The Mission

“Our mission is to strengthen communities through promoting charitable works, building solidarity among the members through free enterprise; and to improve the national and local economies by intelligent application of wealth creating principals.”

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Bitcoin – A Better Currency

http://mobilemoneyafrica.com/bitcoin-will-revolutionize-how-africans-transact-rudiger-koch/

Simply a great article, recent, and informative.

Proposal

(Editor’s note – upon further reflection, I came to realize this proposal is flawed. It is presenting Bitcoin as currency to be used in a Local Exchange Trading System. That would be an attempt to mix competing systems like mixing apples and oranges.)

We propose a grassroots community effort to raise money for charitable works; to form a Local Exchange Trading System comprised of local merchants and people in the community.

The goal is to unite the community behind a common cause, such as raising money for library improvements, or some other project as agreed upon by the members.

The method for accomplishing the goal is for members to engage in normal day to day commerce, so that a portion of proceeds from the sales of goods and services go toward funding the charitable work.

In order for the project to become funded, there must be some mechanism in place that easily distinguishes member’s contributions from the general cash flow of the member merchants. Some organizations use scrip, coupons, ledger credits, and so on.

Freedomworx proposes Bitcoin as the medium of exchange among the members. Bitcoin is an electronic currency used around the world for all kinds of trades and exchanges. By all accounts, it is “hack” proof and safe.

We propose using Bitcoin because the trading platform already exists. Indeed, there are computer applications available that can trade Bitcoin instantaneously by using ‘smart’ phones and the like. In the alternative, a trade can occur by writing down the trade, as in a check, and submitting the trade to Freedomworx for processing.

Consider this scenario: A community decides to raise $10,000 for library improvements. A member consumer wishes to contribute a small amount to help fund those improvements. He also needs groceries for his household. So, he goes to a member merchant’s store and buys what he needs. He can use Bitcoin for either all or part of his purchase.

Upon receiving payment, the member merchant remits 5% (by prior agreement with the LETS) of the gross sale to Freedomworx in Bitcoin, depositing those proceeds toward the Library Improvement Fund.

After a while, and as other members do commerce, the fund grows.  When the goal is finally accomplished, Freedomworks converts the Bitcoin back into Dollars, and makes the promised contribution to the library (along with a lot of self-promotion a d fanfare, of course).

Here are the benefits :

1. The community wins, by receiving funds for needed improvements;
2. The Merchants win by receiving business they might not otherwise have gotten, as well as building customer loyalty, and improving their image in the community;
3. Consumers win, by building and strengthening their community, without spending more than they otherwise would have for their everyday needs and desires.

There are many more benefits as well, but they are for another post.

Hello World!

Welcome to the Let’s Be Free Now blog. Here we will promote better ways of implementing freedom in our communities.

To begin, we propose that the current economic stagnation is caused by a massive contraction of available credit. The great housing meltdown has put deflationary pressures on money, thereby greatly hampering the creation of new money in society.

This has led to doubt and uncertainty about the future. Many people who need to sell their homes are unable to find suitable buyers. Their equity (what little is left, if any) remains locked in their houses. And, since equity can’t be transformed into money – while debt continues being paid down – the useable money supply is effectively shrinking.

The government has countered this phenomenon by increasing its borrowing. By spending more in the economy, it seeks to ease the deflationary pressures brought on by the housing collapse. By design, this stimulus is creating inflation in order to cancel out the deflation.

However, while some measure of success can be seen from implementing the stimulus, the structural defects in the economy that caused the housing collapse remain. Therefore the economy remains stagnant, and by most economist’s accounts, is likely to remain for quite some time.

This is why a new solution must be found. A solution that relies on harnessing the nature of money, and directing it toward creating wealth in communities.

Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) have been developed and in existence for quite some time. There are nearly 900 such systems in place in Canada and England. We believe that implementing these strategies in our communities will unleash the power of wealth creation, and ease the economic burden afflicting much of America today.

It all begins with you. Go to http://www.gmlets.u-net.com/faq.html#section1 and learn about how LETS can work in your community. Ask questions here, and we will find answers. Our goal is to discover ways of implementing this technology effectively in our communities.