by Robert Gore
Let’s assume everything collapses. The skyscraper of cards tumbles; parasitic, unsustainable governments fail; chaos reigns. For all its flaws, living today, especially for those of us in the more advanced economies, is a lot easier than during any prior time. As late as 1900 US life expectancy was less than fifty years. However, there are reasons to root for collapse; it would present a huge opportunity to keep the good parts of the present age and build upon them, while at the same time changing the things that will have been manifestly responsible for the collapse, i.e., the incompetence and corruption of governments. However, to avail ourselves of the opportunities, it is necessary to consider what will replace that which has failed. SLL will kick off the process with a few modest proposals.
Freedom: The lodestar of what emerges must be individual freedom. History’s greatest quandary has been how to secure the fruits of production—essential to the survival of the producer and the species—to those who produce it. Government started as a protection racket; some production was diverted to it in exchange for safety from theft and violence, both internal and external. The danger of this arrangement is obvious: governments become the most rapacious criminals. How does a society protect itself and its property not just from criminals and invaders, but from its own government?
The scariest thing about a complete collapse is the thought that China and/or Russia (maybe Mexico?) would, if they’re not all in similar condition, see the U.S. as ripe for the picking and invade.
Fighting our own government AND a foreign invading army? Desperate times indeed.