The decline of politics, political correctness and democracy in a post-liberal world.
by Trevor WatkinsDonald Trump has killed politics. He has made a complete mockery of politicians, political correctness, and democracy in general. It was a timely and appropriate execution.
The democratic system of governance leads to the uncontrolled growth of politicians, like slime under a damp rock. Hiding under the illusion that democracy shares power with the masses, a particular class of sociopaths uses popularity to capture the reins of power and influence within society.
Trump largely bypassed the traditional trappings of democracy, the political parties, backroom deals, lobbyists and influence peddlers, biased media. He went straight to individual Americans using Twitter technology, and created a new governance paradigm. Raw as it may be, his message goes directly into the minds of 22 million followers, unfiltered. Although he still derives his now vast power from the state and its structures, he does not appear to have used these powers to further a private agenda, like most of his predecessors. So far, he has started no wars, raised no taxes. He has reduced regulations, protected borders, punished hypocrites at the UN and EU and NATO. He appears to have the respect of Russia and China, no small feat.
The state justifies its existence by insisting on
- looking after the poor, who they create in ever large numbers
- regulating everything, except themselves
- maintaining law and order through favours, force and intimidation
- collecting taxes, because they could never sell their services otherwise
- protecting us from enemies by sending us to fight them
So what will replace the democratic political process? Two words, individual choice. The Free Market System delivers largely unfettered individual choice to more than half the world already, at least for material needs. Every attempt by the state to provide goods or services ends in failure, due to graft, incompetence and lack of motivation.
In a post-politics world, individuals will
- contract with each other privately for everything they need, including
- accommodation
- safety and security
- education
- food, information, entertainment, health
- Render political structures obsolete, just by ignoring them and refusing to pay for them
- Use trade to resolve interstate conflicts
- Use charity to care for the poor
- Use property rights to resolve immigration issues.
How will you get to this individualist fantasy land, skeptics ask? Revolutions in the past have always sought to take over the entire state, to replace one bad system with another. Individualists do not seek revolution, but rather exodus. Like the Hebrews in the distant past, the Afrikaners 2 centuries ago, and the soviet client states in modern times, we will seek our promised land elsewhere and on our own terms.
In the South African context, secession will become an ever more attractive and viable option. Already many wealthy gated communities have effectively seceded from their surrounding and incompetent municipalities. Orania has demonstrated a successful secession strategy for years. The availability of cheap solar energy and power storage has removed one of the biggest state dependencies for independent communities.
I believe that de facto partial secession by smaller, homogenous communities will be more successful than large scale secession plans, as advocated by the Cape Party for the Western Cape. Like all political parties, the Cape Party seeks to replace the old government with their new one, while subjecting many non-consenting inhabitants to their views. Rather, invite successful smaller communities to join a confederation of states, like cantons in Switzerland.
In the coming post-liberal, post-democratic future, individual freedom will be best protected by providing an array of competing tiny jurisdictions for individuals to choose from. Each small state will be too weak to oppress its own citizens or its neighbours, and will have to compete for their citizens loyalty with many other attractive states. Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Latvia, Andorra, Cayman Islands are good examples of such states.
I look forward to moving to Libertaria in the Confederation of Cape States within the next 10 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment