This is fascinating, because I think Dunbar's number is the limit for authoritarian communities. The social bonds do a lot of the heavy lifting in the kibbutz or co-op down the way that your idiot nephew points to as an example of "communism working".
Here's the part I don't understand. Authoritarian societies, regardless or whether they're communist or fascist, are characterised by the centralisation of power, often into one position.
Now, you're right, psychopaths exist. On a long enough timeline (usually not THAT long) you WILL get a Caligula. Stalin WILL kill Trotsky.
Why do we want the power of the state concentrated into one position when, not if, a psychopath takes power?
This is fascinating, because I think Dunbar's number is the limit for *authoritarian* communities. The social bonds do a lot of the heavy lifting in the kibbutz or co-op down the way that your idiot nephew points to as an example of "communism working".
Here's the part I don't understand. Authoritarian societies, regardless or whether they're communist or fascist, are characterised by the centralisation of power, often into one position.
Now, you're right, psychopaths exist. On a long enough timeline (usually not THAT long) you WILL get a Caligula. Stalin WILL kill Trotsky.
Why do we want the power of the state concentrated into one position when, not if, a psychopath takes power?
(post is archived)