I used to consider myself libertarian, but these days that’s not the case. I found myself having some disagreements with the whole idea of government still being necessary. Looking at the anarcho-capitalist model as well as the anarchist model, two similar ideologies with key differences nonetheless, I thought I had found a place that I could peg myself into. Still, though, there was something gnawing at me about these philosophies as well and it mostly had to do with the fact that not only do they see government as unnecessary, but that it should also be completely eliminated.
Since I had long abandoned conservatism after realizing that conservatives don’t care about limited government (ask them about cutting military spending and you’ll have you’re proof), I found myself wondering if I was out on my own again. I still don’t know if anyone would agree with me or not, but that’s neither here nor there.
What I really am, at least the closest ideology I can define, is what I like to call Antistatist. This is not a political ideology per se, but more of an attitude about dealing with the social and economic issues that society faces each and every and a practical attitude on how to deal with it.
I agree with anarchists that government is not necessary. Clearly, all functions of government could easily be handled by non-government organizations that compete with each other in the free market. This part is the contribution that anarcho-capitalist provide. Anarchists tend to view any kind of hierarchy, public or private, as a danger to society. As such, many also happen to be atheist as well, which is something that I cannot adhere to because my faith is a large part of my life.
Libertarians, I have come to reason, are by and large Statists, although they won’t admit it openly. This is because they continue to believe that there are limited functions that only government can provide, usually when defending us from foreign invasion and handling domestic violations of our rights from others. Despite the fact that these can be handled without government in most cases, they continue to say that government is still necessary despite it being evil.
Anything that is considered a necessary evil will always become a horrendous evil in the long run, no matter what you do. The truth is, the libertarian belief that government is necessary is a Statist belief.
The Antistatist belief or attitude is one where government is considered optional. What I mean is that while it can be oppressive, violent, and forceful, there are times when you need an organization that is oppressive, violent, and forceful to be aimed at a threat to yourself. But only sometimes and it doesn’t always have to be government. I believe that people should be free to organize a governmental body, if they so wish, but that the individual is under no obligation to submit to that body if he or she does not wish to do so. I believe that this kind of attitude will create competition among leadership and will foster better results than what happens now with Oligarchs in DC whose ears are closed and whose eyes only see their own selfish opportunities.
Government isn’t necessary but there is no need to completely eliminate it either. There are times when it is needed in order to fulfill a certain role. This does not mean that anyone has to submit to it, however, and people who do need to be conscious of the force it provides.
This is by means a prescription for a Utopian society. If anything, this merely seeks to minimize the damage that can be done by people who gain power over others through government force. There will always be tyrants who seek to dominate others for their own gain and there will always be criminals who seek harm to others. And while the ideas of anarcho-capitalism or anarchism seem like a solution, they seem to lack the teeth that is required to deal with these sporadic situations. At the same time, libertarianism seems to allow the teeth to always be there, ready to chomp your throat that the misdirection of some malcontent. I freely admit that there are flaws in my line of thinking and potential big holes, but I firmly believe that this is the better way to go.
If mankind were truly like God, then there would be no such thing as morality because the concepts of good and evil wouldn’t exist. Because we insist on disobeying His Will, we will always find ourselves dealing with problems that require the use of force in some fashion or another. While there are plenty of well thought out solutions from all anti-government and limited government angles, I believe that there is no perfect solution and that the best thing is for us to figure what is best right now and do away with it as soon as possible. The belief that the individual is sovereign and that they can voluntarily submit some or all of that sovereignty is, I think, a fundamental belief in the Antistatist worldview. Government only works when people submit to it, after all.