Do You Know Me? That's Why I Carry VAL: Voluntarism, Anarchism, Libertarianism

(Here’s a great  topic for your next Lib coffee or student/book-club discussion.)…Don’t start anything Libertarian without it! VAL is mnemonic used to teach libertarian core concepts in the early ’70′s by LIO. It still works today in getting you from coercion to just and free choice while getting around the many improper ‘definitions’ out there…so

• Voluntarism: Voluntary programs–users are often unconscious of the value of the progrtams. In some meanings does not necessarily include respect for rights so people use voluntaryism instead, especially to include very pacific behavior.
• Anarchism: 3 meanings–public order through choice and public awareness informed by data, secondarily communities on that basis especially traditional ones (mini-archies), and third reduction of all punition and enlargment of rights (Proudhon) as a social process based on education. Never means chaos or lack of law in Lib usage, BTW–that a hate usage by religious fanatics, the literal meaning of anarchism is no priest-kings–so many current Libs use self-government.It includes an ordered form: Mini-archism ( mini-archism is used more for the concept of best-practice proactive design, minarchism the general implementation which may have non-Lib characteristics: it may be implemented on less formal current anarchist lines: We used a minarchist approach for the mini-archist co-housing)  , based on the best-practice wisdom of archist communities since Ancient times that influenced surrounding cities–such as building in sanitation and straight roads ( grid system), eco-parks, community chests, democratic participation, common services such as libraries or a watch, etc. Mini-archism and anarchism are never treated as opposites: Minarchist community efforts are simply derived from traditional anarchist communities. Anarchism is about using either choice driven open networls or intentional communities. 
• Libertarianism: Combines the two but jettisons punishment and never builds in rights-violations and highly focused on co-op and non-authoritarian/open organization tools. Lib communities and programs have three interlocking forms–and what makes them Libertarian is they’re catalyzed by pledged libertarians. In some presentaion the acronym VALor was used to add on options and r ights. LIO-based eco-communities are a flexible model that incorprate many best-practices in civic design including intentional or designed by users free markets and pre-funding of services to avoid taxation.

The forms are:

1. Lib-oriented (if unconscious, Liberal)–secular and federal democracy friendly to voluntary programs and self-designed community choices–voluntarism at work. Think Hospers, Drucker, Robert’s Rules.
2. Lib-direction-highly voluntary focus, minor and unobtruusive government programs with adequate waivers to complete voluntarism–anarchism at work. Think Jefferson, Rothbard, Deming.
3. Strict Libertarian to LIO based community: Proactive designed eco-comunities on very easy completely voluntary basis–libertarian aware design at work. Think Art of Community by MacCallum, Hippodamos, MG’s model community and good efforts like Fuller’s and whatever best-practice LIO is encouraging as at the edge.

Libertarianism in social/civic matters refers to the process as a whole. To avoid confusion and better incorporate are increasingly Libertarian-conversant Liberal and social progressive friends, the term ‘Lib’ is often and increasingly used to denote the whole system and prevent confusion with any specific Libertarian application or level.

These are increasingly viable for different levels of interest. 1 works well for the average person who votes with his feet, 2 for the college educated or more options-aware who is active, and 3 for the dedicated who put in some time to make it work and like problem avoidance.

So get your head around core concepts of Voluntary options for all programs and Anarchist order via public awareness and you’ll not only naturally start helping improve civic and civil community but can begin to see the value of Libertarian-based ones from the start.

Finally, remember that these apply for all forms of social organization–co-ops, homes–not just what are commonly called governments.

Remember: VAL!

–RS, JH

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