Greetings all, I'm Mark, an enthusiastic supporter of honest, mutually beneficial prosperity. This blog is dedicated to that end, and in opposition to all forms of economic corruption and injustice. If you trust a real free market with sound money and secure contracts, and believe such a system allows for greater opportunity, liberty, and success, I encourage you to read on and begin to realize your true worth (bad news for Madoffs, good news for you!). If you place your trust in an artificial economy that was designed by a cartel, allows private executives to burglarize citizens, and that borrows against your children's futures, that's fine too. That's the great news! There is no coercion or deception involved—just honest people exchanging their abilities, ideas, and entrepreneurial spirit to enhance productivity for mutual success.
Where does the name "Agora Cadre" come from? Glad you asked...
The Agora (Greek: Ἀγορά, Agorá) was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states. Early in Greek history (900s–700s BC), free-born male land-owners who were citizens would gather in the agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the agora also served as a marketplace where merchants kept stalls or shops to sell their goods amid colonnades. From this twin function of the agora as a political and commercial space came the two Greek verbs αγοράζω, agorázō, "I shop", and αγορεύω, agoreýō, "I speak in public". The word agoraphobia, the fear of critical public situations, derives from agora in its meaning as a gathering place.
The Forum was the Roman equivalent of the Agora. [Wiki]
Don't worry, you don't need to be male, a land-owner, or a soldier to get involved, and togas are completely optional. All you need is a healthy dose of trust in your neighbors and an attitude of cheerful service to your local community. (Or, you can put all this trust in faceless people far away who redistribute your money/time/resources to folks they have never met. Absolutely your choice!).
"Is this legal? Aren't you talking tax evasion?" Absolutely not! Agora Cadre does not believe in breaking the law, quite the contrary: the law is what we believe needs to be respected. But, it must be acknowledged that:
No legitimate law obstructs the willful collaboration of mutually benefiting partners that spontaneously results from honesty, charity, and good-will.
Agora is essentially a volunteer charitable organization committed to maintaining an orderly society (which is far more than can be said for many enterprises in the financial services industry). Consider this: all business expenses are tax deductible. When you trade services without exchanging currency, you are simply avoiding paperwork. You only pay taxes on profits. But, since there is no currency exchanged, you won't need to worry about making a profit. Sound risky? Welcome to the 21st century. Remember your federal treasury secretary's head almost exploded in panic just a couple years ago. Our elected bureaucrats are seriously considering a socialized health care system(!) Want security? Get to know your neighbors, how they work, what they do, and who they know. These things form the basis for a true civil, secure economy and society.
If you know economics and fiat currency, you know our nation is walking on thin ice. If the dollar does finally collapse and the savings of our nation is wiped out, opportunity for the industrious will be at a pinnacle, and organizations like Agora will be in the best position to benefit and restore order.
From my experience, the folks at Agora Cadre believe in the amazing capacity of individual ingenuity. Whatever your skills or abilities, they are best applied and rewarded in an environment of openness and direct interaction.
If you build houses, you are the greatest value to your client directly (rather than through some faceless, wasteful third-party bureaucracy).
If you want to hire someone to build your house, the best value comes from builders directly (rather than through some faceless, wasteful third-party bureaucracy).
It works for the impoverished too!
If you are a homeless beggar without any income, you are best helped by an individual philanthropist capable of giving you a hand (rather than through some faceless, wasteful third-party bureaucracy).
If you are a philanthropist, your money is best spent by giving to people who actually need your help (rather than those attempting to rob you through a government that subsidizes laziness).
Alright, that's enough for now. I'll discuss more about how Agora is intrinsically fused with common sense soon. But, for now, welcome!
Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question. -Thomas Jefferson
