[ExI] Libertarian-spotting field guide

[BillK]

On 7/4/10, David Lubkin wrote:
>  Compare sending special forces sniper teams to eliminate
>  military or civilian leaders, in a progressive campaign to weaken
>  your foe (and perhaps induce those who remain to give you what
>  you want, lest they be next) with the routinized slaughter of mass
>  warfare. Why is it ever preferable to bomb cities or even to send
>  a cadre of 19 year olds off to maim and kill other 19 year olds?
>
>  It seems to me the only time that conventional warfare is a preferable
>  method for achieving your goals is if one of your major goals requires
>  a mass effect, e.g., mass casualty -- killing the infidels or altering the
>  demographics of your own country -- or intimidating whole populations.
>
>  Parenthetically, while I'm thinking mostly about past state-on-state
>  warfare, it seems to me that a contracted private defense service
>  in an AnCap society -- concerned with costs, reputation, lawsuits
>  from third-party innocents, competitive pricing, return on investment,
>  etc. -- would naturally gravitate toward techniques that were as
>  pinpoint as they could make them.
>
>  And if they didn't, they'd be supplanted by nimble start-ups, as in
>  any other business.
>


I think your libertarian contract killer services are already in
operation in Mexico.

<http://dailycensored.com/2010/07/03/mexicos-july-4-election-has-the-narco-state-arrived/>

Quote:
Nearly 50 candidates and public figures have been assassinated in the
run up to Mexico’s 2010 state elections.
The political murders by the drug cartels are not focused on one
party. The Los Angeles Times suggested that the goal may be to create
chaos and elevate the drug cartel control over the entire Mexican
political system.
-----------
Calderón was soon faced with the power of Mexican drug cartels, which
began growing exponentially. Total revenue for the nine leading
cartels was estimated at grater than $30 billion for 2007. Today it
may be at three times that figure.

As income grew, the stakes of political power also expanded. The
cartels used kidnapping and murder against public officials to gain
more favorable terms for their operations. Then the cartels began
killing each other and politicians bought by opposing groups. Mexican
citizens were often caught in the cross fire.

Calderón’s response was to dispatch troops to fight cartel gunmen in
the streets of Mexican cities throughout the nation. Major shoot outs
became common place and accounted for a share of the estimated 22,000
deaths in Mexico’s drug war. In the mean time, well known drug lords
were treated like celebrities.
---------------



One problem with libertarian-type systems is that the bad guys
enthusiastically embrace the 'Do whatever you like' bit and forget
about the 'responsibility' bit. Yea, I know, join a bigger gang or
tell the bad guys your lawyers will sue them.  Yuk.  :(


BillK