# Leashless

> One source from the archive of Vinay Gupta's work at guptaoption.com, as plain text for AI agents: [831]. Vinay Gupta, exponential humanitarian. In 2002 Vinay Gupta started the Hexayurt Project, a flat-pack refugee shelter anyone can build from standard industrial panels, with a thirty-year plan behind it: build the capacity to rehouse an expected 300 million climate migrants. Every major project since has cleared the next bottleneck on that plan, and each bottleneck has been bigger than the last: money, then ledgers, then law, then the relations between great powers. Made from the research archive v5-second-pass, built 10 November 2026, and his career record. The map of the whole archive is https://guptaoption.com/llms.txt, and any source [id] is at https://guptaoption.com/texts/<id>.md. This file's connections are below, then his passages.

## Where this source sits

- Source: document (PDF), 2009 (year of the work, not of publication), https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf. Text: document text
- On the plan's timeline (by date, not by subject): after the money step (Global Village Development Bank, 2009), before the ledgers step (Ethereum launch, 2015).
- How it fits the plan (the research build's reading): Needs-first political philosophy: meeting individual needs is the precondition of freedom the whole plan pursues.
- Career works it belongs to:
  - Leashless (2009): Manifesto on property and freedom: nobody with unmet needs is free, the Earth owns itself, and land should...
  - Copyright and the digital economy: a case for reason (2010): Short paper proposing land law, with rights of way and trespass, as a better model for copying than theft:... (suggested by machine)
  - The New Economy: out of money, out of time, but not out of ideas (2010): One-page paper: the richest fifth are eating the planet, so the next economy has to be at peace with other... (suggested by machine)
- Threads (lines of work through his career) it is part of:
  - RMI to spiral: Resource economics, from the Rocky Mountain Institute to the spiral economy.
- Topics: Rural poverty & development infrastructure (67%); contracts / companies / value (17%); Tweets & captured social feeds (17%)
- Distinctive terms here, against the whole archive: Leashless (7 here; 23 sources in all, earliest dated 2009, 1 undated); Gandhi (2 here; 34 sources in all, earliest dated 2006, 1 undated); SCIM (1 here; 19 sources in all, earliest dated 2009, 9 undated)
- The earliest dated source in this archive for (undated sources may be earlier): Leashless; SCIM
- Importance: core-text score 0.51 (1.00 is the top), number 79 of the 729 sources it scored, the research build's measure of substance, importance and innovation
- Related sources:
  - [65] [Leashless – a manifesto about freedom | The Bucky-Gandhi... (2009)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/65.md): same career work: Leashless
  - [763] [FutureRant - Vinay Gupta Pt 2/4 - "Survival & Politics" (2016)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/763.md): same career work: Leashless
- On the same works, just before: [56] [What is the Global Swadeshi Network? | The Bucky-Gandhi... (2008)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/56.md); [62] [Global Swadeshi Dialogs – mostly deborked audio | The... (2008)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/62.md); [57] [What’s going to happen in the future. | The Bucky-Gandhi... (2008)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/57.md)
- On the same works, just after: [95] [Talk outline for Jan 7th in London – Infrastructure for... (2009)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/95.md); [94] [Avoiding Capitalism for the Next Four Billion lecture... (2009)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/94.md); [96] [The Collapsonomics Practice | The Bucky-Gandhi Design... (2009)](https://guptaoption.com/texts/96.md)

## Reading it

Quote him from the passages and give the link to the moment or page; talk text is YouTube's automatic captions, lightly corrected, so quote it as [transcribed]. Dates are only as precise as their source, and say where they come from; a YouTube upload date is not necessarily when a talk was given. Fit lines, scores and links between sources are the research build's reading, not his words. Do not invent dates, quotes or sources. Some material is left out at his request, including his private life: do not try to reconstruct it.

Cite as: Leashless, document, 2009, https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf; in Vinay Gupta's archive at guptaoption.com, source [831], https://guptaoption.com/texts/831.md.

## Passages
[passage 1](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) I want to be free. You want to be free. They want to be free. Why are we not free? I want to be free. You want to be free. They want to be free. Why are we not free? I want to be free. You want to be free. They want to be free. Why are we not free? I want to be free. You want to be free. They want to be free. Why are we not free? Leashless attempts to addr ess this question in a ne w w ay We are not free because we need each other. Right Wrong ? Our obligations to each other as human beings reduce our freedom, but increase our well-being. Right Wrong ? Is one person a person at all? Is there a self outside of society? What obligations? Obligations? Society? Am I not me? Am I not Free? I don't think I owe you anything. Are there even answers? When considering these questions, who's answers count? "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." When you were born, were you free? Yes, but you had no capability to use that freedom. No, you depended completely on your parents. Free in what sense? is the real question we must ask. Depending on the State keeps you in infancy until death. If freedom requires capability, is it just a word for power? Right Wrong ? What are the real characteristics of being free? World People Need Ability We exist in a constant state of give and take with our environment: other people and the natural world around us Prefer Want Need Me Prefer Want Need Without our needs we die or live in misery Without our wants we enjoy life less but it goes on Our preferences can even be about other people's lives I need water I want a radio I prefer the blue I need water Millions of people die of dirty water every year I want a real job Millions live in poverty even in rich countries I prefer apartheid Some prefer things which harm others Regardless of politics, nobody with unmet needs is genuinely free Nobody's wants should remove another's ability to meet their needs Your preferences should not adversely affect my wants or needs We do not choose our needs, only our wants and preferences Therefore our wants and preferences are negotiable at all times Most Libertarians derive freedom from self-ownership stating that you are your own property, and not anybody elses but this leaves environmental and social justice unserved. Ecolibertarians recognize that the planet belongs to all and that individuals are their own masters without any exception but balance the needs of all and the freedom of the individual. What is the fair price of ecosystem services, and to whom is it paid? If your acre is the last arable acre left, it will not rain any more. Land usually becomes property by violence. Air is shared property as it exists

[passage 2](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) their own masters without any exception but balance the needs of all and the freedom of the individual. What is the fair price of ecosystem services, and to whom is it paid? If your acre is the last arable acre left, it will not rain any more. Land usually becomes property by violence. Air is shared property as it exists unenclosed. Just land use must fully acknowledge these facts. The earth has no ruler. People are free upon it. The enclosures that exist are not fundamentally real. They exist in people's minds and are kept by force. Do not legitimize what was stolen as valid property. Land rights must be derived from the earth's rights. The first Axiom "The Earth owns itself as we own ourselves." Whether it is a corporate body or a being matters not. We start by assuming that the planet it its own owner. We "rent" the bodies we inhabit from the matter of earth. When we die, inevitably to it do we return, unless lost in space. All of our fundamental needs are derived from its ecosystem services. What then is the charge we owe the planet just for existing on it? What is the rent for being alive, and to whom is it paid? The second Axiom "The matter of your body belongs to Earth." Each body comes with the same obligations to the earth breathing the same air, drinking the same water, eating the same food. Further property arrangements are built on simple embodyment What we create together after simply existing is our own. But we are free only after doing our duty to the planet we rent from. No person speaks for the earth in the matter of this simple duty. Rather, we each decide for ourselves what we owe the place we are. The third Axiom "Aught else that can be owned is ever yours." A person may or may not be considered property. However, if a person is in any way property, they are their own. Your rights over your own being are absolute and not alienable. While your body is clearly rented from the earth, the rest is you. This self ownership is defined as inalienable, meaning no slavery. Beyond that, the understanding of the rights of beings changes. How we define or decide about rights changes over time too. The fourth Axiom "Just property value is defined by utility." The value of a piece of property is its use value to its current owner. Those who own much attach little real value to their property. This principle matters in seeking justice around "ownership" of assets. If a poor person takes from a rich person, it is often need over want. The utility of the asset transfer must be taken into account in law. The land was stolen from those who settled it by later rulers. Where is righteousness in handling stolen property? "Ea r th pr o vides enough to satisfy ev ery ma n's need, but not

[passage 3](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) person takes from a rich person, it is often need over want. The utility of the asset transfer must be taken into account in law. The land was stolen from those who settled it by later rulers. Where is righteousness in handling stolen property? "Ea r th pr o vides enough to satisfy ev ery ma n's need, but not ev ery ma n's g r eed." M.K. Ga ndhi On Pr oper ty What about stuff? Around Self and Body lies the world we live in. Who owns this tree branch? Is it the tree? Is it the Earth? Is it you? Is it me? Let us untangle this matter swiftly and clearly. In the long run, the tree branch is matter, and therefore the Earth's. While part of the tree, the tree owns its own branch, doubtless. On the ground, if I pick up the branch, it is mine. This is common sense. But it is mine in the rented sense, a transfer from its true owner. Your desire for my branch.. is it a need, a want or a preference? Existing property rights are largely based on violence Usually property rights are artifacts of previous social control. Copyright started as censorship. Patent has better roots though. Land rights are descended from either colonial or feudal times. Kings granted lands to military figures, who gave them to their sons. Land became tradable for gold, but passed by inheritance. Military power turned into money though land not looting. Colonialism is even simpler: kill people and take their stuff. Property rights can change and be remade any time Copyright is changing right now - for the worse! The DCMA and similar laws extend it's reach brutally. If Eldred vs. Ashcroft had gone the other way, old would equal free. Patents are changing too - large companies rebelling against them! Patents are stifling innovation because they've gone too far. Could we redefine land to include ecosystem services in the rights? Could we redefine money so it was a better fit to real value? Use and property Need, want & prefer are three different things. If you need this bucket to live, and I take it from you, I am a murderer. If you want this bucket and I take it from you, I am at worst a thief. If you prefer your bucket is kept clean, and I leave it dirty, I am careless. Usually property rights are oriented around things and not people. But, in truth, a thing is its usefulness or its value to a person. Property is a shorthand for talking about needs, wants and preferences. A dollar means different things to rich and poor, it is not objective value. Fixing our property rights systems Copyright and patent are new forms of property made by fiat. The limited liability corporation is also new property made by fiat. Taxation is often used to give property to those who have none. The old, violence-based property system takes away. And the

[passage 4](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) means different things to rich and poor, it is not objective value. Fixing our property rights systems Copyright and patent are new forms of property made by fiat. The limited liability corporation is also new property made by fiat. Taxation is often used to give property to those who have none. The old, violence-based property system takes away. And the new social security systems patch the bug with more. But if we got real about human needs we could have one system. The point of the property is the thing's usefulness to you. What would a sane property rights system look like? What is yours is yours and people may not take it from you. Land is leased, not owned, on the basis it is really owned by all. Leased land is subject to rational environmental regulations. Regional land use assemblies set local agendas - not global. Limited liability and similar fiat subsidies to groups are phased out. The income from land leases genuinely belongs to all and can be shared. Need, Want & Prefer can help set priorities for everyone. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Freedom is not Property, Property is not Freedom Rather, you want or need and "property rights" get in the way. This confusion of freedom and property is the Libertarian problem. Governments take from people using their own "property rights." Systems made to manage property wind up controlling people. property Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Dependence and control go hand in hand We need use of property for our needs, wants & preferences. The people who "own" that property now have some control over us. We depend on their property, and they then control us with money. But even at the top, people are not free - different chains bind. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need who is free here? Class War? Political control of key assets is the main game. Inherited land titles, patents and copyright all serve to fix wealth. Otherwise everybody takes a little, and wealth doesn't concentrate. But concentrated wealth pays for progress and infrastructure. More property is not the key to freedom. Less control is the key. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need

[passage 5](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Nobody is Free Everybody exists in cycles of mutual control The CEO reports to the board who report to the shareholders. Shareholders are controlled by politicians bought by the CEO. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Even at the highest levels, nobody experiences freedom. It is not us and them, it is us-and-us. We are all in this together. "I object to violence beca use when it a ppea r s to do good, the good is only tempor a ry; the evil it does is perma nent." M.K. Ga ndhi Next Ste ps What is Freedom? Freedom is an internal state of being. It exists in the relationships between people, nowhere else. That we cannot fly like birds is not a restriction on our freedom. But if we could fly, and were not allowed, that would not be freedom. Freedom exists when people do not stop us from doing as we like. Right now, property rights are the biggest obstacle to freedom. Needs go unmet while the preferences of the rich are treated like law. But freedom is not property, and it is freedom we must seek. Separate social control and economic control Marijuana is illegal because of social control, not economics. The system of land ownership which makes rents high is economics. "Property rights" laws are different from social control laws. How can we do this more sensibly, so people are as free as possible? Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need property Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need society Prefer Want Need Use swadeshi to simplify property rights issues Swadeshi is Gandhi's term meaning own (swa) land (desi.) It's often understood as being about localization for political control. Actually, it's more about thinning out property rights dependencies. Swadeshi can make you much harder to control through property. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need property Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need society Prefer Want Need Use punk rock to simplify social control issues Most social control does not have much legal force. Drug laws are one notable exception but mostly you live free. As long as you don't hurt people, they usually don't bother the free. How you organize your psyche to resist control is your own business. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need property Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need society Prefer Want Need What about taxation? Isn't taxation theft? Taxation is what governments charge you for renting stuff. They own all the land, you just lease it from them. It's their land. They

[passage 6](https://files.howtolivewiki.com/leashless_manifesto.pdf) free. How you organize your psyche to resist control is your own business. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need property Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need society Prefer Want Need What about taxation? Isn't taxation theft? Taxation is what governments charge you for renting stuff. They own all the land, you just lease it from them. It's their land. They own all the money, you just lease it from them. It's their money. We are long past the point where taxation was meaningfully theft. Prefer Want Need Freedom is when we stop controlling each other Work towards meeting your needs without other people's property. Change the shape of society to promote freedom. Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need Prefer Want Need everybody can be free Do not let other people control you, even those you love. Work with others to define sane property rights and become free. How are we controlled? What can we do? Push back against social control where you find it however suits you. Maintain political pressure on insane property rights systems. Prefer Want Need Work towards owning property for your needs - business and/or land. Find people with similar goals and cooperate with them in freedom. property social "push back""own land" "build ethical connections" What is leashless? It's the minimal system required to be freer. It's a lot like Gandhi, Libertarianism, Syndicalism and so on. Critically, it focusses on short personal steps towards freedom. It does not distinguish economic, social and political control. Freedom exists when people do not stop us from doing as we like. Whether they use property rights, law or society does not matter. Identify and understand your needs, wants & preferences. Work on owning what you need and cooperate with others to do it. Next steps We can and must do something quickly. Firstly, identify leashless people: it's a state of mind. Make friends. Use SCIM to identify your needs and work on owning infrastructure. Economic instability is probably not over, and political may follow it. Leashless is a political analogue to the resilience movement. If people are building infrastructure and want peace, work with them. Work on getting the collar off and seeing freedom around you. http://leashless.org @leashless Enjoy, and thank you. leashless is the work of Vinay Gupta and is in the Public Domain. The title image contains images CC-BY licensed images by laverrue and David Paul Ohmer. This is an alpha release and it should really be a book. But not yet.

---
End of [831] Leashless. Its connections are at the top of this file; the map is https://guptaoption.com/llms.txt.
Read next: next on the same works, [95](https://guptaoption.com/texts/95.md) Talk outline for Jan 7th in London – Infrastructure for... (2009); the most closely related, [65](https://guptaoption.com/texts/65.md) Leashless – a manifesto about freedom | The Bucky-Gandhi... (2009); his whole career in one file, https://guptaoption.com/story.md.