Investmentocracy: A Challenge to Conventional Democratic Principles and a Framework for a New Free Society
First Edition Published March 17, 2009
Second Edition Published July 8, 2014
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This essay is part of a series of papers by Mr. Stolyarov discussing an improved constitutional blueprint for a free society. Such a constitution is now publicly available and is called the Freecharter.
Click here to download a free PDF version of the Second Edition of this paper.
Abstract
The system of investmentocracy, described and defended here, offers a viable alternative to the conventional democratic principles of “one man, one vote” and the illegitimacy of vote transfers and vote pooling among individuals. Investmentocracy, which rewards contributors to the government with a number of votes proportional to their contributions, permits a viable elimination of compulsory taxation. Investmentocracy also entails remedies for voter irrationality and strong protections for all individual rights, including the rights of non-contributors. I use the Freecharter, a constitution of my own design, to provide a specific framework within which investmentocracy can be viably embedded. Here, both protections for individual rights inherent to investmentocracy itself and protections contained in other parts of the Freecharter will be examined.
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Table of Contents
Section |
Page |
Abstract |
2 |
Introduction |
2 |
I. Existing
Literature Regarding Investmentocracy and CDPs |
|
1. Literature Regarding Investmentocracy |
3 |
2. Literature Critiquing Conventional
Democratic Principles |
5 |
II. Problems With
Conventional Democratic Principles |
|
3. Incompatibility of Compulsory Taxation
With Individual Rights |
9 |
4. Ownership Shares in Governmental
Entities |
10 |
5. Lack of Sanctity of the One Man, One
Vote Principle |
10 |
III. Mechanics of
Investmentocracy and the Transition from CDPs |
|
6. Investmentocracy and the Elimination
of Taxation |
11 |
7. Transferability of Votes Under
Investmentocracy |
12 |
8. Pooling of Votes Under
Investmentocracy |
12 |
9. Cosmopolitanism, Non-Discrimination,
and Investmentocracy |
13 |
10. Investmentocracy and Incentives for
Voter Rationality |
14 |
11. Defeating the “Social Quacks” Through
Investmentocracy |
15 |
12. The Transition from CDPs to
Investmentocracy |
16 |
IV. Resolution of Objections and Concerns Regarding Investmentocracy |
|
13. The Incentive to Invest |
17 |
14. The Welfare Loophole Addressed |
18 |
15. Why Investmentocracy Will Not Create a
Hereditary Aristocracy |
19 |
16. Why the Wealthiest Few Will Not Take
Over |
21 |
17. The Elimination of Forced Carrying and
the Mitigation of Free Riding |
25 |
18. Protecting Rights Under
Investmentocracy 18.1. Protections for Individual Rights Inherent to Investmentocracy 18.1a. Desire for Additional
Government Funding 18.1b. Fewer Reasons to
Oppress Non-Contributors 18.1c. Friedman’s Four Types
of Spending Under CDPs and Investmentocracy 18.2. Protections for Individual Rights External to Investmentocracy 18.2a. The Bill of Rights and
the Restrictive Clauses 18.2b. The Tricameral
Legislature
18.2c. The Nullifier 18.2d. The Opt-In Constitution |
29 29 29 30 31 32 32 36 38 40 |
Conclusion |
42 |
Appendix: The Freecharter:
A Constitution for a Society of Lasting Liberty |
44 |
Works Cited |
69 |
About Mr. Stolyarov |
72 |
Find out more about the Freecharter.
Works Cited
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Gennady Stolyarov II (G. Stolyarov II) is an actuary,
science-fiction novelist, independent philosophical essayist, poet, amateur
mathematician, composer, and Editor-in-Chief of The Rational Argumentator,
a magazine championing the principles of reason, rights, and progress.
In December 2013, Mr. Stolyarov published Death
is Wrong, an ambitious children’s book on life extension
illustrated by his wife Wendy. Death is Wrong can be found on Amazon in paperback
and Kindle
formats.
Mr. Stolyarov has contributed articles to the Institute for Ethics and
Emerging Technologies (IEET), The Wave Chronicle,
Le Québécois
Libre, Brighter
Brains Institute, Immortal
Life, Enter
Stage Right, Rebirth of Reason,
The Liberal Institute,
and the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Mr. Stolyarov also published his articles on Associated Content (subsequently
the Yahoo! Contributor Network) from 2007 until its closure in 2014, in an
effort to assist the spread of rational ideas. He held the highest Clout Level
(10) possible on the Yahoo! Contributor Network and was one of its Page View
Millionaires, with over 3.1 million views.
Mr. Stolyarov holds the professional insurance designations of
Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Associate of the Casualty
Actuarial Society (ACAS), Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA),
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe),
Associate in Regulation and Compliance (ARC), Associate in Personal Insurance
(API), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Accredited Insurance Examiner
(AIE), and Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF).
Mr. Stolyarov has written a science fiction novel, Eden against the Colossus,
a philosophical treatise, A Rational Cosmology,
a play, Implied
Consent, and a free self-help treatise, The Best
Self-Help is Free. You can watch his YouTube Videos.
Mr. Stolyarov can be contacted at gennadystolyarovii@gmail.com.
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Learn about Mr. Stolyarov's novel, Eden against the Colossus, here.Read Mr. Stolyarov's comprehensive treatise, A Rational Cosmology, explicating such terms as the universe, matter, space, time, sound, light, life, consciousness, and volition, here.