Re: CONFESSIONS OF A CHEERFUL LIBERTARIAN By David Brin

From: Michael S. Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Mon Dec 04 2000 - 09:11:02 MST


Bryan Moss wrote:
>
> Michael S. Lorrey wrote:
>
> > > It's interesting to consider that greater knowledge of
> > > how societies function, assuming such knowledge is
> > > obtainable, implies a higher degree of centralisation.
> > > It's also worth noting that greater freedom may well
> > > come from government-centred solutions as opposed free
> > > market solutions.
> >
> > Why would either of these assertions have any basis?
>
> A trivial example: Not every possible product is released
> into the marketplace to compete; a large number of potential
> product designs are dismissed or not even considered. An
> increase in the intelligence or knowledge of the product
> designer(s) would result in a greater number of designs
> being dismissed or not considered before production.

This does not imply any sort of centralization at all, it merely is a
sign of smart minds thinking alike.

>
> An increase in knowledge about the marketplace results in
> the centralisation of decision making in the design process.
> Consumers making purchasing decisions cannot necessarily use
> the same knowledge to their advantage. The same is true of
> knowledge about society, which by necessity must be formed
> from a centralised perspective. Purposeful design, if
> possible, will always be superior to spontaneous order (if
> it isn't designed, it's badly designed).

Your claim about purposeful design is a tautology which has no basis,
and which state of the art research in evolved design is quickly putting
to rest as obsolete.

>
> A society purposefully designed (and therefore "governed")
> for freedom will offer greater freedom than an anarchy.

There is a significant difference between a design and the state of
being actively governed. I can purposely design a minarchist government
that will be significantly freer than your fascist government. Likewise,
I prefer to be a registered driver here in NH, which has no insurance
mandates for unconvicted drivers, no statewide auto insurance, and thus
has far lower premium rates, accident, injury, and death rates, and far
lower taxes, thanks.



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