Are there any countries that have small governments

[ontheyslay]

When I discuss anarchism with friends, they always tell me a dissolution of the state will never occur, so I should simply just be a libertarian. I counter that with, even though a small government may be present in a libertarian society, a very big government will eventually follow. So my question would be, are there any countries in the world that actually do have a very limited government and where the population still has social freedoms?

[Kwisatz Haderach]

What do you mean by "limited government"? How do you measure the "size" of government in order to be able to tell which governments are "small" and which are "big"?

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Government and the state are not the same thing. Whether the government is big or small, there is still a state.

[ContrarianLemming]

although its bigger then it should be, ie: gone, the most socialist i can find is sweden

[Durruti's Ghost]

although its bigger then it should be, ie: gone, the most socialist i can find is sweden

Social democracy does not equal socialism, although I suppose it is preferable to liberal democracy.

[ContrarianLemming]

Social democracy does not equal socialism, although I suppose it is preferable to liberal democracy.

i think compared to many countries they are very socialist though, and there welfare program is fantastic, obviously there no where near what we want, but there a start, iv always thoughtthat if there was a very large scale succesful anarchist society in the world today it would be scandinavian

[scarletghoul]

north korea has a pretty small government

[Vendetta]

Somalia.

:laugh:

[JimmyJazz]

http://mises.org/story/2066

[Outinleftfield]

i think compared to many countries they are very socialist though, and there welfare program is fantastic, obviously there no where near what we want, but there a start, iv always thoughtthat if there was a very large scale succesful anarchist society in the world today it would be scandinavian

Can't compare to Venezuela which still has civil liberties and where workers have actual input into policies. Not saying Venezuela is perfect though.

[BIG BROTHER]

Cuba is a small island thus it must have a small goverment, were as the u.s. is a big country so it has a big goverment...uh duh!

[Kwisatz Haderach]

http://mises.org/story/2066
Yes, as always, the Misesians point out that life in the stateless paradise of Somalia is great. I mean, aside from the bandits that might kill you. And the pirates. And the Islamic militias. And the general lack of food. And the total collapse of infrastructure.

But, you see, all of that can be blamed on the fact that a bunch of people in Kenya are thinking of maybe setting up a new government in Somalia. Yes, that's right, anarcho-capitalism is paradise, but it breaks down into complete hell the moment someone suggests setting up a state. Do you see how insidious is the influence of statism? Statist thoughts in your head can send psycho-rays into the neighboring country that will cause its inhabitants to spontaneously start shooting each other! For the sake of the children, stop thinking of statism NOW!!!

[JimmyJazz]

Yes, as always, the Misesians point out that life in the stateless paradise of Somalia is great. I mean, aside from the bandits that might kill you. And the pirates. And the Islamic militias. And the general lack of food. And the total collapse of infrastructure.

Yes, but clearly the article is correct when it points out that cell phone coverage is the true metric of the good life.

BTW, check out this thread I made - admittedly a little bit trollish - on Mises.org:

http://mises.org/Community/forums/t/10554.aspx

The replies are painful. I think they literally don't know what to do with unequivocal proof that the free market can lead to things which are abuses by anyone's standards including their own. I mean, a firm which trains mercenaries and then gets paid to provide security against them a few years later--it's indefensible. So they just get mad, and sputter something about my Marxism not being any better.

[Kukulofori]

Our social freedoms aren't limited by the state's laws so much as material capitalist restrictions.

Perhaps some native reserves in south america or some uncontacted tribes in new guinea. Odds are you're looking for an industrial society though in which case I would say you are pretty much out of luck. I'd look into the Spanish Civil War.

Sweden can't be "most socialist", there is no most socialist. Either there is private ownership over the means of production or there's not. Sweden's case is the latter and it is therefore not socialist by any stretch of the definition.