RE: Libertarian theory breaking down (was Re: [WAR]: Does *anybod y* read ...)

From: Emlyn O'regan (oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au)
Date: Thu Mar 20 2003 - 22:04:26 MST

  • Next message: spike66: "Re: QUESTION: prehistoric alertness"

    >
    > I came to many of the same conclusions as Mike and
    > Alex independently, after pondering the question for
    > some time. Communism doesn't work well unless the
    > whole planet is communist. If one capitalist society
    > exists next to a communist, it prospers like crazy;
    > the go-getters in the commie society want to escape
    > to live with the rich capitalists. Examples North
    > and South Korea, East and West Berlin.
    >
    > Similarly, it seems to me that a libertarian society
    > next to a totalitarian society is at a military
    > disadvantage, altho at a great advantage in every
    > other sense.
    >
    > I would suggest a mostly libertarian society that
    > allows great personal and financial freedom but still
    > reserves the right to raise taxes for common defense,
    > and even the right to draft citizens in a dire
    > emergency.
    >
    > spike

    Well, hang on a second there. Socialist countries do badly compared to
    capitalist countries in a capitalist global system (as the 20th century
    socialists discovered to their chagrin). Socialists might fare better in a
    socialist world system (say a socialist world government, perhaps? Something
    like the EU on steroids maybe :-). However, isolated capitalist countries
    within a socialist world system might not fare so well.

    As to a libertarian pseudo-state in a capitalist world system, you might try
    Vinge's "The Ungoverned" (from "The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge"), for
    a somewhat idealistic but interesting investigation of the possibilities.
    Any libertarian who hasn't read this story really should; you'll really
    enjoy it.

    Emlyn

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