2 ms·

> Let's be honest, there are not that many examples to choose from. Yes, I think that's the point. There are decent numbers of places where government has neit

by ori_b 9y ago

> Let's be honest, there are not that many examples to choose from. Yes, I think that's the point. There are decent numbers of places where government has neither the ability or desire to regulate heavily. None of those places seem to have blossomed into oases of free enterprise and infrastructure construction.

faceyspacey 9y ago
This point is likely subject to the "correlation is causation" debate. All the countries doing well with big governments are also likely resource-rich and home to ancient empires and culture. What countries have small states that you are referring to anyway? Zimbabwe? Burma? Equador? Places in the jungle? There are lots of other reasons these places might not be economic powerhouses. It takes a lot more time to trade coconuts through a deep jungle. Just because it seems difficult now under a heavy antiquated state-controlled system, doesn't mean, say, something like a crypto-currency-backed decentralized world isn't possible. We very well could one day be paying taxes just to local governments, and many local governments compete for our citizenship through things like low taxes. Cut the 25% u pay in taxes that goes to military related expenses (because, say, china now becomes the world's "supreme leader" as someone else said), and now we are well on our way to a small-state government. I hope we can fix these problems. Things are so inefficient. I'm excited to see how far decentralization can take us.
BearGoesChirp 9y ago
The ones I think of often have a government that either doesn't have the ability to regulate the things a libertarian thinks they should (libertarians aren't generally anarchist, and so their desired government would function to some extent) or the government does have the ability to regulate but uses it arbitrarily for corrupt interests (and so a startup company that does well enough will eventually be forced to comply with the government wishes).
mistermann 9y ago
If there is no well designed set of rules and corresponding righteous enforcement, I would not expect any oasis to arise. Without this, it is very easy for people with ill intentions to forcibly seize power and muck it up for everyone else.

by ori_b 9y ago

faceyspacey 9y ago

This point is likely subject to the "correlation is causation" debate. All the countries doing well with big governments are also likely resource-rich and home to ancient empires and culture. What countries have small states that you are referring to anyway? Zimbabwe? Burma? Equador? Places in the jungle? There are lots of other reasons these places might not be economic powerhouses. It takes a lot more time to trade coconuts through a deep jungle. Just because it seems difficult now under a heavy antiquated state-controlled system, doesn't mean, say, something like a crypto-currency-backed decentralized world isn't possible. We very well could one day be paying taxes just to local governments, and many local governments compete for our citizenship through things like low taxes. Cut the 25% u pay in taxes that goes to military related expenses (because, say, china now becomes the world's "supreme leader" as someone else said), and now we are well on our way to a small-state government. I hope we can fix these problems. Things are so inefficient. I'm excited to see how far decentralization can take us.

BearGoesChirp 9y ago

The ones I think of often have a government that either doesn't have the ability to regulate the things a libertarian thinks they should (libertarians aren't generally anarchist, and so their desired government would function to some extent) or the government does have the ability to regulate but uses it arbitrarily for corrupt interests (and so a startup company that does well enough will eventually be forced to comply with the government wishes).

mistermann 9y ago

If there is no well designed set of rules and corresponding righteous enforcement, I would not expect any oasis to arise. Without this, it is very easy for people with ill intentions to forcibly seize power and muck it up for everyone else.