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The Power of Political Decentralization with Ryan McMaken SLP603

The Power of Political Decentralization with Ryan McMaken SLP603

Stephan Livera Podcast vor 1 Jahr

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1:17:25

Secession may seem like a dirty word, but it has happened many
times in history and it’s worth understanding the political and
economic benefits it can yield. Ryan McMaken, Executive Editor
and Economist at the Mises Institute joins me to discuss his
book, Breaking Away.

Summary

In this conversation, Stephan and Ryan McMaken discuss the topic
of secession and its advantages. They explore the historical and
theoretical context of secession, highlighting the benefits of
radical decentralization and the success of small, economically
prosperous states.

They also examine the conditions that enable breakaway states,
including economic factors, military power, and ethnic or
nationalistic identity. The conversation emphasizes the need for
people to come to terms with the reality that the federal
government cannot offer long-term economic prosperity and that
unity does not necessarily mean shared values or interests.

The conversation explores the challenges and potential solutions
related to secession and breakaway movements. It discusses the
negotiation process for exiting a larger government entity, the
impact on national debt and pension obligations, and the
historical examples of successful secession.

The conversation also touches on the Brexit movement and the
potential for secession movements in the United States. It
emphasizes the importance of developing competing elites at the
state level and gradually asserting more local control over
policies and resources.

Takeaways

Radical decentralization and the success of small,
economically prosperous states are key advantages of
secession.

Breakaway states often emerge when the benefits of political
unity no longer outweigh the benefits of separation.

Conditions that enable secession include economic factors,
military power, and ethnic or nationalistic identity.

The federal government cannot guarantee long-term economic
prosperity, and unity does not necessarily mean shared values
or interests. Secession and breakaway movements require
careful negotiation, especially regarding national debt and
pension obligations.

Historical examples show that debt write-downs and
negotiations are common in secession processes.

Brexit can be seen as a failure or a missed opportunity,
depending on one's perspective.

Competing elites at the state level can challenge the
entrenched interests of the federal government.

Gradual steps, such as asserting control over border policy
and creating state-level institutions, can pave the way for
secession.

Developing local revenue sources is crucial to reduce
reliance on federal funds and assert more autonomy.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:00) - What is Secession and why care about it?(05:25) - Why
has the number of countries tripled since WW2?(09:00) - Why be
Pro-secession?

(14:45) - Pros & Cons of a ‘Large’ State; Political
Decentralization

(19:28) - Sponsors

(21:45) - Advantages of smaller countries

(27:30) - Conditions that enable the pathway to Secession

(33:11) - Sponsors

(41:07) - Dealing with Government Debt & obligations in a
Secession

(46:23) - Was Brexit a failure?

(56:28) - Secession in the USA: A distant dream?

(1:02:42) - Elites vs. Counter-elites

(1:06:58) - Secession movements in the USA

(1:15:39) - Closing thoughts

Links:

https://mises.org/profile/ryan-mcmaken

https://mises.org/library/book/breaking-away-case-secession-radical-decentralization-and-smaller-polities

https://x.com/ryanmcmaken

Sponsors:

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CoinKite.com (code LIVERA)

mempool.space/accelerator

Stephan Livera links:

Follow me on X: @stephanlivera

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