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"I SWEAR BY MY LIFE AND MY LOVE OF IT THAT I WILL NEVER LIVE FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER MAN, NOR ASK ANOTHER MAN TO LIVE FOR THE SAKE OF MINE."

John Galt's Speech, "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand

The choice of the name "The Collective" is used to remind us that Collectivism is the polar opposite of our beliefs. Much like the founders of our country, our views regarding our life on this earth are shaped by reason not faith (A is A). We agree with the concept of a distinct separation of church and state and the economy and state. We are inspired by the ideas and concepts originated by Ayn Rand and are Objectivists at heart. We may or may not have a label representing a specific political party, but we agree that rational politics, market based solutions, laissez faire capitalism, and small government represent the true solutions to our economic and social problems. In addition to the works of Ayn Rand, we also enjoy essays, articles, videos and literature originated by The Ayn Rand Institute and various other authors and organizations who share our values and clarify our world views.

Why would you join "The Collective"? Whether we like it or not, to the extent that we are members of society, we are already members of a vast Collective not unlike the dystopian worlds that Ayn Rand described. Our daily schedule, our beliefs, our behavior are in many ways determined by societal norms, big brother, herd mentality, and hidden persuaders of every sort. The purpose of our group is to lift the curtain so that we can see who is pulling the strings. Our Collective is all about the accumulation of knowledge and information so that you as an individual can communicate your ideas more effectively to others who you meet in your daily life.

Our members are traders. We trade ideas, articles, essays, and literature among ourselves so that we can have the knowledge that we need to determine objective truths about our world. Only by being aware of how we are being manipulated on a daily basis by the headlines of the day, can we be capable of freeing our minds from the grasp of the hidden persuaders. According to Ayn Rand, "the symbol of all relationships among [rational] men, the moral symbol of respect for human beings, is the trader. We who live by values, not by loot, are traders, both in matter and in spirit."

Since we are all traders, we need a currency to trade in. Our currency is denominated in "Anthems" and is fictional in nature much like monopoly money. From an Objectivist standpoint it does not exist. One advantage of our currency is that since it is virtual, we don't even need to print it. We just make it out of thin air. Every new member is granted 1,250,000 Anthems when he or she meaningfully participates in our discussions on the message boards. This currency is subject to confiscation at any time, just as it is in most of the countries of the world. To find their balances traders can click on "Message board" then they can find their balances in the forum entitled "Anthem Bank Balances". Please consult your tax advisor as to whether you should report transactions in monopoly money or other imaginary currencies like the "Anthem" to your Federal, State, or Local government for sales, income, VAT, property, payroll, luxury, barter, customs, internet, telecommunications, tariff or estate tax purposes.

Membership in The Collective is a privilege not a right. To be admitted to the group you must be invited. Alternatively, you can provide some general information about yourself to John Galt and tell him how you will add value to our group. Our traders are from all over the world as well as from our local area where we have face to face meetups from time to time.

A trading arrangement is a two way street. It is impossible to embark on an intellectual journey if one is too timid or too busy to take the first step. Our goal is to assemble a powerful and cohesive group of thoughtful traders from diverse backgrounds who can each as individuals add substantial value to our community. If you are not empowered by the thoughts and ideas of Ayn Rand or the Ayn Rand Institute it is not the job of "The Collective" to convince you otherwise. We will occasionally drop members who by their actions have indicated that they are not interested in interacting with the rest of the group. This is a market based system where Darwin rules. Those who thrive will see their status evolve over time. Since "The Collective" is run much like a corporation, our members carry designations like Guest, Visitor, Virtual Trader, Master Trader, Director, and Chairman of the Board depending on the value they create for "The Collective" and for themselves.

For further information on "The Collective", see the "About" section of this website and email John Galt.