RE: What does a truly decentralized government look like?
Great write up, thank you.
What do we do about apathy? Just as the king doesn't want to make decisions about everything, how can we expect enough individuals to care enough to make decisions and take action, especially if those decisions/actions could impact them negatively and directly? Wouldn't a system like this also be dominated by those who already have power and are able to use it to obtain more power?
When I discuss voluntaryist concepts with my friends, some argue it's not an empathetic approach. They say it doesn't care enough about those who can't care for themselves, and they see government as the solution. Would enough people under a decentralized paradigm care about those who can't care for themselves to take action? Is social reputation for being a good actor enough to reward them for helping others? Connecting everything to a profit motive does create some challenges, but ultimately I agree with you in that I think it's the best approach we have today, given the connectedness we know enjoy as a species.
I'm sitting here in Florida waiting out the rain of hurricane Matthew and wondering the same thing - will enough people care about those who can't care for themselves? We've been told that authorities won't respond to calls for assistance right now, and I'm finding myself being more cognizant of my neighbors and what they might need, especially since I now know that there's nobody else coming to help them if a need arises. Government creates moral hazard simply by its existence. And my state of mind has definitely changed (for the better, ie, more caring) now that I know government won't be helping anyone for the next few hours.
Wow. That's a powerful example of the shift in thinking which would happen if we each took responsibility for ourselves and others. Moral hazard is a good way to put it.
Stay safe.
Thanks - we did fine. Just lost a bit of trim.
Never Forget.
That will be a whole new post.
As always, I'll look forward to reading it. Thank you.