Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson
“Mainstream right-libertarianism has a long history of tending to prioritize what Albert O. Hirschman called ‘exit’ (i.e., the ability to escape governance through relocation or circumvention) over ‘voice’ (having a say in the governance process that one lives under). Now, there’s nothing wrong with the notion of exit as such. Under an oppressive state, as Charles Johnson pointed out, there are frequently fewer transaction costs entailed in circumventing a harmful or disagreeable policy than in changing it through the political process. And left-libertarian — anarchist or libertarian socialist — visions of an ideal free society generally entail a healthy mixture of voice and exit. The optimal mixture is to facilitate permissionless coordination wherever possible, through horizontal or stigmergic organization, while guaranteeing that, in all cases where some agreed-upon policy is required, the decision be made democratically.” (05/07/25)