Two days of play...Pokemon GO.

I just me read my today's edition (7-12-16) of Laissez Faire Today ( an Agora/Stansbury publication btw) and extracted this article FYI:

One gamer, Gil Hamilton, while writing on the Space Battles gaming forum, gave six compelling (and fairly flattering) reasons why Pokemon actually represents an idyllic libertarian world.

1.] Small Government, No Taxes

“There is no discernable form of government. You never hear of any nations in Pokemon, nor any form of government except for the occasional local city government. If there is any government at all, it must really keep to itself. Likewise, taxes are so low that they are seemingly non-existent, so anything you earn, you keep.”

2.] Private Self-Defense

“Everyone is armed. While guns don't seem to really exist in the land of Pokemon, everyone seems to be carrying around and is in command of some dangerous pokemon, which they can use to defend themselves and their loved ones and property against criminals.”

3.] Citizens Dispense Justice

“Justice is swift and criminals always succumb to ‘citizens arrest.’ The government and local authorities don't ever tend to succeed in fighting crime, it is always the well armed citizen that prevails in foiling evil schemes. In a short order, the side of law and liberty always wins.”
4.] The Only Fair is Laissez-Faire

“Small businesses and barter of services rule the day. In the world of Pokemon, small businesses tend to be the best kind and hold their own against large corporations. Case in point, the best charcoal doesn't come from the factory that mass produces it, but rather comes from the that guy who lives near the Ilex woods in Johto, who goes out with his Farfetch'd, cuts and collects the wood himself, and hand chars the bricks.

“Everyone recognizes this. Likewise, if you want a pokeball, you can get the generic mass-produced ones, but the good pokeballs come from the guy in Azalia Town who hand makes them with skill and discipline. Also, people tend to exchange services with each other. Case in point, in Azalia Town, Ash solved the problem for the town at the Slowpoke Well, so the pokeball guy offered to make him some brand spanking new pokeballs, assuming he'll go out and collect them, for his trouble. Throughout the series, Ash and gang get by on quid quo pro deals like that.”

5.] Self-Determination & Hard Work is Duly Rewarded

“Anyone who is willing to work hard can be successful. No matter what your station in life, you can make it through hard work and dedication. For instance, every time Jesse and James need a new giant robot for their schemes, you will often hear them complaining about having to work some crappy jobs to pay for it.

“Likewise, being a successful pokemon trainer is obviously quite lucrative if you are good at it, as demonstrated by Gary Oak, who could afford to support a fancy sports car and a half dozen floozies (and they didn't look like cheap floozies either).”

6.] Strong Sense of Personal Responsibility & Values

“Large regard for values. Everyone in pokemon world seems to be uniformly one with the 50s style "values". For instance, with Brock, when we see the horny lad shimmery-eyed fantasies about the woman of the moment, his little mental thought cycle always has the girl and himself falling madly in love and getting married in a traditional ceremony.

“Everyone is idyllic and moral and responsible, and those that aren't tend to come to see the error of their ways by the end of the episode or get an assbeating.”

Why did I make this post? Certainly not for the politics but to emphasize that this game has some far reaching potential. All it takes is an open mind regardless of whose life matters (or doesn't).