Free-market Ecology

by Colin Wilkinson

On Sat. June 20, MNLG had a picnic and with some speeches and exhibits on Free Market Ecology. A lot of topics were covered but the term Free market Ecology wasn’t completely defined. I didn’t speak but maybe I should have. Here is what I would have said:

There is a new Political Re-alignment happening. The voters of the country are dividing along this divide: Authoritarian Socialist Environmentalist vs. Constitutionalists Capitalist Ecologist. I will concentrate on Environmentalist/Ecologist part of the formula.

Environmentalism is the big picture, the whole world and we all want to love and “preserve” it. The people like John Muir spoke in terms of philosophy and idealism. Today it seems best described as theology and dogma.

Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships of plants, animals and the natural systems of the world.

When I was in school I was taught that we use Ecology to understand the Environment.

To an Ecologist human beings are a part of the system and they and their effects should be rationally studied along with everything else. To a modern Environmentalist especially one who says he is a “deep green”, Humans are a problem. They aren’t really part of the environment and actually are a positive harm to the environment. We have all heard the old “humanity is a cancer on the planet” line for years.

Free market ecology posits that free people freely exchanging their goods, ideas and real estate are a benefit to the environment and that nature will thrive in this regime.

While some environmentalists do value the market, most feel that the Environment is best protected by Government. And that Governmental ownership management and control of as much of the environment as possible is a positive common good.

I got into the fight years ago. Terms like the 5^th amendment, eminent domain, property right, senior property right, takings and the Endangered Species Act were sprinkled through my conversations. Out west my friends were the “Sagebrush Rebellion” up North they were the “Jackpine Savages”, down south they were the Rednecks and Hillbillies. All these folks wanted was their American right to live on their land and thrive where they lived. The EPA, the Dept. of Interior, The US Congress and Judiciary and others had a different plan.

I was a member of a group called the River Warren Research Committee (RWRC), a group dedicated to Free Market Ecology. What follows are some excerpts from our literature. While written in 1993, it is still true.

The RWRC is optimistic about the future… but this optimism is colored by the realization that there are two fundamental truths people must learn and accept, or the future will indeed be bleak for us all.

1. Individual Liberty for all is good for us all.
2. Private Property is the Bedrock of Individual Liberty.

The number one threat to Private Property Rights in America today is ENVIRONMENTALISM!!

Environmentalism today is Government regulation of as much human activity as possible. Instead of fixing anything, environmentalism just keeps finding new things to complain about, and is always looking for someone to sue. Instead of acknowledging when something is fine, environmentalism seeks to find something wrong with it.

The one thing environmentalism has successfully accomplished is to sell The Big Lie, and create government sponsored, supported and enforced market for environmental hucksters.

The truth is, 90 percent of environmentalist rhetoric is gross exaggeration of actual, physical conditions; along with wildly speculative explanations and solutions for the so-called problems. Explanations and solutions mind you, that frequently ignore the Laws of Physics.

In most cases, the true state of affairs warrants no alarm. Yet this irrational environmentalist attitude is used to justify ever more regulation, thus taking away more Private Property Rights and Individual Liberties.

We must all question Environmentalism!

Further research has shown that, despite the good intentions of grass-roots activists, environmentalism is dominated by socialists. Local supporters are primarily unwitting dupes convinced by smooth-talking fear-peddling swindlers that we “must save” this “planet in peril” or all will DIE!

The ultimate goal of Environmentalism is government control over any activity that may “impact” the environment. Ultimately, this means everything.

As long as the general public believes the Environment is threatened, and only extensive government regulation can protect it, your Liberty and Prosperity are in jeopardy.

The Communist Manifesto has 10 points; The River Warren Research Committee has 15:

1. RWRC cares deeply about the future of America and the world.
2. RWRC knows that free people, not government made America great.
3. RWRC thinks all but the most basic government acts do more harm than good.
4. RWRC assumes the best person to decide how your money is spent is you.
5. RWRC is determined to have truth in government.
6. RWRC believes truth is best reached through local decision-making.
7. RWRC endorses major cuts in government spending and regulating.
8. RWRC is reality-based not legality-based.
9. RWRC recognizes that nature is not fragile. It is chaotically evolutionary and infinitely adaptable.
10. RWRC knows the general public has been insidiously misled by the flawed, fear-mongering “environmentalist” agenda.
11. RWRC doesn’t endorse trashing the planet, but is confident Earth is not threatened by some dire calamity brought on by human industry.
12. RWRC contends only big government can amass the resources necessary to create any serious threat. Keep government small and we will be fine.
13. RWRC finds most local and regional “environmental” issues are usually as overblown as global issues, and that real problems are often caused or aggravated by government involvement.
14. RWRC recognizes The Natural Way is one of free, self governing agents actively engaged in the selfish pursuit of their own private interests, bound only by the universal constraints governing matter and energy.
15. RWRC believes people are basically good, kind individuals who, through free association, can take care of themselves and their little chunk of the world without Big Nanny watching over them.
    

The RWRC is a general interest group amid a plethora of Special Interest Groups. RWRC want few laws strictly enforced not a multitude of laws arbitrarily enforced.

I hope this is helpful. There is a facebook group called Free Market Ecologists. Go check it out.