the Internet as model government

In today's news, eBay makes another ton of money. Notice that billions of dollars depend on the Internet, yet there is no central authority. The whole purpose of the Internet is to be decentralized (and thus it could survive a war that took out key centers).

Actually the Internet does have a central authority: the Internet Society (ISOC). A small group of people control the Internet. So what stops them turning into a tyranny? Because business understands the benefits of information flowing freely. If some parts of ISOC step out of line, they are replaced. If there is the slightest hint of ISOC becoming corrupt, some other organization will appear, and business will migrate to that instead. There is no need for a powerful president backed up by an army.

A world land rent authority could run in the same way. ISOC provides an efficient market in information. A land rent authority would provide an efficient market in everything else. For example, if I wanted to set up a new nation, then a land rent authority would find the shortest route by connecting stock exchanges, lawyers and security firms, just as ISOC connects computers, energy companies and cables.

Freedom is possible, without relying on particular nation states. The Internet provides a model.