Don’t see why not. That of course requires they have something Hong Kong wants.
as they are individuals in differing circumstances to HK’ese then necessarily they have comparative advantage, and there will be gains from trade.
What you and others are missing is the fact that societies and cultures evolve and change over time. Your “Study” would presumably involve present-day people who have lived all their lives in the current status quo. Unless they are of a philosophical or ideological bent, or just contrarian, they most likely would still prefer to live under a state–not because it is “natural” for humans to do so, but because it is what they’re used to.
Classical liberalism had its flaws, granted, but overall, it was a huge step politically for society to take, developing the ideas of individual righs and limited government, and getting away from emperors and kings. Anarchism is as close to a “natural” state as you can find for humans, but society currently goes to great lengths to take men out of that natural state. An anarcho-capitalist society will not be created overnight, but only as society and culture come to recognize its virtues and no longer have an irrational fear of it, will it develop into a large-scale political reality. It is not inevitable unless men continue to progress and work towards greater liberty for their fellow man. In the long run, I think we’ll eventually get there, but it’s unlikely to happen in my lifetime.
That is of course the irony. The project could prove more successful even to the point of paying for itself. The question then becomes what will the states do - especially the state that was paid off to allow the experiment to go on? My hope would be for that state to relinquish its power and expand the project - or its more likely that the people under this state realize they’ve been duped and abandon the state in favor of freedom.
This is precisely why a study is needed. You and I are both making assertions that need empirical evidence in order to be proven. If given the opportunity to be free, what would people do? That’s the primary question.
An advanced study would be to have pure anarcho-capitalists establish a society and then see whether their children develop behaviors that lead to a state. That would be a long-term study. If the first study were to succeed, then I’m sure you’d have a ton of participants sign up for the long term study.
In response to number 2, I respectively submit that an educated society uncorrupted my media distributed political propaganda is the ultimate check on expanding government. You’re all presenting terrific agruments, but honestly, how can classical liberalism hope to thrive in a culture that does not make it a citizen’s obligation to know the workings of representative government?
This is a great dialogue. Thank you.
How can you have liberalism with positive obligations?