The unexpected and unintended consequences of the Global Financial Crisis continue to reverberate around the world. Trust and faith are diminished, and inidividuals are rebelling against the coercive powers of institutions and states. The website Wikileaks has brought one aspect of anarchy to the forefront of thinking globally. Questions of the rights and wrongs of individuals, states and institutions are…
Broad discussion on community costs, services and taxes is often polarised into two distinct schools of thought. “Property is theft” (Proudhon) “Private ownership is fundamental to individual freedom” (comment seen posted on a website forum) Perhaps it is time to bring some thinking to the table that is not too strongly aligned with either? What sort of society would…
The previous post discussed some of the broader issues surrounding the attempt by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett (No’s 2 & 3 world’s most wealthy individuals respectively) to encourage other billionaires to pledge to give away the bulk of their wealth if not by the time they die then on their death. The post queried the role of taxes and…
What is the financial cost of existing in a society? Is there a limit to what that cost can or should be? Is there a point at which you have paid ‘enough’? There are social costs that are either more or less obvious, such as a requirement to comply with laws, statutes, and regulations. There are unwritten social laws that…
