If anarcho-capitalism is the key to wealth, and iceland and ireland were anarcho-capitalist, then why were they not known for being extremely wealthy?
Neither Ireland or Iceland are anarcho-capatalistic societies. So your point is moot.
fakename: If anarcho-capitalism is the key to wealth, and iceland and ireland were anarcho-capitalist, then why were they not known for being extremely wealthy?
Check the rate of growth during the time they were supposedly ancap societies and compare that growth rate to other societies around the same time. The U.S.S.R. used to be a socialist country, but if you want to see how effective socialism is you wouldn't just observe the same place today. You would compare it when it was socialist to other countries under different systems during the same time period.
"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it." -Milton Friedman
"It is a mistake to think businessmen are more immoral than politicians." -John Maynard Keynes
They lacked the capital goods and market to create wealth. They were agricultural subsistance farmers.
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. " -- Samuel Adams.
Barren islands with little access to world markets.
Keep in mind that at the standards of the time being wealthy meant owning a lot of people.
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I think that it's a bit fallacious to be pointing to these pre-industrial societies as examples of market anarchism. They are only rough examples of polycentric legal systems and should not be regaurded as models for a contemporary anarchist society. I know that many ancaps make use of them, but I don't think that they are pure examples of anarchism, nor do I think that they should be heavily relied on. While the past can be looked to for some insight, I don't want to end up defending vikings as an argument for a free society.
They are only rough examples of polycentric legal systems and should not be regarded as models for a contemporary anarchist society.
He's giving some historical context of what was considered wealth back then, not saying these societies were wealthy because they held slaves...
-Jon
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