The cause of the first American Revolution was aided by the publication in 1776 of a pamphlet entitled “Common Sense,” written by radical author Thomas Paine. I read this document in February of 2008 and, inspired by the ability of one man’s words to affect the political discourse of his time, I began writing a pamphlet of my own shortly thereafter. My booklet is organized into five sections, with the following headings:

1. On the moral foundations for a universal conception of justice.
2. On the evolution of culture, corporations, and “conspiracies.”
3. On the origins and uses of money.
4. On debt, and its effect on individual liberty.
5. On the present ability of the American people to create a prosperous and just society.

In the first section, I attempt to find an initial foundation from which Americans can strive for an agreement on what a just society would look like. I propose that centrism is not the answer, but that we must adopt ideas of both the radical left and radical right, which are not the polar politcal opposites that our leaders would have us think they are. In the second section, I point out that complex systems can evolve over time, without the guidance of conscious forces, and that we need not demonize the people whose actions (or lack thereof) have led to the unsatisfactory state of political and economoic affairs in the United States. In the third section, I give a basic outline of how our monetary system works, focusing on commonly-held misconceptions, and emphasizing three moral arguments for why the system is unjust and unsustainable. In the fourth section, I ask Americans to examine their own lives, to determine if they are really as free as they are led to believe. In the fifth section, I begin a discussion that we as a nation must have, if we are to reverse recent trends, and create a better life for all of our citizens.

If you would like to order a pamphlet, please send an email to purplepamphletproject [at] gmail [dot] com. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. The pamphlet is free, but I would greatly appreciate your help with the shipping costs. The actual cost to me of each mailed pamphlet is:

• 1 Pamphlet: $1.75
• First-Class postage (within U.S.): $1.34
• 1 9″x6″ envelope: $0.10

If you can afford to chip in 3 dollars, please send a check, cash, or gold bullion to:

FreedomRide
264 Lamartine Street
Boston, MA 02130