Minarchism -- the belief in solidarity between small monarchies, like Luxembourg, Monaco, Kuwait, or Andorra, against big bad republics like Germany, Iraq, or Italy
Ha!Minarchism -- the belief in solidarity between small monarchies, like Luxembourg, Monaco, Kuwait, or Andorra, against big bad republics like Germany, Iraq, or Italy
I see what you are saying, but I feel like this still has a standing government, just really small. It still has laws, too, just some things are legalised, but frowned upon.I probably should not have used such a vague (and historically problematic) term as "feudalism". I was just reminded of medieval Europe. By "modernised" I meant altered to be more in line with modern democratic values.
Anyway, the whole thing sounds quite interesting. Have you heard of the (apparently) real-world ideology of anarcho-monarchism? I wouldn't say that it is quite the same, but it is a similar concept, I think.
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-I created this flag to represent my idea for a proposed synthesis of mutualism, Georgism and distributism. Aside from the fact the ideologies seem to fit together their color and animal symbolism complement each other nicely so I'm taking it as a sign.
Sorry for the title, I couldn't really figure out how I wanted to phrase what I'm laying out but I promise I'm not advocating for Clintonian triangulation 😅 I've been toying with an alternative political economy position to serve as a counter to neoliberalism and state capitalism, partially inspired by an infographic making the rounds that proposes a Georgist/Mutualist synthesis. Derived from Georgism, mutualism and distributism my proposed synthesis would theoretically revolve around land value taxation and an economic system favoring economic localism and cooperative businesses, possibly as a counter-economy existing alongside the current one.
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-My primary issue with this is the extreme libertarianism that tends to infect modern Georgism, making this binary synthesis inadequate to my mind.
Neoliberalism is, I think most of us can agree, a hideous poison that's dissolving society in a sea of privatization even as that same unconscious drive to increase the efficiency and market access of capital erodes the very social foundation that the system depends on. The ideal producer-consumer, after all, is someone who works the maximum amount and spends all of their money on consumption, a combination which by definition prevents stable family formation. The fact that market forces select for this organically, without any individual or group at the top of the pyramid actively setting it as a goal only makes it worse, since the power of government to meaningfully impose on capital has been so thoroughly defanged that the idea that the state can actually do anything substantial to halt civic and social erosion is a pipe dream.
State capitalism suffers from much the same problem, burdened with increased inefficiency, since the global market forces continue to act on the national economy even as the actual top of the system is centered on an ecosystem of government ministries rather than competing companies. Living in the US I don't see the imposition of a state capitalist system on the horizon any time soon, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a competitive model on the world stage and should therefore be addressed. I would favor a greater role for labor in the American economy in the above-mentioned absence of state power but the sad fact is that labor unions are so anemic (as a result of internal flaws, external state opposition, and social factors) that the actual ability for organized labor to meaningfully improve conditions for itself is practically nonexistent.
-Using the distributist political compass as our example (substituting "state capitalism" and "neoliberalism" for the incredibly vague "socialism" and "capitalism", respectively), both Georgism and mutualism would fit well within the third position.
Hence the synthesis. All three of the ideologies I sought to blend opposed monopolies and concentrated state and economic power and all three favored strengthening the community in one way or another.
Under Mutual Geodistributism (I'm open to suggestions for a better name 😅) a Georgist tax on unimproved land value would be combined with pigovian taxes on things like environmental degradation and optionally sin taxes. These would form the majority of the tax system, with opposition to taxes on labor retained but taxes on capital structured to focus on the largest producers and economic monopolies rather than being eliminated entirely as under orthodox Georgism. Any surplus from this tax system would be disbursed to the public in the form of a universal basic income which, combined with socialized utilities, would vastly improve the stability of the individual, fostering family formation and personal happiness; improving social cohesion in the process.
- Georgism supports the commons as the literal foundation of a just society, though George's calls for free or marginal cost utilities, the abolition of the patent system and the nationalization of natural monopolies like mass transit and communications infrastructure have been almost completely eroded by the focus on the "single tax" on unimproved land value as the only aspect of the ideology.
- Both mutualism and distributism favor the development of cooperatives, though distributists are equally at peace with fostering individual smallholders and small to medium businesses. Distributism also has the benefit of actually tolerating the existence of the state and being willing to favor state intervention to curb the excesses of the market, though opposition to unions in favor of guilds would probably need to be modified or discarded. A mutualist focus on usufructs is also worth looking in to.
Changes to the legal system to disincentivize absentee land ownership would further favor local control and economic activity, while the structuring of the tax system would foster the growth of small to medium sized businesses and worker-owned cooperatives. Given my above mentioned pessimism for the power of the state to actually intervene meaningfully in the economy I see this as an ideal end state, with a theoretical political movement working in the meantime toward local change through the creation of a network of credit unions, cooperatives and small businesses aligned with one another in a system of economic interconnection and mutual aid. In an extreme set of circumstances a complementary currency of one sort or another could be adopted to encourage this interconnection in the face of shocks in the wider economy.
These are just my rambling thoughts but I think the idea has promise and I'm open to your thoughts and input! In the meantime I included the write-ups for the component pieces from the Could-Have-Been Ideology thread:
Inspired by Hyperborea and Kemerovo in the TNO timeline:
True Russianiam
I dont think a state inspired by TNO Hyperborea can really be called a lesser evil in any meaningful way tbh.Very interesting, especially the parts about tolerance toward minorities, and the people from the high-tech surveillance states seeking refuge in Russia. It sounds like even though this country is (rightfully) critical of surveillance states, they do a fair amount of surveillance themselves, at least on people living in cities. Language exams, medical inspections, etc. Still, the Russians in this scenario could very likely be the lesser evil compared to who they're up against on the international scene, not that that justifies in the slightest their own oppressive cultural purity policies. Being the lesser evil is no excuse for oppression.
You're likely right, especially considering the Russia described here is almost certainly very antisemitic.I dont think a state inspired by TNO Hyperborea can really be called a lesser evil in any meaningful way tbh.
So Ironic Traditionalism with sarcastic "conservatives"?Dry Wit -ism: An ideology characterized by using dry wit, sarcastic understatement, and inside jokes to poke fun at arrogant buffoonery. They are also sometimes described as bleeding-heart socialists wrapped in conservative clothing. They oppose capitalism, egoism, and over-the-top antics, and they like equality, subtlety, and to some extent, traditional aesthetics.
This sounds like the kind of thing that could easily prosper as a niche 2000s ideologyFolksy-ism or Anti-Engineering: The belief that we should abolish big institutions, in favor of an informal, folksy way of life. They oppose engineering, standardization, vast bureaucracies, and anything that feels to "professional". They like fluidity, spontaneity, spirituality, and art.
Or perhaps in a timeline with a extremely successful Louis XIV or someone like Napoleon claiming to be his reincarnation you get a ideology called "Soleilism"How about competing forms of Bonapartism as more or less mainstream political movements in France?
That's a good idea. Maybe it could be like how people cherry-pick through the Bible looking for verses that support their agenda? Except they'd be cherry-picking the sayings and policies of Napoleon instead?How about competing forms of Bonapartism as more or less mainstream political movements in France?
Or they outright make a Napoleonic "Bible" ala Mein KampfThat's a good idea. Maybe it could be like how people cherry-pick through the Bible looking for verses that support their agenda? Except they'd be cherry-picking the sayings and policies of Napoleon instead?
That sounds interesting. I had an idea for something similar, except they used an intimidating brutalist style rather then vivid colors.Complexism: They believe that since living things are more complex than dead matter, it follows that complexity us generally good. They oppose simple structures, uniformity, and routine, and they like vivid colors and institutions so complex that no one can understand them in full.
Glad you like it.So Ironic Traditionalism with sarcastic "conservatives"?
That sounds fun!
Yeah, maybe it started as a prank that spiraled out of control. Or maybe it was dead serious from the beginning. Either way, somebody looked around at all the infrastructure of the modern world and said, "Dude, all this infrastructure? It's all way too well-engineered. Wouldn't it be better if everything was sloppy and chaotic? And also built with love by a totally hip artisan? And also on fire?" "Yeah bro, that would be lit as fuck."This sounds like the kind of thing that could easily prosper as a niche 2000s ideology
Oh, cool! Yeah, the faction I was thinking of would NOT like brutalist architecture, though they might be more forgiving in cases where the floor plans are sufficiently maze-like.That sounds interesting. I had an idea for something similar, except they used an intimidating brutalist style rather then vivid colors.
That's a good idea. Maybe it could be like how people cherry-pick through the Bible looking for verses that support their agenda? Except they'd be cherry-picking the sayings and policies of Napoleon instead?
Sure, but I was thinking Republican Bonapartism versus Imperial Bonapartism as the main divide.Or they outright make a Napoleonic "Bible" ala Mein Kampf