Quote: (12-19-2012 02:26 PM)Samseau Wrote:
Quote: (12-19-2012 08:03 AM)j r Wrote:
Quote: (12-17-2012 10:50 PM)Samseau Wrote:
I would classify myself as a Libertarian-Communitarian, and that's not an option in the above poll.
You have said this before. I am not sure I understand how those two things can co-exist. Libertarian and communitarian are usually used to denote opposite ends of a spectrum.
If I remember correctly, you've written that communities should be free from too much central authority, but should be free to impose rather strict norms on individuals within that community. If that is correct, where is the libertarian part? Is it that people are free to move from one community to another if they wish?
Exactly. So although my libertarian-communitarian model would allow racist communities to exist, it would never allow them to own slaves.
If you really wanted this outcome, I think it could be just called libertarianism and could be acheived by contract. You could buy a bunch of land and sell lots off to people with the contractual stipulation that they not sell it or rent it to certain types of people. I think this was common in the early 1900s until the law changed to make the clause in the contracts invalid. I am all for letting people try to set up little enclaves governed by whatever creative contracts they can come up with. I think it would lead to lots of innovation and certain communities having certain distinct feels to it. A person founding a town could stipulate what style of building was desired, how the street plans were to be laid out and could mold the town contractually. If people wanted this type of arrangement they can move there, if not they could go somewhere else. I think a really great way to live would be a village like the hill towns in Italy. They were made in an era when the street plan sprang up organically and was not centrally planned and in general do not allow cars to pass through. The result is a very walkable town that in which everything you need is less than a 15 min walk away.