Against multilateralism

Abstract

This article argues that multilateralism, or actions requiring the cooperation and approval of many people, stifles action and progress due to its prohibitively high coordination costs, as well as the fact that it does not account for the interests of all those affected by certain policies. The article instead offers three alternative methods to protect the populace from those with power and malicious intent: law and legal enforcement, self-protection and personal choice, and appropriate financial incentives (e.g. profit sharing). It underscores that the asymmetry between “action” and “inaction” suggests that the most effective approach is that which reduces barriers to the undertaking of actions for beneficial purposes. – AI-generated abstract.