Americans must seek parallel sources for news, currency, technology, agriculture, and business, speakers at this week’s Center for Constructive Alternatives said.

From Sunday to Wednesday, CCA speakers discussed how to build alternative institutions in various industries that are independent from the larger economic framework.

Michael Rectenwald, scholar and author of 11 books, gave the first lecture on the rise of corporate fascism. According to Rectenwald, shareholder, or “woke” capitalism, is a dangerous system in which governments and businesses collaborate against the interests of the American people. 

“Woke capitalism puts the interests of the vast majority under a woke agenda that dictates what is produced, how it is produced, and thus what can be purchased and by whom,” Rectenwald said. “Non-woke individuals are canceled from public life, and the spoils are left to the woke.”

According to Rectenwald, the recent alliances between corporate and government powers are dangerous to American freedom. 

“Corporations play a large role in setting policies, assuming governmental power,” Rectenwald said. “We’re seeing a state-corporate hybrid development. This is the very definition of fascism.” 

John Solomon, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Just the News, lectured on the need for parallel news sources. According to Solomon, the Democratic party orchestrated a very specific plan to control the U.S. over the past 20 years. 

“They had a strategic plan 30 layers deep: infiltrate the media, infiltrate bureaucracies, own the language, own the narrative, change the rules of election,” Solomon said. 

Solomon said conservatives must present facts without editorializing so young people can reach conclusions for themselves. 

“I believe that there is a significant population of America that is ready to be given the facts and make up their own minds,” Solomon said. “They’re ready to be free again.” 

Junior Louisa Klaserner said Solomon’s lecture was her favorite of the CCA. 

“I really liked what he had to say,” Klaserner said. “I thought his talk was really inspiring and empowering, especially for the younger generation. He wanted us to take more action in our conversations with people.”

On Monday, William J. Luther, director of the Sound Money Project at the American Institute for Economic Research, discussed cryptocurrency. 

Luther said cryptocurrency has potential to stimulate the economy. 

“When they are used, they tend to reduce transaction costs and promote economic growth,” Luther said. “And when they are available, they offer an alternative to government monies.”

Luther said governments often attempt to produce federal cryptocurrencies, which could deprive Americans of their right to privacy.

Walter Kirn, author and journalist, said dependence on big tech is a threat to freedom. According to Kirn, cell phones not only can track users but also can affect how a person thinks.

“People are willing to consider the notion that they’re being watched and that they’re creating a permanent record of their activities, interests, and so on,” Kirn said. “But, I think that they still hesitate to concede that they may be programmed, influenced, directed from afar. There may be, already or at least coming, such a thing as a remote controlled human being.”

According to Kirn, the best solution to this danger is for young people to educate themselves in technology. 

“We face a very powerful enemy in technology,” he said. “One that I think should be met not by abandonment of these devices and these platforms but by full scale confrontation.”

On Tuesday, Joel Salatin, author and owner of Polyface Farms, spoke on local food as potential parallel agriculture. 

According to Salatin, local farm food is better than food from large processing plants. Salatin said large-scale production and shipment of food has degraded the quality of food in America, while smaller, localized farms could be more efficient and produce higher quality food. 

“People think we could not have fed the world without chemical fertilizer, pesticides and hybridization,” Salatin said. “Not only would we have fed the world, we would have done it without three-legged salamanders and infertile frogs.”

Matthew Peterson, co-founder and general partner at venture firm New Founding, lectured on refounding America. He said conservative Americans must work together to form intentionally conservative companies to rival those which are hostile to freedom. 

“The real way to take on woke capital is through competition. Right now, millions of Americans want to stop supporting companies that hate them,” Peterson said. “If we could meet this increasingly ravenous demand, it would be the single business opportunity of our lifetime.”

The CCA concluded with a faculty roundtable. Ivan Pongracic, professor of economics, said parallel economics are crucial for defending American liberty. 

“This is not just a matter of political disagreement,” Pungracic said. “These are fundamentally evil, demonic attacks on liberty. This is a fight for liberty and civilization.”