[OT] Are we a democracy or a republic?

[Dave Smith]

Andy Bradford wrote:
> There would be  a difference. First, the associations  would be mutually
> beneficial  and based  on profit/loss.  It wouldn't  even have  the same
> structure as government because we  wouldn't be governed at all, instead
> we would  contract for  things which we  need, and if  we find  that one
> service  doesn't suit  our needs  we would  could easily  vote with  our
> wallets as  consumers often do.

Except there's a problem: This free-market/anarchy idea doesn't solve 
the public goods problem efficiently enough to support real life. For 
example: who defends a particular geographic area against invasion? If 
companies A and B both set up a military defense, who do I pay for the 
service? Will company A allow invading forces to attack my house if I am 
a company B customer, while my neighbor, a company A customer, is 
protected? Who gets to decide when someone should go to jail? Are their 
competing jail companies? Who pays them, the prisoners? Who decides 
property boundaries? Does each citizen have to defend his/her property 
by force?

Anarchy is for the birds. And textbooks.

This thread is getting old.

--Dave