We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Geekonomics Arnold Kling makes an excellent point about Doc Searl’s ‘statement of geekonomics’ dating back to 2000.
There is a classic line attributed to John Gilmore that “The Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.” Economists might say that markets try to route around the damage caused by monopolists or government regulators. I view Searls as saying that with the Internet and markets, consumers do not need their paternalistic advocate so much.
To me, Searlsian Geekonomics sounds more like Hayekian libertarianism than Deanian re-regulationism. I don’t think that the Dean campaign deserved such a strong Geekbone. To me, the logic of Geekonomics is to lead one to be skeptical of the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.
I find Doc Searls very sound on almost all issues other than his support for Dean’s campaign. I am glad that someone pointed out the contradiction in his position.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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This is not entirely true. In fact the consumer is the one in control casting votes with his dollars. The producer which does not obey the consumers voice is out of business quickly.
It is the consumer that decides who controlls capital. Not the capitalist that decides what gets produced.
Er…Rutherford, if you read Doc Searls’ essay you will find that is exactly the point he is making.