Almost all of us hold two beliefs which contradict a third near-universal belief. The first is that a state, however else defined, is a geographic monopoly of security and justice. One cannot appeal a ruling beyond the state, and whatever private providers of security and justice may exist, they do so in pronounced subservience to and supervision by the state. The second is that monopolies invariably cause high prices and low quality.
Tag: citizens
Legalization Works
Libertarians, though that term encompasses a very large range of ideas these days, seem to agree on one basic principle; do what you want as long as it does not affect me. That is why one of the core principles of Libertarian ideology is that individuals have the freedom to do what they want with their own bodies. Be it the intake of drugs, or a half hour on a mattress in the red light district, consenting adults should be able to do as they please.
The Evils of Nationalism and Racism
Sadly, mankind doesn’t appear to have learned much from history as the evils of nationalism and racism are once again on the rise. From Europe to the US, the rise of groups affiliated with Nazi ideology has led to a resurgence in violence against minorities, immigrants, and refugees.
The Case for a Voluntary Society
For those of you who think that Anarchy is just an idealistic notion, ask yourself is the more realistic one really a system that is funded through coercion and whose policies are formulated by a select few and whose compliance is mandated under threat of violence? Is this not the incredibly idealistic and I would argue irrational and evil notion? Please, I only ask at the very least not that you agree, but that you instead refrain from supporting the use of violence to forcibly impose your will on me. I promise I will pay you the same respect.
What Anarchy Means to Me
Whilst most governments remain monopolistic “States”, I would prefer for them to be as small as possible in order to maximise my element of choice. In an anarcho-capitalist society, however, where communities would effectively have complete freedom to choose which regime to live under, and where every regime would have been perfected by fierce market competition to provide the best possible quality of life, the results might surprise even the most brilliant economists.
No Such Thing as “International” Economics
I’ve come to the conclusion that the world would be better off had there never been the sub-discipline within economics of “international economics” (or, alternatively, of “international trade” and “international finance”). The economics profession likely also would be better off without such a sub-discipline.
Bad vs. Worse: Welfare Statism and Tribal Statism
Practically no one believes that so-called welfare states have the right to invade non-welfare states and remake them in their image, so that no one in the world is deprived of state welfare. Likewise, practically no one believes that so-called welfare states have the right to impose special taxes on their citizens with the purpose of creating welfare state systems in those countries that cannot afford to do so by themselves.
At the Heart of Protectionism is a Fear of Prosperity
The primal man-in-the-street fear of free trade – and fear of other labor-saving innovations – is a fear rooted in a completely mistaken understanding of reality. It is a fear that we humans (or at least we in our country) are on the verge of conquering scarcity and of transforming the world (or at least our country) into one of superabundance. This fear is truly irrational.
Distasteful Communities Are a Feature, Not a Bug
A criticism others have made against my political philosophy (decentralism) is that a racist, theocratic, or other problematic form of government could establish itself in a given region. However, I try to point out to people that what they call a bug is more of a mutually beneficial feature.
Spanking As a Prejudice Against Children
It’s been said that kids benefit from a good spanking. Some people justify this practice by claiming that today’s kids’ are getting out of control, and need to be punished more severely. Some folks might be surprised to learn that this generational view has been expressed throughout our history with regard to a number of specific populations of people within our society.