It Is a Good Time to Be an Anarchist
~
By Brad Spangler
The conquest of Iraq marks an important boundary. For many years, the United States had been leaving aside, bit by bit, its libertarian heritage of Constitutionally limited government.
The process dramatically accelerated in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 - with the so-called "Patriot Act" more clearly violating Constitutional restrictions on governmental authority than any previous Federal transgression in our lifetimes.
Now, with the unprovoked invasion and conquest of Iraq, the United States government lays claim to a policy of "preemption" that amounts to an attempt to exercise the same suzerainty over the other nations of the Earth that the populace of the United States itself has accepted from the FedGov.
The Republic is dead. It was a noble experiment that ultimately failed in its principal aim - to demonstrate that a written constitution can restrain governmental authority to a somewhat non-tyrannical level.
The FedGov has cast aside restrictions on its authority - restrictions written into the only document that gave it a claim, however tenuous, to legitimacy. To the FedGov, the Constitution that creates, structures and limits it is no longer valid.
So be it. There is, then, no legitimate government. We already live in a state of anarchy. We face only a crime problem.
True, the primary bandit gangs enjoy a certain level of popularity rooted in the confusion they create by calling themselves governments. To combat them, our first task is to speak the truth and call them what they really are. This will pave the way for eventual market development in the still embryonic private security, private law and private defense industries. First things first, though. Simply speak the truth and encourage others to do so. These so-called governments are bandits. A government is nothing more than the Mafia with flags.
Many of you may know some confused and good natured friends who call themselves "Constitutionalists". They want freedom - so give them some good news. Life has just gotten a whole lot simpler. Don't worry about signing petitions, writing your Congressman or any of that nonsense. Let them know that Empires always fall because Empires are just plain dysfunctional. History is quite clear on this. Let them know that all we lovers of Liberty have to do is keep speaking the truth, so that when this Empire falls there will be enough people dedicated to making sure that the Empire gets replaced with nothing. Nada. Not a damned thing.
Once the truth - that we all really would be better off with no government at all - is more widely recognized and understood, then the market itself will bring to bear the resources and talents to provide the products people will want - private law that is fair and just, private defense that is effective but doesn't embark on missions of conquest and slaughter.
Speak the truth. It is just that simple.
(Note: Special thanks to William Stone III who has made substantially similar arguments in that magnificent publication, The Libertarian Enterprise.)
Copyright © 2003 Brad Spangler
|