From: John K Clark (johnkc@well.com)
Date: Wed Apr 01 1998 - 22:36:47 MST
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On Thu, 2 Apr 1998 Alejandro Dubrovsky <s335984@student.uq.edu.au> Wrote:
>so a billionaire's whim would be much more powerful than any
>"standard" indivual's greatest desire.
Obviously.
>What would stop someone like Bill Gates from doing what he will
>with 10000000 Indians?
The fact that 10000000 Indians have more money willing to be spent on matters
concerning the life and death of 10000000 Indians than Bill Gates does.
>Not to mention that most people's wieldable money (spare money?) is
>much less than 2% of a rich person's spare money.
It's not you against the world, no viable PPA would have only one member, and
if you need money to prevent you from being hanged tomorrow morning then your
spare money is 100% of your total net worth.
>Also, what's the difference between a large PPA and a standard
>nation state, in which you pay taxes to be protected?
Unlike a government a PPA will not force you to join or pay them one dime
because it does not claim rights an individual does not have. If I need money
I don't claim the right to take it from you regardless of your wishes.
Government does.
>What will protect you from your own PPA?
Possibly nothing, one PPA might become far more powerful than any other,
turn psychotic and take over everything. It could happen, but it's much less
likely than the US Army doing it and setting up a military dictatorship,
and they certainly have the power to do so if they wanted. At the first signs
of totalitarian behavior in a PPA, people could simply stop doing business
with it and switch to a competitor, this would cut off its lifeblood, money.
Remember, doing business with a PPA is voluntary and that gives enormous
power to people, a power that citizens forced to finance the army and police
regardless of their opinion of it do not have. Also, just like now, PPA's in
a world without government would attract people who enjoy exercising control
over other people, but unlike the police and army of today, it would also
attract people who enjoy making money. Those kind of people are much safer to
have in positions of power.
John K Clark johnkc@well.com
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