On Thu, 26 Dec 2002, R. A. Hettinga wrote:
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> Subject: Medieval Iceland and the Absence of Government
> Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 07:51:48 -0600
>
>
><http://www.mises.org/fullstory.asp?control=1121>http://www.mises.org/fullstory.asp?control=1121
>
> Medieval Iceland and the Absence of Government
>
> by Thomas Whiston
>
> [Posted December 25, 2002]
>
> Those who claim that government is the source of social order say that in
> its absence there would be violence, chaos, and a low standard of living.
> They cite civil wars in Africa, drug wars in South America, or even Gengis
> Khan in Mongolia. They claim that these things, which are actually examples
> of competing governments, are what life without government will produce.
>
> Another common objection to stateless legal enforcement systems is to ask
> for "just one example of where it has worked."
>
> Medieval Iceland illustrates an actual and well-documented historical
> example of how a stateless legal order can work and it provides insights as
> to how we might create a more just and efficient society today.
Oh god, not this myth again...
First it wasn't stateless, it just wasn't centralized. The rules and
regulations were presided over by a specific group of individuals.
Further, to make it 'work' they legalized murder. You could kill anyone
you wanted to. The only catch was you couldn't try to hide it.
And if it worked so well, why would nobody else take it up (at least two
seperate groups from the mainland came and looked it over) and why does it
not exist today?
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