[p2p-research] Historical anti-materialism

[Ryan Lanham]

>
>
> Rivalry is a very important of the p2p concept - rival goods cause
> problems. http://smari.yaxic.org/rivalry_scarcity_graph.png
>
>  - Smári
>
>
Things are not, by nature, rival or non-rival goods.  Those are defined by
laws of property.  If you do not like the laws, work to change them.
However, there is no indepedent concept of rival versus non-rival goods
outside of a political system.

Non-rival goods -- like ocean water classically -- can easily become rival
goods -- 200 mile territory limits.  The same is true of electrons
(electricity) air -- air rights.

Property laws are set by lawyers and politicians.  P2P systems are designed
by those who freely choose to share their output and to pool into
commons--it could be any sort of system of scarce or non-scarce goods.

To say rival goods cause problems is akin to saying cultures cause
problems.  There may be some hint of truth to it, but it is largely
irrelevant unless one wishes to radically alter a political system.  Nothing
in P2P requires altering any political system--P2P thrives just fine
regardless of when and where it is implemented.

Ryan
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