Comments on: The X Factor

By: James

James — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:36:59 +0000

“State-sponsored murder” is exactly what doesn’t happen when sound ideas about polycentric order are in circulation. On the other hand, there’s ample leeway for totalitarian oppression within a broadly capitalist ideology. Our elites already claim to be pro-market, or even very pro-market—or did I imagine something about Tyler Cowen.

Thanatos, as well as all “libertarian” and “conservative” fans of Bryan Caplan demonstrate the problem: that if elites find an even more pro-market formula for centralised oppression, as things stand there would be little ideological defence against it. The elite would be “opening markets” abroad when they want to topple a regime, “removing barriers to trade” when they don’t like a certain domestic institution (whether or not _you_ think it’s anti-capitalist or has anything to do with markets), etc.. Socialism is just one historically important formula of oppression.

(In addition, as the Hutterites show, communism can work on a small scale. This leads to the ironic situation in which a progressive BBC filmmaker critiques a Hutterite leader on the basis that he is a “communist” who prevents his colony from enjoying the trinkets of mass consumerism. But the point is not to deny that prevalent markets are necessary to civilisation.)

By: admin

admin — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 12:55:39 +0000

James’ statement disconcerted me, too, but I think what he is arguing is that — rather than building-in the superiority of a social model axiomatically — the advantages and disadvantages of different concrete systems should emerge as consequences of a more basic, neutral framework. If this understanding is correct, it amounts to a demand for grounds of debate, so that one might say (for e.g.): ‘capitalism is demonstrably superior as a route to an ordered society.’ Even under this conception, the argument remains controversial (I would rather see socialist ideas implemented within a fractured geodynamic space, and fail horribly, than see energy wasted in arguments — or political struggles — against them).

By: Thanatos

Thanatos — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 11:35:32 +0000

“A disturbing phenomenon amongst libertarians and conservatives is the foundational idea that capitalism is good and socialism bad.”

Well, who would have thought that libertarians and conservatives would think capitalism was good and socialism bad. Highly disturbing, and totally unpredictable,indeed.

Socialism is bad. Not in a you-have-to-sacrifice-an unbaptised-child-to-Satan-to-join-this-club kind of way, more in a “This sounds really good on paper to morons, but in practice leads to state-sponsored murder” kind of way.Other than medicine,it should be illegal to practice a “scientific” discipline on creatures that can feel pain or who can have an awareness of their own mortality.

It always leads to humiliation,degradation, and dehumanizing treatment of the subjects (The same thing they were called in some of the most abusive governments in history,I note).

By: admin

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:54:29 +0000

Even from the very little I know, it’s clear that the history of Liberia is utterly fascinating: do you have any special reading recommendations?

By: Discipline

Discipline — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 07:59:14 +0000

This is how the US set up the Liberian colony and it worked OK until the franchise expanded to native Africans. Even then it didn’t become Hell until decolonization.

By: admin

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 07:34:31 +0000

Those would be the ones who get robbed most aggressively, wouldn’t they? (Unless they go into machine politics, of course.)

By: Scharlach

Scharlach — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 05:56:16 +0000

Actually, this could be a more generous experiment than you imply.

Import blacks from a variety of backgrounds. Amidst the mass relocation of the American black underclass, migrate some upper-class mulattos, some rich Kenyans, and maybe a few East African Muslims. It could be a great experiment to see which population of “black” does in fact possess higher IQ than the others.

By: spandrell

spandrell — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 04:40:35 +0000

A good way to prove liberal theology is true would be to rebuild Detroit by sending ever more blacks to live there. Make it a black reservation 30 million strong, and see what happens. Ignore the economic growth in all the places the blacks are shipped from.

By: Peter A. Taylor

Peter A. Taylor — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:36:27 +0000

I would argue that a lot of former libertarians (i.e. neoreactionaries) continue to suffer from this disease.

“They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
By dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good.”
— T. S. Elliot

http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/T.-S.-Eliot/1/

By: vimothy

vimothy — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:16:09 +0000

Moldbug contra Romer:

http://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/from-cromer-to-romer-and-back-again.html