Switzerland, a tiny, land-locked, mountainous - yet, extremely prosperous - country, is divided into 26 independent "cantons" - and the above photograph is of all their individual flags assembled together. (With many thanks to Google Images, of course.)
These cantons are all "free" and "independent" of higher authority. The Swiss practice "direct democracy" here. Which is why the Swiss are proud to say that "no Swiss knows the name of the President of Switzerland."
The Swiss are a linguistically divided people - in one area they speak German; in another, they speak French; in another area, they speak Italian; and there is also a tiny minority of Romansh-speaking people - the gypsies - and all four linguistic groups have their full rights. There is no "Swiss" language.
The Swiss practice free trade. The Geneva Motor Show is the most important automobile exhibition in Europe - and the Swiss do NOT make cars. Instead, they prefer to DRIVE the best cars in the world. They make cheese, they make watches, they make chocolates - including excellent "liquor chocolates" - and other stuff they are good at. This is what we economists call "The International Division of Labour." This is the very opposite of "swadeshi."
Property rights are fully protected: Swiss mountain "chalets" cost Big Bucks. I found well-maintained properties in Interlaken that were over 500 years old.
And the Swiss HATE war - while they LOVE peace. The Swiss stayed OUT of both World Wars - wars that destroyed not only Europe, but much of the rest of the world as well.
The International Red Cross was founded by a Swiss - and his equestrian statue graces one of the crossings of the Fair City of Geneva. So, if you foolishly go to war and get badly hurt, the Swiss come and bandage you up.
I call that INTELLIGENT.
All Swiss MEN are armed and trained to fight. So no one wants to even try and invade Switzerland.
Let us now turn to India. In our recent History, never has there been a monolithic, centralised State. At Aurangzeb's time, the Maratthas controlled their areas. And to the south was the Maharaja of Travancore-Cochin. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan also had territories of their own. And, at the same time, there were British, French, Portuguese as well as Dutch territories - the last of these being the pretty town of Tranquebar.
In British India, right upto 1947, there were 652 "Princely States." Many of these were "Salute States" - their rulers entitled to "Gun Salutes" from the British, these Gun Salutes depending on their importance, ranging from 21 to 9. Of course, there were many, many Princely States without any Gun Salute recognition for their rulers at all, for many were small Thakurs and Nawabs of tiny principalities. Yet, all of these 652 Princely States had formal Treaty Obligations with the British Crown - agreements of "perpetual friendship." Some of these Treaties with the British Crown were very old, having been signed in the time of the Company, mostly by Captain Tod. Lord Mountbatten is responsible for all these solemn Treaties being violated. And, it is noteworthy that Lord Mountbatten ended up being ASSASSINATED. And as for his wife, she was most certainly no lady.
In the world of today, there are many, many successful "City States." There was British Hong Kong - but even the Chinese, who possess this city now, say "One Country, Two Systems."
There is Singapore - with its "authoritarian capitalism."
There are the City States of the United Arab Emirates.
Now, Pondicherry has always been a Free City - completely aloof from the Government at Madras, whether this was British, or it was Indian. Pondicherry has thus always been "independent" in this, vital, sense.
Now, the Central State in Nude Elly can well be declared a "Failed State." It surely cannot be called a "Successful State." So we might as well conclude that it is a "Failed State." This is inevitable - for History does NOT provide a single instance of a successful centralised State. The Ancient Greeks were "City States," too. The USSR collapsed most spectacularly. And there is Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Someday, someone will write The Decline and Fall of the Nehru-Gandhi Empire. Those who do NOT know History, are condemned to repeat it.
How must Pondicherry be politically organised? All you guys need is a Mayor - and I have suggested MOH Farook as the man to choose. However, and this is particularly important, all the "recognised political parties" of the Government of India's Election Commission must be disbanded. There is NO NEED for political parties to elect honest, responsible Aldermen, representing constituencies. Also, elect Two Sheriffs - responsible for Riot Prevention, and nothing else, and I trust their services will never be required in this peaceful place. No salaries should be paid to either the Sheriffs or the Mayor. They should be rich people on their own, volunteering for "public service." And, from now on, till Eternity, no one should be eligible for Mayorship without having served one term as Sheriiff, so that his sense of responsibility, his public spirit and his honesty have all been through the test. MOH Farook must be exempted - and he has anyway been a good Chief Minister in the past.
Taxes should be low, collected from Property Owners, and only these should possess the right to elect aldermen and sheriffs. Low taxes means The People have more money to save and invest. High taxes means more bureaucracy - more "tax parasites" armed with Rules & Regulations. Always avoid this. Learn from the mistakes of the present.
For the people, you should just have a "private law society." This comprises Property, Contracts and Torts. These laws "protect" the people; these laws are NOT "coercive" - unlike "democratic legislation." With Private Law, you will be Fully Secure. And you will also be Free.
Announce Unilateral Free Trade. Export into the Indian hinterland, and profit. Get your pier and your jetty into good working order. Try and develop a proper Port. You have an airport. Make it an International Airport. Compete with all other Indian destinations for tourists.
COMPETE!
Most importantly, you will need Honest Money and Banking - and this is where even Dubai failed, most spectacularly. This does NOT require anything of the City Mayor or the Aldermen. This is the business of Goldsmiths - and I noticed an advertisement just this morning advertising Pure Gold certified with the Hallmark of the Bureau of International Standards. Change your paper rupees into such Pure Gold and have Private Mints turn them into coins. Of course, these goldsmiths can issue paper notes - but they must be redeemable on demand, or else. Gradually, honest Big Banking can emerge.
In other words, Gold Coins are MONEY.
Paper notes are MONEY SUBSTITUTES.
There are three other areas under the control of the present Pondicherry State: Karaikal, just down south of here; Yanam, on the Andhra Coast; and Mahe, on a totally different ocean altogether, on the Kerala Coast. Chandannagore in Bengal, of course, has been lost. I suggest that Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe all be given Total Independence, so they can be Free Cities, too, and run their own affairs.
One last thing: It is an Ancient Proverb that says, "Honesty is the Best Policy." Yet, most people think this applies only to businessmen, because in The Market, it is well known that "Cheats Never Prosper." No shopkeeper who cheats his customers gets "repeat customers" - and so, he does NOT prosper.
It is my sincere belief that the Ancient Proverb, "Honesty is the Best Policy," also applies to the field of Politics. Ancient Rome collapsed because of Corruption - including Corruption of the Coinage. Ditto for the socialist, centralised State in Nude Elly. And soon, I predict, we will witness similar collapses of the US Empire as well as the EU Empire.
In Pondicherry, the people are certainly possessed of abundant reserves of "natural religion" as well as "natural honesty." You are all Very "Good" People. Make Honesty the Best Policy in Everything that you do.
And let the Lord Mayor of the Olde City of London be your guide. In 800 or more years, there has NEVER been any scandal in this Honest Civic Corporation. The area of this Olde City is even smaller than Pondicherry - and it measures just One Square Mile - but this area has always been "One Square Mile of Liberty." So, Capitalism of the British "John Bull" kind was born here - and, although these merchants never expanded their territory within London, they sent out Capital and merchant ships all over the world, starting with the Honourable East India Company, the Virginia Company, the Levant Company, the Muscovy Company, and so many more. This "One Square Mile" built The British Empire, over which it was famously said that "The Sun Never Sets." Of course, it has set. But that's another story, for another post.
The Motto of this Olde City of London is "Domini Dirige Nos" - which means, "Let God Be Our Guide." Which means "Let NOT The King Be Our Guide."
It means the same thing as the Azaan I sang here the other day, with my crazy Baba Pagal Nath Charsi twist.
In a Free Market, each Individual is responsible for himself, and has to take Independent decisions as to how and where he will invest and employ his Capital.
Capitalism Means Freedom!
Freedom Means Competition!
And the Absence of Competition is Tyranny!
Socialism means Officialdom - not Freedom.
This is precisely where the previous generation went horribly wrong.
Pondicherry is a CAPITALIST CITY - with each and every street lined with shops, shops and more shops. Napoleon ridiculed the English by calling them "a nation of shopkeepers," but it was these shopkeepers who ruled the waves and ruled the world, while the French, a "martial race," and Napoleon himself, never managed to rule much.
Pondicherry is possessed of a "natural order" only because all are shopkeepers here. In parts of India where there are very few shopkeepers, like parts of the North-East, most young men take up the GUN and join some "insurgent group" or the other - and then, if some brave Marwari attempts to set up a shop there, all these boys with guns go to this Marwari and EXTORT money from him.
You Pondicherrians are a LUCKY people. You are lucky because you are all good, honest and hard-working people, possessed of "natural religion" and "natural honesty."
So go ahead and be FREE. Free to engage in voluntary and gainful Capitalist Acts & Exchanges with all peaceable STRANGERS who come to your markets. You will surely PROSPER. There will be PEACE. And, who knows, maybe your Capital, which you will surely accumulate much of, will enable you to conquer the world - in a peaceable way, of course.
And May God Bless All Of You.
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