Re: Throw The Bums Out

i hear what you are saying in many regards. in fact, what i am hoping and working towards, is a world where blog stars are all using their own currency, and thus are competing amongst each other to get users locked into using their currency. right now, you are pretty much locked into your currency; as much as i hate being trapped into using the US dollar, that is my only recourse really, as i cannot just leave and go to another country, too unfeasible. but if i can simply switch to another blog network, that's a lot easier. these currencies will affect offline transactions too, as they can be put on debit cards and such. there are already ATMs in europe where you can withdraw virtual currency.   

so the virtual economies will have to compete for users, and will offer them more and more perks (i.e. "all parents who pay their rent in virtual currency get to send their kids to school for free at the free school run by the virtual bank"). in this way the virtual economies/governments disrupt the "real world" economies/governments. this also creates a world where we have big and honest government -- big because they are run like businesses and will often have expansionist ambitions, honest because the free market keeps them that way.  
 
at least that is the world i want, which i think would be the blissful union of big government perks and small government liberty that you're talking about.  
 
but until we have the ability to easily switch currencies -- meaning until the central bankers have to start competing for me -- i favor limited government. when you're locked into a political economy, big government has proven itself time and time again to be dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous of all.  
 
at least that is my two cents. i am glad we are having these types of conversations, that is in my opinion the first and most crucial step for getting real change for all of us.