Chase Oliver was on my ballot today. At one time I might have voted for him but not today. I voted for the last guy listed. In other words the place holder for NONE OF THE ABOVE. As far as I can figure voluteerism and libertarian systems are seductive on first look but eventually will turn into what we have now. For example what if tomorrow all government disappears? The day after tommorow the people that did what that government office did will start a private business doing the same thing. Sooner or later that business will be bought out by another business doing the same line of business. A couple iterations later the company that does that service or product will a be monopoly so either buy from them or live without. There will be no recourse for poor service or fraud. Put up or shutup. Then you may say we can take the Monopoly to an arbitration board staffed with pensioners from said Monopoly. Expecting justice from arbitration boards is wishful thinking. The only people who would want this volunteerism are people that already own 99% of everything.
I assure you I don't own 99% of everything but I am an advocate for REAL freedom (not fake freedom). The monopolization that you see today is the result of fractional reserve banking... It is not something that would happen in a real free market. It is the result of "government" Where your prediction fell apart was after the people who worked for the monopoly "government" started doing the same thing they were doing in the free market.... Other entrepreneurs would be able to compete with them vs. having a "government" monopoly enforced by a gun... You forgot that part ;-) https://artofliberty.substack.com/p/the-private-federal-reserve-and-theft
Competiters will eventually stop competing and join forces and smash any new upstarts that come along who want to compete with them. Now we know why Ron Paul is always talking about doing away with the Fed. BRICs will eventually be the new kid in the financial world and then that financial system will be the competition to drive the western oligarchs out of business. And that will be good thing. Bye bye FED.
For your vision to fully work, where true competition prevents monopolies, and individuals act in ways that ensure fairness and justice without government intervention, it would likely require a highly enlightened population. In reality, people’s decisions and actions are influenced by a mix of rational thought and more instinctual drives, such as self-interest, fear, and a tendency to seek power and security.
In a fully free market without any regulation, businesses might still attempt to eliminate competition, exploit resources, or engage in unethical practices, especially if motivated solely by profit. Human nature, as it currently stands, includes impulses that don’t always align with idealistic views of fairness or long-term societal benefit. For a truly competitive, fair market without government oversight, people would likely need a level of collective integrity and self-regulation that isn't typical across humanity today.
While your ideal might work in theory, its practical success would hinge on people behaving with consistently high ethical standards and cooperation, qualities that generally require an enlightened or altruistic society… which we definitely don’t have!
The Amish people are doing this now. They don't rely on government. They have strong communities of like minded individuals, varied skill sets, and deep integrity and personal values and honor based on their relationship to God. They work hard, help others in their communities and exemplify the closest thing to voluntary ism I can think of in today's world. But you are correct, a higher level of consciousness is required.
Jill, while the Amish example is often cited as a model for voluntaryism, there are some important nuances to consider.
The Amish do operate with a high degree of self-sufficiency and minimal reliance on government, which aligns with voluntaryist principles. They have strong community ties, shared values, and a system of internal rules (Ordnung) that govern their behavior. However, several factors make their example unique and difficult to apply to broader society.
Community Cohesion and Shared Values, The Amish thrive in tightly-knit communities where everyone shares common religious and cultural values. This level of homogeneity is key to their success, but it’s something that would be difficult to replicate in a diverse, modern society where people hold vastly different values and beliefs.
Internal Governance and Rules. The Amish have their own internal enforcement mechanisms, such as shunning for serious transgressions. This could be seen as a form of coercion within their society, which contrasts with the idea of a fully voluntaryist system, where there would be no coercion or social pressure to conform.
Selective Use of Government Services. While the Amish avoid many government programs, they still benefit from broader public infrastructure, such as roads and emergency services. Their lifestyle isn’t entirely separate from government; they just interact with it to a lesser extent.
Limited Scale and Applicability. The Amish model works because they live in small, isolated communities. Scaling this to a larger, diverse society with millions of people would present significant challenges. Their success is partly due to geographic isolation and cultural homogeneity.
Economic Interdependence. The Amish don’t live entirely apart from the wider economy. They engage in commerce with non-Amish communities, selling goods and services. This interdependence complicates the idea of them being fully self-sufficient or independent of broader systems.
While the Amish offer an example of voluntary living, their model is more easily sustained because of their shared values and small-scale community. Applying this model to modern, large-scale societies would require overcoming significant challenges around diversity, ethical behavior, and market interdependence.
Chase Oliver was on my ballot today. At one time I might have voted for him but not today. I voted for the last guy listed. In other words the place holder for NONE OF THE ABOVE. As far as I can figure voluteerism and libertarian systems are seductive on first look but eventually will turn into what we have now. For example what if tomorrow all government disappears? The day after tommorow the people that did what that government office did will start a private business doing the same thing. Sooner or later that business will be bought out by another business doing the same line of business. A couple iterations later the company that does that service or product will a be monopoly so either buy from them or live without. There will be no recourse for poor service or fraud. Put up or shutup. Then you may say we can take the Monopoly to an arbitration board staffed with pensioners from said Monopoly. Expecting justice from arbitration boards is wishful thinking. The only people who would want this volunteerism are people that already own 99% of everything.
I assure you I don't own 99% of everything but I am an advocate for REAL freedom (not fake freedom). The monopolization that you see today is the result of fractional reserve banking... It is not something that would happen in a real free market. It is the result of "government" Where your prediction fell apart was after the people who worked for the monopoly "government" started doing the same thing they were doing in the free market.... Other entrepreneurs would be able to compete with them vs. having a "government" monopoly enforced by a gun... You forgot that part ;-) https://artofliberty.substack.com/p/the-private-federal-reserve-and-theft
Competiters will eventually stop competing and join forces and smash any new upstarts that come along who want to compete with them. Now we know why Ron Paul is always talking about doing away with the Fed. BRICs will eventually be the new kid in the financial world and then that financial system will be the competition to drive the western oligarchs out of business. And that will be good thing. Bye bye FED.
For your vision to fully work, where true competition prevents monopolies, and individuals act in ways that ensure fairness and justice without government intervention, it would likely require a highly enlightened population. In reality, people’s decisions and actions are influenced by a mix of rational thought and more instinctual drives, such as self-interest, fear, and a tendency to seek power and security.
In a fully free market without any regulation, businesses might still attempt to eliminate competition, exploit resources, or engage in unethical practices, especially if motivated solely by profit. Human nature, as it currently stands, includes impulses that don’t always align with idealistic views of fairness or long-term societal benefit. For a truly competitive, fair market without government oversight, people would likely need a level of collective integrity and self-regulation that isn't typical across humanity today.
While your ideal might work in theory, its practical success would hinge on people behaving with consistently high ethical standards and cooperation, qualities that generally require an enlightened or altruistic society… which we definitely don’t have!
The Amish people are doing this now. They don't rely on government. They have strong communities of like minded individuals, varied skill sets, and deep integrity and personal values and honor based on their relationship to God. They work hard, help others in their communities and exemplify the closest thing to voluntary ism I can think of in today's world. But you are correct, a higher level of consciousness is required.
Jill, while the Amish example is often cited as a model for voluntaryism, there are some important nuances to consider.
The Amish do operate with a high degree of self-sufficiency and minimal reliance on government, which aligns with voluntaryist principles. They have strong community ties, shared values, and a system of internal rules (Ordnung) that govern their behavior. However, several factors make their example unique and difficult to apply to broader society.
Community Cohesion and Shared Values, The Amish thrive in tightly-knit communities where everyone shares common religious and cultural values. This level of homogeneity is key to their success, but it’s something that would be difficult to replicate in a diverse, modern society where people hold vastly different values and beliefs.
Internal Governance and Rules. The Amish have their own internal enforcement mechanisms, such as shunning for serious transgressions. This could be seen as a form of coercion within their society, which contrasts with the idea of a fully voluntaryist system, where there would be no coercion or social pressure to conform.
Selective Use of Government Services. While the Amish avoid many government programs, they still benefit from broader public infrastructure, such as roads and emergency services. Their lifestyle isn’t entirely separate from government; they just interact with it to a lesser extent.
Limited Scale and Applicability. The Amish model works because they live in small, isolated communities. Scaling this to a larger, diverse society with millions of people would present significant challenges. Their success is partly due to geographic isolation and cultural homogeneity.
Economic Interdependence. The Amish don’t live entirely apart from the wider economy. They engage in commerce with non-Amish communities, selling goods and services. This interdependence complicates the idea of them being fully self-sufficient or independent of broader systems.
While the Amish offer an example of voluntary living, their model is more easily sustained because of their shared values and small-scale community. Applying this model to modern, large-scale societies would require overcoming significant challenges around diversity, ethical behavior, and market interdependence.
Kamii, thanks for expanding on this topic. I really appreciate what you shared here.