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"No, seriously: 95% of the discussion in the referendum debates and on the street has been about short term issues that can be resolved one way or the other in
by ZanyProgrammer 12y ago
"No, seriously: 95% of the discussion in the referendum debates and on the street has been about short term issues that can be resolved one way or the other in the coming days and months (occasionally, months or single-digit years)."
Talk about handwaving-I'd say that the currency system and EU membership are very big issues that deserve essays in and of themselves. I get he's a libertarian who doesn't like the Westphalian system (though why is it that conservatives and libertarians are seemingly the only people who give a rats ass about 17th century politics) but the actual issues of Scottish independence are more of an afterthought.
- tptacek 12y agoI don't think he's a libertarian. See, for instance, his take on Bitcoin.
- ZanyProgrammer 12y agoI assumed since he was writing on PopeHat. My bad for making that assumption.
- teraflop 12y agoI think you're confusing popehat.com with antipope.org. Charles Stross is a self-described socialist.
- smsm42 12y agoBeing a libertarian myself, I must admit I rather tend to agree with the socialist guy here. Smaller governments are better especially if they'd be socialist. If the government in the place where I live decides to build socialism, I'd like to be able to move before the toilet paper shortages start (I don't know what is special about toilet paper but socialists tend to have worst of luck with it [1]) and smaller is the government smaller is the distance I would have to move to regain access to this under-appreciated commodity. So besides all political reasons the most practical reason of minimizing the risk and the transaction costs if the worst does happen, smaller governments are better for me. [1] http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-09-27/venezuela-is-running-out-of-toilet-paper- http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-09-27/venezuela-i...
- maaku 12y agoBitcoin is not libertarian. Libertarians obsess over bitcoin, yes, but that seems to be historical accident. There is much about bitcoin a libertarian shouldn't like (e.g. lack of privacy).