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A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

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Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#31
post #29

Can somebody who understands Libertarianism help me with the following thought experiment? Suppose Libland is a libertarian state. The occupants of Libland stay alive by eating Food. Xia is another state. For whatever reason, they don't like Libland, and for whatever reason, they can produce Food much more cheaply than Libland. Xia starts flooding the Libland market with cheap Food, so that it's is uneconomic for any…

Once Xia initiates the use of force the gloves are off basically. Libertarianism doesn't permit initiation of force but does permit an overwhelming and decisive response. Xia would find itself "liberated" in short order.

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#32
post #31
post #29

Can somebody who understands Libertarianism help me with the following thought experiment? Suppose Libland is a libertarian state. The occupants of Libland stay alive by eating Food. Xia is another state. For whatever reason, they don't like Libland, and for whatever reason, they can produce Food much more cheaply than Libland. Xia starts flooding the Libland market with cheap Food, so that it's is uneconomic for any…

Once Xia initiates the use of force the gloves are off basically. Libertarianism doesn't permit initiation of force but does permit an overwhelming and decisive response. Xia would find itself "liberated" in short order.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#33
post #32
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once Xia initiates the use of force the gloves are off basically. Libertarianism doesn't permit initiation of force but does permit an overwhelming and decisive response. Xia would find itself "liberated" in short order.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Precisely. My point is that once the situation I described has been arrived at, there's no hope for Libland.

Therefore, I presume, Libertarianism has a way to prevent the situation arising in the first place. What is it?

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#34
post #32
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once Xia initiates the use of force the gloves are off basically. Libertarianism doesn't permit initiation of force but does permit an overwhelming and decisive response. Xia would find itself "liberated" in short order.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Now you're just being ridiculous. What country wouldn't have food reserves? Even tinned food in supermarkets, let alone military stockpiles.

Unless Xia managed to perfectly conceal its dislike for its neighbour, that is. Perhaps they had MAGIC UNICORNS to help?

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#35
post #34
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Now you're just being ridiculous. What country wouldn't have food reserves? Even tinned food in supermarkets, let alone military stockpiles. Unless Xia managed to perfectly conceal its dislike for its neighbour, that is. Perhaps they had MAGIC UNICORNS to help?

Why would anyone in Libland be interested in the motives of its neighbour? Foreign policy and intelligence is normally the realm of a government. Who performs that role in Libland, and what is their incentive to do so?

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#36
post #34
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Now you're just being ridiculous. What country wouldn't have food reserves? Even tinned food in supermarkets, let alone military stockpiles. Unless Xia managed to perfectly conceal its dislike for its neighbour, that is. Perhaps they had MAGIC UNICORNS to help?

So Xia fights Libland until its food reserves are depleted.

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#37
post #34
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Now you're just being ridiculous. What country wouldn't have food reserves? Even tinned food in supermarkets, let alone military stockpiles. Unless Xia managed to perfectly conceal its dislike for its neighbour, that is. Perhaps they had MAGIC UNICORNS to help?

What country wouldn't have food reserves?

The United States does not have food reserves (other than grain stored in grain elevators, which grain Tome implied Libland would instead be importing just-in-time). Here is what the United States has to look forward to in a national disaster:

http://www.google.com/search?q=you+will+survive+nuclear

You are a survivor. Doomsday has occurred and you are a survivor. While you are waiting for the spouse and kids to get home maybe you should do something practical. Like go down to the supermarket and lay in a bit of an extra stock.

You may notice that the little corner store has closed. If he has believed the rumor, he wants to save his stock. And besides, your money may not be worth anything tomorrow. You thought you had seen rapid inflation before but this is like from zero to a million in sixty seconds.

At the supermarket, if you are early enough, you will find pandemonium. If not, you will find practically nothing. Maybe a large bag of dog food (take it) and some cans of floor wax (forget it). The rest of the stuff was all in those carts that you met come flying up the walk as you came running down.

There won't be any girls at the cash registers, (they have done their shopping and gone). Besides, the cash registers aren't working anyhow, with no power. It may have taken the hired manager a little longer to figure out that he should grab what he can and head home to his family, but he has probably gone now. The only cops you will see are the one's grabbing stuff themselves.

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#38
post #33
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On empty stomachs versus well feed soldiers? Who might be conscripted and organized?

Precisely. My point is that once the situation I described has been arrived at, there's no hope for Libland. Therefore, I presume, Libertarianism has a way to prevent the situation arising in the first place. What is it?

If the residents of Libland sense that they might be attacked, they would obviously keep food reserves or start buying only home-grown food in order to support their own industry.

Re: A Defense of libertarianism (and response to Zed, etc.)

#39
post #35
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now you're just being ridiculous. What country wouldn't have food reserves? Even tinned food in supermarkets, let alone military stockpiles. Unless Xia managed to perfectly conceal its dislike for its neighbour, that is. Perhaps they had MAGIC UNICORNS to help?

Why would anyone in Libland be interested in the motives of its neighbour? Foreign policy and intelligence is normally the realm of a government. Who performs that role in Libland, and what is their incentive to do so?

Err, the government does.

Perhaps you ought to go to Wikipedia and look up the difference between Libertarianism and Anarchy?

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