503 sats \ 2 replies \ @elvismercury 12 Nov 2023 \ on: Looking for book recommendations about private associations bitcoin
I think you're on the right track. The nature of human cooperation, and the structures that scaffold it, are exactly what is at issue here. How money intersects that is fascinating.
One thing that has stood out for me is that in most cases, people explore this topic in the context of a private org that operates alongside another, more powerful org; often in a grey space or even in opposition to it. Organized crime is a really good example -- those structures have to be viable in opposition to the state, but are also parasitic on it, drawing from all its products, accessing its markets, etc. I suppose there's no way not to be, given the interconnectedness of everything. Other groups are less opposed, like religious and quasi-religious communities. The Amish might be an interesting group to look into.
A more radical thing that may interest you are the Game B people (this might be a decent intro), who are thinking through a bunch of related issues about how to structure a new society without the pathologies of the old one. Depending on your tastes, this may include unsavory elements, since many bitcoiners imagine a hyperbitcoinized Utopia where all the things they like about society are still available to them, and additionally they are rich and there is no one to tell them they can't do whatever they want. In opposition to this fantasy world, Game B thinkers are really wrestling with issues of governance, so season to taste.
A thing that I'd like to press into, for reasons that are probably clear, is how these groups have popped up and evolved in the wake of decline and collapse. Related to what you're looking for, but not the same.
I also think that the interplay between a small, private association and the bigger players of the world, like the state, is interesting. Like, if a private association starts a private property registry for real state, how does that work when the state still has its own registry and wants to enforce it? I also think that the ways of working of criminal organizations are an interesting thing to analyze.
I also find the Amish interesting. More so in their desire to really not bother anyone, convince others or generally change whatever is outside of their scope.
I'll read about these Game B people. But I must say that I briefly skimmed through the wiki and I didn't understand shit. Feels like just a few random pieces of text stringed together.
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Like, if a private association starts a private property registry for real state, how does that work when the state still has its own registry and wants to enforce it?
The state always takes precedent, since from its own perspective, contract-like things made in other organizational structures have no reality to it. This leads to some interesting intersections where a subgroup enters into an agreement that has important meaning within the group, and no meaning to the enclosing entity (the state). Think religious practices of non Judeo-Christian religions; or ceremonial agreements of native people, etc. Even things like sports leagues, which have their own rules: should players have been able to sue Bill Laimbeer for playing dirty, or should his bullshit only be adjudicated by the League? When does a foul become assault?
I briefly skimmed through the wiki and I didn't understand shit.
It's possible that the wiki isn't a great intro if you don't know something about it already -- I learned about it from it being mentioned on various podcasts. Jim Rutt talks about it alot, he was one of the "founders" of the movement; another was Jordan Hall, formerly Jordan Greenhall. Both very interesting and smart guys.
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