"Elections are glorified polls that proponents of the State use to justify dominance. The outcome is binding and everyone must adhere to the results, regardless of individual participation; presumably. 'Statists' – essentially, authoritarians – often ignore the absurdity of establishing and supporting such a system, opting to stress the supposed importance of participating in said politics instead. Untangling those convoluted thought processes requires more than words, and attempting to do so via this medium would likely be a waste of time, at this point. Instead, this article is directed at the like-minded, who understand that government in its current incarnation is immoral and wrong, but haven’t broken out of the traditional way of nation-state thinking, yet.
Can governments exist within anarchy? Initially, the question might appear as a rhetorical oxymoron. By definition, anarchy consists of no government; or, more accurately, no rulers, but more on that later. Most people stop there, without thinking about the concept itself. We all know that words can be deceptive, though. Just as renaming theft or extortion to something else – say, 'taxation'? – does not change the nature of the action; neither does the costume one wears. (But, don’t we all wear costumes, in some form or another? Sorry, I don’t mean to turn this into one of THOSE!)
Any newbies that are still hanging around? Excellent. Thank the desired 500 word minimum for this brief interlude. Let’s discuss rights. Life, liberty, property? Sure. A better way: As long as your actions don’t harm another, consider it a right. Do you have a right to healthcare? Sure. Do you have a right to forcefully take others’ money to accomplish it? No! Lather, rinse, repeat for anything that is subsidized sans voluntary transactions.
Sending others to intervene in a situation where you, yourself, would hesitate is dastardly; but, who is more culpable in the resulting action: the person who sends the collector, or the one who collects? Both are culpable, but the one committing the action is most reprehensible of all; for, without committing the deed, no one would have been wronged.
But, back to anarchy! Let’s be practical. Without militaries or physical impediments of some sort, national borders are as illusory as the security these provisions proclaim to provide. Regions within a national border are further classified into states, counties, and municipalities. Through these jurisdictions – the individuals working within those departments, rather – 'the law of the land' is enforced. The plots shrink, and fences replace borders. That’s the generally accepted conception, at least.
I posit that these enforcers are the true rulers, whether they purport to be or not. But, this doesn’t stop with governments. Everywhere – school, work, home – there are hierarchies; especially in the animal kingdom. How, then, can I plausibly state that you live in anarchy, without rulers? Unless you’re actively being coerced, you’re free. Even while being harassed or threatened, you can still choose how you handle the situation.
This is where I’m supposed to talk about self defense, relate it all back to anarchy, and close with Solzhenitsyn; but violence usually isn’t the answer. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that those perpetuating these systems sincerely believe that they are helping, even as they jeopardize the lives of both their victims and themselves via their unnecessary interventions.
Viewing the world through this lens removes some of the abstraction from government, and allows you to see it for what it really is. Topics from sanctions down to speeding tickets become more fungible, but outside of the regular pattern of personal interactions – it becomes clear that other mechanisms are employed. (Control over financial institutions and killer robots come to mind.)
A piece of paper won’t prevent abuse. People have a better chance, but not without communication and education. Without respect, logic becomes muted. (That is to say, no one wants to listen to a smart ass.)"
This is becoming my "Hello World!" of social media!