[extropy-chat] the ultimate free market - a warning to us all

[Mike Lorrey]

--- BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 07:48:08 -0800 (PST), Mike Lorrey wrote:
> > 
> > It seems to me that the only real problems in Somalia is an
> oversupply
> > of people whose only salable skill is pulling a trigger, and an
> > undersupply of aid workers who are willing to carry their own
> weapons.
> > 
> 
> 
> And what's the point of that, exactly?
> So the aid workers go in armed convoys, tooled up with sub-machine
> guns.
> 
> The gangsters will just take the aid from the non-gangster
> population.
> 
> Solution - obviously even more guns, until every man, woman and child
> is armed to the teeth and everyone takes what they can get until they
> come up against a bigger gun, or a bigger gang of guns.

Having a gun doesn't necessarily mean that one is seeking to take what
they can get from others. It is clear that the only thing that people
there are pining for from a government is security. Why do they still
think they need one to provide that service? How is paying tolls at
checkpoints any different from paying taxes? I suppose most people,
even in Somalia, live under the delusion that their taxes actually pay
for the services they would receive from a government. 

Of course the writers also say that having a government would also
provide a central bank. This is another falsehood. Central banks are
not owned by the governments they enjoy a monopoly from. The US Federal
Reserve Bank, for instance, is owned by JP Morgan and a number of other
major private banks (particularly several european merchant banks).
Central banks are private institutions that enjoy a monopoly granted by
government. The US did not need one up until it passed the Federal
Reserve Act of 1913. There is no reason why Somalia needs one now to
have its own currency or other financial transactions.

> 
> And who's looking after the sick or disabled while all this is going
> on? Who's planting the crops and looking after the infrastructure?

The people are looking after their own, as they should, and the tribal
unity is very effective at this.

> 
> What fighting gang wants to be weighed down by supporting
> non-fighters in their gang? No point, when you can just take what
> you want.
> 
> Nice free independent lifestyle. 

Your understanding of the tribal militia system in Somalia is evidently lacking.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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