Anarcho-capitalism makes no sense

[Borderlands of Rojava]

The Nazis were many things. Ancap was not one of them lol.

Who just said the nazis were ancaps?

[The Snazzylands]

Anarcho-Capitalism is a fun thought experiment because anything can be provided by the free market in theory. For example, I've heard streetlamps used as an example that is something that is hard to monetize, so presumably wouldn't exist in a capitalist society without government.

Hypothetically streetlamps could automatically connect to your phone or something while you go past and charge you, but like a lot of utilities, there is very little room for competing streetlamp firms to compete with each other. So unless every street has several different rows of streetlamps from different streetlight providers, each street will have one streetlamp company have a monopoly.

The only alternative I can think of is that the lights would be owned by local landlords who would cover the costs of the lights with rent collected from tenants. So like social safety nets and emergency services, they can be provided by the free market if you're okay with knowing some of the poorest people in society won't have access to them (and if you're an ancap, you probably are).
Local homeowners could also own lights in front of their homes, but knowing the average homeowner, they would rather leave the neighborhood blind than pay to leave a light on on purpose.

You can spend all day thinking up market-provided versions of social services but market externalities aren't why anarcho-capitalism wouldn't work. It's because it's based on upholding private property rights in a world where there isn't a referee to handle disputes (the government).

I've heard the argument that third-party arbiters could replace government courts, but both companies would have to agree on the same arbiter, and there is no uniform set of rules that all companies would be held to, and no government to enforce the decisions of the arbiters. So the only thing stopping a sufficiently powerful corporation from taking whatever it wanted is the assumption that people would want to stop supporting it if it has a bad reputation. But if the corporation is powerful enough to limit its competition, and provides life essentials, then people generally wouldn't have much choice but to keep supporting that company.

In practice this would probably translate into disputes between corporations being won by whichever had the most money to hire mercenaries to enforce their will, which sounds cyberpunk af.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Very good post Snazzylands.

[Pasong Tirad]

Don't call it anarcho-capitalism. Call it what it really is: neofeudalism.

Feudalism relied on a system of vassalage stratifying society.

Yeah that's totally not happening right now.

[Repubblica Fascista Sociale Italiana]

Feudalism relied on a system of vassalage stratifying society.

Yeah that's totally not happening right now.

It’s not

[The Three Palins]

Yeah that's totally not happening right now.

It’s not

College grads are more likely to get good jobs, AND marry advantageously. But it's equally easy for every high school graduate to go to a "good" college and be personally inducted into that social class ... isn't it?

[Repubblica Fascista Sociale Italiana]

It’s not

College grads are more likely to get good jobs, AND marry advantageously. But it's equally easy for every high school graduate to go to a "good" college and be personally inducted into that social class ... isn't it?

No lol, things are terrible for graduates and anyone who’s not a rich millionaire or billionaire universally. It is, however, dishonest to claim this is just like feudalism

[The Three Palins]

College grads are more likely to get good jobs, AND marry advantageously. But it's equally easy for every high school graduate to go to a "good" college and be personally inducted into that social class ... isn't it?

No lol, things are terrible for graduates and anyone who’s not a rich millionaire or billionaire universally. It is, however, dishonest to claim this is just like feudalism

Whatever.

[Kedri]

I don't believe there's any such thing as "libertarian right" as rightist ideologies are hierarchial.

Why not? Hierarchy and liberty can go hand in hand and do so in many places. I think you’re talking about equality moreso than liberty

Yeah, the right just argues that some form of hierarchy is natural and inevitable as a part of human nature.

[Cisairse]

It’s not

College grads are more likely to get good jobs, AND marry advantageously. But it's equally easy for every high school graduate to go to a "good" college and be personally inducted into that social class ... isn't it?

The idea that social class is probabilistic is absolute lunacy

[Jershaland]

Even Ayn Rand thought ancaps are crazy. I'm as capitalist as they come but I believe that the state is necessary for stability and peace, to protect peoples rights (yes, I know, the opposite view of most anarchists), provide welfare, and regulate the economy when necessary. I believe free markets should the first choice, but if a free market policy doesn't work in a certain case then the government should step in.

[Esheaun Stroakuss]

Even Ayn Rand thought ancaps are crazy. I'm as capitalist as they come but I believe that the state is necessary for stability and peace, to protect peoples rights (yes, I know, the opposite view of most anarchists), provide welfare, and regulate the economy when necessary. I believe free markets should the first choice, but if a free market policy doesn't work in a certain case then the government should step in.

B-b-but Keynes was a socialist(!)

[Jershaland]

Even Ayn Rand thought ancaps are crazy. I'm as capitalist as they come but I believe that the state is necessary for stability and peace, to protect peoples rights (yes, I know, the opposite view of most anarchists), provide welfare, and regulate the economy when necessary. I believe free markets should the first choice, but if a free market policy doesn't work in a certain case then the government should step in.

B-b-but Keynes was a socialist(!)

If anyone actually calls Keynes a socialist they are simply ignorant. I once saw a post by an ACAP calling Milton Friedman a socialist because he supported UBI, so it wouldn't surprise me that consider Keynes one too.

[Adamede]

Feudalism relied on a system of vassalage stratifying society.

Yeah that's totally not happening right now.

Last I checked coronations aren’t handing out fiefs and titles of nobility to a warrior class and the church to support their localized agrarian economy.

[Jershaland]

Yeah that's totally not happening right now.

Last I checked coronations aren’t handing out fiefs and titles of nobility to a warrior class and the church to support their localized agrarian economy.

The idea that anarcho capitalism is just feudalism is ridiculous, and there are plenty of other valid reasons to criticize it.

[Repubblica Fascista Sociale Italiana]

Last I checked coronations aren’t handing out fiefs and titles of nobility to a warrior class and the church to support their localized agrarian economy.

The idea that anarcho capitalism is just feudalism is ridiculous, and there are plenty of other valid reasons to criticize it.

It’s a common left wing (particularly Marxist) talking point to say unchained capitalism is an extension of feudalism

[Esheaun Stroakuss]

The idea that anarcho capitalism is just feudalism is ridiculous, and there are plenty of other valid reasons to criticize it.

It’s a common left wing (particularly Marxist) talking point to say unchained capitalism is an extension of feudalism

Feudalism gave way to capitalism. They are, however, two different economic systems. I'd argue as a Marxist that capitalism was necessary, as feudalism was an awful system.

[Socialist States of Ludistan]

Depends on how you look at it.
No, it doesn’t make sense, but compared to pretty much all other types of anarchy it kinda does.
This is because anarchy is stupid, and anarcho-capitalism is just when you don’t wanna pay taxes, but still want a police force.

[Socialist States of Ludistan]

College grads are more likely to get good jobs, AND marry advantageously. But it's equally easy for every high school graduate to go to a "good" college and be personally inducted into that social class ... isn't it?

No lol, things are terrible for graduates and anyone who’s not a rich millionaire or billionaire universally. It is, however, dishonest to claim this is just like feudalism

I really don’t see the resemblance between anarcho-capitalism and neofeudalism.
Care to explain deeper?