There are many things in life that we do without even thinking about it. It can be very easy to dismiss some of these things as trivial and meaningless... perhaps even as unable to teach us anything about life and our understanding of it. For example, most people do not consciously think about the fact that they can in fact think...
When it comes to speaking, most people don't consider what knowledge can be derived from the fact that we can make sounds with our mouths to communicate ideas. One reason for this is because we know these sounds to mean definite things or ideas that we assume others,who speak our same language, can identify with. If I say "book", you probably know I am talking about something that can be read. You also probably know that I do not mean a newspaper, magazine, or blog. You are able to distinguish the characteristics of "book" from the characteristics of everything else in the universe. If you could not at least make a generalization of objects, speaking would be useless. It does one no good to say "book" when the receiver of the message "book" doesn't know it from that of "star" or "worm", etc. What is truly amazing is this is even true when there is a language barrier.
My own trip to China was a prime example of this. Now, the Chinese for the most part had no idea what I meant by "bathroom", but they did know that I was looking for something specific, with definite characteristics. Often times when looking for something, or trying to obtain something, where the language barrier was present, playing charades and drawing pictures proved to be extremely helpful. It's true that there was occasion where miscommunications occured, but the point is, each person knew that the other was looking for something with specific characteristics, and even for a specific purpose.
When we think of the State, or "government", we often think about justice, and what it means. Almost universally, the government is expected to seek out those who harm others and get retribution, or protect the peaceful from the aggressions of others. These two deeds are noble enough. The rapist must pay for his crimes. The thief ought to return what he has stolen. But these are not the only characteristics of the State.
While the State may offer protective services, it survives completely by threatening people in society with imprisonment for refusing to fund them through taxation. They strive to fine those for driving too fast, having the wrong vegetation, and countless other crimes which are completely victimless. In fact, some stats report as high as 86% of the prison community being filled with those who have never harmed another. And since justice inherently involves protecting those who have never harmed another from those willing to harm, we must conclude that the State has characteristics that are more inclined towards injustice rather than justice. But why should we come to this finding when on occasion the State does do something to help the peaceful?
Because there are no contradictions in reality. A tree cannot be a tree and also be a pen. A pair of scissors cannot be a spoon at the same time it is a pair of scissors; there are no square circles. Hence, an organization that survives through coercive methods against peaceful people cannot be an entity of justice just because it provides protection once in a while (it is most likely the case that the protection it offers is more about beating the competition, as the State claims for itself a monopoly on coercion in society). But if speaking is all one needs to do, why is the State supported? I have 3 theories.
1) It is most likely the case that the state is supported, not because people actively want it, but because they value the hardship of going against it less than they value going on with life and just putting up with it.
2) Anxiety occurs whenever one proposes abolishing the state. If the state doesn't provide protection (which, as we have seen, the state is not even an entity of protection) then nobody will and chaos will occur. This is really just a knee jerk reaction. Anyone who understands subjective theory of value, voluntarism, and entrepreneurship knows that protection services can and would occur in a pure market society, and they would actually be protection services.
3) As stated in the beginning of this blog, most people don't think about these things. For sure, it takes more than simple thought to overcome our prejudice in favor of statism, but sitting down and giving the matter serious thought is a terrific starting place... perhaps the only starting place, and there are many who will never do it.
It is my sincere hope that with the United States in the economic condition that it's in, with all the wars spreading, loss of liberties (we now have a president who says he can assassinate American citizens if he is suspicious of them, the U.S. being defined as a battleground, and indefinite detainment without due process whatsoever) that more people will start to think about these matters.
If you can speak, you know enough to reject an institution claiming a monopoly on coercion as being an institution of justice.
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