[extropy-chat] War Is Easy To Explain - Peace is Not

[Brent Neal]

On Mar 16, 2007, at 3:41, Thomas wrote:

>>
> Brent, I think Neal Stephenson might agree with you.  In "Diamond Age"
> the administration of justice gets carried out on solely economic
> considerations.  Politics appears reduced to tribal style preferences
> and the magnitude of a crime gets judged on economy-wide consequences.
> Unproductive behavior coupled with habitual counterproductive actions
> gets judged worthy of a death sentence.
>

Having read both Diamond Age and Snow Crash some time back,  
undoubtedly that influenced my opinion.

I think that politics, at least in the US and Europe, resembles that  
tribalism that you speak of; however, I think that the primary role  
of politics is a consensus institution for shaping business climate.  
You buy enough influence to get what you need.

>  From this view (economic stats trumping political concerns) I  
> think one
> could say that waging political war might be considered a kind of
> declaration of bankruptcy.


Or following Clausewitz, war is economics by other means? :)


--
Brent Neal
Geek of all Trades
http://brentn.freeshell.org

"Specialization is for insects" -- Robert A. Heinlein