Anarcho -Capitalism

[FederationX]

How can we get any part in the world today to follow the principles of Anarcho-Capitalism? Basically, how can we have society completely privatized in every aspect? (private police, no taxes, legal monoplies on ANYTHING, etc.)

From wikipedia:

Anarcho-capitalism is a philosophy whose proponents favor a neo-classical conception of the free market and oppose the initiation of physical force against person and property, the threat of such, and fraud ("initiation" meaning a first use). Anarcho-capitalists favor the establishment of private property and believe in the freedom of individual self-determination, either to become wealthy, stay poor or found a cooperative. This freedom extends to economic practices that some consider exploitative, and requires that those who wish to attain their chosen lifestyle be able to compete in a capitalist market rather than demand alms. Anarcho-capitalists favor voluntary relations between individuals rather than involuntary submission, and as a result, they oppose the territorial monopoly of states. Anarcho-capitalists believe that an unregulated free market, sometimes called "pure capitalism" by proponents (see footnote1), is the only economic system that is compatible with this view. Anarcho-capitalism is sometimes referred to as anti-state capitalism by anarchists, who believe anarchism and capitalism are incompatible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism

 

[MerryPrankster]

Well, for one of my FH stories, I have an entire planet settled by anarcho-capitalists. However, I stole that concept from the "Profiteer" novels, which took place on such a world.

My A-C planets arent' as dark and nasty b/c a lot of charitable organizations have set up shop there too.

But I digress...

To get anarcho-capitalism on Earth, you'd need a reaction of some kind to state exaction, be it taxes, wars, etc.

Hmm...in syndicalism, the workers take power and abolish the state. To get this, perhaps the bourgeosie (or more than likely, an alliance between the bourgeosie and the workers) abolish the state.

Total voluntarism and everything's negotiable. Labor relations might get interesting--employers might use their economic muscle to control workers, but workers could freely unionize and without hiring of thugs by the employers and/or violence on the part of the laborers, it could all end in negotiation.

Could insurance companies provide military protection?

 

[DominusNovus]

Heaven on earth, in my eyes.

But then, I'm an evil sonofabitch.

 

[Kadyet]

You can't, human nature will prevent it.

 

[MerryPrankster]

You can't, human nature will prevent it.

Elaborate. I think short-lived experiments count if they control more than just an isolated commune somewhere.

 

[Kadyet]

Elaborate. I think short-lived experiments count if they control more than just an isolated commune somewhere.

Human greed and power lust will eventually cause the police and/or military companies to effectively form a government. Furthermore, such a community would require the entire world to do it at once, otherwise a nearby nation would simply take advantage of the weak security situation. Private security organizations like Blackwater are dependent on former Special Operations and other elite soldiers, they would not be effective with raw recruits. Nor would they ever be able to get enough money to outfit themselves with tanks, LAVs, ships, aircraft, and fund R&D. Simply too expensive. We spend hundreds of billions every year on that and we aren't spending nearly enough (at the minimum, we need another hundred billion a year).

 

[csa945]

Human greed and power lust will eventually cause the police and/or military companies to effectively form a government.

Yeah. Anarchy, in general, is an impossible state of existence. I suppose some basic definitions would be good to establish before making this point.

Anarchy: the absence of government.

Government: one or more person imposing his or her will on one or more other people.

If the government, as we know it, is done away with, any demagogue can become the "government." If there is no one with enough charisma, then whoever has the biggest gun with the most ammo will become the "government."

 

[FederationX]

I suppose huge corporations, such as Microsoft or McDonalds could be their own government, controlling parts of the Earth. People could live in these corporate-states. These huge corporations would have their own police force, medicare system, transportation network, etc.

 

[DominusNovus]

I suppose huge corporations, such as Microsoft or McDonalds could be their own government, controlling parts of the Earth. People could live in these corporate-states. These huge corporations would have their own police force, medicare system, transportation network, etc.

Mmmm...

An interesting possibility that I like to play around with. Lets see, citizens would be shareholders...

any other ideas?

 

[MerryPrankster]

Human greed and power lust will eventually cause the police and/or military companies to effectively form a government. Furthermore, such a community would require the entire world to do it at once, otherwise a nearby nation would simply take advantage of the weak security situation. Private security organizations like Blackwater are dependent on former Special Operations and other elite soldiers, they would not be effective with raw recruits. Nor would they ever be able to get enough money to outfit themselves with tanks, LAVs, ships, aircraft, and fund R&D. Simply too expensive. We spend hundreds of billions every year on that and we aren't spending nearly enough (at the minimum, we need another hundred billion a year).

If there is a collapse of the established order (say a bourgeosie-trade union revolution), there'll be lots of veterans from the previous army or armies running around, and they could be the nucleus of a "private security organization," just like WWI vets and officers were the nucleus of the Red Army.

That'll also explain how they're going to get their hands on military hardware.

Hmm...some of these "pirate kingdoms" from the Age of Sail could count as "anarcho-capitalist."

 

[Max Sinister]

Yes, that's the problem: Even if it worked in the beginning, once monopolies start to form, there'll be no way from stopping them to preserve their monopoly with legal tricks or worse. Look at Microsoft in OTL.

 

[BurningWickerman]

Anacho-Capitalist dystopia

I posted this in the dystopic worlds topic a while back. Its basically a failed anarchistic revelotion in which the ideas about the original ideology are warped for the powerfuls uses much like the Bolshevik revelotion in OTL.

How about a form of Anarchism that is in fact Anarcho-Capitalism with a conglomerate of mega-corporations that all own personal armies and virtually dictate the lives of their employees/consumers entirly.

The Conglomerates ban new business and all business that aren't part of the conglomerate are destroyed. Any non-employees on conglomerate land (the entire country) are trespassers and are disappeared. Any employee causing trouble or suspected of causing trouble is fired and then being a trespasser, disappeared. All living space is owned by the company and 'rented' to employees at extortionate prices. So is all food, goods and produce.

The factorys and living quarters are merged toghether eventually and CCTV is in operation all over the country to monitor employees 'productivity'.

Unproductive workers are 'demoted' (if their lucky) too the mines and the lowest kinds of manual labour. Ads and corporate messages are blared out of telescreens 247 at everywhere.

Failure too show interest in a new product or service or to not go out and by that product if you have spare money (all money is in electrical form so they know how much anyone has at any time) is grounds for dismissal or demotion.

The rest of the population is the mega-rich who live in giant villas and resorts away from the rest of the world and a small number of middle managers and the like, who live in ever so slightly better conditions than the average prol...employee.

The corporation also controls the employees right to reproduce, and with who in a bid, too create the 'perfect employee'.



Dystopian enough for ya?