jack: (Default)
[personal profile] jack
People often wonder how a libertarian society, or an anarchist society, would actually work. They point to historical examples, and some contemporary societies as examples. (Very different ones depending whether they're stressing what the philosophy is striving to achieve, or stressing the drawbacks of adopting it uncritically.)

But it occurs to me we have quite a good example in the global society of nations. The way countries work with each other, or don't, is almost exactly that. One not governed by any outside laws, but one in which a majority adopt various protocols that most choose to abide by, most of the time, but reserve the right to opt out of. Some reject any, and the rest ignore it, or pressure them into conforming, if they're able to. Some run amuck, and stomp all over everyone else. The observations are, that it _mostly_ works, but it's not obviously superior to a system where the majority HAD imposed some standard laws and the right to enforce them.

(Of course, people disagree about what contracts between nations there should be. Some people do just want a free-for-all, others want a centrally imposed order.)

Date: 2010-12-02 08:18 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] mobbsy
I nearly agree, but you don't need to model nations as individuals.

It's very easy to see how libertarian/anarchist societies develop with enough time, they turn into the various political systems around us. Government isn't a natural force, it's a created artifact of human society. We're all living with the long term consequences of tens of thousands of years of libertarianism.

The fundamental contradiction of what's usually called "libertarianism" is that it would need some sort of imposed authority to prevent the spontaneous development of government (almost certainly after some rather brutal fighting), and if that imposed authority isn't a government what else would you call it?

Date: 2010-12-02 10:14 pm (UTC)
seryn: flowers (Default)
From: [personal profile] seryn
I used to think libertarian society was a good idea. But now that I'm old, I don't think that anymore. Largely because other people are idiots.

I can think through the implications of what I say and do (when I stop and pay attention at least) but most people have to have a map and a lecture explaining each step. Even otherwise smart people don't seem to think extrapolatively.

Date: 2010-12-03 10:30 am (UTC)
naath: (Default)
From: [personal profile] naath
Well, "people suck" is the main failing of all systems of government. The question is really "what does this system do to prevent people sucking from trashing the whole thing" and libertarianism doesn't seem to present a very good answer to that.

Date: 2010-12-03 03:21 pm (UTC)
ptc24: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ptc24
The observations are, that it _mostly_ works, but it's not obviously superior to a system where the majority HAD imposed some standard laws and the right to enforce them.

Can I just say how the formatting on this makes it really easy for me to imagine the tone of voice you would use when reading this out in real life. Various people's voices come across more or less well in LJ/DW, yours seems to be one of the better ones.

Active Recent Entries