Letter from Hanoi

You can find good things in the strangest places, take this letter from Bob Piper in Hanoi. One of his observations is that:

"It is every man, woman, motor cycle or bicycle for themselves, and as for pedestrians... take your chance. The incredible thing is we haven't seen a single accident in two days."

It seems in Hanoi the rules of the road have emerged naturally through human interaction for the benefit of everybody, without the need for a set of rules imposed from on high. Now if Bob could just realise what he has actually seen. That people can get along just fine without the state creating their own rules as they go along which, while they look chaotic and unintelligible for anybody outside the system, are extremely efficient at getting everybody what they really want.