This was written on 6/7/2019, but sat in my "drafts" folder for a little over six years. Why? I don't know. Perhaps because I was still pondering Spencer's theft. Anyway, I think it's time to publish it.
I think my son-in-law to be took some money from me. This hurts me (financially) a little, but only a little. It disqualifies him from
Cooperative Humanity's Ongoing Social Experiments Network - he is not CHOSEN. This network already exists because many entrepreneurs are running companies that promote good ideas. Kickstarter is a good example, but by issuing 1099-Ks, they act as though the IRS is also part of CHOSEN, and this documentary is the evidence that the IRS is not.
The IRS hurts people, and that disqualifies them. The federal government acts like the IRS is part of CHOSEN by supporting it in all the ways that it supports the IRS. Notably, judges in tax court ignore the promises the federal government has made about how it would collect revenue. CHOSE fails when it ignores the promises it makes, so any person or group that does so excludes itself from CHOSEN.
The income tax was designed to benefit an organization that is supposed to be encouraging cooperation and peace by collecting a little bit of whatever those associated with it can earn through their association with it. This is why Hubbard included "privilege" in the two groups of things on which the income tax is an excise tax. CHOSE will grant privileges too. They have been open to everyone, but it's relatively easy to exclude yourself (as the IRS did).
Essentially, CHOSEN is a network of mutual marketing agreements, providing the public with access to read or add information that might help or exclude a person or group. Cooperation with someone who hurts people excludes you from CHOSEN. For example, Kickstarter and its policy of providing 1099-Ks even when they have no evidence that a project creator is using federal privilege (
or even manufacturing alcohol or firearms or otherwise liable for the income tax) hurts people by exposing their otherwise private information to someone (the IRS) not in the network.
A couple days ago, I was working on a tough problem for the company that used to be my largest client. I had an emotional breakdown and didn't understand why. Yesterday, I told them I won't work for them any more, essentially because a portion of what I earn is being extorted from me by the IRS. I tried to stop it using the law as written, and it looks like I failed. They will keep giving the IRS a reason to demand part of what I earn, and this excludes them from my network.
Our video editor, Matt, suggested that I read a book on fasting by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The book explains that eating parts of animals introduces toxins into our bodies which our bodies retain. Eventually, these toxins can create disease. Fuhrman explains that if you go vegan, your body will be able to start ridding itself of the toxins, and if you stop eating altogether and only drink water for a while, the process goes much faster. Yes, this is relevant...
The universe is holographic. That means that what is happening in a small part is happening everywhere. I am (just like each living creature) the thing that the universe wants to do at my present location. What it wants to do is stop using fear and punishment, to stop creating unnecessary suffering. This was a major epiphany for me this morning. Meanwhile, Kim noticed my weight has dropped a little and wants me to eat more protein. She felt that my emotional breakdown came from a lack of protein, but we haven't found any evidence that emotional instability is a symptom of a deficiency in protein. Ernie is a vegetarian, but eats cheese too. He's been in my life for several years.
As people realize that they too would like to eliminate fear and punishment and reduce the amount of suffering they cause, they will want to be part of this network. Our job is to exclude those who refuse to make the effort. For example, Kickstarter (and GoFundMe, and all the fundraiser companies) could let their accountants and lawyers and the IRS know that without some proof that a project creator is actually engaged in a taxable activity, no 1099 will be issued. They can justify this position with a reference to
26 USC 7434 which makes it illegal to submit fraudulent information returns. This would bring Kickstarter back into CHOSEN where it belongs (along with the rest of the private economy).
People in the freedom movement have been operating on the basis of CHOSE for a long time, but we have never had an acronym that summed it up well. The terms we've used, like
voluntaryism and
Libertarian have been abused and "doublethinked" - well, I'm thinking more of
anarchy with the doublethink - and in many of the billions of conversations we've had,
shunning and
ostracism have been offered as enforcement mechanisms, but nothing official could be made. There are too many good people who feel that officialdom is the purview of the state, and we refuse to be the state. Well, CHOSE has official policy, and it is that if you help a person or institution that hurts people as a matter of policy, then you are excluded. (Hurting animals, as required by those who eat meat, is not forbidden - maybe some day, Ernie).
I used to be cynical and blunt, and I'd describe beautiful things in the ugliest way possible to see if they still held some attraction for me. In that spirit (because it was effective - just depressing and demoralizing, so hang onto the good vibes for a second while I stress them out), I see CHOSEN as "just another exclusionary marketing effort to try to achieve some kind of utopia." I admit it, but I submit that using that as a reason to cut yourself out of it - either by continuing to pretend the tax laws work as they are implemented, or that what the IRS does is OK, or otherwise creating unnecessary suffering - is foolish.
