Political Theory

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

Merlin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:19:00 GMT

JosephBright:

Government will lose all its power in space. Once people are free to traverse the solar system and then the stars, there will be no way for the state to exercise their authority over free people. Space is simply too massive and the state will be spread way too thin. There will be too many places to hide. In a way, it is the geographical considerations of living on a planet that has aided in the growth and success of the state. Once we break free of the Earthian paradigm, the state will either collapse, or become irrelevant to the day to day operations of free space-farers.

I’m afraid that would only set humanity back to a time when a thousand states existed but where so further apart that no one could easily emigrate. That is multiple dictatorships. Again, I’m afraid that fleeing the state, be it in space, won’t do it.

I’d even say that even if anarchy had been achieved on earth by then, the emergence of initially small communities so far apart would allow states to be born anew.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

limitgov — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:53:37 GMT

JosephBright:

Government will lose all its power in space. Once people are free to traverse the solar system and then the stars, there will be no way for the state to exercise their authority over free people. Space is simply too massive and the state will be spread way too thin. There will be too many places to hide. In a way, it is the geographical considerations of living on a planet that has aided in the growth and success of the state. Once we break free of the Earthian paradigm, the state will either collapse, or become irrelevant to the day to day operations of free space-farers.

It is interesting to note that all attempts to weaponize space have been stopped.

And of course, there's the famous cases where nuclear warheads have had their codes or something disabled.

It appears that any attempt at violence in space will not be permitted.

And i believe it is due to the fact that any advanced civilization that is here, can only achieve that advancement by being peaceful and loving.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

liberty student — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:54:04 GMT

JosephBright:
Government will lose all its power in space. Once people are free to traverse the solar system and then the stars, there will be no way for the state to exercise their authority over free people. Space is simply too massive and the state will be spread way too thin. There will be too many places to hide. In a way, it is the geographical considerations of living on a planet that has aided in the growth and success of the state. Once we break free of the Earthian paradigm, the state will either collapse, or become irrelevant to the day to day operations of free space-farers.

You are the only other person (besides myself) on this forum who has written something like that (which I can recall). I could hug you right now.

5 stars. +10,000. Co-signed.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

JosephBright — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:53:38 GMT

Government will lose all its power in space. Once people are free to traverse the solar system and then the stars, there will be no way for the state to exercise their authority over free people. Space is simply too massive and the state will be spread way too thin. There will be too many places to hide. In a way, it is the geographical considerations of living on a planet that has aided in the growth and success of the state. Once we break free of the Earthian paradigm, the state will either collapse, or become irrelevant to the day to day operations of free space-farers.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

CrazyCoot — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:53:24 GMT

If the incoming immigrants had diseases to which the existing community had no defenses to I'd say kill em all.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

Stranger — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:48:20 GMT

kiba:

Unless they saw us only as food.

There's no reason for them to see us as food anymore than there is for us to see the lower races of humans as food.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

Praetyre — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:45:27 GMT

You know, I keep saying we need a "Weird Hypothetical Questions" section. I rather fear what CrazyCoot's stance is on immigration.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

CrazyCoot — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:29:21 GMT

Well, if you want to be Zaphod Beetlebrox's pet then fair enough.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

kiba — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:27:36 GMT

Stranger:

CrazyCoot:

If any alien beings were to land on our planet we'd have to kill them to survive.

The principle of the division of labor and free trade is universal. It applies to aliens, post-humans, robots, A.I. superintelligence, anything that thinks.

Unless they saw us only as food.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

Stranger — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:23:55 GMT

CrazyCoot:

If any alien beings were to land on our planet we'd have to kill them to survive.

The principle of the division of labor and free trade is universal. It applies to aliens, post-humans, robots, A.I. superintelligence, anything that thinks.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

baxter — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:53:33 GMT

CrazyCoot:

If any alien beings were to land on our planet we'd have to kill them to survive.

Good luck. It would be like a bunch of cavemen throwing rocks at IronMan. Most likely any aliens capable of travelling here also have invisiblity cloaks, which we are only just researching. I'm sure it's also easy enough to doom a planet by making tiny alterations to asteroid trajectories.

"Unless...they had telepathic abilities."

Voluntary sharing of information through telepathy would not be much different from using a telephone. And I don't see how even non-consensual mind-reading would alter fundamental laws of economics.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

Sieben — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:15:44 GMT

Chances are equally likely that we'll actually be the aliens making first contact. Be nifty if they're all like "What is government? That's a stupid idea how would a legal monopoly on legitimate use of violence solve anything?"

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

nirgrahamUK — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:09:12 GMT

CrazyCoot:
If any alien beings were to land on our planet we'd have to kill them to survive.

neo-con alert

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

CrazyCoot — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:53:42 GMT

If any alien beings were to land on our planet we'd have to kill them to survive.

Re: Advanced Civilizations May Have an Advantage We Don't

limitgov — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:24:43 GMT

well, either way...

I understand that gov. is destructive regardless...all they can do is take away our life, liberty and property...

but the mob will keep turning to government if they are ignorant...

maybe it will take telepathic abilities for the common person to realize what we already realize...

that government is destructive.