Around the year 1400 China had the best, largest and most seaworthy ships in the world. Huge fleets sailed to Indonesia, India, Arabia and as far as the east coast of Africa. The Chinese were about to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope, travel up the west coast of Africa and finally discover the sea route to Europe. Then something serious happened: The Chinese emperor, who came to power in 1432, saw seafaring as a waste of money. He banned the production of seaworthy ships and gave the order to demolish the corresponding shipyards. Even the records of earlier overseas expeditions were destroyed. China’s maritime tradition was lost due to the decision of one individual and it remained so.
In contrast, at that time Europe was divided into about two thousand dominions. Thus, from 1484 onwards, the Genoese Columbus canvassed one European dynasty after another to obtain the fleet with which he was to be the first to sail across the Atlantic. He tried it in Italy, France, Portugal and Spain and it was not until the second attempt in 1492 that the Spanish royal house agreed and equipped him with three small ships. There was simply never a situation where one fool ruled the whole of Europe and was able to abolish an entire technology
Innovation and technological progress should thrive particularly well in Free Private Cities. As a result, over time their competitive advantage will only grow. And as long as there is still one unfulfilled wish on this earth, we will not run out of work. Their higher productivity – combined with a non-inflationary environment in Free Private Cities – ensures, however, that the amount of work that has to be spent to earn a living is constantly decreasing. In the future, one may only have to work a day a month to meet one’s basic needs and another three days to fulfill other desires. An “unconditional” basic income, which is taken from those who have sufficient means under threat of force, would not be necessary.
Blockchain and other technologies increasingly allow people to communicate directly with each other without the intervention of regulatory and costly intermediaries. They also enable life beyond state paternalism, even outside Free Private Cities. The more state-independent cryptographic currencies and private state service providers become established, the more it becomes apparent how superfluous statesmen, central bankers and other gatekeepers really are, despite their claims to the contrary.
The advancement through change, both in social and technological terms, is accelerated by Free Private Cities, because numerous political obstacles no longer exist. Trial and error can occur at a higher rate. The gap between Free Private Cities and conventional systems will therefore widen over time, unless the latter adapt.”
To learn more, read our book on Free Private Cities: https://www.amazon.com/
