In Support of Competing Micro-States or “Startup Societies”
by Joe Jarvis, The Daily Bell:
There are many types of mixed drinks, dirty martinis being one of them. I love dirty martinis, but I don’t want them to be the only drink out there! Without trying all the other cocktails, how could I possibly know if dirty martinis are the best?
And when I’m on the beach in the sun, I want a Pina Colada! There are different drinks for different moods and occasions.
Likewise, places with vastly different histories, cultures, and geography have different needs when it comes to governance.
Maybe people never will settle on the best drink, or best government. Startup societies make that possibility perfectly fine. Diversity in beverages and governments is a good thing.
But it only makes a difference if we are free to choose.
The only just government is one by unanimous consent. When someone no longer consents to the group’s wishes, they must be free to go their own way. In this sense, a government could be as small as an individual.
When a government is larger than an individual, it must be voluntary, so that every individual who belongs to the government has agreed to join, and is free to leave. Individuals may value the group to the point of submitting to a particular resolution they disagree with, in order to gain other benefits from the group.
If I value the company of my friends, and they want to go to a wine bar that does not serve martinis, I could voluntarily suppress my love for martinis in favor of spending time with friends. But the option is still there to go it alone, if my love for martinis trumps my desire to spend time with friends.
Startup Societies
Startup Societies come into existence to improve government. In order for there to be a market for a new society to start up something must have been wrong, and therefore you can surmise that the new society seeks to improve upon the old system, or replace it entirely.
