If anarcho-capitalism is the key to wealth, and iceland and ireland were anarcho-capitalist, then why were they not known for being extremely wealthy?
Neither Ireland or Iceland are anarcho-capatalistic societies. So your point is moot.
fakename: If anarcho-capitalism is the key to wealth, and iceland and ireland were anarcho-capitalist, then why were they not known for being extremely wealthy?
Check the rate of growth during the time they were supposedly ancap societies and compare that growth rate to other societies around the same time. The U.S.S.R. used to be a socialist country, but if you want to see how effective socialism is you wouldn't just observe the same place today. You would compare it when it was socialist to other countries under different systems during the same time period.
"I cannot prove, but am prepared to affirm, that if you take care of clarity in reasoning, most good causes will take care of themselves, while some bad ones are taken care of as a matter of course." -Anthony de Jasay
They lacked the capital goods and market to create wealth. They were agricultural subsistance farmers.
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. " -- Samuel Adams.
Barren islands with little access to world markets.
Keep in mind that at the standards of the time being wealthy meant owning a lot of people.
The fallacies of intellectual communism, a compilation - On the nature of power
February 17 - 1600 - Giordano Bruno is burnt alive by the catholic church. Aquinas : "much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only excommunicated but even put to death."
I think that it's a bit fallacious to be pointing to these pre-industrial societies as examples of market anarchism. They are only rough examples of polycentric legal systems and should not be regaurded as models for a contemporary anarchist society. I know that many ancaps make use of them, but I don't think that they are pure examples of anarchism, nor do I think that they should be heavily relied on. While the past can be looked to for some insight, I don't want to end up defending vikings as an argument for a free society.
They are only rough examples of polycentric legal systems and should not be regarded as models for a contemporary anarchist society.
He's giving some historical context of what was considered wealth back then, not saying these societies were wealthy because they held slaves...
-Jon
Freedom of markets is positively correlated with the degree of evolution in any society...