Hi everyone! So I've been stewing on this idea for a while: it would be really cool to embark on an organized, focused examination of the frontiers of decentralization. I discussed this here a while ago in another thread, and also on my blog, and I'm trying to figure out how to move the project forward (ideally without time-intensive effort or financial input). I've been tossing around a couple ideas in my head, and I wanted to put one of them out there to see if people are interested in participating.
I set up a separate forum which is more tightly categorized to promote discussions on more specific issues than are sometimes discussed here. An important part of this would be to try to foster an environment in which issues would be explored in relative isolation from each other, so that we could move away from the kinds of free-wheeling general discussions that sometimes characterize this forum (though there are clearly areas on the forum where more general conversations could take place). Also, the forum would have no explicit affiliation, so it could be legitimately marketed to those outside the libertarian or anarcho-capitalist communities. If you guys are interested, register an account and get started!
I agree, libertarianism as an ethos is a non-starter. Drop the morality and focus on outcomes.
Unfortunately, libertarianism as a pragmatic philosophy is also a non starter. individualism is not a self reinforcing idea like collectivism is.
So basically, you want to start up a forum about speculation on the ordering of society without a state?
How would one sign up anyways?
Haha including a link would have been helpful, huh? Here it is!
I suppose the question isn't exactly how things would be set up, but rather whether the appropriate scale of collective action would really be the individual and her own explicitly chosen affiliations. I set up subforums to discuss some of the most common areas of contention: Collective decision making, public goods and services, provisions for the least well-off, security and defense, courts and justice, and economics and money. I also included areas for discussing morality and ethics, and social and political philosophy. I take it that within the community of individuals focused on the frontiers of decentralization, these subject areas are the most important battlegrounds. I also set up areas to discuss personal projects and plans of action.
Good on you. I wish I could create a subforum on here dedicated to more focussed, advanced discussions, but alas, I cannot.
Freedom of markets is positively correlated with the degree of evolution in any society...
So I've posted a few seeds for conversations on the forum; feel free to come over and leave a piece of your mind! The topics so far:
Is there reasonable pluralism about justice?
Transaction costs and government action
Preventing genocide in a decentralized order
I'll do my best to post a few more conversation starters over the next few days; I look forward to hearing from some of you!
Some more topics for your consideration:
Centralization for standards
Can law be legitimately commoditized?
I've joined up, it's a very good idea :D
I've joined up but I'm not sure about how much I will be able to contribute (nor can I vouch for the quality of my contributions ;) ).
Shilling on another board I see!
Thanks to those who've already come over! And yes, I'm definitely shilling; I've been a part of this community for years, and I'd love to have some of the folks from here join me to discuss some of the issues we'll be focusing on at the other forum.