Oddbean new post about | logout
 It is possible to attribute some of the benefits of technological advancement to the fruits of democracy confusing the reason for the advantage. 
Liechtenstein has a constitution under which the king is subordinate and the country is economically very ordered and prosperous compared to democracies that are looking more and more like third world communist shitholes. 
 I wouldn't necessarily attribute advancement to government's at all. 

Government can only hinder advancement, it cannot necessarily drive it, long-term and proper advancement (without coercion) at least.

Government's that are heavily restrained will have populations that generally outperform other populations - monarchy or democracy.

Many modern monarchies, in Europe at least, are just figure heads with little political power. They just manage and allocate the massive wealth their ancestors stole from their countrymen.

But a monarchy with the powers @princfilip
is potentially referring makes prosperity dependent on the heart and character of the individual.

Unless I'm misunderstanding his position.
 
 I think he means that Bitcoin is a honesty mechanism that changes the fundamental nature of all systems. 
 I fully agree with this. 

But I believe it was in regards to monarchies being a better path than democracies.