The First Universal Principle of Wealth: We Can't Get Something for Nothing
(or...Why MLM's are Bad for Our Families, Our Community and Our Economy)

by Stephen Liff-Anderson, M.S.

Below is a copy of my reply to an email proposition to join a business deal based on the Universal Principle of "Help-Humanity-and-Earn-Unbelievable-Wealth-Without-Doing-Any-Work".

I'd been brooding about MLM's for quite awhile, especially after receiving literally 100's of "offers to join" in reply to an ad Marlene and I ran trying to sell recipes in a few national vegetarian magazines - another way we had been told we could "Get rich quick". Out of all the MLM propositions, we received NOT ONE order for "Marlene's Healthy Holiday Recipes", and this after paying several hundred dollars (!) for these national ads. (If you've been considering trying this, don't waste your money or time!)

For the reasons outlined below, I'd been wanting to reply to the MLM-pushers for a long time. Katie gave me an opportunity to do so. I tried to temper my emotion as much as possible, though I knew the letter would be blunt. Katie did read my letter and reply thoughtfully, to which I thanked her. I doubt she will drop out of the scheme, but she did say she "wasn't fully committed to it yet". I hope she will reconsider her involvement.

I believe these schemes aren't harmless, but in fact keep us from addressing the important economic and social issues which give rise to our culture's problems with money. If you share similar sentiments to this letter, please clip&paste it, bookmark it, post it and/or email it to anyone who tries to sell you into an MLM or other "Money-for-Nothing" scheme (offers to join these schemes litter the bulliten boards). Email me if you want to discuss this. But don't put me on any mailing lists!

Namaste.

Full text follows...

_________________________________________

Subject: First universal principle of wealth: we can't get something for nothing
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 01:12:06 -0800
From: Stephen Liff-Anderson <wellness@peak.org>
Organization: Ahimsa Sanctuary/Liff-Anderson Associates
To: Platois@aol.com

Dear Katie,

Thank you for your interest in our work. I read through the website you
referenced, and was sad to find it to be yet another "get rich quick"
scheme. Though it claims not to be an MLM (multi-level marketing
scheme), this "project" operates on the same principle as any MLM,
namely that a person can get very rich through a very limited amount of
work (only 10 hours a week) in a scheme which primarily markets...what?
Through flowery, positive-thinking jargon, this site promises riches
without ever naming any substance which is for sale. Upon
investigation, the only thing being sold is the ability to make money
through selling the scheme.

Selling "prosperity" is indeed a very old scheme, and a con for anyone
who isn't wary and fails to grasp the most basic universal priciple of a
true, holistic economy: you can't get something for nothing. MLM's and
other pyramid schemes depend on making wealth through snaring lots of
people into their "network", who each contribute a nominal amount of
cash to the level above them in the pyramid. By ever increasing the
size of the network, those in the very highest levels can amass large
amounts of money which they boast in selling the network scheme to new
participants.

However, there are several drawbacks:

First, only those who originate the scheme become wealthy. As the
network grows, its value actually decreases. This happens because there
is only so much money people are willing to throw into schemes like
these, especially with no actual product to show for their purchase, so
the "network" dries up. Contrast this with a true, local economy where
money is exchanged for a quality, needed, consumable product (such as
groceries). In this economy, people will continue to need the product,
and so will continue to buy it. This money is then spent by the store
owner within the community. Thus in a true economy, money circulates.
But in the MLM or pyramid scheme, money only travels up the pyramid,
making a few people very wealthy and the rest disenfranchised at their
loss.

Second, MLM schemes pressure people to seek to involve everyone they
know in the scheme, especially their family and friends. This causes a
great deal of discomfort and disruption of normal family and community
relationships, as MLM members are always trying to sell their "product"
at any family or social gathering. Many times I have felt accosted by
friends or aqcuaintances trying to swing me into MLM schemes, often
receiving the same pressure tactics to "consider the possibility of
abundance" which are used in MLM "training" sessions which these people
have participated in.

Third, MLM schemes prey on people's stress and fears about "making it"
in a very challenging economic and social environment. But by promising
easy wealth (with little or no actual work to do except send in a
nominal contribution and then seek to snare as many other people as
possible to occupy the tiers below you) these schemes distract us from
working to resolve the real, vital issues which we need to confront in
order to transform this time of crisis. These issues include our
culture's pressure on us to over-consume, credit-card spending,
meaningless and underpaid work, inflation, an extremely inequitible
distribution of wealth in the corporate structure (corporations are by
far the largest pyramid schemes we participate in - consider how
millions of people contributing dollars to buy carbonated sugar-water
inflates the pockets of Pepsico's shareholders), racist and class
prejudice in the marketplace to name a few. Instead of encouraging
cottage industry and local investment, these MLM schemes are often
nationwide "networks" which are controlled over the internet or through
mail-order involvement.

Like you, my partner and I also wanted to break free from the oppression
of 40-hour jobs and limited income. We have done so through hard work
in setting up our healing center and catering business. We are not
making "six figure incomes" but we are thoroughly enjoying our work and
the contribution we are making towards the healing of our community and
planet, through counseling and nutritional consultation. We exchange
the work of our hands and hearts for the physical sustenance upon which
we depend (i.e. money for rent, food, and other necessities). However,
we have also learned to reduce our consumption to a low a level as
possible, so that a large income isn't necessary or desirable. Again,
we are "making it" through hard work to establish a true, local economic
exchange. We have no interest in joining an MLM or other pyramid
marketing scheme, for the reasons outlined above.

I am taking the time to write you out of my compassion and concern for
you and anyone else who is involved in an MLM or other marketing
scheme. I am also writing out of my anger at being propositioned to
join yet another one of these con games. I do not blame you for your
involvement in this scheme, but I must say I feel accosted that without
knowing me or having any communication with me, you see me as a "mark"
to snare into this scheme. PLEASE REMOVE MY NAME FROM ANY MAILING LIST
YOU ARE CREATING FOR THIS OR ANY OTHER NETWORK MARKETING SCHEME.

I am ask you to please consider the many issues I have raised above, and
to share this letter with anyone else who is questioning becoming
involved in network marketing schemes. I am open to your reply, should
you wish to write me. I can also offer some sound advice on how to
become liberated from the economic crisis we are facing, though there is
no "get rich quick" promise in my approach. Thank you for taking the
time to read my letter.

Blessings,
Stephen

--
Stephen Liff-Anderson, M.S.
Co-Steward, Ahimsa Sanctuary
Co-Director, Liff-Anderson Associates

email: wellness@peak.org
http://www.peak.org/~wellness

-------------------------
Platois@aol.com wrote:
>
> Hello Stephen and Marlene,
> I came across your names in a healing directory and wanted to invite you to
> have a look at a website that you might find interesting. I love being able to help others
> heal themselves but have in the past not generated an abundant income doing this work Until
> now these two things seemed mutually exclusive. Recently I discovered a project which
> allows me to fulfill my life’s purpose and simultaneously rewards me most generously.
> Please check out this site. If what you find there is in alignment with your path, get back to
> me at platois@aol.com and I will be happy to supply you with all the information
> you need to fully understand our project.
>
> Check out http://www.pacinfo.com/~eagle
>
> It involves a project in which we work with others to apply Universal
> Principles and raise human consciousness while significantly improving the quality of life.
> Included is a practical exercise in prosperity designed to allow anyone to step out of
> survival mode into ease and financial effectiveness.
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> Katie Smith
> e-mail platois@aol.com

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