From: Tony Hollick (anduril@cix.compulink.co.uk)
Date: Wed Apr 15 1998 - 13:51:16 MDT
> What is the flaw in changing the name Anarcho-Capitalism to Agoric
> Democracy?
It would be a _lie_. Good definitions read 'from right to left.'
The flaw is that Capitalism is neither anarchic nor agoric, and -- as Noam
Chomsky among many others has pointed out -- Anarcho-Capitalism would in
practice very likely produce the most hideous tyranny the world has ever
seen. You do not have to meet many Anarcho-Capitalists to realize this.
These are people whose minds have been seized by an axiomatized deductive
system. Every question becomes ansered by a look-up table, or mantra-like
incantations of 'the market will sort it out.'
Even 'saints' would wind up as tyrants under anarcho-capitalism.
Individual freedom is an optimum, not an absolute.
[ FX: "SHOUT MODE ON:" ]
There is no 'Absolute Foundation' for property rights, and to
propose to base an entire society on the illusion that there is, is
the sort of crass folly only clever people are capable of.
[ FX: "SHOUT MODE OFF" ]
Even _one_ working example would be nice...
Capitalism. (n). Hierarchical economic system structured to give further
cascading privileges to the existing owners and controllers of Capital.
Usually turns into 'crony-Capitalism' (ref: Hernando de Soto, 'El Otro Sendero').
Supposed benefits include fabled 'trickle-down' of economic resources,
which is no doubt why 350 000 children die _every day_ from preventable
disease and malnutrition. Imagine yourself reading gung-ho capitalist
tracts to them as they die hideously in front of your eyes...
Agorism. (n). Horizontalist, 'reticular' or networked system of
interacting _equals_. Note that Agorism is a fully-fledged _social_
system while Capitalism is an _economic_ system.
Anarcho-Capitalism: (n). Imaginary system of society where powers of
absolute government (secret police; mass murder -- i.e. nuclear weaopons;
torture chambers -- i.e. maximum security prisons; judicial murder -- i.e.
'the death penalty', etc. etc.) are all up for sale to the highest
bidders. Any half-way intelligent devious 'Capitalist' (I know several)
will show you how to turn all this into an absolute dictatorship while
still retaining the 'anarcho-capitalist' labels and trimmings. Take a
look at some of the caricatures of the 'New World Order' sometime.
Ask an 'anarcho-capitalist' if they believe in (a) unrestricted private
ownership of thermonuclear weapons (i.e. the means of indiscriminate mass
murder) and (b) systematized murder (the 'death penalty'), all under their
personal control. If they answer 'yes', (a) pre-emptively kill them if
they give you a funny look; or (b) run like hell! >:-}
Whereas Democratic Agorism already exists -- i.e.
http://www.agora.demon.co.uk/agora3.txt
In practice, 'anarcho-capitalism' is 'salonfahig'; a fashionable fig-leaf
for existing privilege, and a time-sink and a pitfall for freedom-seekers.
Anarcho-capitalists usually attach themselves to right-wing conservatives
for company -- i.e. to right-wing pols like Thatcher, or 'intellectuals'
like Charles Murray). Amusingly, many 'anarcho-capitalists' are State
agents of various kinds; nothing against State agents, you understand...
Some of my best friends... >:-}
/ /\ \
--*--<Tony>--*--
Tony Hollick, LightSmith
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/la-agora (LA-Agora Conference)
http://www.agora.demon.co.uk (Agora Home Page, Rainbow Bridge Foundation)
http://www.nwb.net/nwc (NorthWest Coalition Against Malicious Harrassment)
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<EOT>
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