| | Robert,
I understood your work and your interpretation of precepts she uncovered. My belief is that your interpretation of the Guardian syndrome left it with no legitimacy in the modern world, and that might have been because your world view doesn't include a place for a legitimate government.
Because I see a clear difference between a legitimate government and an illegitimate government, I can see all the places and the ways that the Guardian precepts can be noble and serve in defending freedom. Coming from that position you can see how I would immediately be struck with your re-naming it the "Taking" syndrome.
I hope you understand that I'm not criticizing your right to reinterpret the trends she unearthed.... Although you probably should have supplied a foot note summarizing the differences.
I wouldn't refer to Jacobs as a socialist. Her views were quite unique and even though she advocated government intervention in some areas her calls for getting government out of other areas has been strong. Her views on economics are strikingly Austrian, but from a unique city-based perspective.
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You say, "Never mind the theories - those are but academic exercises... " But there have been nothing but empty theories and foolish academic exercises to support the absurd claim that anarchy could ever work.
On the other hand, government is already working, and working extremely well in every area where it is aligned with individual rights. Go out and buy something - an ink cartridge for the computer printer, for example. Look at the chain of transactions protected by courts, laws, legislature, law enforcement, etc., that define the terms of valid contracts, property rights, and outlaw the fraud or initiation of force, or theft that could interfere with that. You can point out all the things that are wrong, like the taxes, or a limitation on importation, or requirements for a business license - and we would agree. But each of these can be diminished to the vanishing point until there is no complaint left except a claim that government itself is bad even if it no longer does ANYTHING bad. And there is nothing sensible in that!
