[Approx 1 hour 49 Minutes]
Singapore is unique they say and run like a large corporation...
"The system functions like a big corporation, designed to maximise profit. The Government maintains an upbeat information department, frequently holding press briefings lauding economic achievements but rarely or publicly discusses substantive matters of policy and politics." Eric Ellis
Dec issue of Harper's.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe what i have just saw on the video. All the while the super nation i believe what it was, was no different from singapore. It looke like world going into the what so call the new world order. if country is run by business what is a country?
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ReplyDeleteStop paying taxes.
ReplyDeleteThe state can legally steal — otherwise known as taxation. Cut of the money and you kill the fucking state. Diminish the power of the state, and you diminish the power and effectiveness of the government, which means less interference, and more FREEDOM.
Aaron Russo is a helluva capitalist — the true-blue individual kind. And a dyed-in-the-wool anarchist to boot. But there is a difference between the kind of capitalism of the like of Aaron Russo and what the term is understood to mean today.
Today's modern corporations: the reason they have so much power is because of their nexus to the state. No multi-national in the world is really for free trade. Big business LOVE govts to protect them, by for e.g. protective tariffs and industry regulation.
Big Business is also aided and abetted by govt — cheap loans, supply of a compliant, obedient and CHEAP workforce — too shit scared to stand up for themselves because the govt has killed the unions (for the benefit of their corporate mates)
And when a big government goes to war, guess who gets to supply the weapons? Big Defence Contractors....and all of this financed by the taxpayer who is bleeding to death, as well as having his liberty and freedom chipped away for reasons of "national security".
...and are there parallels of this story to the S'pore saga?
Yes. If the people are not vigilant, the state will swiftly move in to usurp their FREEDOM.
One beautiful thing about the USA — the American people themselves have more guns than their government. And American literature, art, music and cinema is filled with creators expressing their mistrust for their OWN government.
Love the country, hate the state (government).
"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under" — H.L. Mencken
Please provide more background. Who made this video, where does it come from, where can we find out more?
ReplyDeleteClassical liberalism does not necessarily mean the elimination of the state. Who provides the coordination of public goods?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your point when you have more guns but when the government has chemical, biological and nuclear arsenal at its disposal?
You are right, however, that a historical distrust is still existent in the American culture for big, dictatoral governments. But one must also see the picture from another direction: distrust also implies that great goods cannot be served warm.
> Who provides the coordination of public goods?<
ReplyDeleteShort answer: the free market. (voluntary association— namely, production and exchange —between individuals)
>What's your point when you have more guns but when the government has chemical, biological and nuclear arsenal at its disposal? <
Should the shit hit the fan, it is reasonable to assume that not all of the cops or soldiers will turn on the people themselves, becasue the cops and the soldiers come from the same society; the same communities.
Remember when the USSR was collapsing? The soldiers defending the govt turned the tanks around — at first the tanks were trained on the people. Yhen the tanks were turned around 180-degress, aiming their guns at the government.
The State may have awesome weapons. But an individually well-armed population makes it extremely difficult for a tyrant to put a yoke on the people. The tyrant will also require heavy gurads at all times — no telling who might "have a go" — maybe even one of his own minders.
Essentially it boils down to this: no human being — even if he hides behind the aegis of a corporation, state or any collectivist abstract— is qualified to have "authority" over another.
The only exception being families where the responsibility for the kids is entirely owned by the kids' parents or guardians — but only when the kids are considered to be CHILDREN. In any case the context of "parental authority" is stricly limited — no parent has a right, for e.g. to abuse his children. Once the kids become adults, however, they are responsible for themselves—and the only "authority" which is morally acceptable (to me) is their own selfhood.
>distrust also implies that great goods cannot be served warm
Meaning?
P.S. That butcher and thief Pinocet is dead. What a fucking great day! I'm going out to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteHow can the free market provide for public goods? Wouldn't the market fail? And what is keeping the neighbour who is polluting the air I breathe? A confederation of clans and neighbours armed with pitchforks and guns like you crazy anarchists like it?
ReplyDeleteYou missed the point completely. People give others authority over certain things so as to reduce their own uncertainty over these things. Would you want to take over as the police? Or would you like to govern yourself for fresh water, non toxic and contaminant free? Anarchists are sensationalist who abhor all authorities but forget that authority is given to others so as to make life more bearable. In an anarchists' state, since there will not be bureaucracies, you will have to bury yourself.
I meant that if you have distrust, even if the state intentionally meant well, there will be great suspicions over the true intentions. This is at least part of the reason why policies don't move so rapidly in many local communities in the U.S. They have an entire system of check and balances-redundancies-to make sure that Uncle Sam don't take them out for a ride. So you have a group of people graduating with good hopes to make the world better but finding it incredibly difficult to make improving changes.
Short answer re: market failure: sure, markets can fail. But "failure" is part of a self-correcting mechanism.
ReplyDeleteHow are "goods" produced and who produces them? Human action by human beings. Can "public" goods be produced voluntarily. Absolutely.
On authority: I'm afraid it is you who has missed the point completely—when you say people give permission to have an "authority" manage them, that would mean that they're acting voluntarily. Then what follows is a contract, agreement or understanding within a limited context of framework.
Voluntary association — a very important idea when one is discussing FREEDOM.
Unfortunately when a State steps in and acts, there is no voluntary association. You follow the letter the law...or else. Heck, you don't even get to choose VOLUNTARILY to have an authority of absolute power and decision making fuck with your life wherever and whenever its apparatchiks choose to, for whatever reason their power-craving evil minds and money-grabbing cloven feet can conjour up.
If you are acting peacefully, not threatening or actually messing with other people or their property, then you are not committing any wrong.
That is what those activist folks were doing outside the CPF Building, before the mighty, polycarbonate-cladded, baton-weilding Riot Police arrived to drive them off.
Authority?
Pig's arse!
When the coppers are ORDERED by the statist politicians to bully, harrass and threaten peaceful citizens, then public goods are being turned into public bads.
Isn't it patently obvious (yet?) that the S'pore State can do as it bloody well pleases and has proven it time and again?
Keep votin them back in folks! As I'm sure you will!
PAP Über Alles!
Sieg Heil!
That depends on the size of failure. If the state did not step in during the Great Depression, do you think the 'market' will go into cruise control to correct itself? Maybe, after millions are dead from riots and starvation, and infrastructure ruined. To what price are you willing to pay for a stateless social reality?
ReplyDeleteYou obviously do not understand the meaning of public goods.
You are a sensationalist. You use 'freedom' recklessly and state propositions in BOLD but at the end of the day, you are simply a member of the mob parroting out all the headlines on sensational press. Perhaps you had your head bludgeon during a protest long ago but a personal bias does not constitute a reasonable recommendation on social grounds.
It is quite clear that your world is one of black and white. If the state steps in, there is no more voluntary association??? C'mon. I see voluntary association all the time, especially among people driving Ferraris and their little clubs in Long Island. Sure, there is still the Department of Transportation right? But are they interferring with my right to drive my sports car on public roads?
Why join a community of bloggers if you are so 'libertarian'?
> Why join a community of bloggers if you are so 'libertarian'?
ReplyDeleteBecause I can.
Outstanding!