Freedom Alternative Network is not an institution in the classical sense. Therefore, it doesn’t have specific procedures and rules of conduct, nor any lengthy documents detailing in great detail all facets of our work. With that said, there are several values that we use in order to guide our work and also try to inspire into others.
1. Civilizational scale
We look at things at a civilizational scale, rather than a “last 5 years” or “next 5 years” or “next election” scale.
Based on the record of history, and a thorough study of human nature, most things that may appear surprising can in fact be quite accurately predicted. Looking at things from a civilizational perspective allows our members to better prepare themselves and their loved ones for events that are beyond their control (e.g. recessions, political repression, etc.).
2. Discretion
We favor discrete and amicable ways of doing things, rather than by public spectacles. We encourage both our members and the public at large to conduct themselves with discretion and dignity.
While modernity tends to favor outspoken and extrovert way of doing things, we tend to favor thoughtful and less spectacular approaches – with a view for the longer term, rather than short-term gains.
3. Wisdom uber alles
One great advantage of modernity is the ability to acquire knowledge relatively fast and at almost no cost. With that said, modernity has also brought a thorough decline in wisdom.
Based on this observation, at F.A.N. we seek knowledge and wisdom but we emphasize the latter precisely because it is rarer. We also emphasize wisdom over short-term financial gain, precisely because we look at things for a longer term.
4. Offline is preferable
While you are reading this on a website that you probably heard about on a social media “platform” – we encourage everyone to deal with each other offline as much as possible.
The Internet has provided an enormous opportunity for almost everyone involved in it but, as the record of history shows, few things get done while staying at home. We encourage our members to meet in person whenever it’s possible, to engage with the world predominantly offline and to coordinate predominantly offline.
This is not just for discretion reasons, but also for mental health reasons. Prolonged exposure to the online world is unhealthy.
5. Honor et Patria
We recognize that the vast majority of people can not (and will not) live peacefully without a citadel (country) and without a sacred object (which doesn’t have to be an object per se – a set of ideas are just as good). As a result, we encourage our members to avoid revolutionary ideals in matters of religion and nation.
While a portion of F.A.N. (including the founders) are irreligious, we do not consider it to be our right to shake people’s most cherished beliefs for no just reason.
We encourage our members to be Patriots rather than nationalists (see the discussion on the difference between the two) because we acknowledge that while countries are imperfect, they are still the only form of civilizational organizing that has passed the test of time.
6. Passing the test of time
We encourage our members to prioritize ideas that have passed the test of time and spend less time on things that haven’t.
Acknowledging that time is a finite resource, we regard it as pointless to waste time on ideas (or sets of ideas) that are civilizationally young and haven’t been through the tests of time.
For instance, in matters of religion, no religion younger than 1000 years is worth considering until one has studied all those older than 1000 years.
A similar standard is applied to other political ideas. We encourage our members to study empires and countries that have passed the test of time, before one delves into studying entities like the European Union. We consider that an idea (or a set of ideas) has to survive a set of common challenges and still be around to describe them before that set of ideas is worthy of wasting one’s time with it.
7. Family
We encourage (and occasionally directly help) our members to form families and a private support network of their own as individuals.
We encourage our members to form families because that’s how most people most of the time end up being fulfilled. While exceptions to this of course do exist – and there are degrees to anything – we encourage everyone to start from the presumption they are not one of the exceptions. Because statistically, they’re likely not.
We encourage our members to form a private support network of their own as individuals because the State has been encroaching into the family to unbearable levels in certain countries and jurisdictions. And knowing that, having a support network of your own in case of family breakup is paramount – especially for men.
8. Leading beyond authority
Institutions need leaders to see across the whole organization and make the sum of the parts greater than the whole. This is as true for society at large as it is true for institutions.
In our work we encourage and help our members to acquire the set of skills necessary to be able to become or act as leaders effectively by connecting seemingly disparate pieces. Such set of skills form the ability to lead beyond authority.