Myths of Statism
The origins of the authority that our government claims are birthed in mysticism. The rational person sees it for what it is.
The Constitutionalist is a type of minarchist in anarchy circles. The term “minarchist” is a variation on the term “anarchist”. The anarchist is a bit like an atheist, and does not believe in the monopoly institutions of government. Rather, we don’t believe in the singular authority that such institutions claim. The minarchist believes in minimal monopoly government that is responsible for nothing more than protecting our rights. No such thing exists and cannot be created. There are merely organizations that attempt to usurp power and maintain a monopoly on force, and such institutions will always be the number one violator of human rights. Like the authoritarian beastie, they will always do more harm than they can ever prevent.
I like Ron Paul. As politicians go, he really stands out. Unfortunately I don’t think he’s going to accomplish anything as long as he continues to have faith in the mythology of minarchy, and I couldn’t resist poking a little fun at the other minarchists who practically worship the ground he walks on.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Ok, you’ve convinced me. What do we do now?
July 9th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
“Ok, you’ve convinced me. What do we do now?”
Depends on what you want to accomplish.
July 9th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
WHat do you do?
Disobey, for one. Stop rolling over when the mafia demands your money, stop cooperating. Moving to NH makes that easier.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I’m working to make the government’s involvement in my life obsolete. I don’t rely on police to “protect” me. I don’t count on the fire department to protect my property.
I bring up the subject with anyone who I think might be open to the idea - as long as other people believe government is the answer (and not the problem!) I’ll be forced to deal with the government people peeing in the pool that is my life. Working to break the myth that “government is needed” is at the very root of eliminating the government people’s ability to rule over others.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Now you go about living your life as free as you can.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
For starters, stop voting, and stop filling out census forms. And spread the word. Eventually, with enough people on your side, you’ll be able to stop paying license and registration fees, stop paying taxes, etc… without having a guaranteed spell in a prison cell.
Eventually, as the ideas spread, people will stop filling up government jobs and elected positions.
????
PROFIT!!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
“What do we do now?”
It’s such a good question, I think it deserves a separate comic or blog entry. Stay tuned. There are lots of answers.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I keep telling all the anarchists that they/we need to replace the institutions that provide the services that society needs with non-governmental variants.
Welfare needs to be replaced with private charities. Road maintenance needs to be replaced with private companies somehow. Government produced money needs to be replaced with free market money. Etc.
There’s a ton of things to be done. Pick one or two and work on them.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
i do as Kevin does. just don’t use them and don’t join them - what if they had a police force and nobody showed up? they can’t oppress us without our help. one of my favourite sayings is that calling the cops is like calling the name of a demon: once you’ve got its attention, it sticks to you forever (i don’t believe in that stuff, but it’s a good metaphor).
i also try to really have my friends’ backs so they don’t have to (or aren’t tempted to) turn to the state, and prefer to barter or donate my services when i can. to those i care about that is. the ones i don’t, fuck ‘em. you’re either tribe or you ain’t.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I’ve seen a lot of great ideas on what to do now, as they said: don’t take any of the goverment bennefits, unless your forced to(if there was an alternative to the state’s roads I’d take them), stop doing what they tell you, tell others or find others who already think alike, form communities with them on wich you can rely if needed.
Live free!
July 11th, 2008 at 9:33 am
As an anarchist I agree that Ron Paul isn’t perfect, but he is about as close as we have come in-so-far as “the perfect storm” is concerned. The freedom and liberty movement has benefited tremendously from the exposure we have received through the “Ron Paul Revolution” and we continue to benefit from the “Campaign For Liberty” as well. The optimal situation would be for Ron Paul to have a nationally televised “workshop for the American people” where he could instruct and enlighten the masses in a sincere attempt to head off the bloody revolution that is destined for our shores once again. Of course, the people would have to actually turn their glazed brains and eyes away from the bread and circuses of the current epidemic of “reality TV” but that would happen as word spread. Perhaps this will happen eventually, but for now we’ve been spreading the message person to person and encouraging others to do the research, visit the websites, engage in the forums, and read the relevant books like Ruwart’s and Paul’s. Stepping out of the “matrix” is “easier” for some, than it is for others and there are those who will steadfastly refuse to cease, desist, and quit, no matter what evidence to the contrary they are shown. Fortunately, our numbers are rapidly increasing as the real estate bubble continues to burst, the economy tanks, and the failing and flailing dollar hyper-inflates into oblivion. It is worth noting that, no matter what does or doesn’t happen, there are hard times ahead for most. Keep up the great work Dale!
July 17th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Minor quibble, but minarchist isn’t a variation on the word anarchist any more than the words monarchist, oligarch, and David Brin’s Episiarch.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Sam Konkin coined the word “minarchist” as a play on the word “anarchist”. Rather than believing in the absence of a state (the “an-” in anarchist), they believed in a small state (the “min-” means minimal or small).
This Konkinite term and others can be found here: http://agorism.info/konkinite_terms