Ladies and Gentlemen,

Permit me to apologize for this intrusion. Unfortunately, I'm at a loss for a better way to get your attention. You'll see that I've made no alterations to your page. You also have my word that I've not taken any liberties with your personal information. And, if you dislike this message, you are always free to delete it. I think You will see that I have no malicious intentions.

To the contrary, I'm trying to help you.

I hope that this is of some consolation and I hope that you will forgive me. I think that you have noticed that there is something very wrong with the way that we are living. Something that goes to the very source of our world view is deeply flawed. We've learned not to question a very fundamental premise that is harming many aspects of our lives. Errors in the premises of our thinking *are?* propogated through all conclusions that we draw. When a structure is built on a poor foundation, this error will affect the entire building and result in deep flaws of the finished product. The realm of ideas operates in the same fashion. Bad assumptions will corrupt the conclusions of even the best logic.

We currently stand at "Morton's Fork". That is a choice between two alternatives we assume to be unavoidable. We accept the assumption that in order for men to live peacably with each other, we must be divided between either controlling forces and subservient forces. Kings and peasants, master and slave, ruler and the ruled. Although we do not have a King in name today, the situation has scarecly changed. In this country, founders hoped to create a society of freed men, instead of a true revolution, we've had a sort of coup of the head of state. The King has been replaced by this vague idea of the collective, the popular vote, the state. The end result is a faceless government with a voice of only the most influential. The existance of this power relationship is a forgone conclusion. Control is assumed to be essential. We've looked so long at a *hoptian?* myth that we have made ourselves blind to the alternative. We can scarecely imagine a life without a master above us. As a result of our flawed premesis, neither the slaves nor the master are really free. The course of their lives are determined by the system that they will not deny.

The ancient city-state of Sparta is a good example. Sparta's food was produced by the Helots, groups of people whom the Spartans had subjugated. Sparta's livlihood was dependant upon the food grown by it's slaves. That's why all Spartan men were trained from childhood to be soldiers. The Spartan army had to be prepared to suppress a slave revolt at any time. Neither the Spartans nor the Helots were truly free. The Helots spent their lives working for the Spartans,and the Spartans had to spend their lives fighting rebellious Helots. A Spartan was not free to choose to pursue other professions such as blacksmithing, farming, or philosophy. If he did not fight, his slaves would rebel, and the social order would be undone. If this status quo comes at such great cost to it's servants, then wehy do we not cast it off?

The answer is in the second result of a master-slave society: Violence. Every law and dictate comes with the whisper of a death threat. If you disobey the law and, for instance, refuse to pay taxes because They fund activities you disagree with, like our wars, for example (which you... didn't vote on, by the way...), then you threaten the status quo. The state can *thrive?* and plunder, only if it will harm or kill you for disobedience. Of course, the police and courts will fine you first, but if you resist then you will be imprisoned. And, if you continue to resist, then the police will kill you. No exceptions. Every law, no matter how trivial will be enforced with violence against you. Remember those words... against... me. A government that operates through coercive force is also pointing it's guns at you every... single... day. Violence and the threat of violence is the only way this system can be maintained. And after all, how elese can you enforce slavery *laughs* police don't arm themselves with *hackwords* and flowers. In this country, even talking about resisting the force of government is met with imprisonment or murder. The President has already even said "American citizens accused of terrorism (and they don't just mean Muslims) can be indefinately tortured and killed." All this based on the mere accusation of resisting the violence of government. No proof is necessary. All this has been massively veiled with the guise of our own protection. None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe that they are free. *sounds like he's taking a hit*... It is senseless to live the life of slaves, we must demand real freedom, even if it is met with opposition. We can begin only by denying "Morton's Fork." We do not have to live either as a master or a slave. A state or it's servant. We can live with each other as free men. The shackles that enslave us exist only our mind. And that is where this fight begins.

You are a soldier on the battlefield of ideas. Liberate yourself from these tired ideas, tear down the assumptions forced upon you by those who would deny you your freedom. The arbitrary morality and illogical assumptions of the old status quo will crumble for reason, if only but to question it. Replaced with a new principaled foundation of ideas. Your life is your own. You have a right to your life, liberty and property.

Let this spark of reason illuminate the darkness of willful ignorance. If you allow it, this spark can become a flame of conviction that even a daily dogma *something* double-speak cries of threats will be unalbe to quench. You can no longer afford to stand idle. It's time to take action. Tell someone. Put your ideas in writing. Make yourself heard.

I can't tell you what to do next, and that would completely defeat the purpose. But for your own sake, do something. We cannot wait for somebody else to save us and this battle becomes more difficult with every minute that you waste.

Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred ammaturity. Immarturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if it's cause is not lack of understanding but lac of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. THe motto of enlightemnet is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding! Lazinss and cowardice are the reasons why such a large porportion of men, even when nature has long emancipated them from alien guidance (naturaliter malorennos), neverthelss gladly remain immature for life. For the same reasons, it's all too easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians. It is so convenient to be immature! If I have a book to have understanding in place of me, a spiritual advisor to have a conscience for me, a doctor to judge my diet for me, and so on, I need not make any efforts at all. i need not think, so long as I can pay; others will soon enough take the tiresome job over for me. The guardians who have kindly taken upon themselves the work of supervision will soon see to it that by far the largest part of mankind (including the entire fair sex0 should consider the step forward to maturity not only as difficult but also as highly dangerous. Having first infatuated their domesticated animals, and carefully prevented the docile creatures from daring to take a single step without the leading-strings to which they are tied, they next show them the danger which threatens them if they try to walk unaided. Now this danger is not in fact so very great, for tehy would certainly learn to walk eventually after a few falls. But an example of this kind is intimidating and usually frightens them off from further attempts. Thus it is difficult for each separate individual to work his way out of the immaturity which has become almost second nature to him. He has even grown fond of it and is really incapable ofr the time time being of using his own understanding because he was never allowed to make the attempt. Dogmas and formulas, those mechanical instruments for rational use (or rather misuse) of his natural endowments, are the ball and chain of his permanent immaturity. And if anyone did throw them off, he would stillb e uncertain about jumping over even the narrowest of trenches, for he would be unaccustomed to free movement of this kind. Thus only a few, by cultivating their own minds, have succeeded in freeing themselves from immaturity and in continueing boldly on their way - Immanuel Kant

Man can live and satisfy his wants only by ceasless labor; by the ceasless application of his faculties to natural resources. This process is the origin of peroprty. But it is also true that a man may not live and satisfy his wants by seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others. This process is the origin of plunder. Now since man is naturallly inclined to avoid pain - and since labor is pain in itself - it follows that men willr esult to plunder whenever plunder is easier than work. History shows this quite clearly. And under those conditions, neither religion nor morality cna stop it. When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it become smore painful and more dangerous than labor. It is evident, then, that the proper purpose of law is to use the power of it's collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunder instead of to work. All the measures of the law should protect peroperty and punish plunder. But, generally, the law is made by one man or one class of men. And since laaw cannot operate without the sanction and support of a dominating force, this force must be entrusted to those who make the laws. This fact, combined with the fatal tendency that exists in the heart of man to satisfy his wants with the least possible effort, explains the almost universal perversion of the law. Thus it is easy to understand thow law, instead of checking injustice, becomes the invincible weapon of injustice. It is easy to understand why teh law is used by the legislator to destroy in varying degrees among the rest of the people, their personal independence by slavery, their liberty by oppression, and their property by plunder. This is done for the benefit of the person who makes the law, and in proportion to the power that he holds. - Frederic Bastiat