneurs understand that there’s no point focusing your emotional energy on it. You’re much better off adopting the stoic principle and concetrating on the things in your life that you can control and running with that.
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