Stand Up for Liberty! Table of Contents
Stand Up for Liberty!
Introduction to Chapters Eleven through Thirteen
Implementing the Marketplace of Ideas
Why do we want a marketplace of ideas? How would it be different from the policies and procedures that we already have in place?
The why is easy. Our resources are going to get us the Alphabet, the Numbers, and the V's of Victory. How do we best develop those resources? Where do we apply those resources? The Marketplace of Ideas uses market techniques to answer some of these questions. The free market is the most efficient way to direct investment in industry and commerce. The free Marketplace of Ideas is the most efficient way to direct and apply libertarian resources to libertarian political action.
The next three chapters treat three topics:
First, where did I find the notion of a "Marketplace of Ideas"? We all know what a market is, and have some notion of what an idea is, but how can you have a market for ideas? After all, ideas operate contrary to the law of supply and demand. If you explain your idea to someone else, you give your idea away. After giving your idea away, not only do you still have your idea, but by sharing it you can make it more valuable than it was before.
Second, how operationally do we create a Marketplace of Ideas? What sort of structures do we need to establish a market? The marketplace of ideas is like a financial market, except the return on investment is not financial. How will these structures function?
Third, how do we get market information to investors? How do investors learn how their money was spent? How do investors check how effective past investments have been? These are questions asked by conventional investors. Some of the same answers apply, notably answers about reporting standards and transparency.