From: Andrew Clough (aclough@mit.edu)
Date: Fri Mar 21 2003 - 09:00:16 MST
At 08:56 PM 3/20/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Mike Lorrey writes:
>
> > War is a area that illustrates that much libertarian theory is only
> > useful when you apply it to an entirely libertarian world (i.e. a
> > fictional universe, at present). Strict libertarian theory does little
> > to allow one to rationally or effectively deal with a semi- to
> > non-libertarian world full of many anti-libertarian actors...
>
>There is a distinction between libertarians and anarchists. Most
>libertarians believe that government should exist and take on certain
>limited, well-defined functions. Usually national defense is among them.
>It's a classic public good. So there's no inconsistency between a
>libertarian society and a strong national defense.
>
>Then there's always the strategy depicted in Vernor Vinge's short story
>The Ungoverned, where individual citizens arm themselves using the kind of
>advanced weaponry that most governments forbid their citizens to possess.
>It's not clear whether that would work as well in practice as it was
>depicted in fiction though.
>
>Hal
If I recall...Ah, here's the book... It seems that in "The Ungoverned" the
clear majority of citizen's relied on the private security agencies for all
their defense needs. These agencies had a lot of mutual assistance pacts
that allowed them to fight together, though in the book it was shown that
this resulted in a delay in their responses. There were a few people who
didn't contract with any security agency and provided their own defense,
"armadillos," but I think not all of these people were so heavily armed.
Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. Don't assign
to stupidity what might be due to ignorance. And try not to assume you
opponent is the ignorant one-until you can show it isn't you.
-M.N. Plano
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