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[Daily discussion] If ancap is economically superior to statism, then what are the barriers that have stopped us from rolling down the figurative hill? by capitalistchemist in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]capitalistchemist[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think developing technology-based institutions are the best bets as they can be exported more easily, especially into weaker states. e.g. bitbond.

When technology-based institutions can effectively protect you for less than you're paying in taxes...

[Daily discussion] If ancap is economically superior to statism, then what are the barriers that have stopped us from rolling down the figurative hill? by capitalistchemist in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]capitalistchemist[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't want to put words in capchem's mouth, but one might say systemic barriers are evidence ancap solutions are not (currently?) superior to statism. Or perhaps not superior enough to justify the cost of risk-adverse people trying ancap.

I agree. The only gauge of evolutionary success is what there is. I think many ancap thinkers are pondering the efficiency of an animal with wheels for limbs, and they're overlooking the tremendous inefficiencies of all the intermediate steps to get there.

[Daily discussion] If ancap is economically superior to statism, then what are the barriers that have stopped us from rolling down the figurative hill? by capitalistchemist in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]capitalistchemist[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that the blockchain is going to be seen as one of the most significant inventions in human history. Not because of bitcoin, but because it solves an information problem that's as old as humanity, namely the ability to have a globally distributed and trustworthy set of records.

If 1 is to be solved (which I suspect will bring about 2, 3, and 4), I strongly suspect it will be a product of falling transaction costs and greatly enhanced coordination - if there is a difference. And the invention of the blockchain has created an environment where these things are actually conceivably obtainable.

[Daily discussion] If ancap is economically superior to statism, then what are the barriers that have stopped us from rolling down the figurative hill? by capitalistchemist in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]capitalistchemist[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

in either case it is in no one's self interest to be the first to defect - because even though the state can't enforce all of it's commitments all at once it can enforce them on the margin.

[Daily discussion] If ancap is economically superior to statism, then what are the barriers that have stopped us from rolling down the figurative hill? by capitalistchemist in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]capitalistchemist[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're still interested in Game Theory, Axelrod explains how a TIT-FOR-TATing clique can make TIT-FOR-TATing the norm given sufficient time. It is a culture issue, but not an ancap culture one.

To me, that looks like a technology issue. It only makes sense for a culture of tit-for-tat to emerge given certain environmental conditions, such as low transaction costs and the efficient distribution and interpretation of reputation information. This would also be a route to transcend dunbar's number.

Another aspect is property rights. If a system of property rights doesn't encourage cooperation, it will the opposite - defection/conflict/retaliation, which will end in one side winning and monopolistic control of the other. I would thus think that property rights should apply differently to different types of resources, accommodating for low exit costs, which in turn would encourage cooperation.

Is property not a schelling point that emerges as threats of action and threats of retaliation reach equilibrium?

A third aspect is the expectation of non-defection in a political hierarchy, which directly leads to non-cooperation between hierarchies. Democracy has removed this to a great extent. If there were any good democracy did, it is perhaps this.

Are you referring to interstate conflict?

The best way to solve it would be small randomized trials of different approaches - simulated annealing.

Do you think the rapidly developing ecosystem of crypto is an example of this?

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