Hi Ken,
Bismarck's social security system was predated by that of Bartholemew Roberts (1682-1722) and other pirates operating between Africa, South America and the Carribean. Theirs was also national security system being part of a new nation they created as 'brethren of the coast'.
Details available in e.g. 'If a Pirate I must be' Richard Sanders; overview of the contect in historical analyses of pirate utopias, e.g. http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no8/pdfs/pirates.pdf ; and a interesting history of the teatotal beautifully dressed Roberts, perhaps the most successful pirate ever (and one of the least known) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts.
Best wishes,
Terry
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