My AnCap questions

[nimda]

Background: I see AnCap as a possibility, but I'm not educated enough on the subject to resolve a few problems I perceive in it.

1. How are reparations collected? If you pop my tire, but don't want to pay for a new one, how do I get the money from you?

2. Common Defense and Leeches: It's all fine to think "everyone will chip in because it's in their best interest to have military protection," but there's a Tragedy of the Commons problem there: "I'll avoid chipping in to maximize my own personal wealth and hope that everyone else chips in."

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[nevafuse]

1. How are reparations collected? If you pop my tire, but don't want to pay for a new one, how do I get the money from you?

Insurance would be your best bet.  You could also try to steal something of equal value from said person.  But if they have the money to pay you, then they may have the money for a better defense than your offense.  The threat alone may get you your money.  You could also start a campaign to let everyone know about the situation.  An AnCap society is based on trust, so damaging evidence of the contrary could really limit that person's future income.  Given all the options, I don't think it is in this person's best interest to take those actions.

2. Common Defense and Leeches: It's all fine to think "everyone will chip in because it's in their best interest to have military protection," but there's a Tragedy of the Commons problem there: "I'll avoid chipping in to maximize my own personal wealth and hope that everyone else chips in."

There's another thread going on right now about this - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=108263.msg1178136#msg1178136

Basically, if you don't pay your share (to some company), no one is going to protect your property or pay for your damages. 

[JoelKatz]

Background: I see AnCap as a possibility, but I'm not educated enough on the subject to resolve a few problems I perceive in it.

1. How are reparations collected? If you pop my tire, but don't want to pay for a new one, how do I get the money from you?

2. Common Defense and Leeches: It's all fine to think "everyone will chip in because it's in their best interest to have military protection," but there's a Tragedy of the Commons problem there: "I'll avoid chipping in to maximize my own personal wealth and hope that everyone else chips in."

The short answer is that nobody knows. People in an AnCap society are free to pursue and innovate solutions to these problems. Nobody can know in advance what the specific solutions will be. If government operated our food system, you might well ask how private industry would feed millions of people. Nobody could have imagined McDonald's or Walmart -- it took the market to create them.