"A healthy economy is one where money and matter circulate quickly among those who create, without being siphoned off by those who only watch."
The KOA Economic Initiative is not a theoretical critique of capitalism, but a structural engineering project. We aim to replace the "Extractive Intermediary"—who profits from friction—with "Civic Infrastructure"—which optimizes for circulation.
Our strategy is built on a precise diagnostic of why modern citizens feel "trapped" despite rising productivity. We identify this as a loss of Exit Power—the practical ability to say "no" to exploitative terms because the cost of living (housing, food, debt) is artificially inflated by rent-seeking mechanisms.
To restore liberty, we must move from an Economy of Extraction (where value is drained by fees, markups, and bureaucracy) to an Economy of Circulation (where value stays within the community to be reinvested).
Our approach differs from traditional political redistribution. We do not simply ask for higher wages; we aggressively lower the cost of living through shared infrastructure.
[cite_start]Research shows that Canadian households are bleeding wealth through an "Extraction Wedge"—a gap between what they earn and what they keep[cite: 3, 50]. [cite_start]This is driven by oligopolies (Telecom, Banking, Groceries) that charge markups above competitive levels, and by "shrouded" financial fees that penalize the poor[cite: 69]. [cite_start]When you cannot afford to quit your job or move house, you have lost your Exit Power[cite: 47].
We cannot easily legislate away these monopolies. Instead, we compete with them. [cite_start]By creating Solidarity Hubs (Ateliers Solidaires), we offer essential goods and services (food, repair, textiles) at a "civic price"—cost plus reinvestment, with zero profit extraction[cite: 719].
The only way to make this affordable is to remove the "Bureaucratic Tax." [cite_start]We use the Orgo engine to automate coordination, inventory, and logistics[cite: 709]. This replaces the expensive layer of middle-management found in corporations with transparent, algorithmic governance.
When the cost of necessities falls, the citizen regains their Exit Power. They can afford to refuse a bad job, leave an abusive situation, or take time to learn a new skill. Freedom is not an abstract right; it is a margin in your bank account.
We measure success not by GDP, but by Civic Velocity:
The blueprint for the Solidarity Workshops is ready for deployment. We are currently identifying pilot locations (vacant churches or industrial sites) to launch the first cohesive unit of the network.
