7 alternative systems in Arcane Elemental Academy

Arcane Elemental Academy is the blueprint for libertarians who love seeing alternative systems in action through a fictional tale.

Before the opposition says, “TC doesn’t understand this,” or “TC doesn’t understand that,” I’ll be the first to say that Arcane Elemental Academy and its many alternative systems isn’t utopian fiction. Throughout the series, I challenge all of the alternative systems that Yote Diamondback crosses.

Because what good is a theory if it’s not put into practice? So below, I’m not talking about how great any of the seven alternative systems are. I’ll assume you already know the answer to how I feel about all of them. But if not, check out my views on public schools, and it’ll tell you all you need to know.

And speaking of which, let’s talk about the alternative education model offered in Arcane.

1 – Education without Bureaucracy: Market-based schools

32 schools make up Arcane Elemental Academy, and every year those schools compete for students. This means they won’t cost an arm and a leg to attend, and if any of the schools underdeliver, they’re losing business and may fold.

Each school offers something different. Some may thrive under the traditional model, but most don’t. Students ultimately choose their school, and they can request to change schools at the end of each semester if they believe another school better fits their strengths.

2 – Sound Money in Practice: Goldbacks and voluntary exchange

There’s a gray area here, since every citizen in the superpower nation of Etharia (think a fictionalized version of the United States where Arcane is located) is required to buy and sell with government-issued currency. But near and around Arcane, you’ll find some people completing transactions with goldbacks, a physical, spendable form of money made of real gold.

Instead of being coins or bulky bars, they’re thin, flexible notes where a precise amount of gold is permanently embedded inside a durable polymer. Think of them like paper bills, but each one is made of actual gold, measured down to a thousandth of an ounce.

Check out the store at Alpine Gold (not an affiliate link) to see how cool these look, and you might be interested in buying some.

3 – Security through Contract, Not State: Private defense

If you want a deep dive into this one, I recommend reading Bob Murphy’s Chaos Theory. But, in short, Arcane Elemental Academy boasts a plethora of defense contracting companies that act as law enforcement, military, or both, depending on the services they offer.

Yote once flinched at the sight of contractors patrolling the plaza. But unlike government soldiers, these men and women answered to contracts signed with private parties, not politicians. Big difference!

4 – Justice by Ostracism: Oasis prisons

What if someone causes such severe blatant harm that it warrants a prison sentence? Yote brings up this question in The Arcane Prophecy, and it’s a complex one for a high school girl.

In short, an oasis is where one lives when nobody will allow them onto their property because of the physical harm they caused. Instead of living like an outcast, they, with the help of private sponsors, would live in an oasis. Think of it like living in a hotel, but you can’t leave the hotel’s property.

5 – Sports as Entrepreneurship: Privatized athletics

Since there’s no public education in these alternative systems, it also means athletics are 100 percent privatized. Tuition also doesn’t cover sports. Instead, local businesses sponsor sports teams, and they only sponsor those that turn a profit, like box thrashball.

Some might not like this, but remember: The ultimate goal of any business, large or small, should be to maximize profits. That said, there are fewer organized sports offered, but those that are operate in the green at all times. That leads to more marketability, better facilities, and packed houses on game day.

As for sports not offered? No, kids aren’t “screwed over,” or anything. They’re smart enough to realize that they can organize their own sports leagues and fundraise for uniforms, money to rent out facilities, etc. Hell, in a libertarian society, the adults encourage it. That’s self-sufficiency, baby.

6 – Voluntary Health Networks: Crowdfunded healthcare

If there’s something the left, the right, and libertarians can agree on, it’s that healthcare in the U.S. is outrageous, and that might even be generous. What a lot of Americans don’t know is that alternative systems like Crowd Health exist, and it’s something I wanted to run by in The Arcane Prophecy before taking a deeper dive in later books.

At Arcane, voluntary crowdfunding pools that are merit-based, transparent, and localized operate healthcare. So, say if Yote tackles someone in thrashball and they tear a rotator cuff in their shoulder that requires complete reconstructive surgery.

They’ll post their case on a publicly viewable “Health Ledger,” a blockchain-style platform that tracks all donations and outcomes. Donors can contribute directly, often gaining social merit points or perks in return.

7 – The Invisible Hand Unchained: Zero state oversight

In Arcane, the State doesn’t think consumers are a bunch of idiots who need their hands held because there is no State. Instead, the consumer self-educates themselves on goods and services they’re interested in and regulates accordingly.

If anything, this means more regulation, because once a consumer is no longer interested in a good or a service, those producing that good or service must pivot toward consumer demand. Should they resist, they will go bankrupt, and that’s something you will see as Arcane unfolds.

Arcane Elemental Academy is a fantasy book series that bakes alternative systems into its plot and is a mixture of genres and literary fiction. If you want proof, check out the first three chapters. You’ll get that genre fusion and foreshadowing of what’s to come when Yote Diamondback heads up to Arcane.