Two questions that frequently come to people’s minds when they hear about my cessation from the U.S. Federal Government to embrace my personal sovereignty as the Autonomous Nation of Stevetopia are, “Is he serious?” and “Is this a joke?” The answer to both of the questions is a resounding “yes!”
I seriously question the notion that just because I was born in a territory claimed by an organization that received dominion over it through genocide and slavery, that I should be subservient to that organization and fund its oppressive methodologies without question. And because I believe that the breakdown of the patriarchal hierarchy of violence and indebtedness that has enabled this injustice for so long is imperative for the evolution of my species and the survival of life on the planet, I feel compelled to stand against that notion in order to blaze the trail for the exploration of other possibilities. To do that, I need good humor, and since the “Autonomous Nation of Stevetopia” makes me laugh, I figure it may just be the spoonful of sugar required to help my culture swallow the medicine it needs.
For those who know me, many think of my smile. It’s a big smile, and it hides a lot of sorrow, but it usually provides the joy I need to carry out what I feel inclined to do. And because a lot of the people in the world around me live in great fear of the notions that compel their subservience, if I don’t laugh off those notions and use that smile to its fullest, they may crush me as well.
So while I hope that my antics do offer people a good laugh, I hope that they also realize that the best jokes are based on truth. And the truth is that just like Amerigo Vespucci himself, America, neither the two continents nor the currently instituted government nor its two subsidiaries, the Democratic and Republican parties, is not eternal, and it will all come to an end someday. Considering how poorly it does what it does, and how much energy it draws from more important matters as it grasps at opportunities to make itself appear relevant, I figure the sooner the better.
Since I do understand that the immediate dissolution of the U.S. Federal Government would create an incredible amount of chaos, it’s a good thing that it won’t magically fade away just because people start to recognize its inevitable demise. It will be a gradual process, and I feel that the best thing that I can do as a responsible citizen is to recognize that the process has begun and that some sort of organization is going to be required as we lay the sleeping giant to rest. My feeling is that ABC2 Economics, in both its simplicity and capacity for much greater complexity, is a part of establishing that organization, and the Autonomous Nation of Stevetopia, regardless of how silly it may seem, is my way of delivering it.
To be serious, it’s a tragedy that the empire is crumbling and that people are going to be hurt in the process. Yet one of the things I’ve noticed as I’ve studied the history of human civilization is that tragedy is a constant theme in the stories we tell because the world is a messy place full of destruction. However, the destruction is required to meet humanity’s constant need to create things anew, and new beginnings are also a recurring theme. And although many will wrap themselves in despair as this process unfolds, we will all eventually recognize the opportunities we will have to grow into something better, stronger, and even more beautiful.
Joseph Campbell advised us to, “Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.” I’m just doing what I can to live my joy in a world that often seems intent on drowning it. Viva Stevetopia!
