FreedomPatriot @[email protected]

@korsier @freepatriot @monarchist If more and more people vote with their feet, over time, there will be socialist countries, and conservative countries, and much more harmony within the countries.

It is also an interesting experiment, because for the ones who have not already been able to figure it out, it will become pretty clear which way to run society yields the best results, and possibly western europe can start to move back to rationality although I do believe it is too late.

@korsier @freepatriot @monarchist Don't let that common quip fool you. Democracy is the youngest and least tested way to govern modern society, and based on recent trends, it seems as if democracy is destined to collapse into socialism, as we see in western europe, since majority rule means that the minority will always be exploited.

The other way is for the minority, who do see this threat, to take power, and we end up with authoritarian regimes.

But looking beyond "democracy is least worst

@korsier @freepatriot @monarchist " we can find Liechtenstein and Monaco, both are not true democracies, although they do have democratic window dressing, and offer some of the highest living standards in the world.

We can look at Singapore and dubai. Neither are democracies yet offering low taxes, stable societies that puts western europe to shame.

If you grew up there, would you still say that democracy is the least worst? Or

@korsier @freepatriot @monarchist Agreed!

I did the math, and eastern europe (the baltics, hungary, romania, etc.) seems to be the best combination of low cost of living, low taxes, and a minimum of woke madness, while still being close to friends and relatives in western europe.

I recommend everyone I know who is not happy with western europes socialism, to move to eastern europe to bolster the non-socialist values and community there.

@h4890 @monarchist @freepatriot The problem with Democracy is that the alternatives are even worse. So what that means is that democracy (and free market economics) is the least-worst system we've come up with so far. Spare a thought for all the people suffering under socialist, communist, or authoritarian regimes. However, I don't think that we're at the end of history. I'm sure once upon a time it seemed inconceivable that we would have anything other than feudalism (which was still a big improvement over absolute monarchy), but eventually capitalism led to democracy and greatly increased our wealth and freedom. In a similar fashion, we can't yet see what comes next, but AI and automation is likely to make many jobs redundant and reshape society. It's not going to be socialism though, that ideology has been thoroughly tested and discredited.

@h4890 @monarchist @freepatriot That sounds like an ideal situation. Taxes in the West have reached socialist levels, and combined with the high cost of living and inappropriate immigration, the typically desirable countries such as Australia, Canada, etc, are becoming less livable.

@monarchist @freepatriot every situation, in favour of developing traits, say wisdom, and trusting that if the individual is wise, he will solve ethical dilemmas better than one that is not wise. That's the strength of virtue ethics according to me.

Now... pinning down, what is wise, and how do you become wise... that is a quite a problem!

@monarchist @freepatriot I would say that goals don't have tp be inter-subjective, _but_ the goals that are not, tend to get eliminated by evolution.

Who is in control? You or your culture? An interesting question!

Wisdom is also a tricky one. I think all cultures on the planet value wisdom, yet, it is a chimera that is very difficult to formalize and pin down.

But looking at virtue ethics, the beauty of it, is that it sidesteps the traditional ethics of finding a rule that applies to

@monarchist @freepatriot This is the truth!

And do note the hypocrisy of europe here! European governments happily force companies to adopt gender planes, environmental plans, union collective agreements etc. basically indirectly forcing their socialism on companies.

Now... when Trump applies the same weapon, saying that who ever does business with the US, must support meritocracy and deny woke:ism, then all hell broke loose in europe.

@monarchist @freepatriot I found it hilarious, because he is doing exactly the same thing to them, that they are doing to european business owners, but with a more sane ideology. All of a sudden, since europe cannot bully the US, it was no fun any longer! 😂

@monarchist @freepatriot I wonder if it would be possible to get yourself a P.O. box in Dubai or Monaco, and then boat between 3 countries in europe?

It seems to me like a plausible and workable way to reduce your taxes significantly while at the same time avoiding third world countries!

An acquaintance recently moved to Dubai and is certainly enjoying his 0% tax rate.

Personally I would _not_ enjoy the 40+ C temperature and I most certainly do _not_ enjoy arabian culture. That's the price

@monarchist @freepatriot history to fortify the faith in themselves.

@monarchist @freepatriot loans, then to indoctrination (your lives are great! don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise), and eventually collapse.

But one thing against modern democracy is that despite what the lords of democracy want to tell you, it is one of the _youngest_ and _least tested_ systems of government in existence.

It has _nothing_ to do with what happened in greece thousands of years ago, but naturally, like all lords, todays politicians want to establish a glorious

@monarchist @freepatriot Brilliant! Short and to the point!

@monarchist @freepatriot Well, not perhaps when looking at the ownership part, but most _definitely yes_ when it comes to the mindset!

On the other hand... scraping at the ownership part, there are similarities. In communism, in reality, a small group tends to form that controls everything in practice, even though on paper, everyone owns everything.

So from a command and control structure, there are similarities. The "saving grace" of corporations is competition and the market. Without

@monarchist @freepatriot those, and with the ever expanding size and domination of the modern western "democracy" I'd say that corporations would be pretty close to communist times.

@monarchist @freepatriot That's why we talk and debate! To make our ideas stronger and easier to communicate!

As epicurus said...

"In a philosophical dispute, he who is defeated gains most, since he learns most."

Vatican sayings nr 74.

https://www.epicurism.info/etexts/VS.html

@monarchist @freepatriot At the moment! When we gain the technological ability to mine the deep ocean floor, it will surely be parceled out.

But yes... I do dream sometimes of a libertarian community under a dome under the sea. ;)

@monarchist @freepatriot he pays for his benefits. But I am certain he will move back to sweden once he has saved up his nest egg.

Meanwhile, I've kept my taxes down to 6%-14% in eastern europe. Less woke, close to all european countries, and less arabians than in western europe!

@monarchist @freepatriot It does sound an awful lot like modern western "democracy" where there is a political class that never changes and where offices are almost inherited, and the rest, the private sector.

Regardless of form, checks and balances are important, as well as a framework to stop the growth of the government, no matter the form. Government seems to grow like cancer, regardless of the form. =/

Once it grows too big, so that the workers can no longer sustain it, it turns to