Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

Trends & Strategies for Maximum Freedom

Radical Decentralization Was the Key to the West’s Rise to Wealth and Freedom

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By Ryan McMaken It is not uncommon to encounter political theorists and pundits who insist that political centralization is a boon to economic growth. In both cases, it is claimed the presence of a unifying central regime—whether in Brussels or in Washington, DC, for example—is essential in ensuring the efficient and free flow of goods throughout a large jurisdiction. … [Read more...] about Radical Decentralization Was the Key to the West’s Rise to Wealth and Freedom

A Rural, Waldorf Microschool Gets Shut Down By State Regulators

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By Kerry McDonald Ariel Maguire gathered together with other moms in her rural area of the Big Island of Hawaii to create a child-centered educational solution for local families. It was late 2021 and the parents realized that nearly two years of pandemic policies had left their kids behind both academically and socially. There weren’t a lot of child care or … [Read more...] about A Rural, Waldorf Microschool Gets Shut Down By State Regulators

School Principal Quits Job To Homeschool Her 3 Kids On A 10-Acre Homestead: “I Wanted To Raise Thinkers”

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By Louise Chambers A former school principal who grew frustrated with the school system quit her job and instead chose to homeschool her three kids on a 10-acre (4.05-hectare) homestead. Merging her children’s learning with their land and home, she has created an immersive “real world” educational experience based on her kids’ unique needs. Mandy Davis, 37, lives in … [Read more...] about School Principal Quits Job To Homeschool Her 3 Kids On A 10-Acre Homestead: “I Wanted To Raise Thinkers”

How the Minimum Wage Forced Me into an Unpaid Internship

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By Patrick Carroll They say there’s two things you learn in a co-op program. What you love to do, and what you don’t love to do. In my co-op experience, I learned almost exclusively the latter. My first placement was particularly brutal. I was a freshman Chemical Engineering student and didn’t have much work experience, so just finding a job was difficult. It wasn’t until … [Read more...] about How the Minimum Wage Forced Me into an Unpaid Internship

Technology Is Meaningless Without Entrepreneurship

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By Lipton Matthews Technocrats frequently pressure the US government to increase R and D as a strategy to upstage China. The assumption is that public R and D will lead to innovation and economic growth because research generates the science that spurs innovation. Yet the formula is mistaken, for history has shown that science often lags technology. Innovations prior to the … [Read more...] about Technology Is Meaningless Without Entrepreneurship

Celebrating a Milestone For Homeschooling Freedoms

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By Kerry McDonald The ubiquity and widespread acceptance of homeschooling as a valid educational option for American families can obscure the fact that homeschooling freedoms were hard-fought. Homeschooling didn’t become legally recognized in all U.S. states until the 1990s, with families who chose to teach their own children in earlier years often harassed and sometimes … [Read more...] about Celebrating a Milestone For Homeschooling Freedoms

Education Entrepreneurship and Innovation Across the US: A Case Study

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By Kerry McDonald The rise of bottom-up education models Across the US, everyday education entrepreneurs are reimagining K-12 education in simple but profound ways. Some of these entrepreneurs are parents trying to solve an educational problem for their own families who decide to bring others along with them. Others are teachers who became fed up with one-size-fits-all … [Read more...] about Education Entrepreneurship and Innovation Across the US: A Case Study

My Journey from Exit and Build to The Conscious Agora Ecovillage

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By The Conscious Resistance On May 19th, 2023, Derrick Broze spoke at the Exit and Build Land Summit 3 in Bastrop, Texas. Derrick spoke about his 3-year journey in Mexico searching for land, finding the right group of people, and purchasing the land. Find out how The Conscious Agora team did it in this presentation!  Source: The Conscious Resistance Network Learn … [Read more...] about My Journey from Exit and Build to The Conscious Agora Ecovillage

New Research Reveals The Breadth And Impact Of The Microschooling Movement

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By Kerry McDonald Nestled at the end of a residential cul-de-sac in Hopewell, Virginia is Dream Tech Academy, a microschool founded by former public school teacher, Danette Buckley. Originally from Jamaica, Buckley moved to the U.S. as an adolescent and gravitated toward a career in education, with a passion for entrepreneurship. “This has been a dream for so long,” … [Read more...] about New Research Reveals The Breadth And Impact Of The Microschooling Movement

Two “Mompreneurs” Created a Forest School That Reaches Thousands

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By Kerry McDonald It was a cool, muddy morning in March when I pulled into the empty parking lot of a sprawling forest and nature preserve about 40 miles outside of Fort Worth, Texas. Soon, cars began arriving, filled with exuberant children of all ages, and their parents, who were ready to spend a few hours together in the woods. Donned in rain boots and parkas, these … [Read more...] about Two “Mompreneurs” Created a Forest School That Reaches Thousands

Meeting People is Easy — “Solutions Watch” with James Corbett

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By The Corbett Report Here on #SolutionsWatch we've looked at Building Community as a key part of the solution to the issues that we face . . . but how do you find that community in the first place? Today on the de-program James goes through just a few of the many, many, many different ways you can start finding, meeting and connecting with like-minded people in your area … [Read more...] about Meeting People is Easy — “Solutions Watch” with James Corbett