My Position

It's time to state my views in detail. Basically I'm a minarchist, Misesian libertarian. As it turns out, I'm quite a collectivist too, at least compared to Rothbard, even though I do love all the original Rothbard's insights (like that free market monopolies are oxymoronic).

Most important thing is, Rothbard is the best economics teacher out there. There is no better presentation of economics theory than Man, Economy and State and there is no better classification of government aggression on top of free market than Power and the Market. There is no better economics history book than An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume 1 and Volume 2. Finally, there is no better practical exercise than America's Great Depression. This is all crystal lucid, logical writing with great insights. Rothbard rocks your socks off.

However, I still can't help but support government legislative monopoly (public legislative bodies, with private ones illegal) and government monopoly on violence (public courts, police, army, with private ones legal). Monopoly on violence understood as monopoly on legitimacy of violence, so private courts, police and armies should be legal, provided their legitimacy derives from the state.

I also like public roads, subways and national/city parks. They are so nice! No, seriously, I simply accept the utalitarian argument (yes, Rothbard turns in his grave right now) that they are more efficient than private ones. If I have to pay toll for every road or park I go through, then fuck it, I prefer collectivism. They should simply be included in public planning and zoning. Yes, public planning and zoning, you've heard it right. I want to live where people live, not where they work, so if you want to set up a company with real world employees or customers who clog my local traffic and block my driveway, get the fuck out and rent a proper office where other offices are. Too poor to rent an office? Then get the fuck out to inner city area with no zoning, simple. Obviously, again, private roads, subways and parks should be legal but the state should take the utmost care they are never actually needed, except, obviously, private development local roads.

Furthermore, according to my collectivist views, government should also mint money, and fiat money at that. I don't think there is anything wrong with fiat money, provided there is zero supply inflation. So anyone should be able to mint any money they wish, fiat or whatever based, if there is market demand for such, provided there is zero supply inflation. Fractional reserve banking is theft, but other than that, free banking.

However, taxes would have to be paid only in government money. Yeah, there will be some taxes, you've heard it right, but only one tax paid by everyone directly, head tax, part national, part local. Head tax (fixed nominal amount per individual) should cover legislative bodies, federal police (national), state and city police and parks (local). Those who own real estate will also pay real estate tax to cover the army, proportional to area owned (that's what the army essentially does, protects the contry's real estate). Real estate tax should not be proportional to its value, unless I guess someone proves it is more expensive to defend city center than a rural village. Courts should be covered by fines paid by the guilty, roads should be covered with gas sales tax.

That's basically it. You get the gist. Taxes as fees for unavoidable government services. No distributive justice taxes like income or profit taxes. Now, you don't really have to pay any taxes (you can even avoid gas tax if you import your own own gas from abroad). It's up to you. But if you don't pay taxes, you can't own real estate and neither public nor private police and courts can protect you. You are then on your own, simple. But note that if you try to build your private army and defend some area by yourself, you'll be treated as an aggressor, because you cannot legally own any area.

How to transform our countries to the above libertarian/collectivist paradise? That should take about a week. Monday, end all corporate welfare, subsidies (starting with the biggest parasites like farmers) and import taxes. Tuesday, stop inflating government money and end its monopoly. Wednesday, end all industry regulations. Thursday, make public education, health care and social security optional and privatise them all. Friday, privitise everything else except government itself, courts, police, army, roads and parks. Saturday, end all taxes except for the specifed above. Sunday, legalise all drugs and have some hallucynogenic fun that'll last you for the whole next week, you deserve it.